By Bob Bragg
A troubling trend may be developing concerning how agricultural trade is being reported by the USDA. Politico Pro noted that this year’s 2nd quarter agricultural trade report, released at the end of August, predicted that the there will be a $47 billion agricultural trade deficit this year, which is two and a half billion dollars less than the $49.5 billion deficit that was predicted in May, but this deficit is still over $16 billion higher than in 2024. The report projects a $41.5 billion farm trade deficit in fiscal 2026, indicating that 2025’s deficits are not just a bump in the road, but a disturbing longer term trend. Also, both the May and August Reports lacked the usual written analysis that has accompanied the Report numbers for decades. Politico Pro also noted that the May Report’s release was delayed, and that parts of the Report, contradicting White House public statements that agricultural trade was going well for producers, were redacted.
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