Global Ag News For Aug 26.2025

TOP HEADLINES

China Sends Senior Trade Negotiator to Meet US Officials

China is sending a key trade negotiator to the US, a move that signals talks are progressing after President Donald Trump extended a tariff truce earlier this month.

Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang will travel to Washington this week to meet with US officials and business people, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the trip hasn’t been formally announced. Li is expected to be there at least Thursday and Friday, the person added on Tuesday.

The trip wasn’t part of a formal negotiating session, a spokesperson for the US government told Bloomberg News. The trip was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which says Li will meet with deputies of US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Department officials.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun avoided a question about Li’s trip when asked at a regular press briefing in Beijing. Li visited Canada on Monday, the Commerce Ministry in Beijing said in a statement.

The US Embassy in Beijing didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The trade fight between the world’s two biggest economies has been in a period of calm since earlier this month when Trump extended a pause on higher tariffs on Chinese goods for another 90 days. Beijing followed the move with its own suspension.

 

FUTURES & WEATHER

Wheat prices overnight are up 1 1/4 in SRW, down 1 in HRW, down 2 1/4 in HRS; Corn is up 1 1/2; Soybeans up 5 1/2; Soymeal up $1.40; Soyoil down 0.35.

For the week so far wheat prices are up 1 1/4 in SRW, down 3 1/4 in HRW, up 1/4 in HRS; Corn is up 1; Soybeans down 7 1/4; Soymeal down $0.60; Soyoil down 0.78.

For the month to date wheat prices are down 11 1/2 in SRW, down 25 in HRW, down 11 in HRS; Corn is unchanged; Soybeans up 64; Soymeal up $16.30; Soyoil down 0.22.

Year-To-Date nearby futures are down 8.3% in SRW, down 11.7% in HRW, down 4.3% in HRS; Corn is down 14.9%; Soybeans up 3.1%; Soymeal down 4.0%; Soyoil up 35.6%.

Chinese Ag futures (NOV 25) Soybeans down 10 yuan; Soymeal down 13; Soyoil up 20; Palm oil down 70; Corn down 7 — Malaysian Palm is down 22.

Malaysian palm oil prices overnight were down 22 ringgit (-0.49%) at 4470.

There were changes in registrations (-40 Soymeal). Registration total: 34 SRW Wheat contracts; 4 Oats; 0 Corn; 590 Soybeans; 707 Soyoil; 515 Soymeal; 419 HRW Wheat.

Preliminary changes in futures Open Interest as of August 25 were: SRW Wheat down 4,731 contracts, HRW Wheat down 1,791, Corn down 29,200, Soybeans down 17,277, Soymeal down 18,325, Soyoil down 1,668.

 

DAILY WEATHER HEADLINES: 26 AUGUST 2025

• NORTH AMERICA: A high pressure system will keep the Upper Midwest dry this week, with rainfall 20–30 mm below average.
• SOUTH AMERICA: SMAP data shows adequate soil moisture in Southeast Brazil ahead of coffee blooming.
• BLACK SEA: Dry conditions persist in Eastern Ukraine and Southwest Russia, increasing moisture deficits but aiding harvests through early September.
• AFRICA: Western Africa’s cocoa regions will remain drier than normal for the next two weeks.
• TROPICS: The remnants of Typhoon Kajiki will bring 100-200 mm of rain and potential flooding to northern Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, despite ongoing weakening.

 

Another round of heavy rains expected in Argentina’s wheat crop areas

LSEG Research & Insights – Commodities

What to Watch:

• Excess moisture in the Argentinian Pampas and a new wet spell will maintain the risks of floods and disease for early-stage wheat
• Neutral weather outlook for crops across Brazil until early September

 

Northern Plains: Mostly dry through Thursday. Isolated to scattered showers Friday. Temperatures below normal Tuesday, near to below normal Wednesday-Friday. Outlook: Isolated to scattered showers Saturday-Wednesday. Temperatures near to below normal Saturday-Wednesday.

Central/Southern Plains: Isolated to scattered showers through Friday. Temperatures below normal through Friday. Outlook: Isolated to scattered showers Saturday-Wednesday. Temperatures below normal Saturday-Wednesday.

Midwest West: Mostly dry Tuesday. Isolated showers Wednesday-Thursday. Mostly dry Friday. Temperatures below normal through Friday.

Midwest East: Mostly dry through Wednesday. Isolated showers Thursday. Mostly dry Friday. Temperatures below normal through Friday. Outlook: Isolated to scattered showers Saturday-Wednesday. Temperatures below normal Saturday-Monday, near to below normal Tuesday-Wednesday. 

 

The player sheet for 8/25 had funds: net buyers of 2,000 contracts of SRW wheat, sellers of 6,000 corn, buyers of 10,500 soybeans, sellers of 3,000 soymeal, and sellers of 2,000 soyoil.

TENDERS

• WHEAT PURCHASE: Iranian state agency the Government Trading Corporation (GTC) is believed to have late last week purchased an undisclosed volume of wheat expected to be sourced partly from Russia
• CORN TENDER: Taiwan’s MFIG purchasing group issued an international tender to buy up to 65,000 metric tons of animal feed corn which can be sourced from the United States, Argentina, Brazil or South Africa

PENDING TENDERS

• WHEAT TENDER: Jordan’s state grains buyer issued an international tender to buy up to 120,000 metric tons of milling wheat that can be sourced from optional origins
• BARLEY TENDER: Jordan’s state grains buyer issued an international tender to purchase up to 120,000 metric tons of animal feed barley.
• WHEAT TENDER: A state grains buyer in Syria issued an international tender to purchase about 200,000 metric tons of soft milling wheat.

 

 

 

 

TODAY

USDA CROP PROGRESS: Corn Conditions 71% G/E, Soybeans 69%

Highlights from the report:

• Corn 71% G/E vs 71% last week, and 65% a year ago
• Soybeans 69% G/E vs 68% last week, and 67% a year ago
• Spring wheat 49% G/E vs 50% last week, and 69% a year ago
• Spring wheat harvest 53% G/E vs 36% last week, and 48% a year ago
• Winter wheat harvest 98% vs 94% last week, and 99% a year ago
• Cotton 54% G/E vs 55% last week, and 40% a year ago

 

US Inspected 1.305m Tons of Corn for Export, 383k of Soybeans

In week ending Aug. 21, according to the USDA’s weekly inspections report.

• Wheat: 946k tons vs 400k the previous wk, 552k a yr ago
• Corn: 1,305k tons vs 1,052k the previous wk, 940k a yr ago
• Soybeans: 383k tons vs 503k the previous wk, 420k a yr ago

 

US Corn, Soybean, Wheat Inspections by Country: Aug. 21

Following is a summary of USDA inspections for week ending Aug. 21 of corn, soybeans and wheat for export, from the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, known as GIPSA.

• Soybeans for Indonesia-bound shipments made up 84k tons of the 383k total inspected
• Mexico was the top destination for corn inspections, Indonesia led in wheat

 

Brazil C-S Winter Corn Harvest 98% Done as of Aug. 21: Agrural

Harvest of Brazil’s second corn crop was 98% completed in the Center-South region, while it was fully done at the same period last year, according to an emailed report from AgRural consulting firm.

Seeding of 2025/26 summer crop is 3.2% completed in the Center-South region, which compares with 1.6% in the previous week and 4.2% a year earlier

 

Brazil judge grants injunction against soy moratorium suspension

A Brazilian federal judge granted an injunction on Monday temporarily suspending a decision from antitrust watchdog CADE that had ordered grain traders in the world’s largest soy exporter halt their so-called “soy moratorium” program.

The two-decade-old private pact was created to protect the Amazon rainforest by barring soybean traders from buying from farmers who cleared land there after July 2008.

CADE’s general superintendent last week gave grain traders 10 days to suspend the soy moratorium or face fines, as the watchdog called for a full investigation into the signatories of the program in which companies share commercially sensitive information.

The decision was criticized by grains trader lobbies, environmental group Greenpeace and Brazil’s Environmental Ministry, while welcomed by farm groups including Aprosoja Mato Grosso.

In Monday’s decision, judge Adverci Rates sided with Abiove, a lobby that represents oilseed crushers, ruling to suspend the watchdog’s decision until a full CADE panel makes its final call on Abiove’s appeal.

 

China, U.S. can complement each other well in agriculture: Chinese ambassador

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng recently said that as the world’s most important agricultural producers and consumers, China and the United States each have their own strengths in agriculture and can complement each other well.

“China and the U.S. together produce nearly 40 percent of global food and consume one-fourth of the total. China has comparative advantage in labor-intensive agricultural products, while the U.S. specializes in land-intensive agricultural commodities through mechanized, large-scale production,” Xie made the remarks at a U.S.-China soybean industry partner breakfast reception in Washington D.C.

This event was co-hosted by the U.S. Soybean Export Council and the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products, with participation from industry associations, agricultural enterprises, and scholars of both countries.

“Agricultural exchanges and cooperation have not only offered more choices for consumers in both our countries, but also put more money in the pockets of American farmers,” Xie said.

“They have provided impetus for agricultural transformation and upgrading in China and the U.S., and opened up a new path for securing global food security,” Xie continued.

The Chinese ambassador argued that agriculture should not be politicized, and “farmers should not pay the cost of trade war.”

“Restricting Chinese citizens and businesses from buying farmland is purely a move of political manipulation on the pretext of national security. It is completely unfounded, and is aimed to hijack China-U.S. agricultural cooperation for a few individuals’ own agenda,” Xie said.

“China is ready to work with the U.S. side to implement the important common understandings of the two leaders, make good use of the economic and trade consultation mechanism, build consensus, clear up misunderstandings and strengthen cooperation, so as to jointly share the dividends of development and return to the right track of win-win cooperation,” Xie said.

Industry associations and enterprises in both countries serve as a bridge and shoulder a special mission, and need to continue playing a constructive role, Xie said. “I hope more friends will join in, and let’s together be ‘farmers’ who work hard to grow a steady, sound and sustainable China-U.S. relationship,” he said.

“We need to keep the ‘pests’ away from bilateral agricultural cooperation, say a loud no to any attempt to politicize trade and economic issues in the name of national security,” Xie said.

“We also need to sow more ‘seeds,’ work closely on trade, industry, business and research, and strive to achieve more results in restoring dialogue and cooperation mechanisms in the agricultural area,” Xie added.

 

EU Corn Yields Drop on Summer Heat and Water Stress: MARS

Hot and dry weather across southern and eastern Europe severely affected summer crops such as corn, sunflowers and soybean, the European Union’s Monitoring Agricultural Resources unit said in an August report.

• Drought caused irreversible yield damage in rain-fed agriculture in Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, southern Ukraine and Turkey. Heat and rainfall deficits reduced yield expectations in Hungary and eastern Croatia
• Better conditions in Spain, Portugal, Italy, northern France, the Benelux countries, Germany and Poland supported summer crop development, with yield expectations around or above the five-year average

 

US Poultry Slaughter Rose 1.6% Y/y in July: USDA

Slaughter rose to 6.1 billion pounds, according to the USDA’s monthly poultry slaughter report released on the agency’s website.

• Chicken live weight rose 1.9% in July from year ago
• Chickens condemned post-mortem down 2.7% y/y
  • Condemned ante-mortem up 9.4% y/y

 

 

 

 

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