Key policy decisions regarding biofuel requirements and potential trade agreements with China could dramatically influence American farmers’ crop selection this planting season, according to a leading agricultural economist.
Arlan Suderman, who serves as the principal commodities economist at Stone X Group, warns that the most significant influences on what farmers decide to plant may not be captured in upcoming federal planting intention surveys.
According to Suderman, both the Trump administration’s final requirements for biofuel blending and a potential trade agreement with China are anticipated to be announced after the U.S. Department of Agriculture completes its surveys on planting intentions.
These timing issues could mean that farmers’ actual planting decisions for corn and soybeans may differ significantly from what government data initially suggests, as producers adjust their plans based on these late-breaking policy developments.
