Monday, August 31, 2026

Members in the News: August 31, 2026

Sandro Steinbach, North Dakota State University
Shawn Arita,
North Dakota State University

NDSU Ag Trade Monitor Honored

By: RRFN – August 17, 2026

“The North Dakota State University Agricultural Trade Monitor has earned the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s Bruce Gardner Memorial Prize for Applied Policy Analysis. The award recognizes the Monitor, a monthly publication providing data-driven analysis of agricultural trade patterns and policy developments. NDSU Farmers Union Endowed Professor of Agribusiness and Applied Economics Sandro Steinbach and NDSU Associate Professor Shawn Arita accepted the award.”

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Read more on: RRFN


Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnic State University

As California Demands Less Plastic in Packaging, Manufacturers Say You’ll Pay More For Stuff

By: Cal Matters – August 20, 2026

“Federal data show grocery prices dipped slightly in July from June, though prices have climbed year over year and that rate is accelerating… Retailers, who run on thin margins, will eventually pass  costs on to consumers — but probably not right away. It will not happen overnight and it will still be relatively small, mostly on the order of pennies on the dollar.”

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Read more on: Cal Matters


Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

An Evolving Tariff Strategy

By: RRFN – August 24, 2026

“In many ways taking account the industry concerns that have been raised various groups, from the American Farm Bureau through American Soybean Association, and NCGA, who had voiced many concerns given that production costs were already high and that these tariffs we’re going toa make con production costs even higher.” The Trump Administration didn’t remove tariffs completely but started granting exemptions. “Unfortunately, machinery didn’t find the same luck.  That one, because it is lumped in with these steel and aluminum, they are fairly high.”

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Read more on: RRFN


David Ortega, Michigan State University

Shrimpers Are the Latest Group Seeking Protection From Washington

By: The Economist – August 27, 2027

“Even if tariffs do remain, they are unlikely to solve the economics of shrimping. “Tariffs may buy time but won’t make the industry competitive or make the underlying issues go away.”

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Read more on: The Economist


Yangxuan Liu, University of Georgia

OBBBA Levels the Playing Field for Different Farm Business Structures for USDA Payment Limitations

By: Oklahoma Farm Report – August 20, 2026

“Authors Yangxuan Liu and Michael R Langemeier write in Southern Ag Today: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) changes how U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) payment limitations apply to different farm business structures. On June 2, 2026, USDA released the final rule (link) explaining how this provision will be administered beginning with the 2026 program year.”
 

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Read more on: Oklahoma Farm Report Or Georgia Cotton Commission, Farms.com


Brian Whitacre, Oklahoma State University

AI Use is Growing in Healthcare. An Oklahoma Researcher Found Rural Hospitals Are Slow to Adopt It

By: KGOU – August 19, 2026

“The takeaway message from our paper is that the gap is real – the urban-rural gap is real… Urban and rural hospitals adopt predictive AI for different reasons. Rural facilities are less likely than urban ones to use it for clinical decision-making or treatment recommendations, but equally likely to apply AI to billing and other operational tasks.”
 

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Read more on: KGOU


Mckenzie Boyce, Oklahoma State University

Data Centers Bring Opportunities and Challenges to Rural Oklahoma

By: Oklahoma Farm Report – August 19, 2026

“Growing demand for data centers across the country is creating a need for additional locations, and rural communities can offer one important resource: available land. As we see data center development or the demand for data center development increasing across the country, these data centers need additional places to locate.”

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Read more on: Oklahoma Farm Report


Jaime Luke, Michigan State University

Will Trump's Latest Beef Plan Make Your Hamburger Cheaper? Not Much, Experts Say

By: NPR – August 28. 2026

“An additional 300,000 metric tons of ground beef would represent about a 2% increase in the domestic beef supply. "So when we look big picture, it maybe isn't as big of a number as you might think when you first see it outright.”

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Read more on: NPR


William Ridley, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Canada Retaliatory Tariffs Set To Impact $20 Billion of American Goods

By : Courthouse News Service – August 29, 2026

“They’re not just casting out a wide net; they’re going after products that are exported from politically sensitive or battleground states. I think the goal here is to impose pressure or impose pain from a political angle of attack.”

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Read more on: Courthouse News Service


Eric Belasco, Montana State University

The U.S. Faces a “Historic” Cattle Shortage as the Size of the U.S. Herd Shrinks to the Smallest Since 1951

By: Economic Collapse Report - August 20, 2026

“The biggest thing has been drought. Years of dry weather have depleted grasslands across the West and Plains, leaving ranchers without enough feed or water to sustain their herds. Many have been forced to sell cattle early, including cows needed to produce the next generation of calves, making the road to recovery even longer.”

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Read more on: Economic Collapse Report


Success Okafor, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

  • Processing, Pastures Show Huge Mismatch
    By: Agri-View – August 19, 2026
  • Wisconsin Meat Processing Deserts Limit Growth For Livestock Producers
    By: Brownfield – August 21, 2026

Michael Langemeier, Purdue University

The Bottom Line: Marketing Matters Now More Than Ever

By: Agri News Pub – August 24, 2026

“Long-term profitability will depend less on producing a good crop and more on earning a profitable price for it. That’s an important shift because it tells us where producers think profitability will be won or lost in the years ahead,”

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Read more on: Agri News Pub


Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University

Economists Don’t Expect Reopening the US to Mexican Cattle Imports to Reduce High Beef Prices

By: The Wyoming Truth – August 24, 2026

“The potential effect on beef prices from the smaller supply of cattle was lessened because the U.S. beef industry is more efficient and has been able to get more meat from each animal than in past years.”

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Read more on: The Wyoming Truth


Joseph Glauber, International Food Policy Research Institute

What’s Driving the Financial Crisis on Minnesota Farms?

By: Twin Cities Business – August 25, 2026

“The tariffs had mixed effects on U.S. agricultural exports, with exports to China and Canada falling partly because of retaliatory tariffs and consumer reactions. Soybean farmers were particularly hard hit by the U.S. tariff actions. China implemented retaliatory tariffs against a wide range of U.S. agricultural products in February 2025 following U.S. imposition of so-called fentanyl tariffs against China.”

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Read more on: Twin Cities Business



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Monday, August 24, 2026

Members in the News: August 24, 2026

 Kristin Kiesel, University of California, Davis

Why Are Berries Everywhere, in Every Season? Driscoll’s

By: NYT – July 8, 2026

“Driscoll’s has changed the paradigm of modern agriculture and produce marketing...A strawberry was a strawberry. Now a strawberry is a brand. And only a huge operation like Driscoll’s can supply market giants like Costco and Walmart with the premium produce that many consumers are willing to pay for, even as their grocery bills rise."

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Read more on: NYT


Bingyan Dai, Cornell University

Popular Grocery Staple Could Take Hit as California Faces Major Supply Vulnerability

By: Fox News – August 18, 2026

"California remains central to the nation's fresh fruit and vegetable supply, including broccoli. At the same time, drought events in California have become more frequent in recent years, affecting fresh broccoli production and reliable access for American consumers."

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Read more on: Fox News


Eric Belasco, Montana State University

A Historic Shortage Is Squeezing an American Dinner Staple and Relief Could Be Years Away

By: Fox Business – August 16, 2026

"The biggest thing has been drought… years of dry weather have depleted grasslands across the West and Plains, leaving ranchers without enough feed or water to sustain their herds. Many have been forced to sell cattle early, including cows needed to produce the next generation of calves, making the road to recovery even longer.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Fox Business or NY Post


David Ortega, Michigan State University

  • Op-ed: Zohran Mamdani’s Promise and the Reality of Supermarket
    By: Vital City – August 19, 2026
  • As Midterms Near, Grocery Prices Remain Top of Mind for Many Americans
    By: ABC News – August 20, 2026

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

India’s Employment Gains Mask a Missing Middle and Low Productivity

By: Basis Point Insight – August 17, 2026

“India’s employment debate is no longer simply about how many jobs the economy can create. It is equally about the quality of those jobs, the skills they demand, the wages they offer and whether they enable workers to move into more productive activities.”

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Read more on: Basis Point Insight


Joana Colussi, Purdue University

Growing Pains: Farmers Thinking Twice Before Expanding Operation

By: Agrinews – August 16, 2026

“Results from the Purdue-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer show a clear divide among producers… Producers who expect their farms to grow generally reported a stronger sentiment than those who don’t expect to grow.”

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Read more on: Agrinews


Mckenzie Boyce, Oklahoma State University
Brian Whitacre,
Oklahoma State University

Will Data Centers Pay Off For Oklahoma Communities? It Depends

By: KOSU – August 17, 2026

“We've started to explore some of the different ways that communities may benefit from data centers in order to provide more information to communities evaluating some of these different economic considerations for them to make a decision.”

“You know, you think about it, for a lot of rural communities that have really been struggling to improve their school systems or attract people, these are helpful payments.”

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Read more on: KOSU


Akwasi Agyeman Britwum, Bank of Africa Ghana Ltd

  • Tantalus or Triumph? Ghana and the Harvest of Economic Recovery
    By: My Joy Online – August 17, 2026
  • Elixir or Placebo? Microeconomics as the litmus test for Ghana’s Macroeconomic Recovery
    By: My Joy Online – January 19, 2026

Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University
Josh Maples,
Mississippi State University

Meatpacking Plants Close as U.S. Cattle Herds Shrink to A Nearly 75-Year Low

By: Marketplace – August 18, 2026

“It’s 86.2 million, to be exact… That makes meatpackers’ operating costs jump. You can only do that for so long before some business adjustment is going to be made, whether that is shrinking the number of shifts, not running on Saturdays, maybe eventually closing a facility.”

“The lack of these facilities could get us into a spot where we run out of capacity pretty quick. The cattle sector is incredibly cyclical. We go through periods of declining supplies and then increasing supplies. Inevitably, Maples said, the national cattle herd will get bigger again.”

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Read more on: Marketplace


Christopher Wolf, Cornell University

As Whey Gains, Will Dairy’s Footprint Follow?

By: Sentient Media – August 20, 2026

“Some dairy producers are also looking at “nutritional and genetic methods to increase the protein content of milk. The protein craze is likely to increase incentives for more protein per unit of milk produced.”

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Read more on: Sentient Media



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Monday, August 17, 2026

Members in the News: August 17, 2026

 

Akwasi Agyeman Britwum, Bank of Africa Ghana Ltd

  • Protector or Predator? How Anti-Immigrant Violence is Undermining South Africa’s Economic Recovery
    By: My Joy Online – June 15, 2026
  • Guardian or Casualty? How BoG Paid the Price for Economic Stabilisation
    By: My Joy Online – May 11, 2026

Andrew Muhammad, University of Tennessee
Charles Martinez,
University of Tennessee

Soaring US Beef Prices Likely to Rise Further Thanks to Trade Tensions and Disease Outbreaks

By: The Conversation – June 16, 2026

“The cost of beef, having spiked since early 2025, is coming under even more pressure. The most recent is the screwworm outbreak that hit cattle in Mexico and has now spread to the United States, where the cattle herd has already fallen to levels not seen since the 1950s, due in part to drought.”

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Read more on: The Conversation


Tong Wang, South Dakota State University

Many Farmers Using Drones Question Whether They’re Worth It

By: Ag Daily – August 10, 2026

“Unmanned aerial vehicles are more widely adopted for imagery than for input application in the U.S. because the former became commercially available at an earlier date. Application-drone use was nearly nonexistent five to 10 years ago, with most adoption occurring in just the last three years… Higher education equips farmers with more knowledge, skills and resources to effectively learn and interpret the output of complex technologies such as UAV for decision-making.”

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Read more on: Ag Daily


Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnic State University

Examining Kroger's Plan to Purchase Giant Eagle

By: WOSU – August 11, 2026

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Read more on: WOSU


David Ortega, Michigan State University

  • Inflation Eases in July as Gasoline and Grocery Prices Fall
    By: NPR – August 12, 2026
  • Latest Inflation Report May Give the Fed More Time for Its Control Effort
    By: NPR – August 13, 2026
  • Democratic Party Divide, Lettuce in Saving you Green, and Colombia Rescue Efforts
    By: NPR – August 13, 2026

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology


Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

  • US Sugar Market ‘Turbulent,’ Global Market Doesn’t Make Sense
    By: The Fence Post – August 13, 2026
  • U.S. Sugarbeet Acreage Drops to Lowest Level in Decades on Weather and Economic Concerns
    By: Ag Week – August 11, 2026
  • United States Threatens to Retain Part of Brazil's Sugar Quota
    By: CNN Brasil – August 11, 2026

Shon Ferguson, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Global Food Prices Reach 3-Year Peak: Heatwaves, Black Sea Conflict and Biofuel Demand to Blame

By: Upday – August 11, 2026

“Experts warn that heatwaves in France and Spain will likely push food prices even higher this autumn. Shon Ferguson, an associate professor of economics at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, noted that repeated heatwaves during spring and summer negatively affected wheat and corn production in France. Reduced grain harvests threaten to increase meat prices as well.”

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Read more on: Upday


Michael Langemeier, Purdue University

  • Ag Economy Barometer Survey Shows Sentiment Gap Between Livestock and Crop Producers
    By: Brownfield – August10, 2026
  • Why Commodity Prices Are Farmers’ Top Long-Term Threat
    By: Capital Press – August 11, 2026

Christopher Boyer, University of Tennessee
Aaron Smith,
University of Tennessee
Eunchun Park,
University of Arkansas

Controlling Wild Pigs Can Work If It’s a Group Effort

By: The Conversation – August 13, 2206

“The federal government is injecting millions of dollars into efforts to combat feral hogs – and it’s considering spending even more in the coming years. The problem has grown for decades, but our research has found that a recently revived federal effort offers the potential for bringing the hogs under control.”

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Read more on: The Conversation


Amy Hagerman, Oklahoma State University

Understanding the Farm Bill Debate: Key Differences Between House and Senate Proposals

By: Oklahoma Farm Report – August 14, 2026

“The ongoing discussions surrounding the United States Farm Bill remain a critical focus for agricultural producers across the nation. In a detailed conversation, Farm Director KC Sheperd spoke with Dr. Amy Hagerman from Oklahoma State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics to break down the latest developments in federal policy. They examined the comparison between the House and Senate proposals, analyzing key areas of overlap, significant differences, and what the overall process means for producers on the ground.”

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Read more on: Oklahoma Farm Report



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