USDA cuts its US corn crop forecast more than traders expected, and corn jumps the most in three months

The stories

31 on this beat today.

Every story told the same way: what happened, who is involved, why it matters, how it works, the truth and the good news.

1. 01

   USDA cuts its US corn crop forecast more than traders expected, and corn jumps the most in three months

   179.6

   bushels of corn expected from each US acre

   1.6 fewer than the October forecast [2]

   3.7%

   most corn futures rose after the report

   the biggest jump in three months [3]

   4.57 billion

   bushels of US soybeans, a record crop

   yet 23 million below analysts' average guess [4]

   300 million

   bushels of soybeans left over next autumn

   down 15 million, when analysts expected a rise [1][4]

   What happened

   • The US farm department cut its forecast for this year's corn crop to 15.9 billion bushels on 10 November. [2]
   • It now expects 179.6 bushels from each acre, 1.6 fewer than it forecast in October. [2]
   • Traders had expected only a small trim, so the size of the cut caught them off guard. [3]
   • Corn futures in Chicago rose as much as 3.7% after the report, the biggest jump in three months. [3]
   • Its crop figures come from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the department's crop-counting office. [1]
   • Corn is America's most widely grown crop. [3]
   • Even after the cut, this would be the second-largest US corn crop on record. [2]
   • The 2025 crop set the record at 17 billion bushels. [2]
   • The forecast's low end is 15.5 billion bushels. [2] A NASS official said that "would exceed every other previous U.S. crop" except 2025's. [2]
   • Corn had slid since late September and hit a four-month low on 9 November, the day before the report. [4]
   • Bloomberg counts Tuesday's report as the third since late September to send prices swinging. [3]
   • The department raised its soybean forecast by less than 1%, to a record 4.57 billion bushels. [2]
   • That was 23 million bushels below the average guess in a Reuters poll of analysts. [4]
   • It also raised soybean exports. [1] So soybeans left over at the end of the season fell 15 million bushels, to 300 million. [1]
   • Analysts had expected the leftover pile to grow by 16 million bushels. [4]
   • Soybean futures rose as much as 3.6%, the most since July. [3]
   • The department cut its forecast for US corn exports by 25 million bushels, to 3.275 billion. [2]
   • Mexico bought 312,700 tons of US corn on Tuesday, its third sale in three business days. [5]
   • China is on track to buy its promised 25 million tons of US soybeans a year, Bloomberg reports. [3]
   • It has made little progress on a separate pledge to buy $17 billion of US farm goods. [3]
   • The same report left the US wheat crop at 1.53 billion bushels, 23% smaller than in 2025. [2]
   • It put the US rice crop at 157.6 million hundredweight, the smallest in 33 years. [2]
   • It raised world wheat supplies, mostly on bigger crops in Argentina, Australia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. [1]

   Who is involved

   The report is the WASDE, a monthly count of world crops, use and stocks from the US farm department. [1]

   • USDA the US farm department
   • NASS its crop-counting office
   • The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) the US farm department; its monthly WASDE report cut the corn forecast
   • The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) the USDA's crop-counting office; it surveys farmers to estimate harvests
   • Grain traders in Chicago buyers and sellers of corn and soybean futures; they had expected a smaller cut
   • US corn and soybean farmers growers paying high diesel and fertiliser costs; some reply less to USDA surveys

   How it unfolded

   In October the department had surprised traders the other way, raising its corn forecast despite bad summer weather. [4]

   1. Late Sep corn starts a long slide [4]
   2. 9 Nov corn hits a four-month low [4]
   3. Friday Conab on Brazil's crops
   4. 10 December the next WASDE
   5. October the USDA raises its corn forecast despite bad weather [4]
   6. 10 Nov the USDA cuts corn to 15.9 billion bushels; corn rises up to 3.7% [2][3]
   7. 10 Dec the next USDA supply and demand report [5]

   Why it matters

   Farmers paying high prices for diesel and fertiliser will welcome any rise in what their grain fetches. [3]

   Shares in Deere and AGCO, two big farm machine makers, briefly rose after the report. [3]

   How it works

   Financial economists call this pricing in: a price already includes what traders expect, so only the surprise moves it.

   Traders had expected a small trim, so it was the bigger cut that lifted corn futures 3.7%. [3]

   Seen it before

   A test score everyone guessed would be a B changes nothing; an A or a C gets talked about.

   The truth

   • What is really going on The US farm department cut its corn forecast by 141 million bushels, and corn rose as much as 3.7% in a day. [1][3]It is the third USDA report since late September to swing grain prices, and farmers are answering the surveys behind those reports less often. [3]
   • Why it works on people A near-record corn crop and a record soybean crop sound like plenty, so a price jump looks odd until it is set against what traders had expected.
   • Farmers have been replying less often to the surveys the department uses to build these forecasts, Bloomberg reports. [3]
   • Who gains US farmers with corn still to sell — The higher price lifts what their stored grain will fetch, at a time of dear diesel and fertiliser. [3]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether the November corn figure will hold.

     Farmers are replying less to the surveys behind it, and two earlier reports since September also surprised traders. [3][4]

   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether China will buy much US corn.

     China is on track for its soybean target but has made little progress on its separate $17 billion farm pledge. [3]

   What comes next

   Brazil's crop agency, Conab, publishes its next look at Brazil's crops on Friday. [5]

   The US farm department's next supply and demand report is due on 10 December. [5]

1. 02

   US food prices jump in October

   What happened

   • US food prices rose 0.5% in October, after not changing in September, the US Labor Department said. [6]
   • Grocery prices rose 0.4%, after falling 0.1% in September. [7]
   • Lettuce rose 7.9% in the month, and steak 1.7%. [7]
   • Beef prices rose 0.9%, reversing a 1% fall the month before. [7]
   • Snack prices rose 1%, leading the rise in grocery prices. [6]

   Why it matters

   A food industry group, FMI, says higher fuel costs from recent months are now reaching shop shelves. [7]

   How it works

   Economists call this pass-through: a cost rise at one step reaches the next step's price.

   FMI says energy is used at every stage, from farm machines to trucks. [7] It says the costs take months to reach shelves. [7]

   Seen it before

   A café pays more for milk this month and raises its latte price a few weeks later.

   The truth

   • The price figures were gathered before the US midterm elections, so they show nothing of the result. [6]
   • Who pays US grocery shoppers — They now pay fuel costs that farms, factories and trucks passed on months after the fuel bills rose. [7]
2. 03

   US plans to cut food aid for 6.3 million

   What happened

   • The US farm department proposed a rule on 9 November that would end automatic food aid for some families. [8]
   • Today more than 40 states let families getting other help qualify for SNAP automatically. [8]
   • The department estimates 6.3 million fewer people would qualify, about 18% of everyone on SNAP. [8]
   • It says the change would cut spending on benefits by more than $50 billion over five years. [8]

   Who is involved

   The aid is SNAP, money for food given to people on low incomes. [8]

   Why it matters

   About 1.8 million children would no longer qualify automatically for free school meals, the department estimates. [8]

   How it works

   Benefit rules use a means test: help goes only to people whose income and savings fall below a line.

   Automatic eligibility skips that test for families already getting other help, and the rule would end that shortcut for many. [8]

   Seen it before

   A school lunch card that works for anyone already on the bus pass list saves a second form.

   The truth

   • The department says the rule would also raise SNAP's running costs by $1.24 billion. [8] States would pay more of it. [8]
   • Who gains Federal and state budgets — Fewer people qualifying for SNAP would cut what they spend on food benefits. [8]
   • Who pays Low-income US families — They would lose automatic food aid, and some children would need extra forms for free school meals. [8]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether the SNAP rule will become final.

     It is only a proposal, open for comments for 30 days, and would first apply in 2029. [8]

   What comes next

   The proposal is open for public comments for 30 days. [8]

3. 04

   FDA bans solvents used to make food colours

   What happened

   • The FDA, the US food and drug regulator, is revoking permission for some chemicals used to make food colours. [9]
   • One is methylene chloride, used to thin the ink stamped on fruit and vegetables. [9]
   • Three solvents, including methylene chloride, are also banned from making annatto, paprika and turmeric colours. [9]
   • Consumer groups asked for the first ban, and the colour makers' own trade body asked for the second. [9]

   Who is involved

   • Consumer groups asked for the ink ban
   • Colour makers asked for the second ban

   How it unfolded

   A US law called the Delaney Clause says a colour that causes cancer in people or animals is unsafe. [9]

   Why it matters

   Methylene chloride has caused cancer in laboratory animals. [9]

   How it works

   Food law calls the Delaney Clause a zero-risk standard: a colour that causes cancer is banned at any dose.

   Because methylene chloride caused cancer in lab animals, the Delaney Clause makes it unsafe in food colours. [9]

   Seen it before

   A school that bans all peanuts does not ask how many peanuts are in each snack.

   The truth

   • The FDA did not say whether this is part of Robert Kennedy Jr's push to remove colour chemicals from food. [9]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether the FDA's solvent bans are part of a wider plan.

     The FDA did not say whether they belong to Robert Kennedy Jr's push to remove colour chemicals from food. [9]

   Good news

   • From 11 January 2027, a solvent that caused cancer in lab animals can no longer be used to mark fruit or make food colours in the US.

   What comes next

   The bans take effect on 11 January 2027. [9]

4. 05

   Scotland orders all poultry kept safe from wild birds

   What happened

   • Scotland brought in a bird flu prevention zone for the whole country at noon on 10 November. [10]
   • Every poultry keeper must now keep their birds away from wild birds, which can carry the virus. [10]
   • Free-range birds must stay inside fences, away from ponds and standing water. [10]
   • Britain has had 6 outbreaks in kept birds since October: 2 in Scotland and 4 in England. [10]
   • The latest was confirmed on 9 November near Dersingham, Norfolk's first case this autumn. [10]
   • All the birds there will be killed, and a 3km zone limits moving birds and eggs. [11]

   Why it matters

   Scotland's chief vet, Sheila Voas, says migrating birds are raising the risk of the virus getting in. [10]

   How it works

   Vets call this biosecurity: keeping a germ out of a farm by cutting the ways it can get in.

   The virus is circulating in wild birds, so the zone fences poultry from ponds and covers feed and water. [10]

   Seen it before

   Washing your hands after the bus stops a cold travelling from the handrail to your lunch.

   The truth

   • Scotland's health agency says the risk to people is very low and cooked poultry and eggs are safe. [10]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How far bird flu spreads in British flocks this winter.

     The virus is circulating in wild birds across the UK, and Scotland's zone has no end date. [10]

1. 06

   UK rules call many ultra-processed foods healthy

   What happened

   • A study published on 10 November in BMJ Medicine tested how UK rules judge more than 3,000 foods. [12]
   • The team, from University College London, compared three ways the UK government decides if a food is unhealthy. [12]
   • By the UK government's own diet guide, 95% of processed and ultra-processed foods counted as unhealthy. [12]
   • Under the advert rules, 57% did, and under traffic-light labels only 48%. [12]
   • Foods like canned pasta, packet macaroni cheese and some fat-free yoghurts pass the lighter tests. [12]

   % of ultra-processed foods judged unhealthy

   Diet guide95

   Advert rules57

   Traffic lights48

   Who is involved

   The advert rules decide which foods can be shown on TV before 9pm. [12]

   • UCL team the researchers
   • UK rules three ways to judge food

   Why it matters

   Shoppers avoiding red traffic lights can still eat more sugar, salt and fat than advised, the authors say. [12]

   How it works

   Nutrition scientists call these nutrient profiling models: a score built from a food's sugar, salt and fat.

   The advert score dates from 2004-05 and does not follow the latest UK advice on free sugar and fibre. [12]

   Seen it before

   A spelling test that checks only spelling will pass an essay that makes no sense.

   Why a crop report swings more when fewer farmers answer it

   Survey statisticians call it nonresponse: when fewer of the farmers asked reply, the USDA's crop forecast rests on fewer answers and can jump more.

   The twist

   Fewer answers do not push a crop forecast up or down. They make it less sure, so the next month can bring a bigger jump.

   The picture

   Bushels per acre

   October forecast181.2

   November forecast179.6

   Step by step

   1. 1 The USDA asks thousands of farmers about their fields
   2. 2 Fewer farmers send their answers back
   3. 3 Each answer has to stand for more acres
   4. 4 The estimate can move more from month to month
   5. 5 Traders react to every move

   The same force, elsewhere today

   Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.

   • Norway makes fish farms report deaths daily

     Norway's figures could only show what the farms sent in, so one monthly total hid the days when many fish died.

   • UK rules call many ultra-processed foods healthy

     The same 3,000-plus foods came out 95%, 57% or 48% unhealthy, depending on what each yardstick counted.

   Where you've seen this

   Election polls

   when fewer people answer the phone, the ones who do may not stand for everyone

   Online reviews

   mostly very happy or very angry buyers write them, so the average misleads

   A school survey

   if only keen pupils fill it in, the school looks happier than it is

   The catch

   Fewer answers matter most when the farmers who stop replying farm differently from those who still do. A well-chosen sample can stay accurate with fewer replies.

   And the whole of it

   A farmer who skips a form, a trader in Chicago and a family buying cornflakes are all tied to the same monthly number. Each of them sees only a small part of how it is made.

   The truth

   • The study rests on the Nova system for sorting ultra-processed food, which critics call too vague. [12]
   • The food makers' body, the FDF, said the study's models "would classify the majority of foods as less healthy". [12]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether the UK will use one yardstick for unhealthy food.

     The study's authors want one system; the food makers' body says the study's models would mark most foods less healthy. [12]

1. 07

   Norway makes fish farms report deaths daily

   What happened

   • Norway's food safety authority, Mattilsynet, will make fish farms report their losses for each day from January 2027. [13]
   • Today farms report one total of lost fish for each month. [13]
   • A monthly total can hide a few days when many fish died. [13]
   • Losses will also be split into 4 kinds: deaths, culls, escapes and fish thrown out at slaughter. [13]
   • For deaths and culls, farms must also give the cause, from 6 groups such as disease and injury. [13]

   How it unfolded

   1. 20 November system details out
   2. 7 February 2027 first deadline

   Why it matters

   Daily figures will make it easier to see whether deaths follow lice treatments or moving fish. [13]

   Separating culls from deaths shows fish killed to stop an infection apart from those that died of it. [13]

   How it works

   Statisticians call this aggregation: adding many days into one total hides when things happened.

   With daily figures, deaths after a lice treatment show up on the days they happen, not inside a monthly total. [13]

   Seen it before

   A football team's season points can hide a bad run of five lost games in a row.

   Norway's figures could only show what the farms sent in, so one monthly total hid the days when many fish died.

   The idea, in story 06: Why a crop report swings more when fewer farmers answer it →

   What comes next

   The first deadline is 7 February 2027, and the reporting system's details are due on 20 November. [13]

2. 08

   Mars spends $1.4 billion on US factories

   What happened

   • Mars, maker of M&Ms and Pringles, plans to spend about $1.4 billion on US factories and operations in 2027. [14]
   • It says that is the most it has ever spent in one year. [14]
   • Mars also put £161 million into its pet food factory at Melton Mowbray in England. [15]
   • The money buys new lines for recyclable pet food pouches at the plant that makes Whiskas and Pedigree. [15]

   How it unfolded

   Mars bought Kellanova, maker of Pringles and Pop-Tarts, for $36 billion and gained 15 more US plants. [14]

   Why it matters

   The English plan will create more than 30 skilled jobs in its first year. [15]

   Mars says 94% of what it sells in the US is made there. [14]

   The truth

   • Who gains Workers at Mars's Melton Mowbray plant — The new pouch lines bring more than 30 skilled jobs and 33 apprenticeship places. [15]
3. 09

   General Mills splits into three parts

   What happened

   • General Mills, the US maker of Cheerios, will run its business in 3 parts from 1 January instead of 4. [17]
   • The parts are cereal, snacks and international; meals and baking; and pet food. [16]

   Who is involved

   A new chief executive, Dana McNabb, takes over from Jeff Harmening on the same day. [17]

   • Dana McNabb new chief executive
   • Jeff Harmening leaving the role

   How it unfolded

   Partly because it sold its yogurt arm, sales fell 3% to $4.4 billion in the three months to 30 August. [17]

   Why it matters

   Shoppers are buying less and moving toward healthier, less processed food, Food Dive reports. [17]

   How it works

   Management experts call this an organisational structure: how a firm groups its work decides who decides what.

   General Mills says the new set-up, with Ricardo Fernandez over cereal and snacks, means faster decisions and sharper priorities. [16]

   Seen it before

   A school with one head of sport decides on its own whether the money goes to football or swimming.

4. 10

   Nerds maker closes a Chicago sweets plant

   What happened

   • Ferrara, the maker of Nerds and Laffy Taffy, will close its 31st Street plant in Chicago in April 2027. [18]
   • About 154 workers will be affected, according to a legal notice filed in Illinois. [18]
   • The plant makes Funables fruit snacks and Stretch Island fruit strips, which will be made elsewhere. [18]

   How it unfolded

   Ferrara was founded in Chicago nearly 120 years ago and keeps its headquarters there. [18]

   In April it said it would spend $675 million on a new plant in South Carolina. [18]

   Why it matters

   Food makers are cutting costs by running fewer plants, as PepsiCo, Nestle and Tyson have this year. [18]

   How it works

   Economists call this consolidation: putting work into fewer, fuller plants so each costs less to run.

   Ferrara moved the fruit strips to Chicago in 2020, and now its Chicago snacks move to other plants. [18]

   Seen it before

   Two half-empty school buses cost more to run than one full one.

   The truth

   • Who pays Ferrara's Chicago workers — Their plant closes in April 2027; they can apply for jobs at other Ferrara sites. [18]
5. 11

   Hain's sales fall again as profits per sale rise

   What happened

   • Hain Celestial, a US baby food and tea maker, reported its results on 9 November. [19] Its sales, as the company counts them, fell 6.7% from a year earlier. [19]
   • It sold $260.3 million of goods in the three months. [19]
   • The share of each sale left after paying to make the goods rose to 22.8%. [19]
   • Its shares fell 6.67% before trading opened, to 14 cents. [19]

   How it unfolded

   Hain sold its North American snacks business, including Terra chips, for $115 million in February. [19]

   Why it matters

   Its boss, Alison Lewis, says energy, freight and packaging costs are still pressing on results. [19]

   The truth

   • Hain held no question session for analysts after its results, citing talks with its lenders. [19]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Hain can sell Ella's Kitchen and its other European brands.

     A lender condition was missed on 12 October, and Hain took no questions from analysts on 9 November. [19]

6. 12

   Carlsberg sells Britvic Brazil

   What happened

   • Carlsberg, the Danish brewer, sold Britvic Brazil, a juice and soft drinks firm, for 80 million euros. [20] The buyer is a firm called JAV. [20]
   • The business had about 200 million pounds of sales in 2024, roughly 2% of Carlsberg's total. [20]

   How it unfolded

   Carlsberg got the firm after it merged with Britvic, a British drinks maker, in January 2025. [20]

   Britvic built the Brazilian business through a series of purchases. [20]

   Why it matters

   An analyst at Jefferies, a bank, said selling the small, low-margin juice firm was helpful. [20]

   How it works

   Business strategists call this a divestment: selling a part that does not fit what the firm does best.

   Carlsberg sells no beer in Brazil, and it chose to sell the juice firm after a strategic review. [20]

   Seen it before

   A band that only plays rock sells the violin someone left in the van.

   What comes next

   The sale should be completed by December 2026. [20]

7. 13

   Red Tractor plans to cut a quarter of crop checks

   What happened

   • Red Tractor, a British farm food assurance scheme, wants to cut 27% of the points it audits on crop farms. [21]
   • The plan drops the irrigation section and bases storage rules on risk and time. [21]
   • Consultations for crops, fresh produce, pigs and poultry opened on 10 November and close on 22 December. [21]
   • Its technical manager says most cuts remove duplicate points, so audits will take about as long. [21]

   Who is involved

   Its standards help build shoppers' confidence in British food, its chief executive, Paul McLaughlin, says. [22]

   How it unfolded

   1. 10 November consultations open
   2. 22 December they close

   Why it matters

   Growers have had two very difficult harvests and a cash crisis, the crops board chairman says. [21]

   How it works

   Auditors call this risk-based auditing: spend the checks where things are most likely to go wrong. [21]

   Red Tractor's crops board is studying it, with details next year. [21] It could reduce the burden on lower-risk farms. [21]

   Seen it before

   A teacher who checks only the homework of pupils who often forget saves time for everyone else.

   The truth

   • Who gains Lower-risk crop farms in Britain — Red Tractor's work on risk-based audits could cut the checks they face. [21]
8. 14

   Review finds a cattle cull lawful but badly run

   What happened

   • A review published on 10 November found the shooting of 51 cattle in County Tyrone in June was lawful. [23]
   • The review, by Ireland's former chief vet Martin Blake, found poor records and unclear procedures. [23]
   • Some calves were missed, and one was later found on a public road with a neck wound. [23]
   • A late change to let some animals be sold privately ended with cattle escaping onto a road. [23]

   Who is involved

   • Martin Blake Ireland's former chief vet

   How it unfolded

   Northern Ireland's farm department, DAERA, carried it out under a court order against a banned keeper over cruelty. [23]

   Why it matters

   The minister, Andrew Muir, accepted all 10 of the review's recommendations. [23]

   The truth

   • The review could not find out why 3 animals were shot after the operation was paused. [23]
9. 15

   England's badger vaccination grows to three new areas

   What happened

   • A government-funded team will vaccinate badgers in parts of Staffordshire, North Oxfordshire and Devon, England. [24]
   • In three existing areas, the team will raise the land it covers from 30% to 70%. [24]
   • Farms will be signed up this winter, and vaccination starts in May 2027. [24]

   Who is involved

   The vaccine aims to cut bovine TB, a disease of cattle, among badgers. [24]

   How it unfolded

   1. This winter farms sign up
   2. May 2027 vaccination starts

   Why it matters

   The UK farm department, Defra, wants England free of TB in cattle by 2038. [24]

   How it works

   Vets call this herd immunity: when enough animals are protected, a germ cannot pass from one to the next.

   Covering 70% of the land instead of 30% means more of the badgers there can be vaccinated. [24]

   Seen it before

   When most of a class has had the flu jab, a cold-season bug finds fewer people to jump to.

   The truth

   • The farmers' union says vaccination should be judged by measurable results, such as herd outbreaks. [24]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether badger vaccination lowers TB in cattle.

     Vaccination in the new areas starts in May 2027, and the farmers' union wants it judged by herd outbreaks. [24]

   Good news

   • Farmers, landowners and vets signed up strongly in the first year of England's badger vaccination, and from May 2027 it reaches three more areas.
10. 16

    Florida tests nets that kill the citrus disease bug

    What happened

    • University of Florida researchers are testing lime-green nets that attract and kill the insect spreading citrus greening. [25]
    • The insect is the Asian citrus psyllid, a sap-sucker that carries the bacteria from tree to tree. [25]
    • They work with a Danish maker of malaria nets, and the netting carries an insecticide. [25]
    • Florida's citrus land fell from 748,555 acres in 2004 to 274,705 acres in 2024. [25]

    Who is involved

    Citrus greening is a bacterial disease with no cure that stops trees bearing good fruit. [25]

    Why it matters

    Juice makers that once used only Florida fruit now mix in imports from Mexico and Brazil. [25]

    How it works

    Plant scientists call this vector control: stopping the insect that carries a disease, when the disease itself cannot be cured.

    Sprays have failed because the psyllid breeds fast and resists some insecticides, so growers cover trees instead. [25]

    Seen it before

    A mosquito net over a bed stops bites, so no one needs a cure for the itch.

    The truth

    • Who gains Orange growers in Mexico and Brazil — Florida juice makers now mix in imports from them as Florida's own groves shrink. [25]
    • Who pays Florida citrus growers — Greening has roughly doubled what it costs them to grow citrus, the USDA's inspection service estimates. [25]

    Good news

    • Mesh covers already protected more than 1 million Florida trees two years after the first research in 2021. [25]
11. 17

    Jimmy Carter's family farm becomes a wildlife area

    What happened

    • The Georgia farm where former US president Jimmy Carter grew up has been sold for $8.5 million. [26]
    • The buyer is The Conservation Fund, a conservation group, which plans to hand it to the state. [26]
    • The 2,458 acres near Plains will join a state wildlife area, making it nearly 7,000 acres. [26]

    How it unfolded

    Carter grew peanuts, corn and sugarcane there with his father, Earl Carter. [26]

    At Carter's request, the family kept a stand of old longleaf pines, a native tree. [26] Much of the land was replanted with young ones. [26]

    Why it matters

    The land will stop being farmland and cannot be built on. [26]

    Good news

    • The farm will be protected from building and open for wildlife and public recreation. [26]
12. 18

    Big beef packer adopts the Product of USA label

    What happened

    • National Beef, a big Kansas City beef packer, has started using the US farm department's Product of USA label. [27]
    • Since 1 January 2026, the label means an animal was born, raised and slaughtered in the US. [27]
    • Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins named 8 more companies on 9 November, taking the total past 30. [27]

    How it unfolded

    Before, imported meat could carry the label if it was only processed in the US. [27]

    Why it matters

    The label is voluntary, and does not promise ranchers a higher price for their cattle. [27]

    How it works

    Trade lawyers call a compulsory origin label a trade barrier when it makes imported meat harder to sell.

    A ranchers' group, NCBA, backs voluntary labels because earlier compulsory ones lost a world trade case. [27]

    Seen it before

    A cafe that writes 'baked here' on its cakes is betting customers will pay for knowing.

13. 19

    Michigan's new senator targets farm pesticides

    What happened

    • Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist who won a US Senate seat in Michigan last week, wants to ban many pesticides. [28]
    • His plan targets pesticides already banned in Europe. [28]
    • He backs a bill by Senator Cory Booker to make it easier to sue pesticide makers over harm to health. [28]
    • He also wants farm subsidies to reward healthy soil, and more US farm conservation staff. [28]

    Who is involved

    • Cory Booker US senator
    • His bill easier to sue pesticide makers

    Why it matters

    Farm groups and environmental campaigners will try to sway him before anything reaches a vote, AgDaily says. [28]

    The truth

    • The plan does not yet list which pesticides; it does not name glyphosate, a widely used weedkiller. [28]
    • Nobody knows yet

      Which pesticides Michigan's new senator would ban.

      His plan's list of chemicals is still open, and he has not written a bill. [28]

    What comes next

    He has not written a bill yet. [28]

14. 20

    Montana ranchers back opening forests to roads

    What happened

    • Montana's stock growers' group backs a US farm department plan to scrap the 2001 Roadless Rule. [29]
    • Ranchers who graze cattle on federal land say roads would help crews clear dead wood and fight wildfires. [29]
    • A conservation group, Wild Montana, says more roads could bring more human-caused fires and harm wildlife. [29]

    Who is involved

    The rule limits road building and logging across large parts of US national forests. [29]

    • Ranchers want roads
    • Wild Montana oppose roads

    How it unfolded

    The department proposed scrapping it in August, calling it one-size-fits-all. [29]

    1. 2001 Roadless Rule made
    2. August plan to scrap it

    Why it matters

    A burnt pasture can cost a rancher a whole grazing season and extra feed. [29]

    How it works

    Fire scientists call dead wood and dry brush fuel: the more fuel in a forest, the fiercer a fire burns.

    Ranchers say roads would let crews bring machines in to clear that fuel before a fire. [29]

    Seen it before

    A campfire with a big heap of dry sticks burns hotter and longer than one with a few.

    The truth

    • Nobody knows yet

      Whether the US farm department will scrap the Roadless Rule.

      It proposed doing so in August, and Montana's ranchers and conservation groups are still split over it. [29]

15. 21

    Salmon farmer Leroy swings back to profit

    What happened

    • Leroy, a Norwegian salmon and trout farmer, made 113 million crowns operating profit from farming in July to September. [30]
    • A year earlier, its farming lost 306 million crowns. [30]
    • Across the whole group, operating profit rose to 459 million crowns from 15 million. [30]
    • It cut costs by 710 million crowns in the first nine months of 2026. [30]

    Why it matters

    Its boss, Henning Beltestad, credits good fish health, and all three of its Norwegian farming regions improved. [30]

16. 22

    A Norwegian cod farm makes its first profit

    What happened

    • Norcod, a Norwegian cod farmer, made its first profitable quarter, 8.5 million crowns after tax. [31]
    • Its sales rose to 89 million crowns, from 37 million a year earlier. [31]
    • It had a record 6,732 tonnes of fish in the sea at the end of September. [31] That was up 25% in three months. [31]

    How it unfolded

    Making money from farmed cod is new; the industry was built over several years of investment. [31]

    Why it matters

    Its cod sold for about 19% more than fresh wild Norwegian cod. [31]

    How it works

    Economists call this the learning curve: costs fall as a firm repeats a job and gets better at it.

    Norcod's cost to raise a kilo at sea fell just over 10% in three months, from 55.6 to 49.8 crowns. [31]

    Seen it before

    Your hundredth pancake comes out faster and rounder than your first.

    Good news

    • Norcod, a Norwegian cod farmer, made its first ever quarterly profit, as its sales rose from 37 million to 89 million crowns.
17. 23

    Half of Illinois's soil offices have one worker

    What happened

    • Of Illinois's 97 soil and water conservation districts, 47 have just one staff member. [32]
    • Each should have two staff, a field conservationist and an office coordinator, their association says. [32]
    • Each district's base budget for running costs in 2026 was $40,000. [32]

    Who is involved

    The districts help landowners plan conservation work and find programmes to pay for it. [32]

    • Conservationist works in the field
    • Coordinator runs the office

    Why it matters

    Low pay and uneven state money make it hard to keep staff, the association's director, Eliot Clay, says. [32]

    The truth

    • Who pays Illinois landowners in one-staffer districts — Fewer staff are there to help them plan conservation work and apply for programmes. [32]

    What comes next

    Some lawmakers, including Senator Koehler of Peoria, are working on more funding. [32]

18. 24

    Lakeland Dairies keeps paying the same for milk

    What happened

    • Lakeland Dairies, a farmer-owned dairy in Ireland, will pay the same price for October milk as for September. [33]
    • Farmers in the Republic of Ireland get 39.7 cents a litre, and in Northern Ireland 31.9 pence. [33]
    • Lakeland says dairy market returns were fairly stable over the month. [33]
    • It will also take 20 euros a tonne off feed its milk suppliers buy in December, January and February. [33]

    Why it matters

    Lakeland says the rebate supports its suppliers with the cost of producing milk in winter. [33]

    The truth

    • Who gains Lakeland Dairies' milk suppliers — They get 20 euros off each tonne of feed they buy from the co-op this winter. [33]
19. 25

    Florida fish farm starts building on land

    What happened

    • Pine Island Redfish has started building a commercial fish farm on land on Pine Island, in southwest Florida. [34]
    • It raises red drum, a sea fish, in tanks that clean and reuse the same water. [34]
    • It raised $6 million from investors to pay for the next stage. [34]
    • The site has more than 80 acres, with room to grow in phases. [34]

    Why it matters

    It says the farm will meet strong demand for seafood grown locally in Florida. [34]

    It also grows mangroves, coastal trees, to help restore Florida's shore. [34]

20. 26

    Bunge and GDM team up on fuel crops

    What happened

    • Bunge, a giant grain trader, and GDM, an Argentine seed breeder, formed a joint company called Enerseed. [35]
    • Enerseed will develop new oilseed crops such as camelina and carinata for low-carbon biofuel. [35]

    Who is involved

    • Bunge grain trader
    • GDM seed breeder

    How it unfolded

    Bunge already works with Chevron, an oil company, on winter canola for fuel. [35]

    Why it matters

    The crops can let farmers grow a second crop in one year and earn new income. [35]

    The truth

    • The firms have not said where the first seed projects will be. [35]
21. 27

    Bezos Earth Fund backs a cattle technology programme

    What happened

    • The Bezos Earth Fund is the first funder of a new programme to test technology for cattle farms. [36]
    • The money has not been disclosed, and the deal lasts one year. [36]

    Who is involved

    The Yield Lab Institute runs it, to test new tools for beef and dairy farms. [36]

    • Yield Lab Institute runs the programme
    • Bezos Earth Fund first funder

    Why it matters

    Farm technology start-ups often struggle to test their ideas, for lack of money and places to try them. [36]

    Cattle farmers face high costs and smaller herds, AgFunderNews reports. [36]

22. 28

    Quality Street drops its paper tub, for now

    What happened

    • Nestle will not sell Quality Street chocolates in its paper tub this Christmas. [37]
    • Nestle says it is using what it learned to develop the tub and bring it back bigger. [37]

    How it unfolded

    In 2024 the brand switched from plastic to a recyclable paper tub, the first by a major sweet maker. [37]

    Cadbury Heroes followed with its own paper tub for Christmas 2025. [37]

    1. 2024 paper tub launched
    2. This Christmas paper tub paused

    Why it matters

    Paper can be harder to make strong, quick and cheap enough for a Christmas rush, ConfectioneryNews says. [37]

    The truth

    • Nestle did not give its reasons for the pause. [37]
23. 29

    Family asks for yearly tractor safety tests

    What happened

    • Steven Lee, 26, died in 2022 when his motorbike hit a tractor and trailer in Herefordshire, England. [38] His family wants yearly road tests for farm vehicles. [38]
    • The trailer was overloaded, and its brakes were not working or connected. [38]
    • Their petition got almost 1,600 signatures in four days. [38]

    How it unfolded

    The tractor driver was jailed for eight years in September for causing death by dangerous driving. [38]

    Why it matters

    Two farm machinery groups say a voluntary inspection scheme could become the basis of compulsory tests. [38]

24. 30

    Baxters recalls a soup over swelling cans

    What happened

    • Baxters, a Scottish food maker, recalled its Chef Selections Cullen Skink, a smoked haddock soup. [39]
    • A manufacturing fault may make the soup spoil and the cans swell and burst, the Food Standards Agency says. [39]
    • It affects 400g cans with batch code L07XC and an April 2029 best before date. [39]

    Why it matters

    Shoppers in England, Wales and Scotland are told to bin the whole can unopened, in an outside bin. [39]

25. 31

    US shoppers pay more and take home fewer items

    What happened

    • US households spend 42% more on packaged groceries than in 2020, a market research firm, Numerator, found. [40]
    • They take home 1.2% fewer items. [40]
    • Packaged groceries in the middle aisles make up more than half of grocery spending, about $685 billion a year. [40]

    Why it matters

    Restaurant food has gained a bigger share of spending since 2020, Numerator says. [40]

    How it works

    Economists call this the price effect: a bill can rise while the amount bought falls, because each item costs more.

    Spending up 42% with items down 1.2% means the rise came from dearer items, not more food. [40]

    Seen it before

    A cinema trip costs more each year even if you see the same one film.