Morning Coffee and Ag Markets

With harvest wrapping up across much of the Midsouth, today’s episode looks at how pre-harvest marketing strategies can guide decision-making after the crop is in the bin. Ryan Loy is joined by Andrew McKenzie and Scott Stiles to discuss how to adapt pre-harvest marketing plans for the post-harvest window, factoring in storage costs, breakevens, and recent export-driven price moves in soybeans.

Join us for an in-depth discussion between Hunter Biram and Ryan Loy on prevented planting (PP) decisions in Arkansas rice production. Using simulated 2025 yield and price outcomes, they evaluate when PP could be financially preferable to planting. The episode also addresses second-crop soybean considerations and how the timing and scale of pre-plant costs can determine whether PP is a strategic c...

For the third consecutive year, Arkansas crop producers are facing a hard reality — total cash expenses exceed total cash income. In this episode of Morning Coffee & Ag Markets , Hunter Biram, Ryan Loy, Scott Stiles, and Grant Beckwith sit down together to unpack what’s driving the financial stress on Arkansas farms. They discuss the key takeaways from the “Farm Gate Economics: Surviving the C...

Interval timing matters more than you think when it comes to Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance. Hunter Biram and guest Walker Davis unpack new University of Arkansas research comparing dry, median, and wet counties to reveal how rainfall trends and interval selection shape profitability. They discuss interval-selection strategies—from Near Peak Forage Months to Historical Variation—an...

Historic April floods in the Mid-South forced widespread replanting, setting the stage for a volatile 2025 rice marketing year. Hunter Biram and Ryan Loy are joined by Alvaro Durand-Morat to unpack global market forces reshaping U.S. rice competitiveness. They discuss how India’s lifted export ban, record global harvests, and shifting import policies in key markets like the Philippines have driven...

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 brings sweeping changes to the farm safety net. Ryan Loy and Hunter Biram break down what motivated Congress to expand Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agricultural Risk Coverage–County (ARC-CO) programs, how those updates shift risk management across regions, and the modeling behind county-level payment estimates. They also unpack what the ongoing government sh...

The Fed cuts interest rates for the first time since 2024, easing short-term lending costs but offering little immediate relief for producers in a tough ag economy. Ryan Loy is joined by Erica Barnes Fields as they connect these market shifts to rising farm financial stress, drawing lessons from the 1980s crisis and outlining red flag warning signs and resources available to support farm families...

Scott Stiles and Hunter Biram recap USDA’s Sept. 12 reports on this week's episode of Morning Coffee & Ag Markets. USDA found more corn acres while trimming yield, and futures firmed after early field reports of disease in the western Corn Belt and late-season dryness in the east. Soybeans lean toward record crush while exports lag amid South American competition and tariffs. Long-grain r...

Ryan Loy and Hunter Biram sit down to talk margin insurance. They break down Margin Protection and the Margin Coverage Option, how each fits with other crop insurance plans, and the signup windows. Hunter also walks through the Margin Protection Payment Estimator tool to show how Arkansas producers can use it to check breakevens and potential payments for the 2026 crop year. 

Hunter and Ryan are back with part two of our Prevented Planting (PP) series. They look at 30 years of Arkansas trends—how PP losses surged after 2011 and have topped production losses since 2019 (often outpacing premiums), in addition to which crops drive the payouts. Rice and corn lead the pack, 2019 stands out as a peak year, and preliminary 2025 FSA data points to high PP acreage led by rice,...

For the fourth year in a row, Mississippi River levels are dropping to severe lows during harvest. Join Hunter Biram and Ryan Loy as they discuss how these conditions are impacting barge freight rates, soybean basis, and local cash bids. They break down what it all means for grain marketing in the Midsouth as harvest approaches.

Hunter Biram is joined by Ryan Loy to explore Chapter 12 bankruptcy trends across the U.S. and in Arkansas. They discuss what rising filings reveal about farm financial stress, how margins are tightening due to rising costs, and why this matters for producers and rural communities.

Hunter Biram and Scott Stiles break down USDA’s Aug. 12 forecasts. Corn is on track for record yields and production, rebuilding U.S. supplies. Soybeans pair record yield potential with fewer harvested acres, keeping new-crop supplies relatively tight. Long-grain rice sees higher beginning stocks and a modest production bump largely offset by stronger demand. Cotton acreage is reduced; even with b...

Dr. Ryan Loy unpacks the Fed’s decision to hold interest rates steady for the fifth straight meeting and what it means for farm borrowing costs. We also break down rising inflation pressures, the looming August 7 tariff deadline, and how trade tensions could impact input prices and export markets. Tune in for practical insights on navigating agriculture’s financial challenges in today’s uncertain...

In this episode, Eunchun Park and Ryan Loy explore whether USDA’s Daily Large Export Sales Reports (DLESR) influence commodity futures markets. Unlike regularly scheduled USDA reports like WASDE, DLESRs are unscheduled and announce significant export transactions—making them potentially impactful market events. Park discusses findings from intraday futures data showing how markets may react to the...

 In this episode, Dr. Hunter Biram and Dr. Ryan Loy explore Prevented Planting coverage—the indemnity within Yield and Revenue Protection policies that compensate producers when extreme events, like April’s floods, prevent planting. They explain RMA’s crop-specific base coverage factors (plus an optional 5% buy-up), walk through cost breakdowns and payment calculations, and outline rules for secon...

In this episode, Scott Stiles and Hunter Biram unpack USDA’s July WASDE, which largely met expectations as favorable weather and robust yields continue to underpin ample supplies. Soybean acreage cuts trimmed production slightly, but stronger crush demand held stocks steady and nudged forecast prices lower; long-grain rice saw acreage-driven production cuts offset by demand revisions that lifted e...

In this episode, Hunter Biram and Will Maples break down recent federal policy updates affecting U.S. agriculture. The newly passed “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) strengthens the farm safety net with major changes to PLC, ARC, and crop insurance—including higher reference prices, expanded SCO eligibility, and increased premium subsidies. They also discuss the “Skinny” Farm Bill’s potential...

In this episode, Hunter Biram and Scott Stiles recap one of the quietest June 30 USDA reports in recent memory. With little market reaction, they dig into what the numbers mean for corn, soybeans, cotton, and rice heading into the July WASDE. Corn and soybean acres came in slightly under expectations, while cotton saw a surprise jump and rice acres declined more than forecast. The team breaks down...

In this episode, Ryan Loy and Scott Stiles break down the rise in Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies and why Arkansas now accounts for over a quarter of filings in the 8th Circuit. They explore what this trend reveals about farm financial stress, how rising input costs and stubbornly low margins are squeezing operations, and why the disparity between prices received and prices paid continues to threaten...

Prices are down, breakevens are up — and Arkansas producers are stuck in the middle. In this episode, Dr. Hunter Biram and Dr. Ryan Loy walk through the latest crop market trends and how the updated Arkansas Profit/Loss Tool can help producers make sense of where they stand. With the June WASDE confirming price pressure for corn, cotton, rice, and soybeans, the duo explores how to use the tool to...

In this episode, Scott Stiles and Dr. Hunter Biram unpack the June WASDE report and its big surprises for U.S. rice and cotton production. The duo also dives into the latest Senate proposal on farm safety net reform, including a 15% increase to PLC reference prices, expanded ARC-CO guarantees, higher crop insurance subsidies, and extended benefits for beginning farmers. Grab your coffee for a data...

Dr. Hunter Biram and Dr. Ryan Loy sit down with Dr. Alvaro Durand-Morat to discuss the outlook for U.S. long-grain rice in the 2025/26 marketing year. They cover the latest global supply and demand dynamics, including record global rice production and rising use in key markets. The discussion highlights USDA’s projection for lower U.S. rice exports and competition from South American suppliers, as...

In this episode of Morning Coffee and Ag Markets, Hunter is joined by Walker Davis, a graduate student at the University of Arkansas, for an insightful discussion on the complexities of Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance policy selection. Together, they dive into Walker’s ongoing research titled “Analyzing the Upside and Downside Risk in PRF Policy Selection: Timing Mismatch.” Tune in...

Pour yourself a fresh cup and join Riley, Hunter, and Ryan at the table for this special episode of Morning Coffee and AG Markets. Today, the trio dives into the surprising 22% increase in Arkansas' net farm income — a jump largely driven by federal economic support and weather-related disaster assistance. They unpack what’s behind the numbers, how one-time payments are masking deeper volatil...