A recent Bloomberg U.S. Edition article titled “U.S. Soy Harvest Begins with Farmers in ‘Fight to Survive’” features commentary from Dr. Shawn Arita, Associate Director of the NDSU Agricultural Risk Policy Center (ARPC).

The article examines how an early harvest, limited export demand, and storage shortages are creating significant challenges for U.S. soybean producers. Dr. Arita provided expert insight on how excess supply has weakened the soybean basis in North Dakota, which Bloomberg reports has fallen to $1.50 below the Chicago market, a record low for the state.

Key insights from the article include:

The U.S. soybean market is facing a storage crunch, as production exceeds available capacity by up to 33% in states such as North Dakota.

Weak export demand and high input costs are constraining farm profitability.

Local soybean prices remain well below national benchmarks, widening the gap between producer returns and futures markets.

Reflecting on the issue, Dr. Arita noted that “current market conditions show how quickly regional supply gluts can translate into weaker local prices. Monitoring these price differentials helps us understand the broader risk landscape producers are navigating this season.”

Read the full Bloomberg article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-08/soybean-harvest-kicks-off-in-us-as-farmer-challenges-mount

Media Contact:
Dr. Shawn Arita – shawn.arita@ndsu.edu

Agricultural Risk Policy Center (ARPC)
North Dakota State University
www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/arpc