Drought, beef imports and packing plant changes are setting up for a bumpy fourth quarter for the cattle market, according to Terrain senior research analyst Dave Weaber. In his Q4 cattle and beef outlook, Weaber points to data showing that by the end of summer, more than 80% of the U.S. cattle inventory was in areas that were abnormally dry or worse.

An executive order was signed by President Trump on October 5 to allow the purchase of off-road diesel, or dyed diesel, on highways from October 5 through December 31, 2026. For farmers in the thick of harvest, fuel supply and cost are front and center.

With global supply, production costs and geopolitics all in flux, farmers face a tough call on how much 2027 fertilizer to price this fall. Corey Rosenbusch of The Fertilizer Institute says the impact varies by input.

New federal action targets tick-borne diseases and the biosecurity risk that can affect cattle herds and beef demand. President Trump signed S. 2398, the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act, on Sept. 30, extending funding for vector-borne disease research and regional centers of excellence through 2030.

Corn futures fell sharply in response to the USDA's Sept. 30 Quarterly Grain Stocks report. The report put Sept. 1 corn stocks at 2.095 billion bushels, up 35% from last year and a seven-year high, compared with the 1.918 billion bushels analysts expected. December corn closed down 21.25 cents at $5.0075 per bushel, its lowest settlement since Aug. 19.

The latest USDA Crop Progress Report, issued this week, showed corn and soybean harvests slowing after running ahead of the five-year average pace in recent reports. Winter wheat planting and emergence remain behind the normal pace, while additional rain in the forecast could further slow fall fieldwork.

From the latest on the Farm Bill progress in Washington to trade talks with Canada, China and India, here's a look at the ag news impacting farmers and ranchers this week.

Following Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the White House last week, the U.S. and China have moved the deadline for their trade truce, the Busan Agreement, back two months to Jan. 10. Under the agreement, the current 10% tariffs will hold steady while talks continue.

The central U.S. is in line for another round of heavy rain this week, this time from the remnants of Hurricane Polo, according to DTN Meteorologist John Baranick. The Category 5 Eastern Pacific hurricane is forecast to cross the Baja California Peninsula and northwestern Mexico, with its remnants reaching the Southern Plains by mid-week.

Industry leaders at the 2026 Women in Agribusiness Summit in New Orleans discussed a topic many operations are facing right now: how to stay steady in a volatile ag economy, according to Successful Farming. The experts broke down where risks are building across the ag value chain, from the farm gate to the agribusinesses that serve farmers and ranchers.