RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness North America

Rabobank's RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness team has 85 analysts working in local teams across the worldwide Rabobank network. They generate knowledge, and develop views and insights on businesses, topics and developments in the food & agribusiness sectors across the globe. All analysts have their own sector specialisations—ranging from meat and fish to dairy, vegetables, fruit and floriculture, coffee and cocoa. Please read our disclaimer here: https://research.rabobank.com/far/en/footer/disclaimer.html

Northern Hemisphere grains & oilseeds update, July 2026 07/16/2026

Northern Hemisphere grains & oilseeds update, July 2026 In this week’s episode, Steve Nicholson, Head of North American Crops with RaboResearch, discusses Northern Hemisphere crop conditions, grain and oilseed markets, and emerging global risks with RaboResearch colleagues from around the world including: Lief Chiang, Senior Industry Analyst, Asia Vito Martielli, Senior Grains & Oilseeds Analyst, Europe Owen Wagner, Senior Grains & Oilseeds Analyst, North America While geopolitical risks, including impacts from the Middle East, remain part of the discussion, the conversation focuses on China-US trade developments, growing weather risks across key agricultural regions, and signs that strengthening demand could provide support to commodity markets. Time stamps: 0:08 – Introduction, Steve Nicholson, Head of North American Crops with RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness 0:33 – China and Asia – Lief Chiang, Senior Industry Analyst China corn and soybean crop conditions Weather risks across Asia and emerging El Niño concerns China-US trade relations and soybean imports Crop protection and fertilizer export outlook 14:16 – Europe – Vito Martielli, Senior Grains & Oilseeds Analyst Impacts of Europe's heat wave Wheat production outlook Russian and Ukrainian crop update Corn market concerns in France and the EU Rising import demand and trade opportunities Ukraine's continued export resilience 23:05 – North America – Owen Wagner, Senior Grains & Oilseeds Analyst US corn and soybean crop conditions Field observations and regional variability Southeast US production challenges China-US soybean demand outlook Whether grain markets are finding a bottom Global supply risks and demand recovery A look ahead at input costs, weather, and market opportunities 40:45 – Wrap up and conclusion If you have any questions you would like for us to consider, please send them to eric.gibson@raboag.com. Disclaimer: Please refer to our global RaboResearch disclaimer at for information about the scope and limitations of the material published on the podcast. /episode/index/show/rabofoodagri-na/id/42032175

Fertilizer markets under pressure: tight supply, softer prices, and a shifting outlook 07/06/2026

Southern Hemisphere grain and oilseed June update: Skyrocketing production costs and El Niño uncertainty 06/11/2026

US fertilizer supply and production dynamics with CRU Group's Chris Lawson 06/01/2026

US fertilizer supply and production dynamics with CRU Group's Chris Lawson RaboResearch's Farm Inputs Analyst Sam Taylor discusses the ever-complex topic of US fertilizer supplies and production with CRU Group's Head of Market Intelligence, Chris Lawson. As farm profitability is reaching historic lows and inputs remain high, a great amount of attention has been placed on fertilizer's role in farm economics. With growing political pressures to increase self-sufficiency, a number of other barriers remain constant in the ability to significantly increase domestic production of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash. In recent news, the Trump administration has announced efforts to drastically increase capabilities and support, aiming to lessen the demand for fertilizer imports by accelerating domestic capacity. At the same time, multiple input companies and other sources would suggest curtailment in domestic production is the short-term reality. Efforts to boost US fertilizer supply may have no choice but to rely on imports. However, opportunities exist with the right partners – namely the US’ neighbors to the north and south. Chris Lawson serves as Head of Market Intelligence at CRU Group, providing pricing and consultancy guidance for the organization. With his Australian farming background, Chris is well-rooted in agriculture and understands the sector's cross-value chain needs. Time stamps: 1:38 – Introducing Chris Lawson, CRU Group 2:30 – Can the US realistically boost fertilizer production over the next two to three years? 4:10 – Why nitrogen is the best opportunity for the US to reduce its trade deficit on fertilizers 11:52 – Phosphates: production curtailment in the short-term, but what about long-term production in the US? 18:05 – Exploring raw materials outside of the US and potential alternatives for traditional mining sources 22:10 – Can strategic reserves offset the highs and lows of production and cost cycles? 24:50 – Strategic partnerships and trade are a necessary requirement to ensure input availability moving forward, particularly with potash 25:50 – North American solutions vs. exclusively US production and supply 28:00 – Wrap-up and conclusion If you have any questions you would like for us to consider in our discussion, please send them to eric.gibson@raboag.com. Disclaimer: Please refer to our global RaboResearch disclaimer at for information about the scope and limitations of the material published on the podcast. /episode/index/show/rabofoodagri-na/id/41349200

Crop Exchange: Introducing the show and our team, plus a conversation on Iran 05/08/2026

Crop Exchange: Introducing the show and our team, plus a conversation on Iran Welcome back to the North America Agribusiness podcast channel. Did you miss us? We're starting up a new series, focused on production and markets for North American crops, ranging from commodities in the Midwest to specialty crops in California. In this episode, the RaboResearch North American Crops team discusses how the conflict in Iran is impacting global crop production – and what that means for North American agriculture. But first, we would like to introduce you to our team. Focusing on all things crops, from grains and oilseeds to stone fruits and berries, we bring current and timely insights along with in-depth overviews of the research we are conducting, as well as what we are hearing across the agri-food value chain. In today’s episode, we are excited to introduce our six-member team and some of the research we’re working on. Our team includes: Steve Nicholson, Head of Crops, North America David Magaña, Senior Fresh Produce and Tree Nut Analyst Sam Taylor, Executive Director, Farm Input Analyst Owen Wagner, Senior Grains and Oilseeds Analyst Al Griffin, Senior Data Analyst Eric Gibson, Crop Production Sustainability Analyst Over the coming weeks, we will further explore research topics ranging from the competitiveness of North American crops and value drivers to specialty crop opportunities and soil health. Check back every couple of weeks to see what our team and other members of RaboResearch have in store. Time stamps: 01:00 – Meet the North American RaboResearch Crops Team 12:45 – Research we are currently focusing on and will cover in future episodes 35:15 – Impacts of the Iran conflict on crop production and farm inputs in 2026 and into 2027 43:58 – Conclusion, until next time! If you have any questions you would like for us to consider in our discussion, please send them to . Disclaimer: Please refer to our global RaboResearch disclaimer at for information about the scope and limitations of the material published on the podcast. /episode/index/show/rabofoodagri-na/id/41072310