FFA Washington Leadership Conference and China Buys More Soybeans
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**More than 1,800 FFA members and 250 chaperons will travel to Washington, D.C., this summer for the 2026 Washington Leadership Conference, one of FFA’s premier leadership development events.
The conference began June 2 and runs through July 10 in sessions designed to help students develop leadership skills while exploring the nation’s capital.
Participants will learn principles like exploration, encouragement, advocacy, and service, while creating a Living to Serve Plan they can use in their communities.
**China’s renewed demand for U.S. soybeans is providing optimism for American farmers as officials expect a follow through on a purchasing commitment tied to the 2026 crop.
Deputy Ag Secretary Stephen Vaden says China has already begun placing orders for soybeans currently being planted.
China pledged to purchase 25 million metric tons of soybeans from the 2026 U.S. harvest under an agreement with the Trump administration last fall.
**The future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is drawing attention from ag groups across North America as the six-year review approaches.
Nearly 160 groups representing the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican food and agriculture sectors sent a joint letter to trade officials urging them to renew and strengthen the agreement.
The groups noted that USMCA has made North America one of the most food-secure regions in the world since taking effect in July 2020.
