Wisconsin farmers are embracing a profound shift away from soybean production. Federal data reveals their intentions to plant 12 percent fewer soybean acres, aligning with a broader national trend favoring corn cultivation instead. This agricultural pivot stems from complex factors including international trade disputes, evolving crop rotation schedules, and financial constraints weighing heavily on farm operations throughout the Midwest.
The diminishing appeal of soybeans can be traced to prolonged trade tensions with China. Since President Trump implemented tariffs on Chinese goods in February 2025, Beijing has responded through escalating countermeasures targeting American agricultural exports. Soybeans, once a lucrative export commodity, now face a staggering effective tariff rate approaching 115% when entering Chinese markets. This price barrier has effectively closed access to what was previously an essential destination for Wisconsin-grown crops.
Pat Mullooly, who cultivates both soybeans and corn on his family’s Rock County operation while serving on the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board, identifies a historical context frequently overlooked in discussions. He suggests the current soybean decline originated years earlier, specifically during the 2018 trade conflicts of the previous Trump administration. During that period, South American producers seized market share previously held by American farmers – a position they’ve maintained with tenacious determination.
The statistics paint a concerning portrait across the agricultural landscape. Nationwide soybean plantings are projected to decrease by approximately 3.5 million acres this growing season, representing a 4% decline from the previous year. Wisconsin’s 12% reduction stands out as particularly dramatic, alongside Nebraska’s 6% contraction. If realized, Wisconsin’s corn acreage will settle just below 2023 levels, while national corn planting shows a modest 1% expansion compared to that same benchmark.
Josh Kamps, regional crops educator for UW-Madison’s Division of Extension, offers insight into the technical considerations influencing planting decisions. He explains that most acreage follows predetermined four-year rotation schedules – a crucial aspect of sustainable farming practices that balances soil health with economic returns. “If we’re going to grow corn this year and soybeans next year and wheat the year after, we pretty much know that on a majority of our acres in Wisconsin,” Kamps elaborates, highlighting the structured approach many farmers employ despite market fluctuations.
The implications of this agricultural realignment extend far beyond farm boundaries. Bernt Nelson, economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, emphasizes China’s dominant role in global soybean markets, accounting for a remarkable 64% of worldwide trade. This concentration of purchasing power leaves producers with limited alternatives when primary channels become economically unviable. “We cannot talk about soybeans without thinking about China,” Nelson notes with stark simplicity.
Adding through uncertainty, the Trump administration recently terminated two significant USDA programs that provided valuable market connections between farmers and institutional buyers. Programs like the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which operated across all fifty states with funding approaching $900 million, created stable income streams for farmers navigating volatile commodity markets. Now eliminated, these initiatives leave producers scrambling for replacement revenue.
Kat Becker, who owns Cattail Organics in Athens, Wisconsin, articulates the psychological toll of this compounding uncertainty. “As farmers, we know the weather will be uncertain. We know there are things we can and cannot control. But being in a landscape where we aren’t sure what’s happening on a week to week basis, it is hard to make responsible and consistent economic choices,” she explains. Her operation, which specializes in vegetables, seedlings and maple syrup rather than row crops, nevertheless feels the reverberations of these policy shifts throughout Wisconsin’s agricultural community.
The consequences might soon extend beyond American borders. Storage facilities overflow with unsold soybeans while Chinese buyers have hesitated to place new orders since January. They look for their soybean purchasing elsewhere, though domestic production remains insufficient. This widening gap between global supply channels and market demands creates potentially volatile conditions for food security worldwide, a development that few predicted when tariff policies were initially implemented.
