U.S. soybean exports have jumped to a seasonal record at a time of the year when shipments typically slow due to dwindling supplies ahead of the autumn harvest. Curiously, the surge is being driven by cargoes being sent to China — a nation that’s largely shifted away from American soy to imports from Brazil over the past year. Brazil’s increased exports to China have thinned its own supplies, and that’s now forcing Beijing to take in American soybeans rather than canceling them in a bid to protect against Brazilian prices rising further or the U.S. crop falling short. (Bloomberg)  

Illinois Department of Agriculture Director John Sullivan said the No. 1 discussion he’s had so far during his tenure has been about growing hemp. “There’s a lot of interest and not a lot of answers,” Sullivan said. “I’m talking about maybe doing some seminars over the winter here to try to educate us as a department and certainly growers and processors about hemp.” (The Center Square)

Seemingly unrelated areas of the market are trading in the same direction more frequently than normal, a trend that some investors say is contributing to recent volatility and could drive more gyrations in the future. The S&P 500’s 11 sectors have either risen or fallen together during 11 trading sessions in August, the highest monthly incidence of such alignment since January 2016. Other risky investments such as commodities and global stocks have generally been tracking moves in U.S. stocks. (Wall Street Journal)

With hundreds of vendors and tens of thousands of visitors, including many from other countries, the Farm Progress Show is underway in Decatur. “We have some people here from South America, Venezuela, and other parts of the world that have come to this show specifically to see what’s new in agriculture,” said Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert Jr. “You know with John Deere and Caterpillar being right here in the state of Illinois, what’s a better place to showcase than right here in their home state.” (The Center Square)

If you are planning to grow hemp for fiber, flower, or seeds, crop insurance is now available, according to the USDA on Tuesday. Certain industrial hemp growers will be able to obtain insurance coverage under the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program for crop year 2020, according to the USDA announcement. (Successful Farming)

A data management research team, which includes University of Illinois researchers, is helping farmers leverage their existing precision technology to conduct on-farm trials and enhance their management. The Data Intensive Farm Management (DIFM) research team generates and analyzes agronomic data to improve how the world fertilizes crops. DIFM uses GPS-reliant precision technology to conduct large-scale agronomic field trials on farmers’ fields. The trials generate yield, input management and field characteristics data. Around 30 Illinois farmers are participating. (FarmWeekNow)