Strategy, previously Strategy, has announced its fourth consecutive weekly purchase, as it continues to widen the gap between it and other Bitcoin treasury companies. This comes at a time when the MSTR stock continues to reach new lows, alongside the Bitcoin price, which is on a decline. Strategy Adds More BTC To Bitcoin Treasury In
The post Breaking: Strategy Grabs 3% of Bitcoin Supply With 3,081 BTC Buy, MSTR Stock Sinks appeared first on CoinGape.
The Trump administration said Friday that it had taken a 10% stake in Intel, the president’s latest extraordinary move to exert federal government control over private business.
The United States will not seek direct representation on Intel’s board and pledged to vote with the current Board of Directors on matters requiring shareholder approval, ‘with limited exceptions,’ according to a joint release from the Trump administration and Intel. The move also comes as the United States vies with China in the race to dominate the artificial intelligence industry.
President Donald Trump announced the deal on his Truth Social platform Friday, praising the company’s CEO just two weeks after he called on the executive to resign over alleged China ties.
‘It is my Great Honor to report that the United States of America now fully owns and controls 10% of INTEL, a Great American Company that has an even more incredible future,’ he wrote. ‘I negotiated this Deal with Lip-Bu Tan, the Highly Respected Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The United States paid nothing for these Shares, and the Shares are now valued at approximately $11 Billion Dollars. This is a great Deal for America and, also, a great Deal for INTEL. Building leading edge Semiconductors and Chips, which is what INTEL does, is fundamental to the future of our Nation.’
While the U.S. held temporary stakes in firms at the center of the 2008-2009 global financial meltdown as part of a bailout, this move is unusual since the economy is not embroiled in a crisis. Congress published a study in 2003 that examined the impact of the federal government taking direct stakes in public companies, concluding that doing so would “not offer a free lunch” and expose taxpayers to “greater risk” alongside the upside potential.
The stake will be paid for through $5.7 billion in grants previously awarded to Intel under the 2022 U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, plus $3.2 billion awarded to the company as part of a program called Secure Enclave. It’s a formerly classified initiative that Congress appropriated funds for in 2024 after lobbying by Intel, Politico reported in 2024.
Including $2.2 billion in CHIPs grants Intel has received so far, the total investment is $11.1 billion, or 9.9%. Intel is valued at about $108 billion on the stock market.
Trump continues to bulldoze through long-held norms regarding government and business, departing from the free-market ethos that has long prevailed in both major U.S. political parties.
This month, Trump persuaded the chipmakers Nvidia and AMD to pay the U.S. government 15% of their revenues from some sales to China in return for securing export licenses there.
While those firms have seen their fortunes rise amid the larger artificial intelligence boom, a windfall from any of them is no sure thing. In the case of California-based Intel, the company has struggled to keep up with rivals in recent years, with its shares down some 60% from the highs seen during the pandemic.
But amid the ongoing artificial intelligence arms race — and the goal of making computer chips a national security priority — Trump officials zeroed in on Intel as a means of leveling up U.S. control over semiconductor production.
Earlier this week, Japan’s SoftBank also announced it would invest $2 billion in Intel to “deepen their commitment to investing in advanced technology and semiconductor innovation in the United States.’
Some Democrats signaled they were on board with the move.
‘U.S. leadership is critical for both our economy and national security,’ U.S. Senator Mark Warner, D-Virginia, said in a statement Friday evening.
‘Taking an equity stake in Intel may or may not be the right approach, but one thing is clear: allowing cutting-edge chips to flow to China without restraint will erode the value of any investment we make here at home. We need a strategy that protects American innovation, strengthens our workforce, and keeps the technologies of the future firmly in American hands.’
Statistics Canada released July’s consumer price index (CPI) data on Tuesday (August 19). The figures show that inflation decelerated in the month, posting a 1.7 percent year-on-year gain, down from the 1.9 percent recorded in June.
The most significant contributor to the fall was a 16.1 percent decline in gasoline prices from the same period last year.
Excluding the lower costs at the pumps, CPI remained steady at 2.5 percent, the same increase as May and June.
The national reporting agency released June’s mineral production survey on Wednesday (August 20).
The data indicates that production and shipments increased across the board, with copper production rising to 39.17 million kilograms, gold rising to 16,935 kilograms and silver increasing to 29,081 kilograms.
For shipments, copper increased to 45.96 million kilograms from 34.38 million kilograms, gold shipments rose to 18,554 kilograms from 16,725, and silver jumped to 31,391 kilograms from 27,614 kilograms.
On Thursday (August 21), Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had a phone call with US President Donald Trump. Although the prime minister’s office has provided few details, the two leaders reportedly had a “productive and wide-ranging conversation” about the current trade dispute, as well as economic and security relations.
Carney and Trump are expected to speak again soon.
South of the border, US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gave his speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium on Friday (August 22). In his remarks, he said that the Fed’s dual mandate goal is in balance, with the labor market remaining near maximum employment, while inflation has eased from post-pandemic highs.
However, he also said that “a shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting our policy stance,” hinting at a near-term cut to the Fed’s benchmark interest rate. Expectations are high for a 25 basis point cut in September.
Canadian equity markets were positive this week. The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) was in record territory, closing the week up 1.44 percent to set at another all-time high of 28,333.13. The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) did even better, climbing 2.45 percent to finish Friday at 803.61. The CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) slumped mid-week but recovered on Friday to post a slight gain of 0.48 percent to 158.82.
US equity markets were mixed this week, but strong gains on Friday following Powell’s comments kept them in record high territory. The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) was up 1.52 percent on Friday, but down by 0.16 percent over the past five days to 6,466.92, while the Nasdaq 100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) rose 1.51 percent on Friday, but sank 1.33 percent on the week to 23,497.83 on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) was the sole weekly gainer, rising 1.89 percent on Friday and 1.04 percent on the week to post a new record high of 45,631.73.
The gold price was largely flat this week, but also surged on Friday after Powell hinted at a near-term rate cut, rising 1.11 percent on the week to US$3,373.21 per ounce by 4:00 p.m. EDT on Friday.
Silver saw similar movements, but ended the week with a more significant gain of 2.62 percent US$38.90 per ounce.
Copper saw little change again this week, posting a 0.22 percent decrease to US$4.52 per pound. The S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) commodities index posted an increase of 1.92 percent by close on Friday, finishing at 545.11.
How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?
Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.
Stock data for this article was retrieved at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market caps greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.
Weekly gain: 63.64 percent
Market cap: C$11.57 million
Share price: C$0.18
StrategX Elements is advancing a portfolio of projects in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Canada.
Its most recent focus has been its Nagvaak project in Nunavut, which hosts a 6 kilometer mineralized zone with deposits of nickel, vanadium, cobalt, copper, silver and platinum-group metals.
On March 3, the company discovered a wide zone of high-grade graphite mineralization at Nagvaak, with one assay returning an average of 15 percent graphitic carbon over 32 meters, including an intersection of 22 percent graphitic carbon over 17 meters. StrategX said the hole also returned encouraging concentrations of other minerals, including nickel, copper and silver, supporting potential for a multi-mineral system.
The most recent news from the project came on July 30, when the company announced it was in the process of mobilizing for a 2025 drill program intended to delineate and validate the discoveries.
On Tuesday, the company completed a non-brokered private placement for 3.71 million shares, raising gross proceeds of C$296,960. It announced the placement on August 7 and said funds would be used for general working capital.
Weekly gain: 62.5 percent
Market cap: C$12.59 million
Share price: C$0.065
Max Resource is an explorer working to advance a portfolio of projects in Colombia.
Its Sierra Azul property is a district-scale copper and silver project consisting of 20 mining concessions covering an area of 188 square kilometers in northeastern Colombia.
The asset is covered by a May 2024 earn-in agreement with Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX), in which Freeport can receive up to an 80 percent stake by funding of C$50 million over 10 years. The site hosts multiple target areas with high-grade copper and silver mineralization, including a 20 kilometer red-bed style copper system at the AM district.
Max also owns the Florália hematite direct-shipping ore iron project located in the Minas Gerais region. The company completed the acquisition of the property in October 2024 from Jaguar Mining (TSX:JAG,OTCQX:JAGGF) for total cash considerations of US$1 million and 4 million performance share units, contingent upon reaching certain milestones. The site hosts hematite deposits with grades over 60 percent iron. Max intends to use a direct-shipping ore process to mine, crush and screen the ore before exporting the material directly to steel mills.
The company’s most recent announcement came this past Tuesday, when it secured the right to acquire Mora title, which lies adjacent to Aris Mining’s (TSX:ARIS,NYSEAMERICAN:ARMN) Marmato mine. The property hosts 40 historic workings with five active mines, with reserves with grades of 3.2 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold from 31.3 million metric tons and a resource of 9 million ounces of gold grading 3 g/t from 61.5 million metric tons.
Weekly gain: 50 percent
Market cap: C$45.6 million
Share price: C$0.105
Maple Gold Mines is a gold exploration company focused on the advancement of its Douay and Joutel projects located in the Abitibi greenstone belt in Québec, Canada.
The Douay project covers an area of 357 square kilometers. In a 2022 technical report, the company said the site hosts an indicated resource of 511,000 ounces of gold from 10 million metric tons with an average grade of 1.59 g/t gold, with an additional inferred resource of 2.53 million ounces from 76.7 million metric tons at 1.02 g/t.
Joutel is located directly south of Douay. The company announced on May 5 that it had staked an additional 128 mining claims, bringing the total land area at the property to 111 square kilometers from the original 39. The site hosts Agnico Eagle Mines’ (TSX:AEM,NYSE:AEM) past-producing Eagle-Telbel gold mine, which operated from 1974 to 1993. To date, the company has used 250,000 meters of historic drill results to create 3D models to aid in current exploration efforts.
The most recent news from Maple came on Wednesday when it announced a C$5 million non-brokered private placement led by strategic investor Michael Gentile. Additionally, the company reported that Agnico Eagle has indicated it intends to participate in the offering to maintain its pro rata ownership interest in Maple Gold.
The release also said that it has appointed Marc Legault and Chris Adams to the board of directors.
Weekly gain: 40.45 percent
Market cap: C$113.2 million
Share price: C$1.25
Capitan Silver is an explorer focused on advancing silver and gold projects in Durango, Mexico.
The company’s flagship asset is the 100 percent owned Cruz de Plata project, in the heart of Mexico’s historic Penoles Mining District. The district is known for hosting significant silver mineralization and historic mining.
The Cruz de Plata project encompasses two historic silver mines — Jesus Maria and San Rafael — and the El Capitan oxide gold prospect, all within a 22.9 square kilometer land package.
To date, the company has completed 86 diamond drill holes totaling over 11,550 meters.
A 2020 technical report demonstratesd an inferred resource of 16.99 million ounces of contained silver and 331,000 ounces of contained gold from 28.3 million metric tons of ore with grades of 18.7 g/t silver and 0.36 g/t gold.
The most recent news from Capitan came on Friday, when it announced it executed a definitive agreement to acquire a strategic land package at its Cruz de Plata property from Fresnillo (LSE:FRES,OTC Pink:FNLPF) for total cash considerations of US$4 million. The transaction was initially announced in June.
The new parcel consists of seven mineral concessions covering an area of 2,171.4 hectares and increases its total holdings in the area by 85 percent and the surface expression of the silver and gold trend by 1.2 kilometers to the east.
Weekly gain: 36.9 percent
Market cap: C$163.98 million
Share price: C$1.15
District Metals is a uranium exploration company focused on advancing a portfolio of assets in Sweden.
Its flagship Viken property covers an area of 38,657 hectares in Jämtland County and in addition to uranium hosts mineral deposits of vanadium, molybdenum, nickel, copper and zinc.
On June 13, District filed a technical report for the project’s updated mineral resource estimate. It shows an indicated resource of 176 million pounds of U3O8 from 456 million metric tons of ore with a grade of 175 parts per million (ppm) U3O8 and an inferred resource of 1.54 billion pounds of U3O8 from 4.3 billion metric tons with a grade of 161 ppm.
The company has also been advancing its Tomtebo-Stollberg zinc project in South-Central Sweden. The project is part of an October 2023 definitive agreement in which Boliden (STO:BOL) can earn an 85 percent interest in the property by spending C$10 million over four years and District can earn a 15 percent stake in Boliden’s Stollberg property.
Tomtebo covers an area of 5,144 hectares and hosts the historic Tomtebo and Lovas mines, while Stollberg covers an area of 5,180 hectares and is located near Boliden’s Garpengerg mine.
The most recent update from Tomtebo came on July 29, when District released assays from a five hole, 2,485 meter drill program conducted between February and April. One highlighted drill hole recorded multiple zones of silver and base metals mineralization, including 88 g/t silver, 3 percent zinc and 1.9 percent lead over 7.85 meters.
The company has not released any news since.
The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.
As of February 2025, there were 1,572 companies listed on the TSXV, 905 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,859 companies, with 181 of those being mining companies.
Together the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.
There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.
The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.
These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.
Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.
Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
A broad selloff in heavyweight tech stocks at the start of the week abruptly reversed after US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered a speech that bolstered expectations of a September interest rate cut.
Speaking at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, Powell took a more dovish tone than investors may have been expecting, noting a slowdown in both worker supply and demand that could lead to employment risks.
He stated that the shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting the Fed’s policy stance, stressing the need to balance both sides of the central bank’s dual mandate when goals are in tension.
This is a change from the Fed’s previous stance, which had been more focused on the need to keep rates high to fight inflation. Powell acknowledged the visible, though likely temporary, effects of tariffs, cautioning about the potential for persistent inflation, but signaled that the Fed is now also seriously considering the downside risks to employment.
A risk-on rally ensued, impacting various market sectors: the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX), Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) and Nasdaq Composite (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC) all closed up by more than 1.5 percent.
Bitcoin climbed above US$116,800, the Russell 2000 Index (INDEXRUSSELL:RUT) surged by 3.9 percent and 10 year treasury yields decreased by 0.07 percentage points to 4.26 percent. Traders now have higher expectations for a September rate cut, with probabilities exceeding 83 percent according to CME Group’s (NASDAQ:CME) FedWatch tool.
Here’s a look at the other drivers that shaped the tech sector this week.
Intel’s (NASDAQ:INTC) share price got a boost this week after a series of major announcements, beginning with SoftBank Group’s (TSE:9984) Monday (August 18) announcement that it plans invest US$2 billion in the company.
“Semiconductors are the foundation of every industry. For more than 50 years, Intel has been a trusted leader in innovation,’ said Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of SoftBank, in a press release.
‘This strategic investment reflects our belief that advanced semiconductor manufacturing and supply will further expand in the United States, with Intel playing a critical role,” he added.
Following that news, sources confirmed last week’s reports that the US government was seeking an equity stake in Intel in exchange for Biden-era Chips Act funding. Then, on Friday (August 22), US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick announced that Intel had agreed to sell an 8.9 percent stake to the federal government, a move that will convert billions of dollars in previously awarded grants into a passive ownership stake.
Intel performance, July 28 to August 18, 2025.
Chart via Google Finance.
These developments have sent Intel’s market value soaring, with its share price increasing over 28 percent from the start of the month. Shares of Intel closed up on Friday at US$24.80.
Figure Technology filed for an initial public offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq on Monday under the ticker symbol FIGR, joining a growing list of crypto-related companies looking to access public markets following the successful debut of stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL).
Figure leverages blockchain to streamline financial services. The company’s filing reveals a strong financial performance, with profit reaching US$29 million in the first half of 2025, compared to a US$13 million loss in the same period last year. Its revenue for the first half of the year was US$191 million.
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) and Bank of America Securities are acting as lead underwriters for the offering. The number of shares and price ranges are yet to be confirmed.
Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) made headlines this week with several new developments spanning its business lines.
The week kicked off with the tech giant announcing it has increased its stake in data center operator and Bitcoin miner TeraWulf (NASDAQ:WULF) to roughly 14 percent, worth US$3.2 billion.
The company also revealed a partnership with advanced nuclear startup Kairos Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority to power its data centers in Tennessee and Alabama using a new nuclear reactor.
On Wednesday (August 20), Google unveiled its latest Pixel smartphone, the Pixel 10, and accessories, with upgrades including a health coach powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
The week culminated with reports of a US$10 billion cloud computing agreement with Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) to provide the necessary servers and infrastructure for Meta’s expanding AI operations. The news sent Google’s share price up by over 3 percent and Meta’s up by over 2 percent.
NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) experienced a volatile week, with its share price slipping in early trading on Monday following reports of renewed tensions with China. The downturn was triggered by news that Beijing will move to restrict sales of the H20 AI chip, the company’s most advanced product approved for the Chinese market.
China’s internet and telecom regulator, as well as the state planning agency, issued informal guidance to major tech companies, instructing them to halt new orders of the H20 chips, citing security concerns.
According to unnamed officials who spoke to the Financial Times, the decision was also influenced by “insulting” remarks from US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.
In response to the Chinese directive, NVIDIA has reportedly instructed its component suppliers, including Foxconn Technology (TPE:2354), Samsung Electronics (KRX:005930) and Amkor Technolgy (NASDAQ:AMKR), to suspend production of the H20 chip; the company also said it is working on a new AI chip for China.
Alphabet, NVIDIA, Palo Alto Networks and Meta Platforms performance, August 19 to 22, 2025.
Chart via Google Finance.
NVIDIA saw the greatest losses midweek, falling over 4 percent between Tuesday and Thursday. The company recovered some of its losses during Friday’s rally, but finished the week over one percent lower.
Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) surged over 7 percent on Tuesday after the cybersecurity company forecast that revenue and profit for its 2026 financial year will come in above estimates.
The company gave a strong performance in its 2025 fiscal year, with total revenue increasing 15 percent year-on-year to US$9.2 billion, fueled by an increase in revenue from newer, cloud-based security products. This growth occurred alongside a 24 percent rise in its future contracted business to US$15.8 billion.
The company also surpassed a US$10 billion revenue run rate while maintaining its “Rule-of-50” status — a measure of the balance between growth and profitability — for the fifth consecutive year.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
XRP now ranks as one of the top 100 assets by market cap, following its recent rally above the psychological $3 price level. The altcoin is likely to keep climbing up the ranks as fundamentals point to a much larger rally on the horizon. XRP Ranks As 99th Largest Asset By Market Cap CompaniesMarketCap data
The post XRP Breaks Into Top 100 Assets By Market Cap As Price Reclaims $3 appeared first on CoinGape.
Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump has made a bold prediction for Bitcoin. Speaking at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium, he called himself a “Bitcoin Maxi” and predicted that the world’s largest cryptocurrency would hit $175,000 before the close of 2025. Trump’s Bullish Prediction on Bitcoin During the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium, Eric Trump told attendees that he
The post Eric Trump Predicts BTC To Reach $175K, Declares Himself a ‘Bitcoin Maxi’ appeared first on CoinGape.
This week has had its share of ups and downs, with serious fluctuations in the crypto market. Beginning with a relatively bearish tone, recovery to again dump and pump, investors have been on a rollercoaster ride this week, especially as Fed-related events triggered the volatility. However, much more happened, so let’s discuss the top crypto
The post Crypto Week: Top Headlines You Can’t Miss appeared first on CoinGape.
Without a major upgrade to how machines handle payments, innovation will stall, fraud will rise, and the digital infrastructure we rely on will strain under the weight.The coming wave of AI-driven commerce could end before it even begins. AI agents are on the verge of reshaping digital commerce, but the rails we use today –
The post Agentic Commerce Can’t Rely on Credit Cards – Crypto Is the Only Way Forward appeared first on CoinGape.
Ripple’s expansion across multiple sectors of the digital asset industry has come under renewed focus after fresh disclosures tied to Gemini’s IPO. Omar, a crypto investor at Dragonfly – a cross-border venture fund – said the crypto firm has grown into a “full-stack financial services firm,” using XRP. Ripple’s Credit Deal With Gemini Shows Broader
The post Ripple Is Becoming a ‘Full-Stack Financial Services Firm,’ Expert Says appeared first on CoinGape.
ROCHESTER, Minnesota, Aug 22 (Reuters) – U.S. farmers will harvest a record corn crop in 2025 after ideal weather across much of the Midwest this summer, but the bounty will fall short of the U.S. government’s lofty outlook as pockets of plant disease and heat stress dented yields in spots across the farm belt, crop consultancy Pro Farmer said on Friday.
Growers are also expected to reap a bumper soybean crop, although dry conditions in parts of the eastern Midwest and pockets of disease pressure in Iowa may limit yield potential, Pro Farmer said after its annual four-day tour across seven top-producing states this week.
The United States is the world’s top corn exporter and No. 2 soybean exporter, and favorable weather in most of the main growing states supported crops but pushed futures prices to recent multi-year lows.
The warm and wet conditions that fueled crop growth also fostered fungal diseases such as tar spot, southern rust and northern blight in corn, and sudden death syndrome in soybeans.
“Each day we’ve noted the disease pressure in corn. Tar spot, southern rust more widespread than we’ve ever seen before. Those are going to be some real yield robbers,” said Lane Akre, Pro Farmer economist and one of the leaders of the tour’s eastern leg.
Pro Farmer projected 2025 U.S. corn production at a record 16.204 billion bushels, with an average yield of 182.7 bushels per acre, and soybean production at 4.246 billion bushels, with an average yield of 53.0 bpa.
The outlook is below the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest forecast for corn production at a record 16.742 billion bushels with yields averaging 188.8 bpa, and soybean production at 4.292 billion bushels with record average yields of 53.6 bpa.
Crop scouts on the Pro Farmer tour saw more disease-hit fields than normal across the Midwest farm belt this week, although it is not yet clear whether these diseases will blow up into significant yield loss.
At one stop in northwest Illinois, the corn field appeared healthy and green from the roadside, but 30 to 40 steps in, leaves were streaked with rust, leaving crop scouts covered in color. Overhead, bright yellow crop dusters banked low as they sprayed wide white plumes of fungicide.
Jake Guse, a Minnesota row crop farmer and crop scout on the eastern leg of the tour, said disease levels were the worst and most widespread that many crop scouts had ever seen on the tour.
“As we traveled across Indiana, we started seeing more (disease). In Illinois, started getting bad — and it was all over Iowa,” Guse said of three of the largest producing states.
However, crop scouts also found exceptional yield prospects that could help cushion any disease-related yield decline.
The strong production prospects may not be welcome news to farmers, who are facing a third straight year of declining corn prices due to excess supplies and only a modest improvement in soybean prices, according to USDA data.
Production costs remain high while trade tensions with key markets like China, the top soybean importer, have left demand uncertain.
While the USDA is forecasting that the nation’s farm economy will improve in 2025, that boost will largely come from a massive influx of federal funding the Trump administration plans to send to rural America, according to USDA data.
Corn and soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade firmed this week as reports from the crop tour suggested that recent USDA harvest forecasts may be too high.
The benchmark CBOT December corn contract CZ25 ended the week up 1.5%, its first weekly gain in a week in five weeks, while November soybeans SX25 also rose 1.5% and hit a one-month high.