Export Trails Edition 3: 800 Farmers on the White House Lawn.

March 29, 2026

EXPORT TRAILS

800 Farmers on the White House Lawn. Here's What Actually Came Out of It.

Rural Exports | March 30, 2026

Eight hundred farmers stood on the South Lawn Friday next to a gold tractor while the President told them he just gave them $12 billion. That's the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program — direct payments to producers hit by trade disruptions and rising input costs, funded by tariff revenues.

But the headlines missed the parts that matter most to American producers who actually export.

Here's what moved this week — and what you can do with it starting Monday. What came out of Friday wasn't just relief — it was a clear shift in how American agriculture is being treated: as a strategic priority, not just another industry asking for help.

—Robyn

THE SBA JUST OPENED A NEW DOOR FOR AG AND LOGISTICS BUSINESSES

The biggest announcement wasn't the $12 billion. It was the SBA's "Grocery Guarantee."

Starting May 1, agricultural producers and logistics businesses are eligible for the SBA International Trade Loan program with a 90% federal guarantee. That's up to $5 million per borrower for expanding production, upgrading equipment and facilities, developing export markets, and working capital for export transactions.

This is a 7(a) loan — competitive fixed rates, long terms, and the government backing 90 cents of every dollar. It's designed for small businesses that are exporting or want to start.

If you're a rancher looking to upgrade processing capacity for export-grade beef, a grain operator tooling up for new international contracts, or a logistics provider expanding cold chain or warehousing for ag exports — this program was built for you. SBA deployed over $7 billion to rural communities in 2025 alone. The infrastructure is there.

Contact your local SBA Export Finance Manager or your lender directly. Applications open May 1. The businesses that move on this first will have access to capital their competitors won't.

FUEL RELIEF IS COMING — AND IT'S CORN-BASED

The EPA finalized the highest Renewable Fuel Standard volumes in the program's history for 2026 and 2027. That's projected to generate over $10 billion for rural economies and support 100,000 jobs across agriculture and manufacturing.

On top of that, an emergency E15 fuel waiver allows nationwide sale of 15% ethanol gasoline this summer. This directly benefits corn and soybean growers by increasing demand for their product while bringing fuel costs down for everyone else.

Diesel is still above $5.00 nationally.

This isn't a spike — it's a new floor.

The EIA reset its full-year forecast to $4.12. The E15 waiver and RFS expansion won't fix diesel overnight, but they signal where the administration is putting its weight: American-grown fuel, American-processed ethanol, American jobs.

If you're a corn or soybean producer, your demand picture just improved. If you're a fuel distributor, the blending requirements create new volume. If you're shipping ag products and eating fuel surcharges, the E15 waiver is the first step toward relief — but don't expect it before summer.

THE FERTILIZER PROBLEM ISN'T SOLVED

The Hormuz closure is directly hitting fertilizer supply. The Gulf accounts for 44% of global sulfur production — the feedstock for phosphate fertilizer. Urea surged 32% in one week after the strait closed. Iran agreed to let humanitarian and fertilizer shipments through on March 27, but it covers a fraction of what's needed for spring planting globally.

The Farm Bureau wrote the White House directly warning of crop shortfalls. The $12 billion in Farmer Bridge payments helps offset costs already incurred. It doesn't put fertilizer in the ground.

For American producers: Canadian sulfur remains your first call — 72% of US sulfur imports, USMCA-exempt. Domestic phosphorus production is ramping under Defense Production Act authority. Secure what you can now. Waiting for prices to normalize is not a strategy this season.

TRADE DEALS AND TAX CHANGES: THE WINDOW IS OPEN

The administration secured nearly two dozen trade deals representing a significant share of US ag export flows — $60 billion in agricultural purchase commitments. Some of that is rebuilding what was lost when China cut off US soybeans in September 2025 and pivoted to Brazil. Some of it is opening corridors that didn't exist before. Either way, the export map is wider than it was six months ago.

The tax side is where producers should pay close attention. The death tax was virtually eliminated permanently. Section 179 expensing limits increased — farmers can write off new equipment and land improvements immediately. The 20% small business deduction is now permanent. Capital gains taxes can be deferred when selling farmland to another farmer who keeps it in agricultural use.

If you're thinking about succession planning, equipment upgrades, or export expansion — the tax environment and the trade environment are both more favorable right now than they've been in years. Talk to your accountant this week, not next quarter.

DEF SENSORS: A SMALL FIX THAT SAVES REAL MONEY

The EPA removed requirements for diesel exhaust fluid sensors that were causing false shutdowns in farm equipment. John Deere specifically applauded the change — their equipment was among the hardest hit by false DEF-quality readings that could idle a tractor mid-field.

The earlier DEF guidance reversal was already saving family farms $727 million per year. The new sensor guidance is projected to save billions more. This isn't headline news, but if you've had a combine shut down during harvest because of a bad sensor, you know exactly what it's worth.

WHAT'S ON THE EASTER TABLE — AND WHAT IT COST TO GET THERE

Easter is April 5. For American egg and lamb producers, this is the biggest demand week of the year.

Eggs: The comeback story. Retail eggs are averaging $2.50 a dozen — down 58% from last year's crisis pricing when bird flu wiped out tens of millions of laying hens. The national flock has rebuilt from 292 million layers last March to about 308 million today. Wholesale prices that peaked above $8 a dozen last winter dropped below $1 earlier this year before ticking up ahead of Easter demand. The American Egg Board calls Easter "our Super Bowl."

The good news for consumers is real. The caution for producers is also real — wholesale at 70 cents a dozen is below production cost for most operations. Feed costs have come down, but rising soybean meal, corn, and fertilizer prices tied to the Hormuz disruption could push production costs back up later in the year. Spring waterfowl migration also brings renewed bird flu risk — a recent Texas detection hit broiler houses, and four million birds were affected in detections announced just this week. The market can turn fast.

For egg producers and poultry operations: the current pricing environment rewards volume but punishes margins. If you're considering flock expansion, factor in the SBA Grocery Guarantee we covered above — production financing at 90% guarantee could be the difference between scaling up and getting squeezed.

Lamb: Seasonal demand meets tight supply. American lamb prices have been climbing — the national cutout value hit $580/cwt last fall, its highest since September 2022. Slaughter lamb prices are running well above last year. The national flock continues to decline, with the total lamb crop at its smallest on record. Easter and Passover are the peak demand windows, with ethnic and traditional markets driving prices higher in the weeks leading up to both holidays.

The US imports the majority of its lamb — primarily from Australia and New Zealand — but import volumes have been declining, giving American producers a larger share of domestic supply. For lamb producers planning around Easter and the upcoming Eid al-Fitr (March 30, 2027 — plan breeding schedules now if you're targeting that market), seasonal pricing windows reward early preparation.

Beef at Easter: still elevated. Ground beef remains above $6.50/lb. The herd is at a 75-year low. The Argentina deal from earlier this year added lean trimmings but hasn't moved retail prices meaningfully. For families buying their Easter roast, protein costs remain the most visible line item on the grocery bill — and the one most directly tied to the input cost pressures this entire issue is about.

BOTTOM LINE

The White House delivered a real policy package Friday — not just a photo op. The SBA Grocery Guarantee alone could reshape how small ag businesses finance their export growth. The tax changes create the most favorable capital environment for American farmers in decades. The E15 waiver and RFS expansion put American corn and soybeans at the center of the national fuel strategy.

The fertilizer situation remains the open wound. Canadian sourcing and domestic production are the stopgap. The Hormuz humanitarian exemption helps but doesn't solve it.

American agriculture is being treated as a strategic priority — not just an industry, but a pillar of energy independence, food security, and trade leverage. The producers who move on these programs now will be the ones operating from strength in Q3.

If you're building export capacity, sourcing inputs, or expanding into new markets — that's exactly where we step in.

Happy Easter from Rural Exports. If your Easter eggs came from a US producer, there's a good chance we covered the trade route that got them there.

Forward this to a rancher, producer, or ag operator who needs to see it.

Questions? Reply anytime — I read them.

Rural Exports LLC | Sulphur Springs, TX robynm@ruralexports.net | (945) 403-1407 ruralexports.net

From rural roots to global routes.

Sources: White House Agriculture page · SBA.gov · EPA · AgTech Navigator · AFN · Fortune · American Farm Bureau Federation · John Deere · RFD-TV · Red River Farm Network · CBOT · DTN · AMS/USDA · EIA · AgWeb · NPR · Texas A&M AgriLife · Fox Business · CNBC · American Egg Board · American Sheep Industry Association · Feedstuffs

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