The SBA Just Doubled Down. Here's What Producers and Manufacturers Need to Know Before May 1.

EXPORT TRAILS

Rural Exports | April 6, 2026

Two weeks ago we covered the SBA Grocery Guarantee — 90% federal loan guarantees for agricultural producers and logistics businesses starting May 1.

Last week the SBA went further. They announced the Made in America Loan Guarantee, extending the same 90% guarantee to every manufacturer in NAICS sectors 31 through 33. That includes dairy processors, food manufacturers, packaging operations, equipment builders — essentially anyone making something in the United States.

Both programs open May 1. Both offer up to $5 million per borrower. Both are designed to expand production, modernize facilities, and bring supply chains back to the US.

Most producers still don't know either one exists. Here's what you need to know — and what else moved this week.

—Robyn

Item	Current	Trend	What It Means
Live Cattle (Jun)	~$246.32/cwt	↑ Strong	Cash moving to $245-247; divorcing from broader sell-off
Feeder Cattle (May)	~$370.62/cwt	↑↑ Strong	Up $4-8 from last week; demand very good at auction
Corn (May)	~$4.52/bu	↓ Slight	RFS volumes already priced in; stable
Soybeans (May)	~$11.63/bu	→ Flat	China summit rescheduled to May 14-15; watching
Wheat (KC May)	~$5.98/bu	→ Flat	Drought expanding in TX/OK Panhandle and western KS
Diesel (National)	$5.07+/gal	↑↑↑	Crude at $111; diesel following — new floor
Brent Crude	~$109/bbl	↑↑↑	Up 12% in one week; dated Brent briefly hit $141

As of April 2, 2026. Sources: CBOT via Brownfield Ag News, EIA, DTN, The Cattle Report

TWO SBA PROGRAMS. ONE DEADLINE. MAY 1.

The Grocery Guarantee and the Made in America Loan Guarantee are both running through the SBA's International Trade Loan program. Here's what changed since we last covered this:

The Grocery Guarantee (announced March 27) covers agricultural producers across nearly every form of crop and livestock production. Also eligible: grocery wholesalers, grocery retailers, specialized freight trucking, and refrigerated warehousing and storage.

The Made in America Loan Guarantee (announced March 31) extends the same structure to all manufacturers in NAICS sectors 31-33. That includes food processors, dairy manufacturers, packaging operations, chemical manufacturers, and industrial equipment makers.

Both programs offer a 90% federal guarantee — up from the standard 75% on regular SBA 7(a) loans. That means lenders are covered on 90 cents of every dollar, which makes them significantly more willing to approve loans in a tight credit environment.

Maximum loan amount: $5 million per borrower. Eligible uses include upgrading equipment, expanding facilities, modernizing production lines, building inventory, diversifying supply chains, and working capital for export transactions.

For comparison: the FSA guaranteed loan limit is $2.34 million at 95% guarantee. The SBA program offers more than double the borrowing capacity with a slightly lower guarantee percentage but broader eligible uses.

SBA waived loan fees for small manufacturers in fiscal year 2026. Weekly manufacturing wages surged 5.1% in February. The SBA also launched the Make Onshoring Great Again Portal — a free tool connecting small businesses with over one million domestic suppliers.

Contact your local SBA Export Finance Manager or your lender directly. Applications open May 1. If you're a producer or manufacturer thinking about equipment upgrades, facility expansion, or export market development — this is the most favorable financing environment in years.

CATTLE ARE RUNNING THEIR OWN MARKET

Live cattle moved to $245-247 cash this week — up sharply from last week's levels. Feeder steers and heifers were $4-8 higher at Oklahoma City with very good demand. The cattle market continues to separate itself from broader market volatility.

Packers watched their margins disappear as cash prices moved quickly. Box prices turned lower, losing over $4, which will cause packers to pull back slaughter volumes. The compression between cash cattle prices and box beef values is the story right now — ranchers are getting paid, but packer margins are in the red.

The herd is still at a 75-year low. Rebuilding is slow, and drought is expanding in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, western Kansas, and parts of Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. The dry conditions raise wildfire risk — Nebraska has already lost several hundred thousand acres this year. Moisture conditions will directly affect how fast the national herd can recover.

For cattle producers: the market is strong but volatile. Cash price swings of $10/cwt from one week to the next are becoming common. If you're considering expansion or rebuilding, the SBA Grocery Guarantee above could finance fencing, facilities, and equipment at 90% guarantee.

CORN AND SOYBEANS: THE CHINA SUMMIT MATTERS

Corn is steady around $4.52 after the EPA finalized record Renewable Fuel Standard volumes. The RFS announcement was already priced in — corn faded slightly on the news.

Soybeans are holding near $11.63 with the China summit rescheduled to May 14-15. China committed to purchasing 25 million metric tons of US soybeans annually through 2028, but the soybean market needs to see those purchases convert to actual shipments. The summit is the next catalyst.

The Mexico border closure for cattle has created a new wrinkle — a finishing industry is developing in Mexico, creating new demand for American corn to feed those cattle. Most analysts expect a decline in US corn acres this year, which could tighten supply later in 2026.

For grain producers: the demand picture is wider than it's been in years between RFS ethanol volumes, Chinese soybean commitments, and Mexican feed demand. Lock in what you can on favorable terms. The SBA Made in America Loan Guarantee covers food manufacturers and processors who are your downstream buyers — capital flowing to them means demand flowing to you.

DROUGHT AND WILDFIRE: THE REBUILDING MARKET STARTS HERE

Drought is expanding across the central plains. The Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, western Kansas, and parts of Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming are showing stress. Wheat in southwestern Oklahoma is reported at only three inches tall and already heading out.

Nebraska has suffered wildfire losses of several hundred thousand acres. The dry conditions and high winds set the stage for more.

Every time fire, drought, flood, or freeze hits — fencing has to be rebuilt. Water infrastructure has to be replaced. Equipment has to be repaired or purchased. Feed has to be sourced and moved. Buildings, corrals, working facilities, processing infrastructure — all of it has to be reconstructed.

That reconstruction is a market. Not a one-time event — a recurring procurement cycle that happens every year across different regions. American producers are already making what these regions need. The gap isn't supply. It's coordination — getting the right materials to the right location on a compressed timeline when normal supply chains are overwhelmed.

We're starting to map this — domestic and international. Domestic disaster recovery regions. International reconstruction zones coming out of conflict or collapse. The common thread: sustained demand for American-made materials, equipment, and agricultural inputs, coordinated by someone who understands both the freight and the urgency.

More on this in coming issues.

BOTTOM LINE

Two SBA programs opening May 1 — one for producers, one for manufacturers — offering up to $5 million at 90% federal guarantee. Cattle are strong and separating from broader markets. Soybeans are waiting on the China summit. Corn demand is wider than it's been in years. And drought is expanding across the plains, creating both risk and the kind of rebuilding demand that keeps freight moving.

The producers and manufacturers who act on these financing tools now will be operating with more capacity, better equipment, and stronger export positions by Q3.

Forward this to a rancher, producer, or manufacturer 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: SBA.gov (March 27 & March 31, 2026) · DTN Progressive Farmer · Brownfield Ag News · The Cattle Report · CBOT · EIA · AgWeb · USDA/AMS · EPA · Oklahoma City Auction Report

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