Farmer says ‘we’re in a very dire situation’ ahead of harvest—with zero soybean orders from China, historically the largest buyer

American soybean farmers are staring down a harvest season unlike any in recent memory. For the first time in decades, China—the single largest buyer of U.S. soybeans—has not placed an order. That absence is more than symbolic: it leaves roughly a quarter of the crop without its traditional market, pushing prices below production costs and leaving farmers bracing for steep losses. As Kentucky farmer and industry leader Caleb Ragland warns, the crisis threatens not just growers but rural economies and the broader U.S. economy tied to agriculture. Dave Smith with Fortune has the full story.