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Cattle prices won’t rise as much as previously expected in 2026, as the closure of a Tyson Foods plant is seen loosening competition for scarce U.S. supplies.

The world’s biggest farm machinery maker said in a statement to Bloomberg that it “has kept focus on supporting our customers and helping them build for the long haul.” 

“This is kind of a Band-Aid — we need more markets more than we need aid,” said Missouri farmer Marty Richardson, adding that he feels like 2026 will be just as bad as this year.

President Trump pressured farm equipment manufacturers to drop prices for tractors, his latest efforts to address Americans’ concerns about shaky economic conditions.

The aid comes amid rising frustration among farmers on the slow pace of Chinese purchases, which Beijing clamped down on earlier this year in retaliation for Trump’s tariff barrage. 

China is expected to step up U.S. soybean purchases to meet a pledge to buy at least 12 million tons by the end of the year, underscoring a wider market hope that a fragile trade truce can hold.

The weak outlook for the maker of iconic green and yellow tractors comes as farmers have been hit hard by low crop prices and President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to increase the speed and size of agricultural purchases and said Beijing had “more or less agreed” to do so.

Tyson Foods is ending operations at a beef plant in Nebraska and cutting a shift at a Texas facility as the meat producer loses millions amid the smallest American cattle herd in decades.

The warming of ties between the U.S. and China have boosted crop prices, with soybeans hovering near the highest levels since June 2024.