T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY Chad Hart, professor of economics at Iowa State University, pauses while presenting information during his "Ag Outlook" seminar Thursday at the American Legion in Marshalltown. The event was sponsored by GNB Bank.

A tweet from President Donald Trump can easily generate controversy in the political realm.

In agribusiness, it can draw the attention of Central Iowa soybean producers and impact their earnings potential.

The post from Trump earlier this week on his Truth Social Network signaling an eight million metric ton purchase of soybeans by China sent the soybean market soaring and caught the attention of professor of economics Chad Hart of Iowa State University (ISU) in Ames.

Hart made note of the tweet and its positive impact during a presentation before a group of agriculture commodity producers Thursday afternoon at the American Legion in Marshalltown.

Hart had been invited by regional bank GNB as part of its “Ag Outlook” seminar.

The bank is headquartered in Grundy Center and has branch offices in Ackley, Conrad, Iowa Falls, Manchester, Marshalltown and Story City.

“The tweet by the president had a major positive impact on the soybean market,” Hart said. “This is because China had previously agreed to purchase 12-million metric tons resulting in the total purchase being 20-million metric tons.”

Iowa and other states in the Great Plains are major soybean producers.

Soybean, corn and livestock sales have the potential to generate significant income for producers, which in turn impact Main Street businesses from farm implements to seed and supply dealers.

On the downside, repeated “break-even” or losses by producers due to poor sales will have the opposite effect.

One negative impact will be felt in Burlington, where Case New Holland (CNH) of New Holland Penn. and London, England announced last year it would close the 100-year-old plant later this year resulting in the loss of 200 jobs.

“One saw John Deere scaling back in production (and laying off workers) in 2025 prior to the Case announcement,” Hart said.

The company is a major manufacturer in Iowa and Illinois of construction, farm and forestry products. However, in January, the company announced it was recalling 99 workers to plants in Davenport and Dubuque.

In a press release, the company cited the call back was due to increased production demand for its construction and forestry equipment.

Using 2025 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) data, Hart said that he was surprised by the record-breaking U.S. corn harvest. He said a high-yield usually makes prices “crater” but that did not happen.

He did say prices for corn did go down and the “southern rust” blight also had an effect on yields in some parts of Iowa.

Several Central Iowa corn producers and a representative from the Iowa Corn Growers Association confirmed a negative impact from southern rust regionally to the Times-Republican during the 2025 harvest season.

Nationally, the seasonal average price paid per bushel in 2025 was $4.10. In 2025 it was $4.24. Hart estimated a price of $4.10 in 2026.

“Professor Hart knows how to speak to farmers,” said Jake Khlasen of GNB, who coordinated Thursday’s event with other GNB employees. “And we were pleased with the turnout of 25-30 farmers.”

Hart is a native of southwest Missouri. His family raised cattle and operated a meat locker there.

He later attended and graduated from Southeast Missouri State University (now known as Missouri State University) in Springfield, Mo. with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics.

Hart moved to Iowa in 1991 where he began his graduate studies in economics. He was awarded a PhD in economics and statistics by ISU in 1999 and has been on the ISU faculty since 2009.

He previously worked for Iowa State’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development and Agricultural Policy Research Institute.