Tyson Foods, America’s largest meat supplier, is planning to close one of its largest beef-processing plants in Nebraska at a time when a cattle shortage in the U.S. squeezes meatpacking companies. The Lexington, Neb., plant employs roughly 3,000 people and can slaughter almost 5,000 cattle a day, according to industry estimates.
Ryan Hanrahan
Ryan Hanrahan is the Farm Policy News editor and social media director for the farmdoc project. He has previously worked in local news, primarily as an agriculture journalist in the American West. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri (B.S. Science & Agricultural Journalism). He can be reached at rrh@illinois.edu.
Trump Removes Tariffs on Brazil Beef & Coffee
President Donald Trump on Thursday removed his 40% tariffs on Brazilian food products, including beef, coffee, cocoa and fruits that were imposed in July to punish Brazil over the prosecution of its former president, Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro.
Only Half of US Farmers to Be Profitable in 2025, Ag Lenders Say
Agricultural lenders surveyed in the new 2025 ABA/Farmer Mac Agricultural Lender Survey expect only 52% of U.S. farm borrowers will be profitable this year, signaling a sharp decline from recent years. It’s also a sign producers across major crop regions are continuing to navigate through a period of tighter margins and severe financial stress.
Farmer Tariff Aid Shrinking After Trade Deals?
The Deputy Secretary of Agriculture says trade deal negotiations during the government shutdown could impact the possibility of farmer assistance this year. During a call with reporters on Monday, Stephen Vaden said dynamics have changed since the end of September.
China Buys Nearly 1 Million Tons of US Soybeans
China bought at least 14 cargoes of U.S. soybeans on Monday, two traders with knowledge of the deals said, its largest purchase since at least January and the most significant since a summit between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping in October.
USDA Data Dump Shows Minimal Soybean Sales to China
New data the Agriculture Department released Friday created serious doubts about whether China will really buy millions of bushels of American soybeans like the Trump administration touted last month after a high-stakes meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
USDA Set for First Crop Data Release Since September
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is set to release a hotly anticipated crop report, including the government’s first estimates of the two feed crops since mid-September, before the harvest had taken shape. The agency is also due to release a compiled a list of large daily sales reported by exporters during the shutdown.
Gov’t Shutdown Ends, Farm Bill Programs Extended
President Donald Trump late Wednesday signed into law a measure to end the longest-ever government shutdown after 43 days, fully fund USDA and FDA for fiscal 2026, and end a bitter legal battle over this month’s SNAP benefits.
China Buys More Brazil Soybeans as US Purchases Stall
China’s purchases of American soybeans appear to have stalled, less than two weeks after the US touted a wide-ranging trade truce that signaled thawing relations between the world’s two biggest economies. At the same time, China’s state trader COFCO’s oilseed unit said on Monday it has signed agreements to purchase Brazilian soybeans, soybean oil, palm oil and other agricultural products, with a total volume of nearly 20 million tons worth over $10 billion.
DOJ, USDA Investigating Meatpackers over Beef Prices
President Donald Trump said (last) Friday that he asked the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into meatpacking companies, which he accused of illegally manipulating beef prices at the expense of beef farmers and consumers.
Farm Bill Extension Included in Senate Bill to End Shutdown
A new stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government includes a one-year extension of farm bill programs that were left out of a budget reconciliation bill earlier in the year. The continuing resolution would keep the government funded through Jan. 30.
China Buys US Wheat & Sorghum, Ends Some Soybean Import Suspensions
China has begun modest purchases of U.S. farm products after the leaders of both countries met last week, but traders still await significant soybean buys after the White House said Beijing pledged to buy 12 million tons by year-end.
Supreme Court Appears Skeptical of Trump Tariffs
President Trump’s global tariffs appeared to be on shaky ground after Supreme Court justices expressed skepticism during a hearing on Wednesday about his authority to impose sweeping measures on countries around the world.
China Buys Brazil Soy as US Crop Still Faces 13% Tariff
China will suspend retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, including duties on farm goods, after last week’s meeting of the two countries’ leaders, Beijing confirmed on Wednesday, but imports of U.S. soybeans still face a 13% tariff.
Trump Admin Still Planning Billions in Farmer Trade Aid
The Trump administration plans to roll out an initial payment of up to $12 billion for farmers hurt by the president’s tariff policies once the government shutdown ends, according to three people familiar with the matter. The finalized amount will come on top of President Donald Trump’s recently announced truce with China.
USDA Will Release Nov. WASDE, Crop Production Reports
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) said on Friday that it will release several key agriculture reports in November, including a monthly crop supply and demand report that was not issued in October due to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown.
SNAP Benefits Remain Set to Lapse on Nov. 1
Nearly 42 million people are set to lose food aid due to the second-longest U.S. government shutdown, as Democrats and Republicans in Congress continue to blame each other for a weeks-long legislative stalemate. Neither party was showing signs of changing its position days before funding for SNAP is set to lapse beginning on Saturday.
China to Buy 12 Million Tons of US Soybeans This Year, Bessent Says
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China has agreed to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans this year. For the next three years, the Asian nation has agreed to buy a minimum of 25 million tons annually, Bessent said on Fox Business.
China Purchases First US Soybeans of the Season
China’s state-owned COFCO bought three U.S. soybean cargoes, two trade sources said, the country’s first purchases from this year’s U.S. harvest, shortly before a summit of leaders Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
No SNAP Benefits to be Issued Nov. 1, USDA Says
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out on Nov. 1, raising the stakes for families nationwide as the government shutdown drags on.