The Trump administration is expected to announce a plan as soon as Tuesday (today) to bail out U.S. farmers stung by trade disputes and big harvests, with the initial outlay potentially totaling up to $15 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter.
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.
Low Mississippi River Levels to Again Disrupt Harvest Shipping
Water levels in parts of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers are likely to reach critically low stages soon, forcing shippers to light-load harvest-season grain barges for the fourth year in a row.
Trump Considering at least $10 Billion for Farmer Aid, Announcement Next Week
President Trump is considering providing $10 billion or more in aid to U.S. farmers as the agriculture sector warns of economic fallout from his far-reaching tariffs, according to people familiar with the discussions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday U.S. farmers could see an announcement on a ‘substantial support’ package as soon as next Tuesday.
Gov’t Shutdown Halts Some Payments, Loans to Farmers
The U.S. federal government shutdown that began Wednesday will halt some payments to farmers and delay access to federal farm loans, the latest blow for producers already facing low crop prices, record-high debts and a trade war at the height of the fall harvest.
Nearly Half of USDA Employees to be Furloughed as Gov’t Shuts Down
During a shutdown, about 42,000 USDA staff will be furloughed, according to the agency’s 2025 shutdown contingency plan, roughly half the agency’s employees. Activities deemed mission-critical, like food safety inspections and some lab operations, will continue, while efforts like non-mandatory data collection and most research will cease, the document shows.
USDA ‘Prepared’ for Looming Government Shutdown, Layoffs Possible
The USDA says it is ready in the event of a federal government shutdown Wednesday in the absence of budget legislation, while opposition Democrats in Congress are warning of potential further cuts to the federal workforce, which the White House has threatened.
DOJ, USDA to Examine Rising Farm Input Costs
The U.S. Department of Justice antitrust division will work with the Department of Agriculture to look closely at the rising cost of agricultural inputs like fertilizer and seeds under a memorandum of understanding signed on Thursday, said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Tariff Revenue to Fund Farmer Bailout, Trump Says
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will use tariff revenue to offer cash bailouts for farmers who are struggling with trade uncertainty and other economic headwinds.
Soybean Producers Frustrated Over US Support for Argentina
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the U.S. will offer financial support to Argentina to prop up its ailing economy, prompting frustration from soybean producers, for whom Argentina is a key competitor.
USDA Puts Researchers on Leave After Canceling Hunger Report
The team of federal economists and researchers responsible for producing the government survey that measures hunger in America were put on indefinite paid leave Monday from the USDA, according to the union that represents the workers.
China’s Soybean Buyers Turn to Argentina, Continue Shunning US
Chinese buyers booked at least 10 cargoes of Argentine soybeans after Buenos Aires on Monday scrapped grain export taxes, three traders said on Tuesday, dealing another setback to U.S. farmers already shut out of their top market and hit by low prices.
Screwworm Detected 70 Miles from US Southern Border
Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality confirmed a new case of New World screwworm (NWS) in Sabinas Hidalgo, located in the state of Nuevo León, less than 70 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border on Sept. 21.
Bird Flu Persists As Cattle Infected in Nebraska
Nebraska has confirmed its first case of bird flu in a dairy cattle herd as a lingering 18-month outbreak continues to afflict livestock nationwide. Additionally, animal health officials have detected bird flu in a turkey flock in Redwood County, the first new confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Minnesota poultry since April.
Tariffs Could Fund Farm Economic Aid, Ag Sec Rollins Says
The Trump administration is drawing up plans to use tariff revenue to fund a program to support US farmers as they head into harvest facing falling export sales and rising input costs, agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins said.
EPA Proposes Biofuel Reallocation Options
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday issued a proposal for reallocating to large refineries the biofuel blending obligations waived under the Small Refinery Exemption (SRE) program, offering two primary options of 50% and 100%. Additionally, the agency said it will ask for comment on other potential volumes, such as 25%, 75% or none at all.
USDA Considering Economic Aid, Secretary Rollins Says
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working with Congress to evaluate whether economic aid might be needed for the nation’s farmers this autumn amid trade disputes and record-high yields, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Monday.
USDA Again Increases Corn Planted Acreage, Production
The USDA this past Friday raised its 2025 U.S. corn production estimate to a record 16.814 billion bushels. It projected a record average yield of 186.7 bushels per acre, down from 188.8 bushels per acre in August. Both figures were above analysts’ expectations.
EPA Biofuel Reallocation Proposal Reportedly Could Trim Demand
The White House is considering a plan that would require large oil refineries to cover around half or less of the biofuel blending requirements recently waived for smaller facilities, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
MAHA Strategy Report Mostly Friendly to Ag, Pesticides
The Trump administration’s highly anticipated policy strategy to improve children’s health outcomes targets ultra-processed food and exposure to chemicals but doesn’t go as far as some industry groups feared in proposing new regulations.
Ag Trade Deficit Hit Another Record High in July
The US agricultural trade deficit widened further in July, with agricultural exports lagging imports by $4.97 billion in July, a gap 9% wider than a year earlier and the largest on record for the month. That pushed the sector’s deficit to an unprecedented $33.6 billion for the first seven months of the year.