Republicans continued on Wednesday a years-long effort to override a 2018 California law that bans the sale in the state of pork from pigs kept in tightly confined spaces, arguing in a House Agriculture Committee hearing that the law is overly burdensome to farmers.
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.
Ag Land Values Mostly Stable Through First Half of 2025
Agricultural land values have remained remarkably stable through mid-2025, according to a news release from Farmers National Company. The resilience is mainly driven by the basic economic principle of supply and demand; there are simply more motivated buyers than willing sellers.
Coke Cane Sugar Switch Threatens Ag Jobs, Corn Refiners Say
A possible move by Coca-Cola and other beverage and food industries to use cane sugar instead of corn syrup as a sweetener would be difficult and expensive to implement, while mostly negative for farmers in the United States.
Beef Prices Soar to Record Highs in June
Ground beef prices across the U.S. continue to reach new highs, driven by shrinking cattle herds, with looming import restrictions threatening to push costs even higher. The average price of a pound of 100% ground beef rose to $6.12 last month, up from $5.98 in May.
China Issues New Threats to Block Panama Canal Ports Deal
China’s government is threatening to block a deal that would transfer ownership of dozens of seaports — including two ports at the Panama Canal — to Western investors if Cosco, China’s largest shipping company, doesn’t get a stake.
Trump Admin Touts Farm Conservation, Says No Pesticide Crackdown
The loss of topsoil on American farms is threatening the country’s food supply and demands a new commitment to conservation, Trump administration officials said Tuesday. They also say the White House has no plans to crack down on pesticides in farming.
US Corn Export Sales Forecast at Record Levels
U.S. corn export sales have continued at a blistering pace and support a 100-million-bushel month-to-month increase for the 2024/25 marketing year, raising the forecast to a record-high 2,750 million bushels. If realized, 2024/25 corn exports will exceed the 2023/24 estimate by nearly 500 million bushels (22%).
Farm Bankruptcies Rising in 2025
Family farm bankruptcies increased by 55% last year compared to 2023 and are trending even higher this year as farmers continue to grapple with depressed agricultural commodity prices and high input costs.
Trump Threatens 30% Tariffs on Mexico and the EU
President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to impose a 30% tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union starting on August 1, after weeks of negotiations with the major U.S. trading partners failed to reach a comprehensive trade deal.
Trump’s Brazil Tariffs Could Impact Beef and Coffee Trade
President Donald Trump’s unexpected move to threaten a 50% tariff on Brazil risks roiling global commodity markets, disrupting trade on everything from beef to coffee.
US Pauses Restart of Mexican Cattle Imports due to Screwworm
The Agriculture Department said Wednesday evening that the U.S. would be closing the southern border to livestock trade, effective immediately, after reports that New World screwworm has resumed its northward spread.
Ag Legislators Look Ahead to “Skinny” Farm Bill this Fall
After clearing their agriculture megabill hurdle, Republicans are looking to pass a smaller farm bill that includes some key policies that haven’t been updated since the last farm bill was passed in 2018.
CDC Ends Bird Flu Emergency Response
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its emergency response for bird flu as the outbreak that sickened dozens of people, spread to cattle and drove up egg prices has abated. The emergency designation ended in the last week.
Trump Reiterates Willingness to Let Migrant Laborers Stay on Farms
President Donald Trump again said on Thursday that he is willing to let migrant laborers stay in the United States if the farmers they work for will vouch for them.
Congress Passes Megabill with Significant Farm Program Funding
House GOP leaders overcame Republican objections to Senate provisions on SNAP, rural hospitals and other issues to clear President Donald Trump’s massive spending and tax package, including a historic infusion of new farm program funding.
Bunge Completes $8 Billion Merger with Grain Trader Viterra
Bunge Global SA completed its takeover of Glencore Plc-backed Viterra, a move that will help the combined businesses better compete with larger rivals like Cargill Inc. and Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. as the crop-trading sector faces a downturn in profits.
US Reopening Phased Mexican Cattle Imports After Screwworm Closure
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Monday a phased reopening of cattle, bison and equine imports from Mexico following a prolonged closure over the damaging pest New World screwworm.
SCOTUS Rejects Prop 12 Case, Seeks Government View on Roundup
The US Supreme Court signaled interest in Bayer AG’s bid to stop thousands of lawsuits blaming its top-selling Roundup weedkiller for causing cancer, seeking the Trump administration’s view on whether to hear the company’s appeal of a $1.25 million verdict.
Senate Prepares to Vote on Budget Bill with Farm Safety Net Improvements
Senators will begin their vote-a-rama on the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ at 9 a.m. Monday. The driver behind the bill is to prevent the 2017 tax cuts from expiring, but the bill plusses up some tax cuts while also cutting spending for Medicaid and food programs for low-income people.
Senate Ag’s SNAP Cost-Share Plan Approved by Parliamentarian
The Senate parliamentarian on Thursday approved Republicans’ tweaked plan to push some costs of the nation’s anti-hunger program onto states, allowing them to maintain a crucial $41 billion spending cut that will help pay for their policy megabill.