Agri-Pulse’s Noah Wicks reported that “a federal judge has ordered the Agriculture Department and four other agencies to release frozen funding for Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law conservation and energy programs.” “U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy in Rhode Island ordered leaders of USDA to resume processing grants already awarded under the IRA and […]
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.
White House Budget Plan Proposes Local FSA, NRCS Office Closures
Government Executive’s Eric Katz reported Tuesday that “the Trump administration is planning to severely scale back or outright eliminate funding for many programs across the Agriculture Department, according to White House documents obtained by Government Executive, as it slashes workers and closes offices at the local level.” “The ‘passback’ document from the Office of Management […]
USDA Overhauling Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities
Agri-Pulse’s Steve Davies and Rebekah Alvey reported Monday that “Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is renaming and changing the rules of a $3.1 billion program testing the ability of a variety of conservation practices to produce climate-smart commodities.” “A USDA release said the Trump administration was canceling the Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities program, which it […]
Thousands of USDA Employees Taking Buyout Offer
E&E News’ Marc Heller reported that “thousands of workers have taken the Trump administration’s second buyout offer at the Department of Agriculture, as the Trump administration continues to shrink the nearly 100,000-employee agency.” “Employees who’ve seen internal numbers at the USDA indicate the count has reached 3,100 takers at the Forest Service, around 1,200 at […]
Trump Suggests Leniency on Farm Worker Deportations
Bloomberg’s Skylar Woodhouse reported that “President Donald Trump said he is looking to allow undocumented farm and hospitality industry workers to leave the US for a short period of time and reenter the country legally, a bid to address concerns about labor shortages from his crackdown on undocumented migration.” “‘We’re going to work with people […]
Soybean Farmers Concerned as Trump Raises China Tariffs to 125%
The Associated Press’ Huizhong Wu reported that “President Donald Trump raised the tariff on Chinese imports to 125% on Wednesday, hours after China boosted the duty on American goods to 84% in an escalating battle that threatens to disrupt trade between the world’s two largest economies.” “Citing a lack of respect, Trump set China apart […]
Trump Administration Discussing Farmer Tariff Relief Package
Fortune’s Stuart Dyos reported on Sunday that “Trump administration officials and lawmakers have begun exploring a relief package for U.S. farmers as agricultural trade groups warn of economic repercussions from tariffs. That’s as retaliation against President Donald Trump’s sweeping import taxes could harm U.S. exports of farm products.” “‘We are setting up the infrastructure that […]
Trump Threatens Additional 50% Tariff on China
NBC News’ Peter Guo reported that “China said Tuesday it will ‘fight to the end’ if President Donald Trump imposes an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods as many countries rush to negotiate trade with the United States.” “If the plan is fully implemented, the total tariffs on goods imported into the United States from […]
Key Ag Inputs Exempt from New Reciprocal Tariffs
Agri-Pulse’s Oliver Ward reported late last week that “certain agriculture inputs will be exempt from the 10% across-the-board duties and higher reciprocal duties applied to specific trade partners, according to a detailed list of carveouts published by the White House.” “Listed among the 37 pages of products excluded from the steep new duties are potash, […]
China Announces 34% Retaliatory Tariffs on US Goods
CNBC’s Ruxandra Iordache reported that “China’s finance ministry on Friday said it will impose a 34% tariff on all goods imported from the U.S. starting on April 10, following duties imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration earlier this week, according to state news outlet Xinhua.” “‘China urges the United States to immediately cancel its […]
Trump Implements Sweeping Tariffs Ranging from 10% to 49%
Agri-Pulse’s Oliver Ward reported that “President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a new 10% across-the-board tariff in addition to reciprocal duties that will apply to specific trade partners, including China, the European Union, Japan and South Korea. At an event in the Rose Garden Wednesday dubbed, ‘Make America Wealthy Again,’ and with his cabinet in […]
Reciprocal Tariffs Expected Today, Details Remain Unknown
Reuters’ Nandita Bose and Trevor Hunnicutt reported that “the White House confirmed on Tuesday that President Donald Trump will impose new tariffs on Wednesday, though it provided no details about the size and scope of trade barriers that have businesses, consumers and investors fretting about an intensifying global trade war.” “Trump has for weeks trumpeted […]
Corn Acres Will Top 95 Million in 2025, USDA Says
Bloomberg’s Michael Hirtzer reported Monday that “US farmers are boosting corn planting to a five-year high as the looming trade war makes America’s mostly widely grown crop a relatively safe bet even as demand is at risk of being shaken up by reciprocal tariffs.” “Farmers are expected to plant 95.3 million acres of corn this […]
Reciprocal Tariffs Expected on ‘All Countries’ April 2
Reuters’ Andrea Shalal reported that “U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that reciprocal tariffs he is set to announce this week will include all nations, not just a smaller group of 10 to 15 countries with the biggest trade imbalances.” “Trump has promised to unveil a massive tariff plan on Wednesday, which he has […]
Analysts Expect 4 Million More Corn Acres in 2025
Progressive Farmer’s Rhett Montgomery reported that “on Monday, March 31, USDA will release two major reports out to the market at 11 a.m. CDT. The Prospective Plantings report and quarterly Grain Stocks report will serve to give a very early look into production potential for spring-planted crops, while also accounting for inventory still on hand from […]
USDA Releasing Frozen Rural Energy Funds — With Stipulations
Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher, Rebekah Alvey, and Noah Wicks reported Wednesday that “the Agriculture Department is lifting a freeze on clean energy funding programs but giving awardees 30 days to modify their proposals to remove climate and DEI considerations and bring the projects in line with the Trump administration’s policy for increasing U.S. energy production.” “The action […]
Poll Shows Waning Farmer Support for Trump Tariffs
Farmer support for President Donald Trump’s use of tariffs may be decreasing, according to an internet poll released on March 24 by AgWeb. That poll of roughly 3,000 self-identified farmers showed that 54% of respondents said they do not support Trump’s continued use of tariffs as a negotiation tool. “The poll then followed-up by asking, […]
Black Sea Grain Deal Revival Talks Underway
World-Grain’s Arvin Donley reported Monday that “Russia is expressing interest in resuming the Black Sea Grain Initiative as part of its discussions with the United States on March 24 in Saudi Arabia regarding a potential ceasefire with Ukraine, Reuters reported.” “The deal, which originally was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, allowed safe passage […]
US Rapidly Increasing Foreign Egg Imports Amid Bird Flu
Reuters’ Tom Polansek and Leah Douglas reported that “the U.S. has almost doubled imports of Brazilian eggs once used only for pet food and is considering relaxing regulations for eggs laid by chickens raised for meat, as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to bring down sky-high prices spiked by bird flu.” “The Trump administration is […]
Proposed US Port Fees on China Ships Already Hitting Ag Exports
Reuters Lisa Baertlein, Karl Plume and Timothy Gardner reported Wednesday that “President Donald Trump’s plan to revive U.S. shipbuilding using massive fees on China-linked ship visits to American ports is causing U.S. coal inventories to swell and stoking uncertainty in the embattled agriculture market, as exporters struggle to find ships to send goods abroad.” “Trump […]