Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported that “the House Ag Committee is eyeing roughly $150 billion in spending cuts related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as Republicans are seeking to pay for President Donald Trump’s agenda.” “That number includes reducing SNAP error payment rates, updating work requirements and tying future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan […]
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.
USDA Freezes Conservation, Other Direct Farmer Funding
Reuters’ P.J. Huffstutter and Leah Douglas reported Saturday that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture has frozen some funding for farmers as it goes through a sweeping review, despite assurances from the Trump administration that programs helping farmers would not be affected in the government overhaul. The impact has been immediate and wide-ranging, from cash assistance […]
Farm Income to Increase in 2025 Thanks to Federal Aid
Progressive Farmer’s Katie Micik Dehlinger reported Thursday that “USDA forecasts climbing farm income in 2025, but it’s due to a dramatic increase in government payments, not better prices or a higher volume of sales. Net farm income, which is a comprehensive measure of farm profitability, is forecast at $180.1 billion, an increase of $41 billion, […]
US Ag Export Volumes Surged 22% in 2024
Reuters’ Karen Braun reported Wednesday that “most global importers last year took advantage of plentiful and cheaper U.S. bulk agricultural commodities, including soybeans and corn, the top-ticket items.” “Milestones were notched among the top U.S. bulk grain destinations in 2024 as average export prices fell by more than one-fifth versus 2023,” Braun reported. “Lower prices […]
Ag Traders, Manufacturers Report Tough Profit Outlooks
Reuters’ Karl Plume reported Tuesday that “grains merchant Archer-Daniels-Midland posted its lowest fourth-quarter adjusted profit in six years on Tuesday on weak oilseed crush margins and uncertainty over U.S. biofuel policy and said it is cutting costs and slashing up to 700 jobs to weather the market downturn.” “Chicago-based ADM said it aimed to cut […]
China Tariffs Begin, Canada & Mexico Tariffs Paused
Reuters’ Trevor Hunnicutt and Kevin Krolicki reported that “China imposed targeted tariffs on American imports on Tuesday and put several U.S. companies, including Google, on notice for possible sanctions, in a measured response to the sweeping duties on Chinese imports imposed by President Donald Trump.” “Beijing’s limited reply to Trump’s imposition of a 10% tariff […]
Trade War Underway as Canada, Mexico Announce Retaliatory Tariffs
UPDATE (Monday at 11am): NBC News’ Shannon Pettypiece reported Monday that “the U.S. and Mexico reached an agreement Monday to delay a 25% tariff on all Mexican imports for one month, after Mexico agreed to ramp up security at its border — averting, at least for now, a move that could have driven up prices […]
Trump Confirms Mexico, Canada 25% Tariffs Coming Saturday
UPDATE 2 (Friday at 1:30pm): White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says earlier reporting about March 1 tariff date is inaccurate and that she confirms that “the Feb. 1 deadline that President Trump put into place in a statement several weeks ago continues. The president will be implementing tomorrow 25% tariffs on Mexico, 25% tariffs […]
Mexico Readying Retaliatory Tariffs, Potentially Targeting US Ag
Reuters’ Diego Oré reported that “Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday she does not believe the United States will impose tariffs on Saturday as President Donald Trump has pledged, but said her administration has its own response plan in place if needed.” “‘We don’t think it’s going to happen,’ Sheinbaum said at her regular […]
Ogallala Aquifer Dropped More Than a Foot in Kansas in 2024
The Kansas Reflector’s Allison Kite reported Tuesday that “aquifer levels in parts of western Kansas that rely on groundwater for everything from drinking to irrigation fell more than a foot last year, Kansas Geological Survey scientists said Tuesday.” “The Kansas Geological Survey earlier this month completed its annual campaign to measure the Ogallala Aquifer, which […]
‘Tempo Has Increased’ in Bird Flu Spread in US
The New York Times’ Apoorva Mandavilli reported Monday that “when bird flu first struck dairy cattle a year ago, it seemed possible that it might affect a few isolated herds and disappear as quickly as it had appeared. Instead, the virus has infected more than 900 herds and dozens of people, killing one, and the […]
US, Colombia Avoid Trade War Over Deportations
Reuters’ Phil Stewart and Oliver Griffin reported Monday morning that “the U.S. and Colombia pulled back from the brink of a trade war on Sunday after the White House said the South American nation had agreed to accept military aircraft carrying deported migrants.” “U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened tariffs and sanctions on Colombia to […]
USDA Nominee Rollins Pledges Farmer Aid In Case of Trade War
Progressive Farmer’s Chris Clayton reported that “agriculture secretary nominee Brooke Rollins told senators on Thursday that USDA would be prepared to again provide aid to farmers if they face retaliatory tariffs as President Donald Trump implements his trade policies.” “Despite concerns about farmworkers being deported, Rollins also told senators she supports Trump’s border and mass-deportation […]
US Share of China Soybean Market Fell to 21% in 2024
Reuters Ella Cao and Mei Mei Chu reported on Monday that “China’s soybean imports from the United States dropped 5.7% in 2024 from the previous year and were replaced by Brazilian and Argentine shipments, as fears of a renewed Sino-US trade war further hammered the US market share to under a quarter.” “China imported a […]
Trump Preparing 10% Tariff on China in February
Bloomberg’s Josh Wingrove and Hadriana Lowenkron reported Tuesday that “President Donald Trump widened his tariff threats to include China and the European Union on his second day back in office after day one saw Canada and Mexico in his sights.” “‘We’re talking about a tariff of 10% on China, based on the fact that they’re […]
Trump Says Canada, Mexico May Get 25% Tariff by Feb. 1
Reuters’ David Lawder, Andrea Shalal and Jarrett Renshaw reported Monday evening that “President Donald Trump did not immediately impose tariffs on Monday as previously promised but said he was thinking about imposing 25% duties on imports from Canada and Mexico on Feb. 1 over illegal immigrants and fentanyl crossing into the U.S.” “As he was […]
FTC Sues John Deere Over Right to Repair
Reuters’ Leah Douglas and Jonathan Stempel reported Wednesday that “the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday sued farm equipment maker Deere, alleging it illegally drives up repair costs by forcing farmers to rely on its authorized dealer network. The lawsuit argues Deere has unlawfully boosted profits by requiring farmers to use its network of authorized […]
USDA Releases 45Z Feedstock Details, Drops Bundling Requirement
Progressive Farmer’s Chris Clayton reported Wednesday that “less than a week after biofuel groups lamented the lack of details about the Clean Fuels Production (45Z) tax credit, USDA released an interim rule for climate-smart crops being used as biofuel feedstocks that should provide the biofuels industry more clarity on how to move forward.” “The interim […]
Foreign Ownership of Ag Land Grew 1.6 Million Acres in 2023
Foreign ownership of agricultural land in the United States increased by 1.58 million acres from 2022 to 2023, driven primarily by the expansion of renewable energy projects across the country. According to a new analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Daniel Munch, 45.58 million acres of U.S. agricultural land (or 3.61% of total privately […]
Trump EPA, Interior Secretary Hearings Begin This Week
UPDATE: Reuters is now reporting that “the U.S. Senate energy panel said on Monday the nomination hearing for President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of the interior, Doug Burgum, will take place on Thursday instead of Tuesday, blaming a ‘bureaucratic delay’ with a federal ethics office.” ―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――― Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher, Steve Davies, Oliver Ward, and […]