U.S. tractor sales were down 10.9%, while combine sales fell 5.3% year-over-year in July 2026, according to sales data the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) released this week.
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.
Tyson to Close or Sell Three Beef Facilities Amid Cattle Shortage
Tyson Foods said on Thursday it will close or sell three of its beef plant and packaging operation sites, further shrinking its beef footprint as a historic U.S. cattle shortage deepens losses for the largest U.S. meatpacker.
USDA Reports Largest-Ever Combined Corn & Soy Planted Acreage
USDA found an additional 1.4 million planted acres for both the corn and soybean crops to increase the corn crop slightly and boost the soybean crop to the largest in U.S. history. The combined planted acreage of the corn and soybean crops is now 183.5 million acres, more than 3 million acres higher than the previous combined crop record.
Texas Screwworm Sterile Fly Facility to Open 7 Months Ahead of Schedule
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a post on X on Monday that a Texas facility to breed sterile flies to combat screwworm will open ahead of schedule in spring 2027. Previously, the agency said the plant would open at the end of next year.
Russia-Ukraine War Surge Again Disrupting Black Sea Grain
A surge in attacks on ships, ports and export terminals in the Black Sea is disrupting global supplies of grain and oil, turning the region into the latest strategic trade chokepoint to be hit by escalating conflict.
China Ramping Up US Soybean Purchases
US soybean buys by China have picked up following a summit between Trump and President Xi Jinping in May, putting this year’s purchases roughly a quarter of the way toward meeting what the White House has said is a commitment to purchase at least 25 million tons of soybeans annually through 2028.
Senate Farm Bill Fails, Ag Committee to Vote Again in September
Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) said he will reconvene committee members in September to vote again on his farm bill package after it failed to advance Thursday.
Now or Never for 2026 Farm Bill, Senate Ag Chairman Says
It’s now or never for the 2026 farm bill. That’s the urgent warning from Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., as his committee prepares to take up a farm bill today. The proposed legislation addresses key ag items not updated since Congress last passed a full, five-year farm bill in 2018.
USDA Providing 60-Day Extension to Pay Crop Insurance Premiums
Farmers will get a two-month reprieve on their crop insurance premiums this year and USDA will also reinstate prevented planting buy-up coverage as well, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Tuesday.
ADM, Corteva Raise 2026 Profit Forecasts on Strong Processing and Seed Demand Outlooks
Major global agribusinesses over the past week have raised their 2026 profit forecasts on strong oilseed processing outlooks and strong demand across key crop markets, particularly in the United States.
US Cropland Tops $6,000 per Acre for First Time in 2026
U.S. farmland values continued to rise this year, with the average value of cropland topping $6,000 for the first time, while pastureland reached $2,000 an acre. Overall, farm real estate in the U.S. — cropland and pasture combined — averaged $4,500 per acre this year, up $150 an acre from last year, or about 3.4%.
US Won’t Renew USMCA, Seeks Improvements in Yearly Reviews
The Trump administration will not renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement in its current form, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced Wednesday. The agreement has been a boon to farm country, but lawmakers and the dairy industry say there’s room for improvement.
Bayer Seeks Glyphosate Import Duties, Angering Farmers
Farm groups that only days ago celebrated Bayer’s U.S. Supreme Court victory over glyphosate labeling now are accusing the company of abandoning farmers after Monsanto asked federal trade officials to impose steep duties on glyphosate imports from China.
Trump Suspends Duties on Moroccan Phosphate Fertilizer
U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized the temporary suspension of certain duties on phosphate fertilizer imported from Morocco, the White House said on Monday, as farmers grapple with shortages due to the Iran war.
NY, CT Become First States to Offer Tariff Relief to Farmers
New York farmers can start submitting applications for up to $25,000 in relief from the state as part of a $30 million aid effort aimed at easing the hit to farmers from Republican U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul said on Monday.
Bayer Wins Supreme Court Roundup Case to Limit Lawsuits
The Supreme Court in a 7-2 decision on Thursday said Bayer cannot be sued over state-level claims that the company failed to warn of cancer risks from its weedkiller Roundup and its chemical glyphosate.
White House Requests $11 Billion in Farmer Aid
The White House on Wednesday asked Congress to pass a supplemental funding package that includes a request for $11.1 billion for farmers and calls for Congress to pass year-round E15.
Senate Farm Bill Omits E15, Prop 12 and Pesticide Labeling
Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) released a farm bill proposal Tuesday that would make sweeping agriculture policy changes while excluding Democrats’ top demand, teeing up a partisan fight that could scuttle the package.
Iran Could Buy US Ag Products with Frozen Funds, Trump Admin Says
American farmers could see commodity sales to Iran under the negotiations going on between the U.S., Iran and mediators that just wrapped up in Switzerland.
Farm Production Costs to Hit Record Highs in 2027, USDA Says
USDA’s new 2027 cost of production forecast reveals farmers may not see meaningful relief from elevated production costs anytime soon. The projections show total production costs continuing to rise for most major crops, pushing all commodities to record highs — including corn at $952 per acre, soybeans at $701, sorghum at $477 and wheat at $428.