The Agriculture Department is anticipating a slightly easier 2026 for U.S. ag producers, with prices for major commodities nudging higher and input and labor costs moderating, according to USDA Chief Economist Justin Benavidez.
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.
Trump Signs Order Protecting Glyphosate, Phosphorus Production
Invoking the Defense Production Act, President Donald Trump on Wednesday designated glyphosate-based herbicides and elemental phosphorus as critical to national defense and ordered Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to prioritize and secure domestic supplies.
Bayer Proposes $7.25 Billion Roundup Settlement
Agrochemical maker Bayer and attorneys for cancer patients announced a proposed $7.25 billion settlement Tuesday to resolve thousands of U.S. lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller Roundup could cause cancer.
Number of U.S. Farms Shrank by 15,000 in 2025
The number of U.S. farms shrank by 15,000 in 2025, bringing the total to 1.865 million, USDA said (last week) in its Land in Farms report. This continues a long-lasting trend of declining farm numbers. Analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation noted that farm bankruptcies were also on the rise.
House Ag Committee Releases New Farm Bill, Markup Set for Feb. 23
The House Agriculture Committee unveiled a draft farm bill Friday that would revamp a key international food aid program, boost risk management options for specialty crop growers and nullify California’s controversial Proposition 12 standards for animal welfare.
Cargill Closing Wisconsin Beef Processing Facility
U.S. agribusiness Cargill will permanently close its beef processing facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and eliminate 221 jobs, according to a filing with the state, the latest U.S. beef plant to be shuttered amid rising costs for meatpackers.
Many Producers ‘Fighting for Survival’ in 2026, Survey Shows
The U.S. ag economy enters 2026 in a clear crop-sector recession, but the deeper crisis is one of confidence. High input costs, weak prices, policy uncertainty and eroding trust in data have pushed many producers from planning for profitability into fighting for survival.
USDA Crop Data Reliability Remains Under Scrutiny
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, long the world’s gold standard for crop estimates, faces mounting doubts about the reliability of its data from farmers, grain traders and economists following deep staff losses and a sharp upward revision in how many acres of corn were harvested.
U.S. Farm Bankruptcies Increased 46% in 2025
The U.S. Courts report that 315 farm bankruptcies were filed in calendar year 2025, up 46% from 2024. While still down from recent highs, this is the second year in a row of increased filings.
U.S. to Quadruple Beef Imports from Argentina
President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order temporarily expanding the amount of beef the U.S. can import from Argentina, a move the White House says is aimed at lowering prices but that the nation’s largest cattle industry group disputes.
Farm Income to Fall in 2026 Despite Hefty Gov’t Payments
In a sign of growing stress for U.S. farmers, the Agriculture Department forecast on Thursday that U.S. net farm income would fall 0.7% this year, despite near-record government payments that are expected to account for nearly 29% of producers’ bottom line.
Ag Leaders Warn of Risk of ‘Widespread Collapse of American Agriculture’
A bipartisan group of former leaders of America’s major agricultural commodity associations and biofuels organizations, farmer leaders, and former senior USDA officials sent congressional ag leaders a letter on Tuesday warning about the deteriorating state of the farm economy, stating there is a risk of ‘widespread collapse of American agriculture.’
Treasury Releases Proposed 45Z Clean Fuels Credit Rule
The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday issued a proposed rule governing how biofuel makers can access a $1-per-gallon tax credit for low-carbon transportation fuels, including aviation fuel. The rule was welcomed by biofuel trade groups that said the plan could provide more certainty for producers of ethanol, biodiesel and other products seeking the credit.
EPA Affirms Farmers’ Right to Repair Equipment
Farmers and repair shops are allowed to temporarily override emission control systems for repair purposes, according to guidance issued by the Environmental Protection Agency Monday.
USDA to Release Sterile Screwworm Flies in Texas
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has shifted sterile New World screwworm (NWS) fly release to include into Texas to help efforts to stop the northern spread of the pest.
House Ag Chair Aiming for Late February Farm Bill 2.0
House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson has tentatively scheduled a farm bill markup for the week of Feb. 23, according to three people familiar with the plans.
ADM Settles Accounting Probe, Tyson Settles Price Fixing Claims
Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. agreed to pay $40 million to settle a two-year federal investigation into the crop giant’s accounting practices that eroded faith in the company’s transparency. Separately, Tyson Foods has reached a $48 million settlement with restaurants, delis and other food service operators who alleged in a 2018 class-action lawsuit that the company conspired with other pork processors to raise prices.
Trump Says Congress ‘Close’ to Deal for Year-Round E15
President Donald Trump called on Congress Tuesday to resolve differences over year-round sales of E15 fuel and to finalize an agreement that would be a boon for struggling corn farmers.
China Turning to Brazil Soybeans After Meeting US Purchase Pledge
China, the world’s largest soybean importer, has ramped up orders for Brazilian cargoes of the oilseed after meeting an initial shipment volume from the US as part of a trade truce with Washington.
USDA’s Vaden Accuses Nutrien, Mosaic of Fertilizer Price Collusion
Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden (last week) accused Nutrien and Mosaic of working to ‘collude’ to limit U.S. fertilizer supply and control prices, suggesting that the administration could take future action to inject more competition into markets, if necessary.