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.
Agricultural Economy
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.
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.
US Could Lose 30 Million Corn Acres without More Biofuels Markets, Study Says
A new report from U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action and its partners predicts the U.S. could lose roughly 30 million corn acres by 2050 if new sources of feed demand are not found and the ethanol blending rate remains at 10%.
Fertilizer Prices Drop on US-Iran Peace Deal News
Price indicators for key farm inputs tumbled on Monday following news of the U.S.-Iran preliminary peace deal. The value of urea at New Orleans, a benchmark for North American nitrogen fertilizer, fell about 5% from Friday, or roughly $20, according to Josh Linville, vice president of fertilizer for StoneX. That marks a 53% drop from a high earlier this spring, he says.
Grain & Oilseed Prices Fall on Strait of Hormuz Reopening
Grain and vegetable oil futures declined on expectations a potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would improve access to vital crop inputs, helping to ease the threat of food inflation brought on by the months-long war in the Middle East.
US Winter Wheat Crop Smallest Since 1965, USDA Says
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday cut its U.S. winter wheat crop outlook by 2% from a month earlier as a harsh drought in the Plains cut its hard red winter wheat production view to the lowest since 1957 and total winter wheat production to the lowest since 1965.
Trump Says US ‘Not Looking to Renew’ USMCA Trade Agreement
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the U.S. might not renew its free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico and criticized trade deficits with those countries, although he said he was talking with their leaders about the matter.
Urea Prices Return to Pre-Iran War Levels in the U.S.
The Iran war risk premium that swept through crop and fertilizer markets is rapidly evaporating as fears of prolonged supply disruptions fade. Prices for granular urea in New Orleans dropped to $453.50 per short ton, the lowest level since Feb. 6, according to Friday data from Bloomberg Green Markets. That’s down 36% from mid-April.
Canada Bans Texas Livestock Imports After Second Screwworm Case
A second case of the flesh-eating New World screwworm has been confirmed in South Texas, intensifying concerns among agricultural officials and prompting Canada to suspend livestock imports from Texas as authorities mount an aggressive response to prevent the parasite from spreading deeper into the United States.
New World Screwworm Case Confirmed in U.S.
USDA confirmed the first detection of New World screwworm in the United States in decades after identifying the pest in a 3-week-old calf in South Texas, prompting an aggressive federal and state response aimed at containing the outbreak of the parasitic insect.
China Placing New US Soybean Orders, USDA’s Vaden Says
Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden said he expects China to honor its pledge to buy more American soybeans this year. Vaden said at The Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum that China has started placing orders for soybeans that are being planted right now across the U.S.
Trump Cuts Tariffs on Ag Equipment to 15%
President Donald Trump on Monday moved to reduce tariffs on heating and cooling equipment and certain heavy industrial and agricultural goods, as well as cutting levies on products from abroad made with American metals. The move is the latest by the Trump administration to limit the collateral damage of its trade wars.
FTC Confirms Probe of Rising Fertilizer Prices
The Federal Trade Commission recently launched an antitrust investigation into the rising costs of fertilizer in the US, the agency’s head said at an event in Texas on Thursday.
Farm Bankruptcies Hit Six-Year High in April
During the month of April, 62 bankruptcies were launched under Chapter 12, a 130% jump from April 2025 and the highest monthly total since February 2020. That figure is also 82% higher than the 34 Chapter 12 filings in March 2026, the data showed.
Lawmakers Target Meatpacker Consolidation Amid High Prices
Sen. Chuck Schumer on Friday introduced legislation aimed at lowering grocery prices by increasing competition in the meatpacking industry, arguing that consolidation among the nation’s largest meat companies has contributed to higher beef prices.
Trump Defends Chinese Purchases of U.S. Farmland
President Donald Trump defended Chinese purchases of U.S. farmland during a trip to Beijing (last) week, arguing that restricting foreign ownership would hurt American farmers by driving down land values. Trump’s Beijing comments appear to conflict with policies his administration itself promoted over the last year.
Accelerated Permitting, Grant Program to Boost Domestic Fertilizer, USDA Says
The United States Department of Agriculture is taking new steps to expand domestic fertilizer production, Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a press conference Tuesday, including accelerated permitting and the reviving of a Biden administration grant program to boost U.S. fertilizer production.
Deere Right-to-Repair Settlement Gets Preliminary Approval
A federal court on Monday granted preliminary approval to John Deere’s proposed antitrust settlement with farmers who filed right-to-repair lawsuits, giving producers until September 2026 to file objections. At the same time, a Chicago landscaping contractor sued Deere (last) Thursday in U.S. District Court in Illinois, accusing the company of many of the same antitrust violations alleged in a recently-settled $99 million lawsuit filed by farmers.