The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its emergency response for bird flu as the outbreak that sickened dozens of people, spread to cattle and drove up egg prices has abated. The emergency designation ended in the last week.
Farm Policy News
Trump Reiterates Willingness to Let Migrant Laborers Stay on Farms
President Donald Trump again said on Thursday that he is willing to let migrant laborers stay in the United States if the farmers they work for will vouch for them.
Congress Passes Megabill with Significant Farm Program Funding
House GOP leaders overcame Republican objections to Senate provisions on SNAP, rural hospitals and other issues to clear President Donald Trump’s massive spending and tax package, including a historic infusion of new farm program funding.
Bunge Completes $8 Billion Merger with Grain Trader Viterra
Bunge Global SA completed its takeover of Glencore Plc-backed Viterra, a move that will help the combined businesses better compete with larger rivals like Cargill Inc. and Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. as the crop-trading sector faces a downturn in profits.
US Reopening Phased Mexican Cattle Imports After Screwworm Closure
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Monday a phased reopening of cattle, bison and equine imports from Mexico following a prolonged closure over the damaging pest New World screwworm.
SCOTUS Rejects Prop 12 Case, Seeks Government View on Roundup
The US Supreme Court signaled interest in Bayer AG’s bid to stop thousands of lawsuits blaming its top-selling Roundup weedkiller for causing cancer, seeking the Trump administration’s view on whether to hear the company’s appeal of a $1.25 million verdict.
Senate Prepares to Vote on Budget Bill with Farm Safety Net Improvements
Senators will begin their vote-a-rama on the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ at 9 a.m. Monday. The driver behind the bill is to prevent the 2017 tax cuts from expiring, but the bill plusses up some tax cuts while also cutting spending for Medicaid and food programs for low-income people.
Senate Ag’s SNAP Cost-Share Plan Approved by Parliamentarian
The Senate parliamentarian on Thursday approved Republicans’ tweaked plan to push some costs of the nation’s anti-hunger program onto states, allowing them to maintain a crucial $41 billion spending cut that will help pay for their policy megabill.
Global Urea Prices Surge on Middle East Conflict
Global prices of key fertilizer ingredient urea have surged alongside escalating violence in the Middle East, which threatens to choke supplies of the crop nutrient from a significant producing and exporting region.
Brazil’s Second Corn Harvest Expected at Record 123 MMT
Brazilian farmers will produce a record 123.3 million metric tons of second corn, agribusiness consultancy Agroconsult said on Tuesday after surveying fields in key producing regions nationwide.
Ag Trade Deficit Reaches Record High $20 Billion Through April
From January through April, the United States imported $78.2 billion in agricultural products while exporting just $58.5 billion. This $19.7 billion deficit is the largest ever recorded for the first four months of a year and signals that the 2025 deficit could surpass previous records.
Trump Again Considering Immigration Relief for Farmworkers
President Donald Trump again is saying he wants to shield farmers from the effects of his crackdown on illegal immigration, just days after his administration reinstated workplace raids on agricultural operations.
Wheat Farmers Cut Losses as Harvest Lags
Farmers cut their losses early this year across the U.S. wheat belt, stretching from Texas to Montana. They were choosing to bale the wheat into hay, plow their fields under or turn them over to animals to graze. In Nebraska, wheat acreage is less than half of what it was in 2005.
New USDA Sterile Fly Facility Will Combat Screwworm
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced plans on Wednesday to open a sterile fly dispersal facility in Hidalgo County, Texas, as part of the country’s effort to fight the encroachment of New World screwworm.
ICE Reverses Exemption of Ag from Immigration Raids
The Department of Homeland Security on Monday told staff that it was reversing guidance issued last week that agents were not to conduct immigration raids at farms, hotels and restaurants.
Iran-Israel Conflict Adds Uncertainty to Fertilizer Market
Renewed conflict in the Middle East has shuttered urea production in Iran, sending ripples through global fertilizer markets and adding to existing uncertainty around Russian and Chinese supplies.
ICE Ordered to Pause Immigration Raids on Ag Businesses
President Donald Trump’s administration has directed immigration officials to largely pause raids on farms, hotels, restaurants and meatpacking plants, according to an internal email reviewed by Reuters, a senior Trump official, and a person familiar with the matter.
EPA Likely to Propose RFS Volumes Below Industry Expectations
The EPA will propose new biofuel blending requirements for oil refiners for the coming two years that will likely include a lower biomass-based diesel mandate than industry groups had requested, according to four sources familiar with the matter.
Immigration Raids Targeting Ag Businesses Increase
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are starting to more aggressively target agriculture and food processing facilities around the country as reports over the past week from (Nebraska), New Mexico and California also highlight.
Deere Must Face FTC Right-to-Repair Lawsuit, Judge Rules
Agriculture equipment giant Deere must face a lawsuit by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission accusing the company of forcing farmers to use its authorized dealer network and driving up their costs for parts and repairs, a U.S. judge has ruled.