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.
Farm Policy News
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.
Integrity of USDA Data Questioned After Trade Report Redaction
Analysts voiced concerns this week about the integrity of U.S. Department of Agriculture reports after the agency delayed a report and excluded findings that point to tariffs as a reason for a forecasted increase in the agricultural trade deficit.
DOGE Cuts USDA Office Closure List in Half
USDA agencies will close fewer than half the number of offices originally listed by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as cost-saving measures, with at least 61 USDA offices removed from the DOGE website nearly three months after their original listing.
US Trade Deficit Narrows by 55% in April
The U.S. deficit with its global trading partners tumbled by the largest amount on record in April as companies and consumers no longer rushed to get imports ahead of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. On the agriculture side, however, the latest forecast projects that the agricultural trade deficit will grow to $49.5 billion for fiscal year 2025, which ends Sept. 30, up from the $49 billion deficit projected in February.
Chinese Nationals Arrested for Smuggling Crop Pathogen Into US
Two Chinese nationals were arrested for allegedly smuggling a pathogen into the U.S. that is known to be destructive to corn, wheat, rice and barley crops.
Farmer Sentiment Reaches Highest Level Since 2021
Bloomberg’s Michael Hirtzer, Erin Ailworth, and Skylar Woodhouse reported Tuesday that “American farmer sentiment jumped to a four-year high, with growers betting on rising crop exports as the Trump administration pushes for more trade deals from Vietnam to Italy.” “US President Donald Trump has pushed an America-first agenda that has hit crop exports. Top commodities […]
White House Budget Looks to Cut Nearly $7 Billion from USDA
*Editor’s Note: We are aware of some publishing issues currently occurring with the daily email updates from the FarmPolicy News website. We are working to resolve those issues and to restore emails as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience. —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported that “the Trump administration is requesting $23 billion for […]
Farmers Pushing for Biofuels Boost to Increase Crop Demand
Bloomberg’s Kim Chipman, Alicia Diaz, Erin Ailworth and Ilena Peng reported late last week that “after losing their biggest export market due to Donald Trump’s trade wars, US farmers are now counting on the president’s support for biofuels to prevent their next crop from piling up in storage.” “The administration is set to soon unveil […]
EPA Delivers Proposed RVOs to White House
Agri-Pulse’s Rebekah Alvey reported that “the Environmental Protection Agency has sent its next set of proposed biofuel volume mandates to the White House for review, signaling the long-delayed rule could be coming soon.” “Under the Renewable Fuel Standard, the agency sets renewable volume obligations for different fuel types like biomass-based diesel, advanced and cellulosic biofuels. […]
House Ag Advances Budget Bill that Cuts SNAP Spending
Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported Wednesday night that “the House Agriculture Committee voted 29-25 along party lines to advance legislation that would cut as much as $300 billion in food aid spending to pay for Republicans’ domestic policy megabill and some farm bill programs.” “The Wednesday vote sends the measure to the House Budget Committee for […]
US Retail Egg Prices Fell 12.7% in April
The Associated Press’ Dee-Ann Durbin reported that “U.S. retail egg prices fell in April from the record-high prices they hit earlier this year, according to government data released Tuesday. The average price for a dozen Grade A eggs declined to $5.12 last month after reaching a record $6.23 in March, according to the U.S. Bureau […]
House Ag Budget Plan Tightens SNAP, Expands Farm Safety Net
Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher and Rebekah Alvey reported that “House Republicans are proposing to cut $290 billion from nutrition assistance spending over the next 10 years and use some of the savings to increase spending on commodity programs, crop insurance and other farm bill programs.” “The draft text released Monday evening for the House Agriculture Committee’s […]
US & China Agree to Lower Tariffs for 90 Days
Bloomberg’s Jenny Leonard reported that “the US and China will temporarily lower tariffs on each other’s products in a dramatic ratcheting down of trade tensions that buys the world’s two largest economies three months to work toward a broader agreement.” “The combined 145% US levies on most Chinese imports will be reduced to 30% including […]
US-UK Trade Deal Could Help American Ethanol and Beef
Progressive Farmer’s Chris Clayton reported that “ethanol will see lower tariffs selling into the United Kingdom and other agricultural products such as beef should also see greater market access under a new trade deal with the UK announced by President Donald Trump on Thursday.” “At an event in the White House, Trump said leaders in […]
Crop Traders Report Tariffs Weighing on Profits, Outlooks
Global crop trading companies — including Archer-Daniels-Midland, Bunge Global and Andersons Inc. — have largely reported this week that uncertainties surrounding tariffs and trade have taken a toll on first-quarter profits and could continue to affect bottom lines throughout the remainder of 2025. Reuters’ Karl Plume and Mrinalika Roy reported that “tariffs and trade chaos […]