Bloomberg’s Kim Chipman reported late last week that “President Donald Trump’s slew of tariffs means American farmers may not make that big shift to corn after all. Growers were widely expected to plant the most corn in five years due to tighter supplies. Now levies on some products from Canada, Mexico and China have shifted […]
Farm Policy News
USDA Planning to Terminate Leases for Dozens of FSA, NRCS Offices
AgDaily reported last week that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture has begun listing planned lease terminations to impact 59 Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service offices as part of an effort to cut costs, according to the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) website.” “The move is part of the Trump administration’s initiative to […]
Trump Delays Some Mexico, Canada Tariffs, Lowers Potash Duty
Agri-Pulse’s Oliver Ward reported that “President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday postponing tariffs for products arriving from Mexico and Canada that are covered by a North American trade pact by a month, while lowering the duty to be applied to potash imports.” “‘Anything that was covered under the [U.S.-Mexico-Canada] agreement is exempt […]
USDA Ordered to Reinstate 5,000+ Probationary Workers
Bloomberg Law’s Courtney Rozen reported Wednesday that “thousands of Department of Agriculture employees terminated under the Trump administration will return to their positions for now, after an independent commission said their firing broke the laws that shield career staff from political influence.” “The Merit Systems Protection Board, which mediates disputes between federal agencies and their […]
U.S. Company BlackRock Buying Panama Canal Ports
Somewhat overshadowed by yesterday’s busy day of tariff news, the Associated Press’ Didi Tang and Alex Veiga reported that “a Hong Kong-based conglomerate has agreed to sell its controlling stake in a subsidiary that operates ports near the Panama Canal to a consortium including BlackRock Inc., effectively putting the ports under American control after President […]
Canada & Mexico Tariffs Take Effect, China Hits Back at US Ag
The Associated Press’ Josh Boak, Paul Wiseman and Rob Gillies reported that “President Donald Trump’s long-threatened tariffs against Canada and Mexico went into effect Tuesday, putting global markets on edge and setting up costly retaliations by the United States’ North American allies.” “Starting just past midnight, imports from Canada and Mexico are now to be […]
China Readying Tariff Countermeasures on US Agriculture
Reuters’ Joe Cash, Mei Mei Chu and Xiuhao Chen reported that “China has American agricultural exports in its cross hairs as it prepares countermeasures against fresh U.S. import tariffs, China’s state-backed Global Times reported, raising the stakes in an escalating trade war between the world’s top two economies.” “U.S. President Donald Trump last week threatened […]
Canada and Mexico Tariffs Will Start March 4, Trump Confirms
Reuters’ Jeff Mason, Andrea Shalal and David Lawder reported that “U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said his proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods will take effect on Tuesday, along with an extra 10% duty on Chinese imports because deadly drugs are still pouring into the U.S. from those countries.” “The fresh China […]
USDA Investing $1 Billion & Increasing Egg Imports to Fight Bird Flu
Reuters’ Leah Douglas reported Wednesday morning that “the U.S. will invest up to $1 billion to combat the spread of bird flu, including increasing imports of eggs, agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins said on Wednesday.” “The USDA will spend up to $500 million to provide free biosecurity audits to farms and $400 million to increase payment […]
Lawmakers Worry House Budget Plan Could Tank New Farm Bill
Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported Monday that “key House Republicans are growing increasingly worried that planned cuts to a popular food aid program under the GOP’s reconciliation package could sink hopes for a new farm bill at a time when the party is in a strong position to shape the legislation.” The budget plan that was […]
Trump Says 25% Canada, Mexico Tariffs ‘Going Forward’
Reuters’ David Lawder and Andrea Shalal reported that “President Donald Trump said on Monday that tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports are ‘on time and on schedule’ despite efforts by the countries to beef up border security and halt the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. ahead of a March 4 deadline. ‘The tariffs are […]
Farm Bankruptcies Increased 55% in 2024
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Samantha Ayoub reported last week that “the U.S. Courts report that 216 farm bankruptcies were filed in 2024, up 55% from 2023. This is still 64% lower than the all-time high of 599 filings in 2019. However, 2024 is the end of a four-year downward trend in bankruptcies, which appears […]
USDA Releasing $20 Million of Frozen Conservation Funds
Reuters’ P.J. Huffstutter reported that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture will release approximately $20 million in funding for previously approved contracts that had been frozen by the Trump administration’s push to overhaul the federal government, the agency said late on Thursday.” “The sum represents a tiny sliver of program funding the USDA suspended after the […]
USDA Accidentally Fires Bird Flu Response Workers
NBC News’ Allan Smith, Melanie Zanona and Laura Strickler reported that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday that, over the weekend, it accidentally fired ‘several’ agency employees who are working on the federal government’s response to the H5N1 avian flu outbreak. The agency said it is now trying to quickly reverse the firings.” “‘Although […]
EU Exploring Import Restrictions That Could Include US Soy
The Financial TImes’ Andy Bounds reported this past Sunday that “the EU wants to block imports of certain foodstuffs made to different standards to protect its farmers in an echo of US President Donald Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ trade policy.” “The European Commission will agree (this) week to explore greater import limits, according to three officials, a […]
Trump Admin Shifting Away From Depopulation for Bird Flu
Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher reported Sunday that “the Trump administration is preparing a plan for combatting avian flu that will move away from depopulating entire infected flocks and rely instead on ‘biosecurity and medication’ to contain outbreaks, says President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser.” “Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said on CBS’ Face […]
Mass Federal Firings Hit Agriculture Agencies
Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher, Noah Wicks, Steve Davies, and Lydia Johnson reported this past week that “the Trump administration’s mass firing of probationary federal employees has swept out workers across USDA, including loan analysts in Farm Service Agency field offices, ag scientists, and about 1,200 staff of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, according to sources.” “The […]
‘Farmers are going to be helped’ by Reciprocal Tariffs, Trump says
Bloomberg’s Josh Wingrove, Jennifer A Dlouhy, and Jenny Leonard reported Thursday that “President Donald Trump ordered his administration to consider imposing reciprocal tariffs on numerous trading partners, raising the prospect of a wider campaign against a global system he complains is tilted against the US.” “The president on Thursday signed a measure directing the US […]
House Budget Plan Requires $230 Billion Ag Committee Cuts
Agri-Pulse’s Rebekah Alvey reported that “the House released a fiscal 2025 budget resolution Tuesday that would direct the Agriculture Committee to cut $230 billion over 10 years, an amount that would likely require a significant reduction in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. ” “After weeks of talks, the House Budget Committee dropped its ‘one big, […]
USDA Cuts Outlook for Argentina, Brazil Corn Production
Market Watch’s Kirk Maltais reported Tuesday that “production of corn and soybeans out of Argentina are forecast to be lower as weather there batters its newly planted crops, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. In its latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report published Tuesday, the USDA changed its outlook for South American corn […]