20,000 Employees Left USDA in First Half of 2025
More than 20,300 employees left the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the first five months of the administration of President Donald Trump, about a fifth of staff, according to a…
Experts, Lawmakers Split on 2026 Farm Bill Likelihood
House Republicans are planning to revive farm bill negotiations in January after failing to garner enough political will to pass a new deal by the end of the year, as…
Lawmakers Eye More Farm Aid on Top of USDA Bridge Assistance
Agriculture leaders in the United States House of Representatives are looking to provide at least an additional $10 billion in farmer aid to supplement the recently announced Farmer Bridge Assistance…
China Halfway to Promised 12 MMT of US Soybean Purchases
China has secured at least 7 million tons of US soybeans after heavy buying in the past two weeks, passing the halfway mark toward meeting its 12-million ton purchase agreement…
USDA Receives Mostly Negative Feedback on Reorganization Plan
The Agriculture Department received overwhelmingly negative feedback on its plan to relocate thousands of staff and consolidate dozens of offices, as employees, lawmakers and stakeholders said it could lead to…
Health Insurance Spike Will Hit 2026 Farm Budgets, Farmers Say
Iowa farmers warned Monday that the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will sharply raise health insurance costs in 2026, forcing painful tradeoffs that…
$12 Billion Farm Aid Package Not Enough, Farm Leaders Say
U.S. farmers facing steep losses this year welcomed President Donald Trump's $12 billion aid package announced on Monday, but said they would need more than that to fully offset low…
$11 Billion in Bridge Farm Aid to be Issued by February
President Donald Trump and senior officials said Monday that the administration will provide $12 billion in financial support for farmers, with the first $11 billion going to row crop producers…
USDA Reorganization to be Completed in 2026, Vaden Says
The Agriculture Department will complete a reorganization of more than half the current D.C.-based staff to five regional hubs across the U.S. by the end of 2026, Deputy Agriculture Secretary…
China Soybean Buying Deadline Now February, Bessent Says
China is on pace to meet its pledge to buy 12 million tons of US soybeans by the end of February, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday, appearing…
Farmer Aid Announcement Coming Next Week, Rollins Says
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday that the Trump administration will announce a 'bridge payment' for farmers next week that is designed to provide short-term relief while longer trade…
Experts Split on Whether China will Meet Soybean Purchase Pledge
China is expected to step up US soybean purchases to meet a pledge to buy at least 12 million tons by the end of the year, according to multiple traders,…
Farmer Aid Expected Within Weeks, Ag Secretary Says
The Trump administration expects to announce an aid package for U.S. farmers within two weeks and a deal on Chinese soybean purchases, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Monday,…
US Soybeans Set for First Shipment to China Since May
Two cargo vessels were headed for grain port terminals near New Orleans on Monday to load with the first U.S. soybean shipments to China since May, according to a shipping…
Trump Removes Tariffs on Brazil Beef & Coffee
President Donald Trump on Thursday removed his 40% tariffs on Brazilian food products, including beef, coffee, cocoa and fruits that were imposed in July to punish Brazil over the prosecution…
Farmer Tariff Aid Shrinking After Trade Deals?
The Deputy Secretary of Agriculture says trade deal negotiations during the government shutdown could impact the possibility of farmer assistance this year. During a call with reporters on Monday, Stephen…
China Buys Nearly 1 Million Tons of US Soybeans
China bought at least 14 cargoes of U.S. soybeans on Monday, two traders with knowledge of the deals said, its largest purchase since at least January and the most significant…
USDA Data Dump Shows Minimal Soybean Sales to China
New data the Agriculture Department released Friday created serious doubts about whether China will really buy millions of bushels of American soybeans like the Trump administration touted last month after…
Gov’t Shutdown Ends, Farm Bill Programs Extended
President Donald Trump late Wednesday signed into law a measure to end the longest-ever government shutdown after 43 days, fully fund USDA and FDA for fiscal 2026, and end a…
China Buys More Brazil Soybeans as US Purchases Stall
China’s purchases of American soybeans appear to have stalled, less than two weeks after the US touted a wide-ranging trade truce that signaled thawing relations between the world’s two biggest…