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.
Regulations
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.
House Passes Bill to Allow Year-Round Sales of E15
The U.S. House passed legislation on Wednesday that would allow nationwide year‑round sales of gasoline containing 15% ethanol, handing a major win to biofuel producers and farm groups while raising concerns among refiners about higher compliance costs. The proposal (now) faces an uphill battle in the Senate due to entrenched opposition from oil-state lawmakers.
DOJ Reaches Settlement with Agri Stats Over Meat Price-Fixing
The U.S. Department of Justice and six states settled their antitrust lawsuit against data company Agri Stats on Thursday in a move DOJ officials said would lower meat prices for consumers.
DOJ Confirms Antitrust Probe Into Beef Processors
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Monday confirmed a Justice Department investigation into major beef processors for potential antitrust violations and separately teased that the agency has neared a settlement in its case against Agri Stats.
House Passes Farm Bill Without E15, Pesticide Protections
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed its newest version of the farm bill in a 224-200 vote without including provisions to allow for year-round E15 sales. The vote came after lawmakers also voted to strip provisions from the bill that would have benefited the pesticide industry.
Supreme Court Seems Divided On Bayer’s Bid to Stop Roundup Lawsuits
The US Supreme Court gave Bayer AG a mixed reception on its bid to stop tens of thousands of lawsuits claiming its Roundup herbicide should have been labeled as a cancer risk. Hearing arguments in Washington Monday, the justices weighed a $1.25 million jury verdict won by a Missouri man who blamed Roundup for his non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Justice Department Opens Criminal Investigation of Beef Companies
The Justice Department’s antitrust division is investigating whether large meatpackers that supply American consumers engaged in criminal anticompetitive conduct, after President Trump called for a probe of the companies last year, according to people familiar with the matter.
Deere Settles Class Action Right-to-Repair Lawsuit
U.S. agriculture equipment maker Deere on Monday agreed to pay $99 million into a settlement fund for farms and farmers that are part of a class action over costs and access to repairs.
EPA Sets Record High Biofuel Blending Volumes
The Trump administration issued long-awaited final biofuel-blending rules for this year and next, marking the biggest mandate ever for biomass-based diesel following years of policy setbacks for producers of renewable fuel and oilseed crops.
Senate Dems Seek to Break Up Meatpacking Industry
The US meatpacking industry faces a fresh wave of scrutiny, this time from Senate Democrats seeking to allow companies to process only one type of meat and set stricter limits on the beef market.
House Ag Committee Advances Farm Bill with Democrat Support
The House Agriculture Committee advanced the Republican-led farm bill in a 34-17 vote early Thursday after a marathon markup that was clouded by partisan fighting about the package.
Farmers Voice Ag Economy Frustrations at Commodity Classic
The frustration in the room at Commodity Classic has been palpable following a year in 2025 where strong production was again unable to overcome swelling costs and expenses. Farmers here are now looking harder to Washington for answers as another season of negative margins stares them in the face.
Trump Signs Order Protecting Glyphosate, Phosphorus Production
Invoking the Defense Production Act, President Donald Trump on Wednesday designated glyphosate-based herbicides and elemental phosphorus as critical to national defense and ordered Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to prioritize and secure domestic supplies.
Bayer Proposes $7.25 Billion Roundup Settlement
Agrochemical maker Bayer and attorneys for cancer patients announced a proposed $7.25 billion settlement Tuesday to resolve thousands of U.S. lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller Roundup could cause cancer.
Ag Leaders Warn of Risk of ‘Widespread Collapse of American Agriculture’
A bipartisan group of former leaders of America’s major agricultural commodity associations and biofuels organizations, farmer leaders, and former senior USDA officials sent congressional ag leaders a letter on Tuesday warning about the deteriorating state of the farm economy, stating there is a risk of ‘widespread collapse of American agriculture.’
Treasury Releases Proposed 45Z Clean Fuels Credit Rule
The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday issued a proposed rule governing how biofuel makers can access a $1-per-gallon tax credit for low-carbon transportation fuels, including aviation fuel. The rule was welcomed by biofuel trade groups that said the plan could provide more certainty for producers of ethanol, biodiesel and other products seeking the credit.
EPA Affirms Farmers’ Right to Repair Equipment
Farmers and repair shops are allowed to temporarily override emission control systems for repair purposes, according to guidance issued by the Environmental Protection Agency Monday.