Reuter’s Daniel Wiessner reported that, “a group of unions, nonprofits and U.S. municipalities has asked a federal judge to block the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s planned reorganization, including the relocation of more than 2,500 employees based in the District of Columbia.” “The coalition of plaintiffs said in a filing in San Francisco federal court late […]
USDA Data
USDA releases June 2026 Acreage Report and Grain Stocks
Progressive Farmer reported, “U.S. farmers planted 95.3 million acres of corn and 85.4 million acres of soybeans in spring 2026, USDA said on Tuesday, unchanged from March’s estimate and within the range of pre-report estimates.” “Tuesday’s USDA Acreage estimates were neutral for corn, neutral for soybeans and slightly bullish for wheat, said DTN Lead Analyst […]
USDA to Fund $500 Million Expansion of Domestic Fertilizer Production
Reuters’ Karl Plume reported that “U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced $500 million in new funding on Wednesday to expand domestic fertilizer production after the Iran war drove up prices.” “Fertilizer prices have soared since the U.S. and Israel launched the war, as more than 30% of global exports were caught in Iran’s near-total closure […]
US Won’t Renew USMCA, Seeks Improvements in Yearly Reviews
The Trump administration will not renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement in its current form, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced Wednesday. The agreement has been a boon to farm country, but lawmakers and the dairy industry say there’s room for improvement.
Iran Could Buy US Ag Products with Frozen Funds, Trump Admin Says
American farmers could see commodity sales to Iran under the negotiations going on between the U.S., Iran and mediators that just wrapped up in Switzerland.
Farm Production Costs to Hit Record Highs in 2027, USDA Says
USDA’s new 2027 cost of production forecast reveals farmers may not see meaningful relief from elevated production costs anytime soon. The projections show total production costs continuing to rise for most major crops, pushing all commodities to record highs — including corn at $952 per acre, soybeans at $701, sorghum at $477 and wheat at $428.
US Winter Wheat Crop Smallest Since 1965, USDA Says
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday cut its U.S. winter wheat crop outlook by 2% from a month earlier as a harsh drought in the Plains cut its hard red winter wheat production view to the lowest since 1957 and total winter wheat production to the lowest since 1965.
New World Screwworm Found 31 Miles from US Border
A devastating parasitic fly — the New World Screwworm — that eats warm-blooded animals alive and could cause millions of dollars in economic damage to the U.S. economy has been found in a young sheep in Mexico within 31 miles of the U.S. border, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday.
76% of USDA Researchers Tell Union They Won’t Relocate
USDA relocated hundreds of ERS and NIFA positions to Kansas City in 2019, but about 85% of impacted employees quit their jobs or retired, rather than relocate. The American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403, which represents USDA researchers, expects to see similar results this year. An internal survey conducted by the union found that 76% of its members have indicated they are not planning to relocate.
US Imports of Brazilian Beef Surged in First Quarter
Brazilian beef exports to the U.S. are booming, according to monthly USDA trade data released Tuesday. Brazilian meat packers shipped $795 million in beef to the U.S. in the first three months of this year, up 21% from a year ago. Last year marked a record for Brazilian beef shipments to the U.S., topping $1.75 billion, up 39% from 2024.
USDA Relocating More Employees to Kansas City & Iowa
The Agriculture Department on Thursday announced additional relocation plans for employees as part of its larger reorganization, including a new center for food inspectors in Iowa and a second attempt at sending research staff to Kansas City.
USDA to Include More Farmers in Future Surveys
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to survey more farmers for some of its key U.S. crop reports following a drop in the response rate for its March 31 plantings report, officials with the agency’s statistical arm said in a public data users’ meeting on Wednesday.
USDA Raises Wheat, Corn and Soy Price Estimates
Season-average price estimates for wheat, corn, soybeans, soybean meal, cheese and cotton were all raised slightly in the Agriculture Department’s latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report published Thursday.
Trump Budget Would Cut USDA Funding by $4.9 Billion
The Department of Agriculture is a “bloated Washington, D.C., bureaucracy,” the Trump administration’s fiscal 2027 budget request says, proposing to cut USDA spending by $4.9 billion, or 19%, from current funding levels and eliminate international food aid programs.
Farmers Will Plant Less Corn and More Soy in 2026, USDA Says
Farmers intend to plant 95.3 million acres of corn and 84.7 million acres of soybeans in 2026, the USDA NASS said on Tuesday. Altogether, the USDA is estimating a total of 223.8 million corn, soybean, and wheat acres for 2026/2027, down from 225.3 million for 2025/2026.
U.S. Corn Acres to Fall in 2026, Surveys Show
The Iran war has upended the planting intentions of U.S. farmers, resulting in fewer acres of corn and the lowest quantity of spring wheat planted since 1970 as rising fertilizer and fuel costs and low grain prices dim the outlook for profits, analysts said ahead of a U.S. government report due on Tuesday.
Most Rented Farmland Owned by Non-Farmers, USDA Says
The vast majority of over two million landowners who rented out 347.8 million acres of agricultural land in 2024 were non-farming landlords, according to the latest USDA survey data, while the amount of land rent collected has increased since 2014.
Half of Farmer Bridge Assistance Already Allocated, USDA Says
The U.S. Department of Agriculture already has obligated more than $6 billion in payments under its new Farmer Bridge Assistance program just days after enrollment opened.
USDA Seeks Input on Data Collection as Confidence Falls
USDA is asking farmers and other stakeholders to help examine how USDA can improve its data collection and analysis. The department is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) to examine USDA’s statistical data collection, analysis and research.
Ag Economy to Improve Slightly in 2026, USDA Projects
The Agriculture Department is anticipating a slightly easier 2026 for U.S. ag producers, with prices for major commodities nudging higher and input and labor costs moderating, according to USDA Chief Economist Justin Benavidez.