Agriculture Policy News
From federal agencies to state governments, actions taken by elected officials and policymakers have a direct impact on America’s farmers and ranchers. Stay up-to-date on all things related to policy, including cabinet leadership, the farm bill, farmer-support programs, market access, environmental regulations, labor availability and the health of the ag economy.
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Latest Agriculture Policy News
Cheap cotton prices and dwindling demand are just part of the problem. Input costs have climbed and there’s no safety net to be found from a new farm bill. One Georgia farmer says the current farm bill is irrelevant and worthless, and if a new one doesn’t get passed this year, the cotton industry is doomed.
The 34% reciprocal tariff announced by China on Friday is in addition to the original 20% retaliatory tariff China issued in March, which targeted 15 products including beef, cotton, grain sorghum, pork, corn, dairy and fresh fruit.
Of all the directions President Trump could have gone on “Liberation Day,” Canadian Shaun Haney says it was a real win for Canada and a step closer to Canada, Mexico and the U.S. being more entrenched than ever before when it comes to trade.
Farmers and farm groups have mixed reactions and lingering questions following President Trump’s announcement of sweeping reciprocal tariffs. Will farmers receive aid to offset tariff impact? How will U.S. trading partners react?
According to new estimates from the Yale Budget Lab, the tariffs would translate into a 2.3 percentage point increase to overall inflation this year, or about a $3,800 impact for the average household.
In a Wednesday morning press conference, ahead of Trump announcing his global tariff plan, Sheinbaum says Mexico will “announce a comprehensive program, not a tit for tat on tariffs,” but added, “we have a plan to strengthen the economy under any circumstance.”
The downturn in the ag economy has everyone from farmers and ag lenders to even ag economists concerned. Waning optimism is an overriding theme for the row crop side of agriculture, yet some farmers hope President Donald Trump’s tough stance on trade can get the ag economy back on track longer-term.
USDA’s March Prospective Plantings report estimates U.S. farmers will plant 95.3 million acres of corn in 2025, 83.5 million acres of soybeans and 45.4 million acres of wheat.
A small group of farmers had the chance to meet with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s team last week. They described the conversation as enlightening and eye-opening, but their biggest takeaway was how open Kennedy’s team was to hearing their point of view.
The nation’s largest milk-producing state, home to 1.71 million milk cows, is navigating a series of challenges that add layers of complexity, costs and concerns for producers.