Policy
The move is the latest by the Trump administration to stall development of wind and solar energy, which Trump says are unreliable, expensive and dependent on Chinese supply chains.
A federal court has vacated the Biden-Harris administration’s rule that listed the lesser prairie-chicken as an endangered species.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has announced a plan to build a facility near Edinburg, Texas. It will be capable of producing 300 million sterile flies per week to combat New World screwworm and is estimated to be in production in one year.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin proposes rescinding the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. If the proposal goes into effect, it could potentially lead to DEF systems no longer being required in tractors, trucks and other equipment using diesel-powered engines — a decision many farmers and others in the ag community would applaud.
Find out how one leader in Congress is advocating a grounded approach to the Make American Healthy Again agenda.
The department says it will relocate more than half of its Washington, D.C., staff to five hubs around the country, as well as consolidate or eliminate regional offices.
After months of negotiations, the two countries struck a deal to lower the so-called “reciprocal tariffs” from a proposed 25% to 15%, and said increased rice shipments from the U.S. to Japan are part of the deal.
The industry is seeking clarity after President Trump said Coca-Cola was switching its Coke formula to use cane sugar versus high-fructose corn syrup. If true, the move would benefit U.S. sugar producers at the expense of corn farmers.
At least nine dairies in Texas were targets of I-9 audits over the weekend. Producers argue it’s a “broken” immigration system, and the recent audits prove the E-Verify program has flaws. Despite criticism, the dairy industry is pushing to be included in the H-2A guest worker program.
On Saturday, President Trump threatened to impose 30% tariffs on Mexico and the European Union starting on August 1. The announcement came after a string of new tariff threats last week.
The new rule is part of the Trump administration’s directives to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion policies across the federal government.
The thought in some ag circles is that the One Big Beautiful Bill is a farm bill prototype or laying the groundwork for its development. Farmers and Sen. John Boozman weigh in with their perspectives.
The $16 billion in disaster aid covers crop losses due to natural disasters from 2023 and 2024. It’s the largest chunk of the $21 billion approved by Congress at the end of 2024.
In what it calls a comprehensive action plan for agriculture security, USDA unveiled seven critical areas the Trump administration will address, and securing and protecting U.S. farmland from being owned by China topped that list.
In addition to major tax provisions, the bill enhances the current safety net, providing $66 billion in new spending for farm programs.
The deal, according to President Trump, allows the U.S. “total access” to Vietnam’s markets with a zero tariff on U.S. products exported to Vietnam.
Following a New World screwworm assessment by USDA staff in Mexico and ongoing conversations between Secretary Rollins and the Mexican Secretary of Agriculture, USDA will start reopening the ports for cattle, bison and equine.
The groups are urging the administration to “formally include farmers, ranchers and food producers in a collaborative stakeholder process.” An action report — a follow-up to the MAHA report released in May — is due by August 12.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins says the administration plans to announce some updates soon to make the guestworker program more efficient and easier to use.
On a more hopeful note, some industry analysts believe the number has reached its peak and will start to move down this summer. Certainly, some trade deals that would open markets for U.S. ag products would help.
Each state has a unique set of provisions in the individual state statutes, so it’s important to know what your state’s may or may not provide.
The on-again, off-again reports regarding ICE raids is sowing confusion for those who rely on immigrant labor and causing labor shortages because employees aren’t showing up for work.
The Senate and House each have their own Committee proposals for President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. There are some key differences in each that could impact farmers and ranchers.
As the Adverse Effect Wage Rate continues to climb year after year for the H-2A guestworker program with little clarity on how the USDA calculates the rates, organizations are saying, “enough is enough.”
The move would increase biomass-based diesel requirements, from 3.35 billion gallons in 2025 to 5.61 billion gallons in 2026, supporting American row-crop growers in the process.
“The 1980s farm crisis didn’t just damage balance sheets. It’s changed the interest of being involved in agriculture. That gap is being realized today in board rooms, field offices, agronomy teams and more,” said Aaron Locker, Managing Director, Kincannon & Reed.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announces plans to reopen Moore Air Base in Texas as a New World screwworm sterile fly distribution facility. Long-term production is anticipated to be 300 million sterile flies per week.
“The carbon markets are maturing. The next phase is product-based carbon programs,” says Thad England, director of U.S. strategic accounts with Groundwork BioAg.
Mitch Hora, CEO of Continuum Ag says at first glance the Senate language on 45Z looks more favorable than the House.
After a week of ICE seemingly targeting dairy farms, California produce farms and a meat packing plant in Nebraska, President Donald Trump is reportedly ordering the Department of Homeland Security to exclude farms from immigration raids.