Ag Policy Blog

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters USDA had to fill in a 5.2% increase departmentwide in salaries with a flat budget that came seven months into the year. That was a big driver for NASS having to cut back on three different surveys for cattle, cotton and...

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke Monday to the North American Agricultural Journalists (NAAJ) annual meeting. Vilsack's talk with reporters touched on the farm bill, the relationship with China, highly pathogenic avian influenza and the federal greenhouse gas model.

The chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee said she sees promise in a proposal offered by Republicans on the Senate Agriculture Committee to increase premium subsidies for higher crop insurance protection levels.

A bill introduced Tuesday by Republican senators would increase premium support for farmers' crop insurance bills and make higher levels of coverage more affordable for producers.

A pair of separate reports from the National Corn Growers Association and the American Enterprise Institute point to changes in demand for corn ethanol under different rules and policies. One study raises concerns over demand loss while the other raises concerns over more...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, on Tuesday signed a new foreign ownership law requiring more registration and reporting for foreign landowners of agricultural land. Concerns about Chinese land ownership has prompted states to look for new ways to clamp down on foreign...

Groups have through July 2, 2024, to apply for funding under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). USDA rolled out the announcement for RCPP, noting the $1.5 billion is a record amount for a single year.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running for president and has a plan to revolutionize ag, including reversing 80 years of farm policy.

The announcement to open up Conservation Reserve Program acres is meant to help livestock producers in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas who were hit by the wildfires at the beginning of March.

While there were complaints about how USDA uses the Commodity Credit Corp., on Thursday, there were also several members of Congress who want CCC used to help producers with specific challenges in their home districts as well.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack explained Thursday the changes to the emissions model for sustainable aviation fuel tax credits will recognize some key climate-smart farming practices, but more work will be needed to include all the on-farm practices that reduce emissions or...

The leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee again weighed in Monday about what they want to see happen with the farm bill this year. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., the committee chairwoman, said the rural-urban coalition that has held the farm bill together in past years...

The debate continues among leaders on the Senate Agriculture Committee about what to do with climate-smart money from the Inflation Reduction Act that is boosting spending for conservation programs at USDA.

The letter from 22 GOP senators comes as agricultural exports are falling, but also coming off the three best years in history as well. USDA does have a program starting in June that will provide more funding to help boost agricultural exports to smaller markets.

A network of nearly 70 local organizations and communities along the Mississippi River are lobbying for more conservation funding in the farm bill as well as money for infrastructure to ease the chronic drought conditions on the lower Mississippi River.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the near rule at the National Farmers Union annual convention on Monday in Scottsdale, Ariz. The rule tightens the language on what products can be defined as Product of USA or Made in USA.

A letter to the chair and ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee by ten Republicans urged committee leaders to not include H.R. 4417, the Exposing Agriculture Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, or any similar language that serves to nullify state laws and standards for...

The president's State of the Union speech included a long list of legislation and while he gave a nod to family farmers and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Biden did not call on Congress to pass a farm bill this year.

The major commodity groups representing corn, soybean and wheat farmers are divided on what, if anything, should happen to base acres. All three major groups see a need to increase reference prices, even though they know it's a costly ask.

After months of stalled funding bills, the chairs and ranking members for appropriations on Sunday released funding packages for USDA, FDA and related agencies, along with five other major funding bills for federal departments as well.