Ag Policy Blog

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., explained to DTN in an interview that she remains optimistic a bill can get through Congress even if leaders in key House committees continue to be roadblocks. But after the House passed legislation twice since 2019, the Senate will need to take a lead...

The bill is directed heavily at land ownership from Chinese companies, as well as countries such as Iran, North Korea and Russia. USDA shows Chinese companies reported owning 277,336 acres of land as of Dec. 23, 2023. The bill also permanently puts the Agriculture secretary on a...

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the 2001 "Roadless Rule" prohibits the Forest Service from responsibly thinning and maintaining the nation's forests. Speaking to the Western Governors Association, Rollins said the rule is misguided and creates more risk of fires as well...

Shifting a percentage of SNAP spending to states was a major move under the budget reconciliation plan. Those cost savings were expected to help offset more than $67 billion in proposed spending for commodity programs and crop insurance expansion in the budget reconciliation...

After the Senate Finance Committee released its tax provisions for the massive budget reconciliation package, groups such as the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) sounded the alarm. Medical groups and some GOP senators have raised concerns that some Medicaid cuts could...

The House budget reconciliation bill ends some 45Z tax-credit abuse by blocking most foreign feedstocks from qualifying for the credit. The Senate Finance Committee package released on Monday would continue to allow refiners to receive up to 80% of the 45Z tax credit for...

In a press conference, President Donald Trump suggested he would issue an order about farmers and their workers, as well as the hotel industry. The comments came as his administration has begun increasing enforcement actions on farms and food processors.

Lawmakers have raised concerns about closing Agricultural Research Service (ARS) laboratories in California, Delaware and Illinois. The Illinois lab includes programs focusing on soybean germplasm and corn genetics. Separately, Mexican officials also are asking the U.S. government to...

USDA canceled roughly $900 million nationally in contracts under the Local Food Purchasing Program. Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, announced a lawsuit against USDA for canceling the state's contract.

The current Section 2032A cap is $1.42 million because the cap has increased in value because of inflation, but the provision hasn't kept up with the growth in land values. A senator's bill would raise the cap to $15 million, which is in line with overall estate-tax exemption...

The lion's share of debate in the budget reconciliation package will continue to focus on Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cuts, as well as individual tax provisions, but farmers have a lot at stake with the bill's extensive farm bill provisions as...

USDA on Thursday announced $1 billion in disaster aid to livestock producers under the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) to cover grazing losses from drought and wildfires in 2023 and 2024.

In a letter sent Wednesday to House and Senate leaders, 365 groups laid out their growing concerns that some states have begun to regulate pesticides in a manner contradicting decades of scientific guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The groups want...

The tax provisions in the budget reconciliation bill missed an opportunity to help farmers use a lower land value option for the estate tax. The 45Z credit remains in the bill and is enhanced, but another tax credit that would spur production of nitrogen fertilizer is eliminated in...

The "One Big Beautiful Bill," as named by President Donald Trump's description, cuts taxes by $3.78 billion over 10 years, but also cuts roughly $1.2 trillion in spending on programs such as Medicaid and nutrition programs. For farmers, the bill spends roughly $60 billion over 10...

The RIF plans across federal agencies are currently under a temporary restraining order issued by a U.S. district judge in California stemming from a request filed by multiple unions representing federal employees. The judge had initially ruled the administration's plans for mass...

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Monday visited a corn processing plant, a pork processing facility and an independent farm as she laid out some policies to help USDA provide more customer service for small farmers. She also signed a waiver, making Nebraska the first...

The bill includes multiple changes that would reduce taxable income for farmers and small businesses and make it more attractive to invest in new equipment as well.

The House Agriculture Committee is just one of the committees holding markups this week on different sections of the farm bill to add to budget reconciliation package the House is putting together meant primarily to extend the 2017 tax cuts. The bill would help the farmer...

USDA under the Biden administration boosted the Conservation Reserve Program acreage by 4.4 million acres to hit roughly 25.9 million acres. USDA officials noted overall sign up for new enrollment is limited because of the farm bill cap of 27 million acres. Producers have until June...