Washington Insider

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it will end the Agricultural Labor Survey just days after a federal judge in Louisiana threw out the Biden administration's wage rule for H-2A workers that failed to use the long-standing USDA survey.

Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden spoke to farmers and visited companies on Tuesday at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois. He talked about the need to open markets and increase demand for farmers, but also suggested further aid may...

The European Union has long maintained an agricultural trade surplus with the U.S., but agricultural groups are optimistic after the Trump administration tied tariffs on European autos to opening up more access to U.S. agriculture.

The MAHA Commission recommends no pesticide actions to President Donald Trump, instead letting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continue current oversight.

The Trump administration allows needed software fixes to prevent diesel trucks and farm equipment from suddenly slowing to just 5 mph when diesel exhaust fluid systems fail.

Nancy Beck, the EPA deputy administrator in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Protection, told a sugar industry group on Tuesday that the next Make America Healthy Again report will recognize EPA's conclusions that glyphosate is a safe herbicide...

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden spoke Monday to the American Sugar Alliance's International Sweetener Symposium in Michigan. He talked about the department's reorganization plans, sugar policy, the 45Z tax credit, Make America Healthy Again and tariffs such as an investigation into...

The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA), a coalition of 20 agricultural and conservation trade groups, on Thursday published a report of "MAHA Policy Recommendations." The National Corn Growers Association also released a survey of farmers about...

The Trump administration on Thursday announced plans to relocate most USDA employees from Washington, D.C., to five regional hubs in North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, Colorado and Utah.

U.S. tariff deals with Japan and Indonesia were announced Tuesday via social media.

The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) held a webinar earlier this year for its members on what farmers need to know about employment audits and what to do if there is a raid. That was before the pace of enforcement ramped up, but the...

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Tuesday announced USDA would terminate the Regional Food Business Centers created under the Biden administration. USDA said the Biden administration created programs without a way to fund them, though the funding for the programs came out of the...

USDA has opened up enrollment for the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), which will provide aid to crop farmers who suffered losses in 2023 and 2024 due to natural disasters. The first stage of the program will provide payments to farmers who...

This week already has been billed as a big one for the Trump administration's trade agenda as White House officials have repeatedly said there are dozens of trade agreements expected to be announced. But stocks and commodities reacted negatively to President Trump detailing 25% tariffs on...

After years of facing a declining safety net under the 2018 farm bill, the 2025 budget reconciliation package boosts spending for farm programs. The bill also includes a mix of tax provisions that farmers and other small businesses can use to invest in equipment, pass on their farms to heirs...

With the vice president breaking a tie Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted to pass President Donald Trump's tax-and-spending bill. The bill makes permanent some of President Trump's 2017 tax cuts and extends others in the process. The bill also makes deep cuts to social programs such as Medicaid...

The Senate is pushing to pass its budget-reconciliation bill and get it to President Trump's desk by July 4. The legislation is projected to add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years. Biofuel groups highlighted the bill makes some positive changes to the 45Z Clean Fuels Production Credit.

Leaders at regional food banks and pantries say they are increasingly worried about plans in the "One Big Beautiful Bill" to cut spending for the country's main nutrition support, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), once known as food stamps. Even with low unemployment...

Last week, Trump acknowledged that the ag and hospitality businesses had lost workers and said changes were coming. On Friday, the White House told Immigration and Customs Enforcement not to raid agricultural and hospitality businesses. By Monday, the Department of Homeland Security reversed...

The Senate plan cuts $211 billion from nutrition over 10 years, a little less than the House bill, but also provides $67 billion for farm programs, which is more than the House bill. The plan would ensure farmers get the better option of farm programs for the current crop year as well.