Ag Policy Blog

In a call to reporters from Poland following a meeting of G7 ministers in Germany, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack noted that 80% of last year's Ukrainian crop had already been shipped before Russia began blocking the Black Sea ports, and said that while the remaining grain...

The 26 World Food Prize laureates, a mix of scientists and food-policy experts, published an open letter "to set the world back on track," calling for the G7 "to urgently leverage food systems to tackle these issues."

Responding to concerns of higher food prices, higher costs for farmers and the need to boost global food production, the White House laid out three initiatives meant to encourage farmers to plant and ideally lower input costs in the future. The moves come as President Joe...

Responding to concerns of higher food prices, higher costs for farmers and the need to boost global food production, the White House laid out three initiatives meant to encourage farmers to plant and ideally lower input costs in the future. The moves come as President Joe...

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack talked Tuesday about distressed farm families, but his figures were higher than USDA's actual totals of farmers with delinquent loans.

FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux, in an interview with DTN, noted that there is no guarantee crop prices will stay high. This year, high crop prices caused by the war in Ukraine have focused more attention on putting land into production rather than into the Conservation...

Under a provision that the U.S. maritime industry often protects, at least half of Title II food aid shipments (by tonnage) must be carried on U.S. flagged vessels, staffed by crews in which at least 75% of the sailors are U.S. citizens. It typically leads to significantly higher...

Farm groups and members of Congress commended the Biden administration for tapping the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust fund to provide food aid. It's the first time since 2014 the federal government has tapped the fund.

The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday meant to focus on legislation by Senate members focusing on cattle markets. The House Agriculture Committee will follow up the next day with a hearing that is expected to include top executives from the nation's...

An executive order signed by President Joe Biden on Friday includes provisions for federal departments such as USDA to examine the impacts of deforestation from agricultural commodity imports from countries that are turning a blind eye or encouraging large amounts of...

Next week will be a busy the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committees as both bodies have multiple hearings lined up, including the first field hearing on the next possible farm bill.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts signed legislation on Monday authorizing a $500 million canal meant to counter what Nebraska sees as attempts in Colorado to potentially hold back future water flows on the South Platte River.

The Senate and House Agriculture Committees will be delving into some hearings on livestock markets and the farm bill towards the end of April. That includes a Senate hearing on the cattle markets bill, and a possible House hearing with the CEOs of the four major packers.

President Joe Biden will travel to Menlo, Iowa, later this afternoon to make his announcement allowing year-round E15 sales to return during a visit to a 150-million-gallon POET ethanol plant. POET is the world's largest producer of ethanol products.

President Joe Biden will travel to Menlo, Iowa, later this afternoon to make his announcement allowing year-round E15 sales to return during a visit to a 150-million-gallon Poet ethanol plant. Poet is the world's largest producer of ethanol products.

President Joe Biden will travel to Des Moines, then to Menlo, Iowa, a small town about 45 minutes west of Des Moines with a POET Bioprocessing plant that has capacity for 150 million gallons of ethanol. Biofuel groups will watch closely to see what kind of announcements may come...

Members of Congress appeared open to pork producers' request for money to protect against the risk of African Swine Fever. Lawmakers were more divided about getting into a Pacific-region trade agreement, or allowing year-round foreign guestworkers.

The Biden administration still does not have a chief agricultural negotiator at the U.S. Trade Representative's Office, and the Department of Agriculture doesn't have an undersecretary for foreign trade. Both positions require nominations from the president and Senate...

In the letter to NGFA, USDA also cites that a considerable proportion of currently enrolled CRP acres are in areas experiencing significant levels of drought. USDA added, Production those acres would be marginal at best, and there is no realistic way to convert all CRP acres to...

With the challenges in food security and stability globally, the U.S. could use some top people in the Biden administration focused on agricultural exports. A key trade nominee withdrew last month, and the White House has not submitted a name for a USDA undersecretary.