Ag Policy Blog

The director-general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is warning that fertilizer disruptions tied to the Strait of Hormuz will strain the global food system and tighten food supplies in the second half of 2026 and into next year.

While Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and others denounce Brazilian meatpackers and American reliance on foreign beef, Brazilian beef imports to the U.S. continue to soar. The Trump administration has launched at least two trade investigations into Brazil, but neither has led...

The House version of the farm bill that passed on Thursday includes changes in credit, forestry, crop insurance and an array of other programs. The bill now goes to the Senate, where more changes are expected.

The funding bill for USDA makes a small percentage of budget cuts but would cancel grants and cut loans under the Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP), a popular program that provides funding to farmers and rural businesses to improve energy efficiency and reduce...

The House Rules Committee on Monday began debating the rules for floor debate on the farm bill and more than 300 amendments that were submitted for consideration to the bill. The biggest issue early in the debate is how the House will address a provision that would clarify EPA...

The chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee agreed with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that USDA's Commodity Credit Corp. borrowing limit should be increased from the current $30 billion annually.

Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., former chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, died on Wednesday at age 80. Scott was a strong advocate for farmers, people needing food assistance and historically Black colleges.

The Farm Credit Council released a letter Friday from 330 farm groups calling on Congress to take up the farm bill on the House floor. Separately, another group of 524 farmers wrote the chairs of the House and Senate agriculture committees expressing concerns about USDA...

Richard Fordyce, USDA's undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, spoke to DTN about the status of the base-acre update on Wednesday. He said FSA offices continue to dig into acreage history, but that should be done over the next month.

Four lawmakers on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees met with reporters on Tuesday about agricultural challenges. Each pointed to strong bipartisan support for aiding farmers, but the four members also reflected that there is little consensus on how to advance key...

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has opened an acreage reporting period for specialty crop producers for their share of $1 billion set aside for aid tied to 2025 crops. USDA also had a flurry of announcements Tuesday, such as launching a new ag-tech testing program and...

President Donald Trump's FY 2027 budget proposes a 19% cut to USDA discretionary spending, reducing funding for research, rural development and food aid while shrinking agency staffing. The plan emphasizes eliminating programs the administration opposes while boosting funding to...

Groups aligned with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) push are calling on USDA to improve the sourcing of meat at schools and implement the new dietary guidelines as well. These changes could drive up the costs of lunches for 30 million children nationally as schools already...

Separate speeches this week by key lawmakers show divisions remain when it comes to passing a farm bill, financial aid to producers and E15 legislation.

The World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogues this October will focus on global food security, particularly in times of war, rather than on food production. The foundation on Wednesday named this year's World Food Prize laureate.

EPA indicated Administrator Lee Zeldin will make announcement on E15 on Wednesday. He said earlier in the week that an announcement on the Renewable Volume Obligations will be released by the end of March.

A coalition of 54 farm groups has asked President Trump to include more market relief for farmers in a supplemental appropriations request.

The Trump administration has delayed the final implementation of the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems, which the Biden administration finalized just before leaving office. Under the rule, poultry companies would no longer be able to dock a grower's...

The chairman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee visited Nebraska on Friday, holding a forum with about 50 agricultural leaders from across the state and Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Republican facing reelection in the fall. Some of the biggest policy topics, such as E15 and passing...

Farmers highlighted E15, local food purchasing and tax credits for cotton at a U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee hearing focusing on how to boost domestic markets. Senators said they recognize the financial straits facing farmers due to input prices that continue to rise...