Ag Policy Blog

While farm income is stronger now than during his four years in office, Former President Donald Trump, campaigning in Iowa, said any benefits farmers have seen under President Joe Biden come "off the fuse of what we did," as he cited trade negotiations with China, Japan, South...

After weeks of gridlock, Congress passed a short-term funding bill on Saturday to avert a government shutdown hours before it was set to kick in.

The House failed to pass the 2024 funding bill for USDA in a late vote Thursday. The Senate is moving ahead on its attempts to prevent a shutdown with a short-term spending bill while the House is now preparing to bring up its own short-term spending bill. Meanwhile, there are...

Congress is still wrestling over whether to pass a short-term extension to keep the government from partially shutting down after Saturday. The House of Representatives spend most of Tuesday night and all-day Wednesday slugging through debate and votes on amendments to H...

The laundry list of amendments cleared by the House Rules Committee for debate would cut or eliminate funding for an array of programs and USDA agencies. The bill right now is set for a possible floor debate next week in the House while Congress this week still wrestles with...

The extra dollars out of the Agriculture Secretary's Commodity Credit Corp will help relieve some of the pressure facing lawmakers crafting a new farm bill. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is looking for more funds to deal with the broad...

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., twice this week watched a vote fail to advance the debate on the annual Defense spending bill. Thursday, a handful of conservatives voted with Democrats leading to a 212-216 vote to reject the debate rule for the Defense appropriations...

Several senators this week introduced a bipartisan bill, the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act that would provide incentives such as tax benefits and paying down student loans to encourage veterinarians to practice in rural areas.

Sunday evening, a half-dozen House Republicans including Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a member of the House Agriculture Committee, announced a deal to avoid a government shutdown when the fiscal year ends Sept. 30. The proposed legislation includes a carve-out for "entitlement...

On Sunday evening, a half-dozen House Republicans including Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a member of the House Agriculture Committee, announced a deal to avoid a government shutdown when the fiscal year ends on September 30. The proposed legislation includes a carve out for...

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will be in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Thursday to announce a local grant award to plant trees as part of the city's continued recovery from a 2020 derecho that damaged more than 70% of the trees in the city. The U.S. Forest Service is providing...

On Sept. 17, 1973, USDA released the first Agricultural Supply & Demand Estimates report, a new product to give the public the timeliest analytical information available officially from the Department. Somewhere along the way USDA tacked on World to create the World...

The U.S. Senate will take up its appropriations bill for USDA this week as the House also returns to Washington, D.C., as well. Several groups also hold events this week in Washington where key leaders are expected to speak.

Farmers who want to grow cover crops could also capture better market opportunities for their crops if they consider joining the new initiative Farmers for Soil Health.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Ranking Member John Boozman, R-Ark., wrote Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week citing that they continue to hear from organizations representing the vast majority of U.S. agriculture about the need...

Congress returns after the August recess with a need to pass several funding bills before the end of the month of pass an extension to keep the government operating. A future government shutdown this fall is possible for one key reason: There are a whole lot of newer...

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack used the Farm Progress Show to release funds for some renewable energy projects. In doing so, he also stressed the importance of Congress maintaining flexibility to use Commodity Credit Corporation funds without restrictions proposed...

Speaking at a farm bill forum during the Farm Progress Show, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig and Missouri Agriculture Secretary Chris Chinn agreed the U.S. Supreme Court decision on California's livestock space requirements -- known as Proposition 12 -- restricts interstate...

USDA's Farm Service Agency on Friday stated it would help indemnify livestock producers with heavier-weight cattle in feedlots. The payment rate for losses under the LIP for cattle weighing over 800 pounds will increase from $1,244 per head to $1,618, an increase of $374.

Eight Republican candidates challenged President Joe Biden's handling of the economy and foreign policy, but they also criticized each other and sparred over how to handle various issues, including Russia and U.S. energy policy.