Ag Policy Blog

The government plans to relocate some 2,600 of the 4,600 Washington-based USDA Positions to five regional hubs. The reorganization is expected to save about $4 billion. But is the call for such a massive overhaul in the best interest of American agriculture?

Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., spoke to members of the American Sugar Alliance at the group's annual meeting this week. Moolenaar was hopeful Congress could pass some reforms to farm labor wages. Broader reforms will require strong support from President Donald Trump.

USDA announced on Friday that the department will accept comments on the Trump administration's reorganization plan. The U.S. Senate on Saturday also confirmed the nomination of Luke Lindberg to be Agriculture undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs.

How should agriculture view EPA's decision to revoke its own authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions? If EPA declares there is no reason to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, the implications for ethanol could be far-reaching, especially in terms of policy support, market...

In announcing the deal, the White House noted the agreement with the EU includes an effort to remove non-tariff barriers for U.S. agriculture exports. Non-tariff barriers, including some favorite European issues such as geographical indicators, have been the biggest source of...

Lia Biondo, a former executive vice president for the U.S. Cattlemen's Association and Western Skies Strategies and most recently an analyst for the Congressional Research Service, died suddenly on Thursday, USCA announced over the weekend.

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on Tuesday addressing statements by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about crop protection tools as well as legislation that could ease the development of new tools to protect crops from disease and...

Julie Callahan is currently the assistant trade representative for agricultural affairs and commodity policy and a longtime civil servant. Agricultural groups offered a lot of immediate support for President Trump nominating her to the chief agricultural negotiator.

President Donald Trump claims Coca-Cola will use cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Coca-Cola hints at innovation while the Corn Refiners Association warns of job losses, a decline in the price of corn and no real nutritional benefits.

In a House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, state and federal veterinarians talked about some of the risks from highly pathogenic avian influenza and the New World Screwworm.

The budget reconciliation bill includes a provision that will allow USDA to add 30 million acres of new base acres to farm programs. Under the changes, farmers who have planted commodity crops from 2019-2023 will get a chance to add acres to farm program base if they meet the...

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee passed its $21.7 billion discretionary budget for USDA for FY 2026. Senators had discussions about Food for Peace, hemp and overall funding issues with USDA and FDA.

USDA published a final rule Thursday in the Federal Register announcing the end of preferences for race or gender. The rule is effective immediately.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said there will be no legal amnesty for undocumented farmworkers. Instead, Rollins suggested unemployed people on Medicaid could fill those jobs that can't be done by automation.

The New York Times on Monday spotlighted how Kansas farmers came up with the idea for Food for Peace. The Iowa Capital Dispatch last week also reported on plans to scrap USDA's Climate Hubs. The House appropriations bill zeros out the funding for USDA's 11 climate hubs.

President Donald Trump spoke for more than an hour before a crowd of thousands as he highlighted a historic win with the passage of the legislation and he dismissed criticisms from Democrats and others who oppose the bill and his administration's policies. He recounted his...

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...

Farm organizations had varying levels of praise supporting the Senate vote and calling for the House to follow suit. Groups highlighted some of the tax provisions and improvements to the farmer safety net. Other groups criticized the cuts to Medicaid and food programs.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, proposed an amendment to the budget reconciliation bill that would require more management or labor to qualify for farm programs. Nearly 50 farm groups representing most major commodities and the American Farm Bureau Federation and the...

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...