Ag Policy Blog

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.

It was the second time in as many years that some of the governors had held a press conference at the border to stress the lack of enforcement and defend the actions taken by Texas to stop the flow of migrants from Mexico and other central American countries. Each of...

In a letter Monday, 171 members of the House -- the majority of the Democratic caucus and five Republicans -- wrote a letter to the chair and ranking member opposing the "Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression" or EATS Act.

In a letter Monday, 171 members of the House -- the majority of the Democratic caucus and four Republicans -- wrote a letter to the chair and ranking member opposing the "Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression" or EATS Act.

USDA is rolling out $667 million through its fifth major funding round for the ReConnect internet program, which includes $493 million in grants and another $174 million in loans. The funding comes as farmers in at least a handful of states showing more than 50% of them use the...

A World Trade Organization ruling upheld U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum in 2018 but rejected China's retaliatory tariffs against an array of U.S. goods in response.

The "Protecting Farmers from Drought Act would change RMA's "one-in-four" rule to "one-in-five" for Prevented Planting (PP) insurance in counties -- and contiguous counties -- experiencing three continuous years of D3 (extreme drought) in any area of the county at any...

The Iowa State Fair kicked off Thursday with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum making his presence known while former Vice President Mike Pence defended his decision to ratify the presidential election results in January 2021.

A new paper, "Agricultural Carbon Programs: From Program Chaos to Systems Change," looks at some of the dynamics going on in carbon markets without specifically calling out any single company in the markets. The report looks at the overall picture as carbon markets still...

Rep. Kat Cammack, a Republican from Florida, told members of the sugar industry at the groups' annual conference that the farm bill will likely be delayed until 2024. Cammack also said she expects a government shutdown.

Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., said during a farm-bill forum at Farmfest in Minnesota on Wednesday that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Proposition 12 noted Congress has the authority to address interstate commerce issues but had not chosen to assert its authority over...