Washington Insider

Economists and others weighed in this past week over lost U.S. soybean sales to China and how Brazil is taking advantage of its competitive edge right now. China ended September with no new U.S. soybean buys on the books.

Corn was 18% harvested, and the remaining crop was rated 66% good to excellent as of Sept. 28. Soybeans were 19% harvested, and condition was rated 62% good to excellent. Winter wheat was 34% planted.

The American Soybean Association expressed its frustration over U.S. moves to support Argentina, which then led China to aggressively purchase Argentine soybeans. A leader for the National Sorghum Producers also highlighted how important the Chinese market is for that crop's value.

This week we'll report from several national ag meetings, update how the New World Screwworm is moving closer to the U.S. border, watch harvest conditions in the U.S., and watch as South America gets more needed moisture ahead of planting.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is in London, England, and told the Financial Times newspaper that the administration could soon provide details about an aid package for U.S. farmers.

Environmental groups petitioned a federal appeals court to review the Trump administration's decision to impose no additional wastewater discharge regulations on meat and poultry plants.

USDA on Friday announced approximately $1 billion will become available to livestock producers under the Emergency Livestock Relief Program for 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wildfire (ELRP 2023 and 2024 FW). Sign-up for the ELRP 2024 and 2024 FW begins Monday, Sept. 15, and will run until Oct. 31...

A new report looks at improvements to the farm safety net under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will add $47.4 billion to commodity programs over 10 years. The OBBBA shifts more federal money into the commodity safety net. The benefits are better for rice, cotton, and peanuts, but also...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it will end the Agricultural Labor Survey just days after a federal judge in Louisiana threw out the Biden administration's wage rule for H-2A workers that failed to use the long-standing USDA survey.

Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden spoke to farmers and visited companies on Tuesday at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois. He talked about the need to open markets and increase demand for farmers, but also suggested further aid may...

The European Union has long maintained an agricultural trade surplus with the U.S., but agricultural groups are optimistic after the Trump administration tied tariffs on European autos to opening up more access to U.S. agriculture.

The MAHA Commission recommends no pesticide actions to President Donald Trump, instead letting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continue current oversight.

The Trump administration allows needed software fixes to prevent diesel trucks and farm equipment from suddenly slowing to just 5 mph when diesel exhaust fluid systems fail.

Nancy Beck, the EPA deputy administrator in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Protection, told a sugar industry group on Tuesday that the next Make America Healthy Again report will recognize EPA's conclusions that glyphosate is a safe herbicide for farmers to use, despite concerns...

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden spoke Monday to the American Sugar Alliance's International Sweetener Symposium in Michigan. He talked about the department's reorganization plans, sugar policy, the 45Z tax credit, Make America Healthy Again and tariffs such as an investigation into...

The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA), a coalition of 20 agricultural and conservation trade groups, on Thursday published a report of "MAHA Policy Recommendations." The National Corn Growers Association also released a survey of farmers about herbicide needs.

The Trump administration on Thursday announced plans to relocate most USDA employees from Washington, D.C., to five regional hubs in North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, Colorado and Utah.

U.S. tariff deals with Japan and Indonesia were announced Tuesday via social media.

The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) held a webinar earlier this year for its members on what farmers need to know about employment audits and what to do if there is a raid. That was before the pace of enforcement ramped up, but the legal principles regarding labor and...

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Tuesday announced USDA would terminate the Regional Food Business Centers created under the Biden administration. USDA said the Biden administration created programs without a way to fund them, though the funding for the programs came out of the...