Chris Clayton

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins again teased out that an aid package for farmers could be released next week. At least two farm-state senators have questioned whether USDA has the funds needed to provide an adequate...

The Conservation Reserve Program pays more than $1.85 billion annually to more than 302,000 landowners who have 25.85 million acres enrolled in the program. Those payments were delayed by the government shutdown.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney this week laid out multiple plans to diversify its oil trade while also propping up steel and softwood lumber industries, which face higher U.S. tariffs. Each of the moves could shift some trade...

In a letter to USDA leaders, policy groups with diverse positions on federal spending are calling on the department to ensure any ad-hoc aid to farmers focuses on need and uses clear eligibility standards to reduce the risks of...

Seth Meyer, who has been USDA's chief economist since 2021, will replace Pat Westhoff as director of FAPRI. Westhoff, who has directed FAPRI since 2011, is retiring effective March 1, 2026.

AFBF's 40th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey shows the average cost of a 10-serving classic holiday meal is about 5% less than last year. Meanwhile, NFU shows farmers receive only pennies on the dollar for foods typically consumed...

Livestock producers have until Nov. 21 to enroll in the Emergency Livestock Relief Program for 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wildfire (ELRP 2023 and 2024 FW). The programs have already paid out more than $1 billion to more than 348,000...

President Donald Trump on Nov. 12 signed a funding bill after the House voted 222-209 to end the 43-day shutdown. The bill provides short-term funding through January 2026 for most of the federal government but USDA for the...

The funding bill passed this week by Congress rewrites the 2018 farm bill's provisions on hemp to end the unregulated sale of hemp-based products. That provision could upset an industry created around those products, including...

Corn and soybean farmers will split $1.9 billion from Agricultural Risk Coverage-County payments for the 2024 crop, but acreage enrolled in Price Loss Coverage will lose out on payments this year.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday night signed a funding bill after the House voted 222-209 on Wednesday evening to end the 43-day shutdown. The bill provides short-term funding through January 2026 for most of the federal...

The Continuing Resolution will reopen government immediately and extend funding for USDA through the end of the fiscal year. Parts of the farm bill would also be extended. The bill would end the longest government shutdown in...

On social media on Friday, President Donald Trump called for the Justice Department to immediately begin an investigation into meatpackers. Attorney General Pam Bondi responded that the DOJ's Antitrust Division is looking into the...

The Continuing Resolution will reopen the U.S. government immediately and extend funding for USDA through the end of the fiscal year. Parts of the farm bill would also be extended. The bill would end the longest government shutdown...

Some positive signs about U.S. soybean sales to China began to emerge late this week, but questions remain about China's commitments. Speculation about an aid package for farmers is also growing.

A ruling on Thursday by U.S. District Judge John McConnell was just the latest twist in the government shutdown and food aid to nearly 42 million Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The...

The inclusion of phosphate and potash on the U.S. Geological Survey's final 2025 List of Critical Minerals signals a heightened government policy around the production and supply chains for both fertilizers. That can include helping...

President Donald Trump's use of emergency powers to impose tariffs is being challenged in the Supreme Court while the administration says tariffs are vital to economic security. Some farmers are raising concerns but didn't file...

The president and CEO of ADM said farmers are reluctant to sell more than hand-to-mouth right now until they see better basis and more stability around policies such as biofuel decisions that remain up in the air.

USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) on Friday posted that some key reports will be released in November, including the monthly Cattle on Feed report.

The October prices for corn and soybean contracts both averaged lower than the February price discovery period. Price protection in crop insurance policies will use the February price guarantees of $4.70 a bushel for corn and...

The truce between the U.S. and China could provide three years of steady soybean sales to China, and more sorghum sales as well. The deal doesn't necessarily address some of the challenges farmers face with high input prices...

FSA loans can be an important financial tool for farmers, but there are changes farmers and bankers would like to see to make the loans more convenient and useful.

China has agreed to start buying 25 million metric tons (918 million bushels) of U.S. soybeans. That will allow farmers, grain elevators and shipping infrastructure to begin more deliveries after spending the last few months trying to...

Analysts at Rabobank on Tuesday highlighted their outlook for crops, inputs and profitability by diving into trends affecting global stocks and production. Unfortunately, U.S. farmers remain stuck at the bottom of an economic...

An executive at an independent seed company in Iowa highlighted some of the reasons why major seed companies have been able to continue raising their technology fees and avoid competing with smaller companies trying to use...

The U.S.-China framework was laid out on Sunday while Trump administration officials were holding talks in Malaysia. The administration also announced four smaller trade deals with Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, which include...

Declaring that nearly 42 million people won't receive food-aid benefits in November because of the government shutdown is unprecedented and reflects a policy choice to use low-income people as leverage to end the shutdown.

President Donald Trump on social media on Wednesday said cattle markets are high because of his tariffs, but he needs to lower beef prices for consumers. It was reported the Trump administration wants to quadruple imports of...

In an open letter, Nobel and World Food Prize laureates warned that the world is not close to meeting future food needs while more than 700 million people are hungry, and 2 billion people do not have reliable access to food...

In posts on social platform X, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said FSA offices will resume core operations, including critical services for farm loan processing, ARC/PLC payments and other programs. Rollins referenced more than...

The U.S. is already importing more beef than at any time on record, but Argentina currently accounts for just under 2.2% of total U.S. beef and veal imports. Looking at the numbers, it doesn't seem practical that Argentina would...

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been trying to convince the White House to reopen Farm Service Agency offices so farmers can utilize Marketing Assistance Loans. Based on MAL usage, that is likely affecting farmers of...

Farmer voices are being used for political messages over national debates, such as the government shutdown and the trade war with China. The videos and livestream events highlight how farmers are caught in the middle of national...

There is anger in the countryside among farmers who are facing their third straight year of negative returns on their crops, but also overwhelmingly support President Trump. Farmers are coping with low prices, high inputs and...

Iowa ethanol producers are now losing ground as Nebraska's Tallgrass Trailblazer Pipeline begins operations. The lack of carbon-capture infrastructure in Iowa adds greater risks to a weakened farm economy.

President Donald Trump and members of his administration continue to tease that an aid package of up to $15 billion for farmers could be announced this week. More than 200 farm organizations wrote the president to thank him for...

USDA's Lapse of Funding Plan spells out what positions and obligations at various agencies will continue to operate and which agency activities will be halted. All told, USDA will furlough 42,256 employees out of 85,907 total employees...

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in a television interview, said Thursday some form of support for farmers will be announced next week. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, on Fox Business News, blamed Democrats for shutting...

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.

Corteva's announcement confirms speculation that began weeks ago about the separation. The crop protection side will become "New Corteva," while the seed business will be named "SpinCo." Each will be independent and publicly...

FSA loans can be an important financial tool for farmers, but there are changes farmers and bankers would like to see to make the loans more convenient and useful.

An inaugural forum at Kansas State University recognized the legacy of Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh, an agricultural economist who was known for his cigars and blunt way of explaining complex economic topics to both farmers and...

In a wide-ranging speech, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins laid out an agenda for supporting crop producers while teasing plans to rebuild the U.S. cattle herd. In an immediate announcement, Rollins said the final $2 billion under...

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...

Manitoba's new trade envoy in Washington, D.C., said supply management will continue to be an issue in the USMCA review. He also discussed how Canadian national and provincial officials try to navigate the Trump administration.

Farmers in North Dakota are facing wide basis levels as they go into harvest. Normally their soybeans would be heading on trains to ports in the Pacific Northwest to ship to China; but the trade war has halted all Chinese...

In a news release, the National Association of Farmer Elected Committees (NAFEC), the group reiterated that FSA offices are critically understaffed yet USDA officials have publicly denied those concerns.

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.

USDA on Sept. 12 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...

Farmers are blending tradition with innovation, using cover crops, no-till, and diversified practices to cut input costs, fight weeds, and protect soil while there is a growing push for regenerative agricultural practices. But these...

Prices for popular cover crops such as cereal rye and nitrogen-fixing brassicas are a little cheaper for producers this fall. A range of programs offers farmers incentives to try the practice and rewards farmers who have...

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Corteva Agriscience is looking at potentially splitting its seed and crop input businesses into separate companies. Corteva was created in 2019 after becoming a standalone company...

At Husker Harvest Days, farmers raised concerns about cash flow issues facing crop farmers going into harvest but advocated for more market solutions such as E15 sales and boosting trade. Nebraska's governor, fresh off a...

The official release of the latest MAHA report mirrored a leaked copy from last month that backs away from criticisms of pesticide use by farmers. The report does tout agricultural investments in precision spraying with drones...

USDA's Economic Research Service released an updated look at farm income and finances on Sept. 3. Farm income was boosted by strong livestock cash receipts and higher government payments. Still, USDA projects a typical farm...

A gathering of between 400 and 500 farmers from northeast Arkansas underscored that even as USDA projects overall net farm income to rise this year, income for crop farmers is actually projected to fall. Nationally, cash...

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...