FSA Grants for Washington and Sterile Fly Plant Stench

The Agribusiness Update
The USDA’s Farm Service Agency is delivering approximately $255 million in farm safety net and conservation program payments to Washington farmers, ranchers and landowners, and residents in Metapa de Dominguez, Mexico, are demanding the closure of a sterile-fly production plant, complaining that a strong, rotten-meat odor is disrupting daily life.

Export Exchange 2026 in Seattle and China Orders More U.S. Soybeans

The Agribusiness Update
More than 500 international buyers from over 50 countries were in Seattle last week for Export Exchange 2026, and Chinese trading firms purchased another 10 to 13 cargoes of U.S. soybeans, signaling renewed demand from China.

New Georgia Electric Facility Opens and Ag Tractor and Combine Sales Down

The Agribusiness Update
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a historic $3.3 billion loan to Oglethorpe Power Corporation to help finance its Smarr Combined-Cycle electric generating facility in Georgia, and sales of agricultural tractors and combines declined in both the U.S. and Canada in September compared with the same month a year earlier.

Record High U.S. Farm Debt and FFA National Convention

The Agribusiness Update
U.S. farm debt has climbed to a record level, and ag economists warn the actual amount owed could be considerably higher, and more than 70,000 FFA members, advisors, and supporters are expected in Indianapolis next week for the 99th National FFA Convention and Expo.

GOP Pushing Farm Assistance and Rural Mainstreet Index Down

The Agribusiness Update
GOP lawmakers are pushing to attach roughly $11 billion in direct farm assistance to a defense spending package, and rural bankers are growing more concerned about the farm economy as higher fuel and fertilizer costs weigh on producers.

Cheese Names Debate and USDA Aid to American Beef Herd

The Agribusiness Update
A dispute over cheese names has become a sticking point in U.S.-Mexico trade negotiations, and USDA is rolling out a broad package of programs aimed at rebuilding America’s beef herd and strengthening the nation’s cattle industry.

Election Year Politics

Washington State Farm Bureau Report
Decades of House Ag bipartisanship was already declining, but election-year politics seems to have done it in last week.

USDA Funds Peach Tree Removal and Brazil Beef Imports Scrutinized

The Agribusiness Update
The USDA will make up to $9 million available to fund the removal of cling peach orchards for growers after Del Monte plant closure in Modesto, and growing scrutiny of the meatpacking industry and rising Brazilian beef imports are fueling a new debate.

Farm Bridge Assistance Update and U.S. Ag Supplies Down Under

The Agribusiness Update
The Farmer Bridge Assistance Program is delivering billions in aid to row crop producers as farmers grapple with a worsening ag economy, and the United States continues to be the third-largest supplier of agricultural products to Australia.

Working Families Tax Cut and Sugar Producers Concern Over Imports

The Agribusiness Update
American cattle producers gathered in Washington, D.C., on Tax Day for a press conference highlighting the benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts, and U.S. sugar producers raising alarms over a surge of subsidized foreign sugar imports they say threaten domestic industry.

Rented Farmland Stats and Tractor Sales Down

The Agribusiness Update
Over 2 million landowners rented out 348 million acres of farmland, according to the 2024 TOTAL survey from the National Ag Statistics Service, and the sales of all tractors during February in the U.S. were down 12% from the same month last year.

California Pears Vs Argentina and Ag Land Market Shifting

The Agribusiness Update
California pear growers need relief from Argentine imports they say have displaced their fruit in U.S. markets, and U.S. agricultural land market is shifting after years of steady growth.

Top Young Farmers from Alabama and Ag Land Market Shifting

The Agribusiness Update
For the second time in four years, Alabama is home to the nation’s top young farm family, and U.S. agricultural land market is shifting after years of steady growth.

Governors Summit in Idaho and USDA Push for More Ag Research

The Agribusiness Update
During the Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Viability in Idaho, American Farmland Trust announced a new initiative called “Thriving Farms and Ranches,” and Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a number of coordinated actions that emphasize American agricultural research and innovation.

Georgia Cottom Commission Donates Socks and USDA Push for More Ag Research

The Agribusiness Update
The Georgia Cotton Commission recently donated 12,000 pairs of socks to various homeless shelters across the state, and Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a number of coordinated actions that emphasize American agricultural research and innovation.

California Canola Thieves and Regenerative Ag Pilot Program

The Agribusiness Update
California resident, Shawn Sawa was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in stealing millions of dollars’ worth of canola intended for livestock feed, and Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance welcomed the USDA’s announcement of a $700 million Regenerative Agriculture Pilot Program.

Animal Advocates

Washington State Farm Bureau Report
A new report from the Animal Agriculture Alliance shows so-called animal activist groups raise quite a bit of money for their anti-meat activities each year.

Mass Deportation Results and SNAP-WIC Benefits Ending November 1

The Agribusiness Update
Daniel Hartwig, president of the California Fresh Fruit

Association, says while immigration enforcement was a concern, he's not aware of any crops perishing due to a lack of labor, and millions face losing their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on November 1.

Florida Legislators of the Year and SNAP-WIC Benefits Ending November 1

The Agribusiness Update
Senator Nick DiCeglie (dih-SEG-lee) and Rep. J.J. Grow have been named the 2025 Florida Farm Bureau Legislators of the Year, and millions face losing their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on November 1.

Georgia Praises H-2A Reform and Financial Assistance for Ag on Hold

The Agribusiness Update
Georgia Ag Commissioner Tyler Harper is praising the Trump Administration’s proposed changes to the H-2A Visa Program that will save Georgia farmers millions in labor costs, and the administration won’t move forward on financial assistance for producers until the government shutdown ends.