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.

Rail Merger Draws Farm Opposition

California Ag Today
National Farmers Union pushes back on proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern combination.

Rail Merger Raises Questions for Agriculture

Southeast Regional Ag News
Farm group cites consolidation concerns while Union Pacific points to reliability and market access.

Food Waste Prevention Week and US-China Tariff Reduction

The Agribusiness Update
Washington communities are taking action to keep food out of landfills and support a healthier, more resilient food system, and the U.S. and China have agreed to reduce tariffs on $60 billion worth of goods traded between the two countries, including U.S. ag commodities.

GFB's I Farm - I Vote Campaign and US-China Tariff Reduction

The Agribusiness Update
Georgia Farm Bureau's I Farm. I Vote. campaign is encouraging Georgians to become informed, engaged and active participants in the electoral process, and the U.S. and China have agreed to reduce tariffs on $60 billion worth of goods traded between the two countries, including U.S. ag commodities.

Foreign Ownership of U.S. Farm Land

Washington State Farm Bureau Report
More than half of U.S. states now have some type of restriction on foreign ownership of agricultural land.

AI in Ag Attitudes Differ and Crude Oil Prices Ease

The Agribusiness Update
Farmers in the U.S. and Argentina have sharply different views about the benefits of artificial intelligence in agriculture, and crude oil prices have shown signs of easing, but diesel prices are not following suit, putting more pressure on the farm economy.

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.

Ag Trade Deficit Down

Washington State Farm Bureau Report
Despite controversy over the president’s trade policy, USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg says the administration’s overseas efforts are paying off for agriculture.

Ground Beef Import Proclamation Signed by POTUS, H-2A Worker Wage Rate Verdict

Line on Agriculture
President Donald Trump's proclamation to remove tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of imported lean beef trimmings has drawn criticism from some Republicans and the U.S. cattle industry, including the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

A federal judge has invalidated a Trump administration rule that would have lowered wages for some foreign farm workers, citing insufficient public input.

Rebuilding the U.S. Herds

Washington State Farm Bureau Report
The Trump administration has announced a new plan aimed at lowering beef prices for consumers, but will the plan negatively impact the farm economy?

Mexico Cattle Back in US and More Beef Coming

Line on Agriculture
The U.S. border has resumed live cattle imports from Mexico, starting with the Douglas Port in Arizona. The reopening comes after Sonora confirmed its first case of New World screwworm. Additionally, there's a push to lower tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef imports to support U.S. farmers and ranchers, as a 14-month closure led to over a million head of cattle remaining in Mexico.

Tarriff Free Beef to Enter the US, Brazil Fades as US Ethanol Competitor

Line on Agriculture
President Trump announced a 90-day tariff-free import of 300,000 metric tons of ground beef.

Brazil's ethanol industry expansion, driven by Chinese investment, is reducing Brazil's role in the global corn market.

Need for Guestworkers

Fruit Grower Report
It’s no secret that finding adequate, affordable ag labor is a huge challenge for farmers, especially in recent years.

Ag Labor Needs

Fruit Grower Report
H-2A reform is just one of many labor challenges farmers are facing today that need to be fixed.

Animal Disease Lab Move, Federal Crop Insurance Changes

Line on Agriculture
The final days of the animal disease laboratory at Plum Island, New York will end soon as the transition continues into the new National Bio and Agro Defense Facility in Kansa.

USDA makes changes to crop insurance.

Wildfire volunteers

Idaho Ag Today
The Big Grass Fire in Owyhee County isn’t the only wildfire burning in Idaho.

Domestic Beef Production

Washington State Farm Bureau Report
R-CALF USA CEO, Bill Bullard says the increasing reliance on foreign beef imports has made it much more difficult to grow the U.S. herd.

North Carolina Ban on Foreign Farmland Purchases and American Farmland Pressures

The Agribusiness Update
North Carolina enacts new law barring certain foreign entities from purchasing agricultural land and property near military installations, and America’s farmland continues to face pressure from development and ownership changes.

H-2A Program Growth Renews Labor Reform Conversation

Southeast Regional Ag News
As use of the H-2A guest worker program climbs, proposed legislation aims to modernize rules that have remained largely unchanged for nearly 40 years.