The American Farm Bureau Federation says billions in federal aid are reaching farmers through the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, but warns financial pressures in agriculture are far from over.
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Last year, as part of Brooke Rollins’ initiative to Make Agriculture Great Again, the U.S. secretary of agriculture lauded the sentiment that farm security is a matter of national security. It builds upon an idea that has been around for decades, first presented at the 1974 World Food conference.
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A devastating parasite that burrows into the flesh of its hosts is inching dangerously close to the United States, the Texas Department of Agriculture warns. The New World screwworm has been found just 62 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border in Nuevo León.
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Louisiana saw very little rainfall this week, with most areas getting under half an inch, worsening already dry conditions. As a result, drought expanded significantly, with about 94% of the state now in drought and over half in Extreme Drought.
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House Republican leaders are ramping up efforts to secure support for a sweeping farm bill ahead of a planned vote this week, according to reports.
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Biofuels supporters say they’re cautiously optimistic that a new legislative proposal expanding sales of ethanol will finally move forward in Congress.
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Twelve farm and ranch women leaders graduated from the spring session of Women’s Communications Boot Camp hosted by the American Farm Bureau Federation.The agricultural leaders completed an intensive four-day course that featured hands-on sessions focused on public speaking, working with the media and messaging. Program graduates will use their training to strategically support issues important to farmers and help tell agriculture’s story. This includes participating in local media opportunities, sharing information with elected officials and joining social media campaigns that spotlight modern agriculture.
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The Ag Investment for America coalition, launched two years ago with USA Rice as one of the original partners, held a Congressional and stakeholder briefing on Capitol Hill yesterday to highlight the benefits of the Grown in America Act (H.R. 1707) and review newly released economic analysis by the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University. The briefing included remarks and an update on the bipartisan bill by the lead sponsors Reps. David Kustoff (R-TN) and Jim Costa (D-CA). There are currently 32 bipartisan cosponsors on the bill.
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Makayla Rhodes, a high school senior and 4-H member from Terrebonne Parish, made history last month as one of the first painters to be invited to the 4-H Spark Celebration at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
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The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), and its nationwide network of state affiliates, concluded its 2026 Legislative Conference this week, bringing together cattle producers from across the country to advocate for policy solutions that strengthen America’s cattle industry and rural communities. Throughout the conference, producers met with federal officials and engaged directly with policymakers on Capitol Hill to ensure the voice of cattle producers is heard in Washington.
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The Louisiana Drought Team, in collective partnership with the USDM national authors, the NWS, and the LDAF, has continued to downgrade conditions across the Bayou State with this week's USDM update ... as 'normal' spring rains fail to develop.
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Northern Louisiana should prepare for occasional strong-to-severe t-storms on Friday evening ... but do note that the NWS timeline has the threat potentially arriving as early as the mid-afternoon. A severe weather Watch may be issued for the region.
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Congressman Rick Crawford (AR-01) today led 16 of his Congressional colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, requesting broad-based, rice specific Section 301 trade investigations against countries unfairly harming our rice producers.
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Louisiana farmers are facing a tough start to the 2026 season, with early pest pressure in cotton, emerging concerns like corn leafhopper, and significant crop damage from a mid-March freeze that forced widespread corn replanting—estimated at 60–70% of acres. Dry conditions and rising irrigation costs are adding pressure, while proper cover crop management remains important to limit pests. Despite setbacks, soybean acreage is expected to increase, and early signs show soybeans may recover from freeze damage if conditions improve.
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Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says it will require a significant effort from the administration to help improve fertilizer costs in the short term.
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