As Congress considers a military funding package, relief for farmers might become a key component of the legislative equation. More than 50 farmer groups are asking President Trump and Congress to include aid in the package. The letter sites severe weather conditions, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and sustained market pressure as their reasons for additional funding.
Read MoreIn another sobering reminder of the economic challenges facing America’s farmers and ranchers, new data show that farmers’ share of the money consumers spend on food continues to shrink, even as expenses rise. The latest Market Intel from American Farm Bureau Federation economists shows that in 2024 farmers and ranchers received a combined 5.8 cents of every food dollar after accounting for expenses, down from 5.9 cents in 2023. 2024 is the latest available data from USDA.
Read MoreA bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced a bill that would require mandatory price reporting of fertilizer — a bid for more market information after the war in Iran prompted the biggest surge in crop nutrient costs in years.
Read MoreThe National Family Farm Coalition, an advocacy group that has historically been critical of large-scale and corporate agriculture, is raising concerns over a reported delay to a federal poultry rule it says is critical for contract growers.
Read MoreAt the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference, U.S. Department of Agriculture Administrator for the Rural Business and Cooperative Service J.R. Claeys announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is guaranteeing $115.2 million across eight states through the Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP) to ensure sawmills and other wood processing facilities have the necessary funding to establish, reopen, expand, or improve their operations.
Read MoreWhen we sit down to eat crawfish, we hardly ever think about the process of getting these crustaceans from wetlands onto our plates. By learning about this process, we can better appreciate the time and efforts crawfish farmers and catchers put in to ensure we can enjoy this Louisiana staple.
Read MoreThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced approval of Section 18 emergency exemptions for the use of Courier® SC (A.I. buprofezin) insect growth regulator for the control of the rice delphacid (Tagosodes orizicolus) in the rice production regions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter is hosting a hands-on and interactive event to teach children and their families about agriculture in Louisiana.
Read MoreThe Root and Bloom Fellowship is an advocacy and power-building educational opportunity for farmers across the country, where fellows dive deep into the roots of federal agriculture policy and uncover how it shapes the landscape for young and BIPOC farmers.
Read MoreLater this year, Michael Roe, a professor of entomology at North Carolina State University, will be inducted into the National Academy of Inventors. His insect biology research has led to 16 U.S. patents, four foreign patents and multiple new companies.
Read MoreThe Trump administration is turning to other sources of fertilizer due to the ongoing shipping challenges caused by the Iran war. White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett said the administration is looking to Venezuela and possibly Morocco. “We’ve established licenses for Venezuela to produce more fertilizer, calling it an insurance policy against disruption,” Hassett told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” program. “I’m not saying we can eliminate what disruption there is so far, but we can minimize it.” Reuters also said fertilizer supplies have shrunk as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran cut off critical nitrogen fertilizer supplies from the Gulf to the world’s farmers, sending prices spiking by more than a third in recent weeks. Bloomberg said the U.S. currently has duties in place on Moroccan phosphate, and the duties are now under review. “Pleas from U.S. farm groups to remove those fees that ramped up after the war began in Iran,” Bloomberg reported.
Read MoreAn ag economist says the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is putting more pressure on the entire supply chain.
Read MoreLouisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is now accepting applications for the 2026 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), funded through the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS).
Read MoreThis Administrator’s Physical Loss Notification allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.
Read MoreSevere weather, high expenses and global uncertainty are hitting farmers from all sides, squeezing them to the breaking point. Fifty-four agriculture groups laid out the challenges facing rural America in a letter to President Trump today.
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