Latest News From POLICY

The July Ag Economists' Monthly Monitor showed several key changes from June including a bigger cut to corn and soybean yields, a drop in corn and soybean prices and more bullish cattle and hog prices.

The Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor is a new survey of nearly 50 economists. Most ag economists agree the next 12 months could produce more financial pressure for agriculture, but their views vary depending on commodity.

The anti-farmer movement now underway by fringe extremist groups is not pro-animal. It is extremism promoting regressive policies that will chip away at America's historically stable -- and affordable -- food supply.

Richie Devillier is fighting back after the government twice flooded his 900-acre farm and home, killed his cattle, ran his family through emotional hell—and insisted he foot the entire bill.

Currently, foreign meat that is processed in U.S. plants can be labeled “Product of USA.”  Arun Alexander, Canada’s deputy ambassador, isn't convinced this is a good practice.

The revamped foods program would absorb the functions of Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the Office of Food Policy and Response, as well as some of the work of the Office of Regulatory Affairs.

After four days and 15 rounds of voting, McCarthy’s wait to become Speaker of the House has ended. During his first year as Speaker, he will need to raise the debt limit and fund the government.

The latest CPI shows that while inflation may be slowing, it still remains above the Fed's target. As inflation impacts farmers across their operation, Dan Basse looks at some of the concerns as farmers head into 2023.

The Family Farmer and Rancher Tax Fairness Act would remove the tax liability for distressed farmers for the assistance provided in Sections 22006 and 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The White House announced several steps to increase access of fruits and vegetables as a food source, but some say animal protein is also an answer to the need for healthy and nutritious food for all Americans.  

An Executive Order recently called for "advancing biotechnology and biomanufacturing" to create a more "sustainable" bioeconomy. What is this, you may ask? A decoy.

Do tariffs fuel inflation? John Phipps's Customer Support segment explains why economists have struggled to come up with estimates of economic effects due to lingering COVID influence on world business.

As the Western U.S. faces a megadrought, why can't the U.S. move water around the country like it's done with energy? John Phipps explores the physical and political hurdles potential water infrastructure would face.

As labor negotiations continue between the railroads and unions, laborers voted to go on strike Monday unless President Biden intervenes. A potential strike would put additional strain on the fragile U.S. rail system.

Bottlenecks along U.S. railways are growing more severe. Not only are feed users on the West Coast on the brink of running out of grain, but there are also concerns the rail issues could grow worse during harvest.

As countries close down operating nuclear power plants, John Phipps says it's clear the decision to overstate the minuscule risks- and assume greener power sources would be there to replace them -was wildly inaccurate.

The White House is considering waiving U.S. gasoline environmental rules aimed at reducing summertime smog, hoping the waiver will combat rising pump prices, Reuters reported.

USDA says the launch of the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) will address increases in supplemental feed costs in 2021. Phase 1 of the payments is expected to total $577 million.

A foreign leader addressing a joint session of Congress this week was a rarity. Not to be outdone, the partisan and often cantankerous members of the U.S. Senate passed legislation unanimously on a voice vote!

Should daylight saving time be permanent?

Expect Russia's invasion of Ukraine to dominate the State of the Union address tonight. As for issues affecting agriculture, there may be few details offered, says USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Rural communities are likely to see an outbreak of the COVID-19 variant omicron later than big cities but Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci says the pandemic will eventually end.

The Biden Administration will announce "Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain" Monday. The White House says it will help boost competition and reduce prices.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will join Clinton Griffiths for a virtual live town-hall Sept. 2 at 2 p.m. CDT. Farmers and ranchers will ask about the most pressing issues and opportunities they face.

Dr. Bechara Choucair, White House vaccination coordinator, joins AgriTalk’s Chip Flory to discuss Full FDA approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for people 16 years old and older.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack joined AgriTalk host Chip Flory on Tuesday to celebrate what he described as an important first step in the process of improving infrastructure in rural America and across the country.

USDA Sec. Tom Vilsack is scheduled to travel to Nebraska Friday for what the agency is calling a "major announcement." It could include details of the Biden Administration's plan to create more competition within ag.

After months of negotiations, President Biden and announced Thursday a deal was reached on an infrastructure spending plan. The news came after a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators Thursday.

“We know rural areas are different from urban areas, people are more spread out, it's not always as easy to travel to one location that's close to everyone to get a vaccine," Dr. Murthy says.

Virtual appointments for all kinds of services have become increasingly more available over the last year—even veterinary visits. Drovers’ latest Pulse Poll shows some ranchers would try out the service.

The agency announced it will not finalize a plan introduced by the Trump Administration, instead handing control of rulemaking to its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The charismatic Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh was well known as a leading expert on agricultural policy and agricultural economics. For more than four decades he was a top adviser to politicians of both major political parties.

As plant-based diets become more trendier, is the next phase plant-based fashion?

In this week's DC Signal to Noise Podcast, Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim Wiesmeyer takes USDA to task for a slow response to the coronavirus pandemic, particularly when it comes to meat packing plants.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend up to $15.5 billion in the initial phase of its plan to bolster the nation's food supply chain against the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.

Donald Trump and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe touted progress toward a limited trade agreement on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump remains in U.S. farmers’ good graces, according to the latest Farm Journal Pulse survey.

The 2017 Census of Agriculture found a 3% decline in the total number of farms in the U.S., and that since the 1997 Ag Census the decline has been 7.8%.

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The Green New Deal is sending mixed messages to agriculture as it seeks to work with farmers and ranchers, but also mentions getting rid of “farting cows.”

Farmer support for President Donald Trump is holding steady to nudging slightly higher than it was a month ago, according to the latest Farm Journal Pulse.

A first-ever drug for reduction of ammonia gas in livestock has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use after being developed by Elanco.

A first-ever drug for reduction of ammonia gas in livestock has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use after being developed by Elanco.

The 2018 farm bill was brought down by the Freedom Caucus in a House vote Friday.

Touting success in securing tax reform and cutting regulations in his first year in office, President Trump vowed progress on infrastructure and immigration policy during his first State of the Union Address.

The FDA this week published a draft guidance regarding the process for listing food or feed ingredients as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS).