Tag Archives: USDA

USDA moves toward leadership of Food for Peace

From world-grain.com The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) took the first step last week toward assuming Food for Peace, the flagship US international food aid program, with a series of roundtables on how to best operate it. The USDA, the US Department of State and Office of Management and Budget signed an interagency agreement that the USDA should take the lead ... Read More »

USDA announces payment rates for FBA

On Dec. 1, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the next phase in the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA), the eligible commodity per-acre payment rates. As announced earlier this month by President Trump and Secretary Rollins, $12 billion will be paid to American farmers in 2026. Of that amount, $11 billion consists of one-time FBA program payments. ... Read More »

Impact of Estimated Farmer Bridge Assistance on 2025 Farmer Return Projections

From agriculture.com Last week the USDA officially announced $12 billion in bridge assistance for U.S. farmers to offset economic losses associated with low prices, high production costs, and trade disputes for the 2025 crop year. We provide estimates of what the bridge assistance payment rates could be for the larger acreage row crops, and incorporate the payment estimates for corn and ... Read More »

USDA to resume ARC/PLC payments

From the National Association of Wheat Growers The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Oct. 22 that it will resume Farm Service Agency (FSA) core operations this Thursday and begin distributing commodity program payments that have been delayed during the ongoing partial government shutdown. In a statement Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed that the Department will move forward ... Read More »

Farmer aid reportedly delayed by government shutdown

From Farm Policy News Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported that “the Trump administration has pushed back its plans to roll out economic aid for farmers this week due to the government shutdown, according to four people familiar with the talks.” “The Office of Management and Budget has readied between $12 billion and $13 billion to be allocated from an internal USDA ... Read More »

USDA Blocks Taxpayer Dollars for Solar Panels on Prime Farmland

On Aug. 19, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins alongside Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Sen. Bill Hagerty, Rep. John Rose, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, announced USDA will no longer fund taxpayer dollars for solar panels on productive farmland or allow solar panels manufactured by foreign adversaries to be used in ... Read More »

USDA relocation plan will save about $4 billion, officials say

From Successful Farming Government Executive’s Eric Katz reported that “the Agriculture Department is confident its push to move more employees out of Washington and into five new hubs around the country will retain most staff and large-scale layoffs will not be necessary, a top official told lawmakers on Wednesday.” Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

Disaster program open for applications

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced on July 9 that agricultural producers who suffered eligible crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can now apply for $16 billion in assistance through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP). To expedite the implementation of SDRP, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is delivering assistance in two stages. This first ... Read More »

Integrity of USDA Data Questioned After Trade Report Redaction

From Farm Policy News Reuters’ Julie Ingwersen and Leah Douglas reported that “analysts voiced concerns this week about the integrity of U.S. Department of Agriculture reports after the agency delayed a report and excluded findings that point to tariffs as a reason for a forecasted increase in the agricultural trade deficit, according to Reuters interviews with four analysts.” Read the ... Read More »

USDA downsizing plan to be ready by mid-May, Rollins says

From Farm Policy News Agri-Pulse’s Noah Wicks and Steve Davies reported Wednesday that “the Trump administration’s plan for reorganizing and downsizing USDA should be out by the middle of May, and it will likely call for consolidating some programs with other agencies, according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.” Read the rest of the article here. Read More »