USDA
Trump requests 19% cut to USDA for 2027
By TAMMIE SLOUP FarmWeek • President Donald Trump’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget includes a nearly 20% cut to USDA. The blueprint, which the White House sent to Congress on April 3, requests $20.8 billion in discretionary budget authority for USDA, which is a $4.9 billion decrease from the 2026 enacted level. Trump also is…
Read MoreFarm income forecast spotlights challenges
By DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek • USDA’s farm income forecast released this month projects another challenging year ahead for most farmers, except those in the beef sector. Overall, net farm income, a broad measure of profits, is forecast at $153.4 billion in 2026, a decrease of $1.2 billion relative to 2025 in nominal dollars. USDA also…
Read MoreBearish USDA estimates alter marketing plans
By RHIANNON BRANCH FarmWeek USDA’s January crop production estimates cast a long shadow over the grain markets. Bearish news of a 17-billion-bushel U.S. corn crop sent shockwaves through the markets since Jan. 12 and threw a wrench in many farmers’ marketing plans to start the year. Marion County Farm Bureau President Steve Brummel said he…
Read MoreLivestock prices favorable; risk management remains key
By RHIANNON BRANCH FarmWeek Livestock markets in 2025 have been more favorable than in recent years compared to crop markets but a high price environment does not mean producers should ease up on risk management. Brittney Goodrich, assistant professor of ag economics at the University of Illinois, points to the cattle industry, where several years…
Read MorePlentiful pig inventory to start new year; pork supply ample
By RHIANNON BRANCH FarmWeek With more profitable hog prices, lower feed costs and higher production efficiency compared to recent years, the U.S. has an ample supply of pork to start 2026. USDA’s quarterly hogs and pigs report Dec. 23 pegged the nation’s hog herd at 75.5 million head, up 1% from a year ago and…
Read MoreBudzinski, Bost introduce bill to modernize USDA Loan Programs
By Tribune Staff • WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Mike Bost (IL-12) introduced legislation to remove outdated eligibility barriers that prevent modern family farms from accessing U.S. Department of Agriculture loan programs. The USDA Loan Modernization Act updates eligibility standards to better reflect the structure of today’s multi-generational, family-run farms.…
Read MoreBudzinski, Bost introduce bill to modernize USDA Loan Programs
By Tribune Staff WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Mike Bost (IL-12) introduced legislation to remove outdated eligibility barriers that prevent modern family farms from accessing U.S. Department of Agriculture loan programs. The USDA Loan Modernization Act updates eligibility standards to better reflect the structure of today’s multi-generational, family-run farms. This…
Read MoreFarm bill extended again in government reopening
By TAMMIE SLOUP FarmWeek The Ag Department resumed normal operations while the farm bill was extended for a third year after the president signed a funding package Nov. 12 that reopened the government. The legislation, which was approved after a record-breaking 43-day federal shutdown, funds USDA and several other departments, through fiscal year 2026, and…
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