Policy Update
USDA’s latest outlook, released yesterday, projects the U.S. ag trade deficit at $47 billion in FY25, narrowing slightly from earlier estimates, and falling to $41.5 billion in FY26.
A draft of the much-anticipated report does not recommend direct limits on ultraprocessed foods or pesticides—hazards that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has described as major threats.
The U.S. is urging the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues to delay adopting a new pesticide risk assessment method and gather more data first.
Yesterday, USDA released projections for a record corn harvest of 16.7 billion bushels and sharply lowered its expected average corn price—a combination that could lead to much higher commodity program payouts.
The disease arrived early—right as corn entered the grain fill stage—and experts are unsure of how severe it will become. Yield losses can top 30% depending on infection levels.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia upheld an exemption that removes the requirement to report air emissions resulting from the natural decomposition of livestock waste.
A new federal rule proposed this week would make it easier for companies to use drones without having to go through a cumbersome waiver process.
Agriculture and dairy in particular remain sticking points.
How the Fed’s July interest rate hold changes the conversation
The European Union has suspended its planned countermeasures against the U.S. for six months following the recent U.S.-EU tariff agreement.
Corn grower groups sent a letter to Trump administration officials detailing the worsening economic situation caused by elevated prices for fertilizers and other inputs that are critical for growing corn.