Author: staff

President Donald Trump has released a second batch of letters to countries letting them know what tariff rate their exports will face from Aug. 1, including a letter for Brazil, which had previously only been subject to the 10% baseline rate. On Wednesday, Trump posted letters addressed to leaders in the Philippines, Brunei, Moldova, Algeria, Iraq, Libya, and Sri Lanka. The letters come on the back of 14 letters sent Monday, including those sent to South Korea and Japan. Trump had previewed further letters on Tuesday evening, promising to release letters to at least seven countries on Wednesday. The administration’s 90-day tariff reprieve for…

High-protein diets continue to gain popularity even as a majority of American consumers don’t know their actual protein requirements, according to recent surveys from the International Food Information Council. While 35% of survey takers increased the amount of protein they consumed in the last year, 79% reported being “unaware” (53%) or “unsure” (26%) how much protein they should be consuming daily, according to the IFIC Spotlight Survey results. Of the respondents who indicated that they did know their recommended protein intake, over half believed the amount should be 50 grams or less. That contrasts with current diet recommendations that say adults weighing…

Producers who suffered losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can begin applying for disaster aid payments through the package Congress passed in December.  The program, referred to as the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, will be administered in two stages.  The first application stage begins this week for producers with eligible crop losses caused by hurricanes, wildfires and other weather events who received assistance under crop insurance or the noninsured crop disaster assistance program. The second stage will begin in the fall for producers with eligible shallow or uncovered losses. Producers can begin applying for the first stage of payments…

By Madelyn Hanes Hoosier farmers planted about 1.6 million acres of overwinter living covers — cover crops and small grains, such as wheat — this spring, elevating the state to the top in the nation in cover crop adoption, according to a survey by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.  The conservation survey, conducted from March–May, recorded 651,000 acres of corn and 916,000 acres of soybean covering the state.  Posey County led the state with about 87,000 acres under cover crops, followed by Gibson County with 70,000 acres and LaPorte County with 60,000 acres.  “Hoosier farmers are committed to preserving one…

By Leah Douglas WASHINGTON, July 10 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday it would no longer consider a farmer’s race or sex in many of its farm loan, commodity and conservation programs, ending a longstanding effort by the agency to address its history of discrimination. The move was made to align with the Trump administration’s directives to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion policies across the federal government and because the USDA has adequately addressed past bias, the agency said in a final rule. “Moving forward, USDA will no longer apply race- or sex-based criteria in its decision-making processes, ensuring that its programs…

By Manoj Kumar NEW DELHI, July 10 (Reuters) – A delegation from India is expected to visit the United States soon for trade talks, a government official told reporters, as the two countries look to iron out disagreements over duties for auto components, steel, and farm goods. India is among the few countries that are still negotiating a trade deal with Washington, as President Donald Trump ramps up his trade war with the threat of sharply higher tariffs from Aug. 1. A team of Indian officials on an extended visit to the U.S. recently failed to secure a deal as the two countries were unable to…

Senate appropriators unanimously advanced a more moderate, bipartisan plan for 2026 funding levels at USDA and FDA than their House counterparts, with boosts to WIC and measures to prevent field office closures.  The overall bill allocates $27.1 billion in discretionary funding, an increase from the House-appropriated $25.5 billion.  The biggest increase in funding levels went to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. The program’s funding would increase by $500 million, which is expected to cover projected increases in participation. The bill also maintains the full Cash Value Benefit for fruits and vegetables, which saw slight cuts in…

Selecting the right seed doesn’t have to be rigorous trial and error. Digital seed selection tools unite field data, artificial intelligence (AI), and human expertise, so you can make the right choices for your field.  GHX MaxScript GHX by Golden Harvest is one of the tools available to farmers when making corn and soybean seed selections. MaxScript, available in GHX, pairs the farmer with its digital tools and a Golden Harvest adviser to prescribe the right hybrids and rate at the field level. MaxScript looks at three elements when choosing seeds for each field: soil productivity, 20-year weather history, and…

The reconciliation bill Congress passed this month cuts nutrition program spending by an estimated $186 billion over 10 years. Agri-Pulse spoke with Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., an ag committee Democrat who represents the Detroit metropolitan area. After the cuts to SNAP, “I don’t think it’s going to be smooth sailing for what you call the skinny farm bill,” Thanedar said.Then, Tara Smith with Torrey Advisory Group discusses when producers can see the boost to commodity and crop insurance programs included in reconciliation, and Arlan Suderman at StoneX discusses the extension of the country-specific reciprocal tariff deadline. Watch the Episode Want…

Father-daughter duo Ron and Lilli Kreider say focusing on cow comfort, following sustainable practices, trusting the next generation, and treating employees like family are the keys to success on their Pennsylvania farm. Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to 15 Minutes With a Farmer on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please rate and review us! Lilli Kreider is the herd manager at Kreider Farms. Courtesy of Kreider Farms Meet the Kreiders Ron’s grandparents, Noah and Mary Kreider, purchased the farm from Mary’s father, John B. Hershey (a cousin of chocolatier Milton Hershey), 90 years ago. Hersheys had been farming…