On Thursday, April 2, 2026, alongside U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced landmark, coordinated actions to address microplastics contamination, one of the most urgent and growing public health challenges facing Americans. For the first time in agency history, EPA is including microplastics …
Category: Ag News
Apr 06
Trump Administration Proposes 19% Cut to USDA Discretionary Funding in FY 2027 Budget
According to Chris Clayton at DTN, President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for USDA again calls for making a nearly 20% cut to discretionary programs the administration doesn’t support. The top line for the president’s budget released on Friday is a $1.5 trillion request for Defense spending, while proposing to cut about $660 billion in non-military …
Apr 06
Renewed Volatility in Fertilizer Markets Challenges Crop Profitability
Fertilizer markets are currently facing renewed volatility as agricultural producers navigate shifting price trends and geopolitical tensions. While recent global conflicts have drawn significant attention, market analysts note that the upward trend in prices for essential inputs like anhydrous ammonia began much earlier, driven by domestic factors such as supply chain disruptions from Hurricane Ida. …
Apr 06
Cow Calf Corner Dr Derrell Peel: Mexican Border Basics
Prior to the border closing in November 2024, U.S. imports of Mexican cattle had averaged 1.18 million head annually in the previous decade (Figure 1) and 1.12 million head per year in the previous 35 years. Mexican cattle imports equaled 3.4 percent of the total U.S. calf crop from 2015-2024 and 3.1 percent since 1990. …
Apr 06
Agape House Berry Farm Offers Family-Friendly You-Pick Experience in Oklahoma
A you-pick berry farm experience in Oklahoma provides consumers with a direct connection to local agriculture, and Pati Colston says her operation, Agape House Berry Farm, is designed to offer both fresh fruit and on-farm engagement during the summer season. Speaking with associate farm reporter Carli Davenport, Colston outlined what visitors can expect at her …
Apr 06
Oklahoma Cattle Industry Priorities Face Time Crunch as Legislative Session Nears End
In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Michael Kelsey, who says the clock is ticking fast for cattle industry priorities as the Oklahoma legislative session nears its end. A Shortened Timeline at the Capitol With a state budget already agreed to, Kelsey says lawmakers could wrap up the session …
Apr 06
Wage Aggregation Issues under the Old and New AEWR Methodologies
On October 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that introduced several modifications in the determination of adverse effect wage rates (AEWRs) applicable to H-2A workers hired by U.S. farmers. The new methodology departs from relying on wage data from the Farm Labor Survey (FLS) and will instead set …
Apr 06
Ranking Member Angie Craig Statement on Trump’s FY 2027 Budget Request
Today, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) released the following statement regarding President Trump’s budget request for fiscal year 2027, which cuts the U.S. Department of Agriculture budget by $5 billion (19 percent). “Now more than ever, farmers need our support. Their markets have been decimated by President Trump’s tariffs, and in turn, raided by our competitors. The president’s war in Iran has driven fertilizer costs sky-high, making inputs even more expensive than their historical highs. At this critical time, rather than invest in farm country and rural America, the president has decided to gut key programs critical to the growth and success of family farmers. This budget is just another signal …
Apr 06
CAB Insider Market Update
The fed cattle market has traded in a steady range around $235/cwt. live and $372/cwt. dressed in the past two weeks, roughly $10/cwt. lower than the late February high on a live basis. The post-report adjustment to the harvested head count two weeks ago pulled that week’s total to a paltry 503,000 head. Last week’s …
Apr 06
Still Accepting Congressional Art Competition Submissions
The office of Congressman Josh Brecheen is still accepting submissions for the Congressional Art Competition. Each spring, Members of the House of Representatives host a nationwide high school art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent across our nation. The theme for this year’s completion is “Celebrating 250 years of America.” Students’ artwork and accompanying …
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