Calley Means, a key figure in the Make America Healthy Again movement and a special adviser to the White House, says American farmers and agriculture will be engaged in the MAHA Commission’s policy development phase. 

Last week, farm groups complained they were not included in conversations leading up to the release of the commission’s first report, which focused on identifying research areas. Following the report’s release, groups blasted the report for its findings on pesticides and raised concerns that the panel’s policy plans could hurt American agriculture.

Means responded in a post to X Tuesday, assuring farm stakeholders they will be “heavily engaged” in the commission’s policy development.

“There is ZERO plan – and in fact it would be insane – to do anything rash to hurt the American farmer,” Means wrote. “But we also need to engage in a mature conversation about what the optimal world should look like in 10 years and how to get there through pro-growth policies.” 

Meanwhile: Another influential name in the MAHA space, Vani Hari, aka the Food Babe, suggests the administration could look at ways to cut back on pre-harvest glyphosate applications. Speaking on NewsNation last weekend, Hari said this process is responsible for 90% of dietary exposure to the chemical, but only makes up about 3% of glyphosate use in the country.

Don’t miss this week’s Agri-Pulse newsletter. We look at the plan for MAHA food boxes and also report on how conservation programs stand to benefit from the House GOP reconciliation bill, aka the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. We also have a report on how U.S. trading partners are trying to win over administration officials and lawmakers. 

Grassley: Strike tariff deals to spur EU negotiations

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says that if the U.S. wants to accelerate trade talks with the European Union, it should strike more deals with other trading partners.

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“We should continue pursuing deals like the recent agreement in principle with the United Kingdom,” Grassley told reporters on Tuesday. “This will provide relief to American producers and consumers, while adding pressure to the European Union to come to the negotiating table.”

On Friday, President Donald Trump threatened new 50% duties on the EU over the slow pace of talks but postponed the tariffs after speaking with European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen.

Grassley also took aim at multiple EU ag trade barriers, including long GMO crop approval times, restrictions on live cattle imports, and the Farm to Fork strategy to reduce emissions.

“I hope the Trump administration has success in tackling difficult trade issues like we face with the European Union,” Grassley said.

Commerce issues 2,4-D countervailing duty and antidumping orders

The Commerce Department has published antidumping and countervailing orders on imports of 2,4-D from China and India, paving the way for new tariffs.

The orders are effective May 27 and will see imports from China subject to new countervailing duties of between 26.5% and 169.63%. Indian companies will face rates from 5.29% to 6.32%.

Further, Chinese companies will be hit by antidumping duties of more than 120%, while Indian exporters will face rate of between 3.18% and 20.62%.

Take note: The new duties could affect domestic prices. Chinese and Indian products make up more than 80% of U.S. 2,4-D imports, according to Corteva’s petition. Corteva is the sole U.S. manufacturer.

Decision to strike down fish farming permit will stand

The Trump administration isn’t going to appeal a court decision striking down a permit designed to streamline approval of fish farming in ocean waters.

The decision to let the district court decision on Nationwide Permit 56 stand essentially puts an end to the “federal government’s attempt to fast-track industrial aquaculture in public ocean waters,” the Center for Food Safety said in a news release. CFS was the lead plaintiff in the case.

In March, a judge in the Western District of Washington found the permit illegal under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act and vacated it for future use.

Pivot Bio to relocate operations to Midwest

Pivot Bio, a developer of gene-edited microbes that deliver nitrogen products as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers, will relocate key parts of its business from Berkeley, California, to the Midwest.

A specific location has not been disclosed.

“The Midwest has always been the heart of American agriculture, and it’s where many of our earliest customers and most trusted partners are based,” said Chris Abbott, CEO of Pivot Bio. “As we scale, this region offers a strong center of gravity.”

Since 2018, Pivot Bio’s nitrogen-fixing microbes have been used on nearly 15 million acres of farmland across North America. The company is working on approvals in both South America and Africa.

Judge rules Deere CFO can testify in antitrust case

Lawyers for farmers suing John Deere over its repair practices can depose the company’s chief financial officer, Illinois District Court Judge Iain Johnston has ruled.

Johnston denied John Deere's motion for a protective order barring plaintiffs in the antitrust case from deposing CFO and Senior Vice President Joshua Jepsen. He found that Jepsen’s testimony is “relevant to the merits of the plaintiffs’ claims and their damages assessment.”

Johnston ordered both sides to make mutually agreeable arrangements for the deposition no later than June 11.

Benson Hill assets purchased after filing for bankruptcy

Agtech startup Confluence Genetics has purchased soybean genetics company Benson Hill’s assets after the company filed for bankruptcy in March.

Confluence acquired more than 350 issued or pending patents and will focus on scaling ultra-high protein soybean genetics for animal feed, expanding its specialty food grade portfolio and utilizing its AI-powered breeding platform.

USDA puts funds toward screwworm facility in Mexico

USDA is investing $21 million in a facility in Mexico to produce sterile New World screwworm (NWS) flies.

Partnering with Mexico, the USDA will renovate a fruit fly production facility in Metapa to produce 60-100 million sterile flies weekly.

Take note: The only sterilization facility for NWS pupae in North America is in Panama, but demand may soon exceed capacity, a USDA spokesperson said.

The department is exploring other options to boost production, potentially including a new facility in the U.S.

Final word: 

“It will be a fist fight next week starting Monday with all the Republicans looking at this bill, combining it with the House. But we’ve got to get it done,” – Alabama GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville speaking on Fox News Tuesday on the next steps for the Republican reconciliation bill. Tuberville used the interview with Fox’s Will Cain to launch his Alabama gubernatorial bid.

Rebekah Alvey, Lydia Johnson, Oliver Ward and Noah Wicks contributed to today’s Daybreak.

For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com.