A high-stakes farm bill in Congress and major pesticide case at the Supreme Court are in focus this week as war in the Middle East continues to weigh on farmers and the overall economy.

President Donald Trump canceled peace talks with Iran in Pakistan over the weekend. “We have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!,” Trump said on social media. 

As of Sunday, the average price of U.S. gasoline and diesel is higher than a month ago as the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz remains effectively cut off to global oil shipments. Blockage of the crucial Mideast passageway also is still driving up fertilizer prices and threatening the world’s food supplies. 

In spite of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire since April 8, retail prices for key nitrogen fertilizers have continued to rise as vessel traffic through the strait remains low and insurance barriers keep shipowners away, the University of Illinois’ FarmDoc Daily said.

Roughly a third of Midwestern farmers began the current crop growing season without enough fertilizer bought, and 70% across the U.S. say they can’t afford to buy it now, according to a recent American Farm Bureau Federation survey.

“Unbooked fertilizer matters because nitrogen is one of the largest variable costs in corn production,” professors Gerald Mashange of the University of Illinois and Grant Gardner of the University of Kentucky said in a FarmDoc post on Friday. 

“Recent price increases across nitrogen fertilizers translate directly into higher per-acre costs,” the professors said.

Farm bill and E15 jitters 

The high cost of fertilizer and other farm inputs will hang over deliberations this week in the House for a slimmed down farm bill.

The legislation would update federal programs not dealt with in legislation passed into law last year. Congress hasn’t completed a full, five-year farm bill since 2018.

The House Rules Committee meets Monday to set terms of a vote on the farm bill, including how many of the 361 proposed amendments will make it for consideration on the House floor. 

The amendments include a bipartisan push to allow year-round sales of higher ethanol fuel blends, known as E15. The ability to expand use of corn-based ethanol throughout the U.S. is a top priority of farmers and biofuel producers battling demand concerns. Roughly 40% of America’s annual corn crop is used to make ethanol. 

Tensions are high after multiple failed attempts to get year-round E15 into law. A chorus of stakeholders are pressing lawmakers to attach E15 to the farm bill, including the American Petroleum Institute, the powerful oil lobby, and Deere & Co., the world’s biggest maker of ag equipment.

Yet independent oil refiners strongly oppose the E15 measure, mainly due to a provision that would overhaul how exemptions to biofuel-blending rules are granted under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

It’s also not clear how other parts of the ag world view the E15 proposal. 

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The American Soybean Association told Agri-Pulse it’s still assessing the amendment and “the impacts it would have long-term on the RFS, specifically soy-based biofuels, and farmers.”

Other proposed amendments include a bipartisan measure that would remove language from the farm bill to “shield” chemical manufacturers like Bayer from lawsuits and preempt state and local warning label laws for “potentially harmful products.” 

Roundup and the high court

Backers of the amendment, Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., plan to attend a rally Monday morning at the Supreme Court as justices prepare to hear arguments the same morning in a case with potentially wide reaching implications for the production of glyphosate, the world’s most widely used weedkiller. 

Bayer, through the 2018 purchase of Monsanto, is facing tens of thousands of glyphosate liability lawsuits tied to its pesticide Roundup. The German company has paid over $10 billion to settle claims and in February proposed a $7.25 billion deal to address current and future cases. 

Bayer hopes a favorable ruling will free it from an avalanche of legal costs that the company has said is hurting ag innovation.

Bayer says glyphosate has repeatedly been deemed safe by top regulatory agencies worldwide, including in the U.S.

Supreme Court justices will hear from lawyers for Bayer and plaintiff John Durnell, a Missouri man who won a $1.25 million jury verdict after claiming exposure to Roundup led to his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and that Bayer neglected to warn users of possible cancer risks. 

Bayer argues the verdict should be overturned because federal pesticide law preempts those of the state. 

The court also will hear arguments from the Trump administration, which is backing Bayer in the case. 

The safety of pesticides has drawn increasing attention due to Trump’s Make America Healthy Again initiative. Some backers of the movement are disappointed there hasn’t been more focus on farm chemicals. 

Bayer and a broad range of farm groups have warned restrictions on chemicals like glyphosate would lead to a drastic reduction in crop production and limit the world’s ability to feed people. 

King Charles, ag labor  

Also on the schedule this week is a formal visit to the U.S. capital by King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The British royalty arrive in Washington on Monday and their visit includes a tour of a newly expanded White House beehive.

Elsewhere around Washington, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will hear from industries across the economy and representatives from foreign governments as part of its probe into countries’ efforts to eliminate products made with forced labor from supply chains. 

A two-day hearing is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. An agriculture panel on Tuesday is set to feature representatives from the soybean, cotton, olive oil, cigar and tea industries. 

Here is a list of agriculture or rural-related events scheduled for this week in Washington and elsewhere (all times EST):

Monday, April 27

The National Association of Farm Broadcasting gathers for “Washington Watch” in the nation’s capital, through Wednesday. 

The Food Research & Action Center holds a National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference in Washington, through Tuesday. 

The Global AgInvesting World Summit looks at money flow into the agricultural sector, New York City, through Thursday. 

The Petfood Forum is held in Kansas City, Mo., through Wednesday. 

The International Fresh Produce Association holds its Retail Conference in Phoenix, through Wednesday. 

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers holds a Product Safety & Stewardship Conference in Kansas City, Mo., through Thursday. 

The Oregon Seed Association holds a Cool Season Grass Workshop in Salem, Ore., through Friday.  

9 a.m. –  A rally outside the Supreme Court related to the Monsanto case. 

10 a.m. – The Supreme Court hears arguments in Monsanto Co. V Durnell.

1 p.m. – The House Rules Committee considers a farm bill, H.R. 7567, teeing the measure up for a likely vote by the full House this week, H-313, The Capitol.

4 p.m. – EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin testifies at a budget hearing of the House Appropriations’ environment subcommittee, 2008 Rayburn. 

4 p.m. – USDA Crop Progress.

Tuesday, April 28

10 a.m. – EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin testifies at a budget hearing of the House Energy’s environment subcommittee, 2123 Rayburn. 

10 a.m. – The International Food Policy Research Institute will host a policy seminar on “How does Trade Risk Influence Agricultural Policy?”

Wednesday, April 29

9:30 a.m. – Interior Secretary Doug Burgum testifies at a budget hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, 366 Dirksen.

10 a.m. – The House Appropriations Committee considers fiscal 2027 budget legislation for the USDA, FDA, CFTC and related agencies, Rayburn 2359. 

10 a.m. – CME Group CEO Terrence Duffy testifies at a House Financial Services’ task force hearing on the role of derivatives in the Treasury market, 2128 Rayburn.  

2 p.m. – The House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee holds a hearing to discuss legislative proposals on the regulation and oversight of food, 2123 Rayburn. 

2:30 p.m. – EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin testifies at a budget hearing of the Senate Environment Committee, 562 Dirksen. 

Thursday, April 30

The Center for Strategic and International Studies will host an all-day “AI for Food Security Forum.”

Heal CON 2026, a gathering of holistic practitioners from around the globe, Seattle, through Sunday. 

8:30 a.m. – USDA weekly export sales. 

With contributions from Oliver Ward and Steve Davies.

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