Labor

Daybreak June 11: USDA using terminated food programs to fund screwworm efforts

noah@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:18:39 -0400

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the $1.3 billion fight against a potentially deadly livestock pest includes federal funds reallocated from a local food buying program. Rollins said USDA is “stretched” on using the Commodity Credit Corporation because the $30 billion annual cap has not been increased since 1987.

Rollins touts deregulation, nutrition reset and ag labor reforms to produce sector

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:25:55 -0400

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins used her time with the International Fresh Produce Association to highlight the administration’s deregulation push, as well as efforts to reshape federal nutrition policy, expand export markets, lower labor costs and support specialty crop producers.

Daybreak June 10: Ag labor draft bill would expand H-2A

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 08:51:52 -0400

House Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., is calling to broaden a U.S. temporary agricultural worker program under an early draft of a proposed ag labor bill.

Daybreak June 9: Senate Ag’s farm bill gets pushed back

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:28:08 -0400

The Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to consider a farm bill during the work period between July 4th and August recesses, Chair John Boozman, R-Ark., says. The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the nomination of Glen Smith to be undersecretary of agriculture for rural development along party lines, setting the stage for a Senate floor vote.

Vaden, union clash over relocation of food and nutrition employees

steve@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:04:34 -0400

Union members at USDA’s Food and Nutrition Administration – formerly the Food and Nutrition Service, or FNS – are pushing back against criticism by the Ag Department’s deputy secretary that their demands during relocation negotiations are unreasonable.

National Women in Agriculture study results released at Farm Bureau's ACE summit

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:03:37 -0400

The results from the pilot National Women in Agriculture study were revealed on Wednesday at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s ACE summit celebrating the International Year of the Woman Farmer, highlighting women's strengths and barriers to leadership.

Farm Journal releases report on dairy industry

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 06:02:00 -0400

Farm Journal released its annual State of the Dairy Industry report, detailing both the challenges and triumphs of the past year for dairy operators.

Daybreak May 22: SNAP showdown awaits

oliver@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 22 May 2026 09:37:51 -0400

A major fight on the cost structure of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will be waiting when senators return from a weeklong recess on June 1. A forthcoming farm bill proposal from the Senate Ag Committee won’t include controversial provisions on pesticide labeling and livestock welfare, a panel spokesperson tells Agri-Pulse.

Judge denies injunction request to halt new farmworker wage rates

steve@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 14 May 2026 17:28:21 -0400

An attempt by United Farm Workers to block lower wage rates for farm laborers has been rejected by a federal judge.

Farmworker wage bill fuels broader clash over H-2A labor in California agriculture

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 13 May 2026 07:03:00 -0400

A proposed $19.75 per hour farmworker wage floor is fueling a broader fight over California agriculture’s reliance on H-2A labor and rising production costs.

H-2A wage rule could save California growers $100M

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 13 May 2026 07:02:00 -0400

A new analysis estimates California growers could save more than $100 million this year under federal H-2A wage changes, but lower pay could complicate worker retention and morale.

USDA reorganization plans prompt concerns about loss of talent

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 13 May 2026 06:07:00 -0400

The Agriculture Department is pressing ahead with its plan to reorganize agencies and relocate employees despite concerns about the loss of experienced personnel in a department that has already lost more than 15% of its workforce and questions about how well the restructured department will work.

Proposed settlement would limit Agri Stats' reporting

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 13 May 2026 06:06:00 -0400

A proposed settlement generally bars Agri Stats from including chicken, turkey, and pork sales data in its reports.

Crawfish industry in a bind, AFBF warns

Wed, 06 May 2026 06:01:00 -0400

Rising costs, cheap imports and an unprecedented labor squeeze are converging with extreme weather to push Louisiana’s crawfish sector toward a breaking point, according to a new American Farm Bureau Federation analysis.

Ag overtime tax credit stalls again as Sacramento labor divide deepens

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:03:00 -0400

California’s fight over farmworker overtime is heating up again, as lawmakers reject a grower-backed tax credit proposal.

H-2A case bears on Labor Dept. enforcement authority

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 06:05:00 -0400

In a case that could influence the scope of federal agencies’ enforcement authority, the Supreme Court will review a federal appeals court decision that found the Constitution barred the Labor Department from penalizing a New Jersey farm for H-2A violations.

Daybreak April 24: Officials keep China trip preparations guarded

oliver@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:44:56 -0400

The Trump administration is keeping details on preparations for the president’s trip to China closely guarded.

USDA announces moves of food safety, research staff out of D.C. area

steve@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:12:49 -0400

USDA food safety and scientific research personnel will be moved out of Washington to locations across the country, including to a new food safety center in Iowa.

Monsanto settlement challenged as Supreme Court arguments approach

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:08:00 -0400

Monsanto has a big day in court April 27, where lawyers for the indirect subsidiary of Bayer will present arguments in hopes that a favorable Supreme Court decision will make thousands of Roundup cases go away.

Groups weigh in on line speed requirements

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:05:00 -0400

Industry groups and union representatives weighed in on proposed changes to pork and poultry line speed requirements as part of a public comment period that closed Monday.

Farmworker report makes the case for higher wages

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:02:00 -0400

Grower groups warn higher farmworker wages could cut hours, raise costs and speed mechanization, setting up a familiar clash as new pay proposals advance in Sacramento.

Deere reaches settlement in antitrust class action

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 06:53:19 -0400

Farm equipment giant John Deere has agreed to pay $99 million and provide equipment owners with access to "repair resources" to vehicle owners to settle a class-action lawsuit over the company's repair practices.

California honors Farmworkers Day, after lawmakers ‘airbrush out’ César Chavez

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:05:00 -0400

California is replacing César Chávez Day with Farmworkers Day, marking a major shift in how the state honors agricultural labor amid new controversy.

Ag, food output seen rising to $10 trillion but exports down 5%

noah@agri-pulse.com — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 05:00:35 -0400

The U.S. agriculture and food sector is expected to generate $10.4 trillion in total economic output in 2026, a new report finds.

FSA staffing an issue as agency plans 'strategic' hiring

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:05:00 -0400

The Farm Service Agency is looking at hiring new employees for county offices to address staffing shortfalls caused in part by the deferred resignation program (DRP) that contributed to a loss of nearly 10% of the FSA workforce.

School meal officials defend their food, voice concerns about costs of new dietary guidelines

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:07:00 -0400

School meal directors are telling lawmakers and White House officials they’re concerned they won’t have the resources to implement new school meal guidelines that the Trump administration is developing to align with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

9th Circuit vacates injunction on executive order removing bargaining rights for federal workers

steve@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:54:11 -0500

In a victory for the Trump administration, a federal appeals court tossed a preliminary injunction that would have prevented the removal of bargaining rights from about 800,000 federal employees, including those at USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

SNAP stocking requirements have small retailers worried

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:07:00 -0500

The Trump administration’s proposal to require retailers who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program carry more whole foods is facing pushback from convenience stores who say it could drive them out of the program.

Mexican citizens indicted for trafficking H-2A workers

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:01:00 -0500

Three Mexican citizens have been indicted for “trafficking Mexican farmworkers into forced labor and harboring them in the United States after their visas expired” for financial gain, the Justice Department says.

USDA proposes rules to allow faster pork, poultry processing line speeds

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:21:49 -0500

The Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is proposing new rules that would allow faster line speeds at pork and poultry processing facilities.