News

Daybreak Oct. 20: Vance releases hurricane aid

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 09:16:41 -0400

Two years after Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina, the Trump administration will provide the region with $858 million in extra disaster aid, Vice President JD Vance says.

Daybreak Oct. 19: Trump draws GOP rebuke over Russia

noah@agri-pulse.com — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 08:58:30 -0400

President Donald Trump’s pause of energy-related sanctions and tariffs on Russia is prompting pushback from fellow Republicans.

Lamb industry urges trade relief at ITC hearing

olivia@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:57:02 -0400

Sheep ranchers are substantially injured due to low-priced, high-quantity lamb imports, mainly from Australia and New Zealand, lamb industry representatives told the U.S. International Trade Commission at a hearing Friday.

Daybreak Oct. 16: New IFPA chair pushes offense

sara@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:26:26 -0400

Farmers represent just 2% of the population but feed the largest economy in the world, which represents both a challenge and an opportunity, says Elyse Lipman, CEO of Lipman Family Farm and the incoming chair of the International Fresh Produce Association board.

State Department relaunches Feed the Future innovation labs

olivia@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:33:23 -0400

The State Department announces eight Feed the Future innovation labs after USAID was shut down last year.

Inflation alarms ring anew with the U.S. midterms 19 days away

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:16:31 -0400

Inflation signals are evident in key economic reports this week, stoking speculation about the Federal Reserve's next move and prompting fresh analysis of how higher costs may impact U.S. elections on Nov. 3.

Daybreak Oct. 15: Senator: Trade fight with Canada will have lasting impacts

noah@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:55:47 -0400

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., says he thinks there will be long-standing ill will between the U.S. and Canada because of President Donald Trump’s trade war — even after it ends. He warned that Canadians' weariness of the U.S. is hurting his home state’s wine industry.

IFPA’s Burns: Addressing growing produce challenges through expanded ROI

sara@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 18:35:16 -0400

As the fight to expand consumption of fresh produce and floral purchases continues to grow, IFPA President and CEO Cathy Burns told industry leaders the number of headwinds facing the industry have also been increasing.

FGS Global acquires The Russell Group

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 16:25:44 -0400

FGS Global has bought The Russell Group, one of Washington, D.C.'s best known and most influential lobbying firms, for an undisclosed amount, according to a news release issued by both parties Wednesday.

DOE clarifies 45Z process with new guidance for biofuel producers

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:40:52 -0400

The Trump administration is providing guidance to help biofuel producers claim the 45Z tax incentive, even if their product is missing from the government’s “cheat sheet” for calculating the credit’s value.

Inflation up again, as fuel costs drive 0.6% monthly increase

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:14:14 -0400

Inflation crept up some more in September, as gas prices fueled an overall uptick of 0.6% in the Consumer Price Index. Grocery prices, however, fell 0.1%, bringing the 12-month increase to 1.8%.

Daybreak Oct. 14: USDA chided by judge in reorg order

sara@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 09:25:00 -0400

The federal judge who stayed USDA’s reorganization efforts Tuesday in response to a suit brought by federal employee unions says USDA probably should conduct an analysis of the reorganization’s effects.

Spirits, whey caught in the tangles of Trump trade war

olivia@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:10:00 -0400

For a year and a half, U.S. brewers and distillers have been all but locked out of the Canadian market — a significant blow to the industry as Canada is one of the top export markets. Now Canada is locked out of the U.S.

Chesapeake Bay cleanup gains ground as states chart path to 2040

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:09:00 -0400

Chesapeake Bay states are making progress in their efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay as they shift their focus to 2040 with a new set of commitments to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment loads in the Chesapeake watershed.

Supplemental WOTUS gets ag support; environmentalists pan it

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:08:00 -0400

The Trump administration’s latest proposal to define “waters of the U.S.” under the Clean Water Act is receiving support from farm groups, who say it’s needed to clarify the limits of federal jurisdiction. Environmental groups, however, are staunchly opposed, saying that the supplemental proposal would eviscerate protections for wetlands and streams that do not flow year-round.

Switch Bioworks, Bayer collaborate on biological nitrogen fertilizer

hguthoerl@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:07:00 -0400

Switch Bioworks announced Oct. 13 a strategic collaboration with Bayer Crop Science to advance biological crop inputs using engineered microbes designed to produce nitrogen fertilizer on plant roots.

SIRE acquires Nebraska ethanol plant

hguthoerl@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:06:00 -0400

Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy has acquired GreenAmerica Biofuels Ord LLC from Pilot Travel Centers LLC, adding a Nebraska ethanol plant with an annual production capacity of approximately 70 million gallons.

Dairy checkoff launches initiative highlighting modern farming

hguthoerl@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:05:00 -0400

Dairy Management Inc. has launched a storytelling initiative featuring seven women on six dairy farms to give consumers a closer look at modern dairy farming.

New EPA pesticide label regs target spray drift, runoff

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:03:00 -0400

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is implementing new rules for agricultural chemical applications that center on label instructions specific to the product, use and location that often direct the user to a website featuring bulletins that can change monthly.

Almond Board-funded research seeks natural solutions for pest control

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:02:00 -0400

Growers’ improved sustainability is the result of some $89 million in research funded by the Almond Board of California since 1973, including studies relating to production, environmental stewardship. A University of California farm adviser credited the work during the annual CAPCA conference in Anaheim.

In California, IPM slowly giving way to SPM

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:01:00 -0400

California legislation in 2024 prompted a shift in focus from integrated pest management to sustainable pest management, encouraging a further move away from chemical pesticides. Now state agencies are offering grants and outreach programs to help producers make the transition.

Judge maintains stay of USDA reorganization

steve@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:55:26 -0400

The Agriculture Department has been ordered to halt its reorganization and relocation efforts by a federal judge who said the department had likely violated a congressional directive prohibiting it from spending money on the plan.

EPA proposes reallocating RVOs lost due to small refinery exemptions

steve@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 14:21:56 -0400

EPA is proposing to reallocate biofuel volumes lost to small refinery exemptions that were granted in August after the agency issued historically high biofuel-blending targets in March.

Former USDA Senior Adviser Kelsey Barnes launches Cultivate Advisory

hguthoerl@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 10:00:19 -0400

Former USDA Senior Adviser Kelsey Barnes announced Oct. 13 the launch of Cultivate Advisory, a consulting firm providing government relations, political strategy and public relations services to clients in agriculture, energy and rural development.

Daybreak Oct. 13: Bipartisan pushback on Russian diesel

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 09:28:15 -0400

A growing number of Republicans are criticizing President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement on Friday that Russia would supply diesel fuel to the U.S. and global markets.

White House finishes review of EPA plan to avert SRE pain on ag

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 17:10:32 -0400

The White House completed a review of EPA's plan to protect crop-based fuels from bigger-than-expected biofuel-blending exemptions for oil refineries, signaling that the agency is on track to unveil the proposal shortly. The move, opposed by the fossil fuel industry, is considered crucial for the economic health of U.S. biofuels and crops like soybeans and corn.

U.S. soy harvest seen as biggest ever, corn second largest

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:38:49 -0400

Corn futures plummeted on Friday after the latest U.S. crop report showed sharply higher-than-expected yields, stoking concern over excess supply.

Daybreak Oct. 9: WASDE on the way today

noah@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:54:00 -0400

Supply and demand for corn, soybeans and wheat are top of mind today, with USDA's October WASDE set for release at noon EST. The report hits amid concern over U.S. corn exports. Sales are behind last year’s pace, with last week’s export sales of 769 million bushels lagging the year-ago period by 34%, StoneX economist Mike Castle says.

Despite CAFB’s overtures, Newsom resists red diesel on roads

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 06:00:00 -0400

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is unimpressed with the idea of allowing the use of dyed diesel on highways, despite requests from the California Farm Bureau.

Ethanol a 'promising' option for methanol-powered vessels, study says

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 16:49:21 -0400

A new study finds ethanol is a "promising drop-in option for methanol-fueled vessels."