During the week of June 19 – 25, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is recognizing National Pollinator Week through the continued commitment and support for pollinator health and research.

Dairy Farmers of America, a major dairy cooperative with 83 processing facilities, had decided to withdraw its membership from the International Dairy Foods Association over IDFA’s decision to proceed with its single-issue petition to modify the federal milk marketing order system.

In recent years, Purdue University’s Katy Rainey and Keith Cherkauer have worked to predict soybean biomass from drone imagery in Indiana.

The U.S. Drought Monitor update Thursday morning pointed to drought increasing across much of the Corn Belt, despite some areas of showers that moved through last weekend and early this week. Heavier rains fell across parts of eastern Wisconsin through Ohio and Pennsylvania after the cutoff time for the Drought Monitor, which may come into play next week.

CLAAS of America has joined several farm equipment manufacturers in signing a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation to give farmers the right to repair their own equipment.

A Senate committee advanced a reauthorization bill for animal drug user fees Thursday after adopting an amendment to speed reviews of feed ingredients that can address environmental concerns or make livestock production more efficient.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is making investments that will create new and better markets for agricultural producers and food businesses in 19 states across rural America.

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, joined Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) in reintroducing the Exposing Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act.

A tentative agreement has been reached to end 13 months of labor talks between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, easing concerns about supply chain disruptions.

House Democrats accused Republicans of breaking the debt ceiling agreement by advancing a fiscal 2024 spending bill for USDA and FDA that would cut funding to near FY22 levels while also relying on funding rescissions that have little chance of being enacted.

Walmart has announced plans to build the company's first owned and operated case-ready beef facility, which will be built in Olathe, Kansas, starting later this year.

Reported food spending has increased to its highest level since the Consumer Food Insights Report began surveying in January 2022, possibly leaving consumers feeling little relief from inflation.

Jacob Massey, from Petersburg, Tenn., was named champion at the 2023 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC). The championship, now in its 59th year, was held at Arcadia Stockyard in Arcadia, Fla., and presented by the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA).

EPA will have one more week to finalize a multi-year Renewable Fuel Standard proposal after Growth Energy agreed to a stipulation in a previous consent decree hammered out in court with the agency.

A U.S. Senator is becoming more skeptical about an on-time farm bill.

Two tax breaks that are widely used in agriculture are at stake as Republicans and Democrats renew what is likely to be a multi-year battle over tax policy.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that it is implementing a multi-step effort aimed at strengthening the substantiation of animal-raising claims.

Scam artists are taking advantage of Missouri’s drought conditions and farmers. The Missouri Department of Agriculture says it has received reports from producers who paid for hay upfront through a wire transfer, only to have no hay delivered.

Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) (“Bunge”) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with Viterra Limited, a private company limited by shares incorporated under the laws of Jersey (“Viterra”), together with certain affiliates of Glencore PLC (LSE: GLEN) (“Glencore”), Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (“CPP Investments”) and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (“BCI”), to merge with Viterra in a stock and cash transaction.

Brazil’s equivalent of the USDA has increased its already record large corn and soybean production projections.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting more than 1 million acres in this year’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup. This is one of several signups that USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is holding for the program.

Despite a significant loss in the Supreme Court that likely will require the EPA to rewrite the Biden administration's waters of the U.S. rule, the agency on Monday filed an appeal seeking review of a preliminary injunction against the rule in 24 states.

USDA is distributing almost $714 million for broadband connectivity projects through the fourth round of the ReConnect Program, an announcement that will direct loan and grant funding to 33 projects across the country.

House Republicans proposed a tax package Friday that would impose a new excise tax of up to 60% on purchases of U.S. farmland by China and other “countries of concern."

The U.S. Dairy Export Council says the volume of exports in April had its largest month-to-month decline in four years with weakness in nearly all categories.

After a relatively quiet start to the 2023 growing season, the first full week of June brought about a flurry of pest infestations and diseases.

A survey of U.S. ethanol producers shows the industry to be on track toward its net-zero-carbon goal, a new white paper and presentation indicate, with facilities producing ethanol that is up to 55 percent less carbon intensive than gasoline, on average.

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) helped introduce, alongside Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS), the Community College Agriculture Advancement Act, which would equip community and technical colleges with the resources they need to expand agriculture education for their students and the next generation of farmers.