May 14, 2025

House Ag Plans To Tighten SNAP, Expand Safety Net

House Republicans are proposing a $290 billion cut from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over the next decade. The GOP plan uses some of the money saved to increase spending on commodity programs, crop insurance, and other farm bill programs. The draft text released on Monday shows the bill’s agriculture provisions would increase the PLC reference prices by ten percent to 20 percent, in line with the farm bill the committee approved last year. Politico says the $230 billion instructed savings target will be reached by forcing states to pay for part of the SNAP program using a sliding scale based on their payment error rates, beginning in fiscal 2028, and would pay between five and 25 percent of the benefits costs. The individual limit for commodity program payments would be increased from $125,000 to $155,000 and indexed for inflation. Funding for EQIP and CSP would rise to $3.26 billion and $1.38 billion, respectively. 
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U.S. Ag Tractor Sales Drop as Canadian Sales Rise

Data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers shows Canadian sales of agricultural tractors grew 3.4 percent in April year-to-date, while sales of four-wheel-drive tractors jumped 46.3 percent during the same period. U.S. sales dropped in all categories in April 2025, with total agricultural tractor sales down 13.3 percent and combines falling 48.3 percent year-to-date. “The April report of slow tractor and combine sales is reflective of the overall softness in the ag economy,” says Curt Blades, the senior vice president of AEM. “Increased input prices, high interest rates, and global trade concerns are leading to farmers taking a more cautious approach to their capital investments.” He also said that with planting season underway, AEM remains optimistic that the ag economy will improve, leading to a strengthening of the ag equipment market. The 100-plus horsepower tractor segment saw the sharpest drop from last year, down 28 percent in April 2025 compared to April 2024.  
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Mexico says U.S. Beef Import Suspension is “unfair”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum isn’t happy with the Trump administration’s decision to suspend imports of Mexican beef cattle for 15 days because of detections of screwworm in shipments. Describing the suspension as “unfair,” Sheinbaum says she’s hopeful the suspension won’t result in another economic blow for her country. High Plains Dot Com says the U.S. restricted Mexican cattle shipments in November following the detection of the pest, but lifted the ban in February after protocols were put in place to evaluate the animals before entry into the U.S. “We do not agree with the measure,” Sheinbaum said. “The Mexican government has worked on all fronts from the very first moment we were alerted to the screwworm.” U.S. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins pointed out that the last time the devastating pest invaded the U.S., it took the livestock industry 30 years to recover. “That can’t happen again,” she added. 
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Democrats React to Proposed SNAP Cuts

Senator Amy Klobuchar, the Ranking Member of the Senate Ag Committee, reacted to the potential $290 billion in cuts to SNAP proposed by Republicans on the House Ag Committee. “Instead of working with Democrats to lower costs from President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs, House Republicans have decided to pull the rug out from under families by cutting the SNAP benefits that 42 million Americans rely on to put food on the table,” she said. “This means more seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and children will go to bed hungry.” Klobuchar also said it will mean job losses and lost wages for everyone who is a part of the food system, from truck drivers to local grocers. “Ultimately, these cuts threaten the farm bill coalition that has delivered bipartisan support for farmers, families, and rural communities for decades, and will make it harder for Congress to pass a bipartisan farm bill,” Klobuchar added.
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Growth Energy Applauds Conclusion of 45Z Credit in Tax Proposal

Growth Energy welcomed the news that the proposal released on Monday from the House Ways and Means Committee included an extension of the 45Z clean fuel production credit. It’s an incentive designed to spur innovation in American biofuels and unlock billions in new investments across rural America. “Pro-growth tax policy can unlock billions of dollars in new investments towards U.S. energy dominance while supporting stronger markets for America’s farmers,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “The 45Z tax credit is a critical piece of this puzzle, and we’re glad to see that lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee recognized its importance.” The 45Z clean fuel production tax credit is intended to incentivize the production of low-carbon fuels in transportation on the ground and the air. Growth Energy’s research demonstrates that the credit would add 21.2 billion dollars to the U.S. economy and support more than 192,000 jobs.  
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USDA Announced Several CRP Signups

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced several Conservation Reserve Program enrollment opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners. USDA’s Farm Service Agency is accepting offers for both the General and Continuous CRP now through June 6, 2025. CRP has long been USDA’s flagship conservation program and celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. “With 1.8 million acres available for all CRP enrollment this fiscal year, we are very aware that we are bumping up against the statutory 27-million-acre cap,” says FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “Now more than ever, it’s important that the acres offered by landowners and those approved by USDA address our most critical natural resource concerns.” Beam also said that with the limited number of acres available, they’re not necessarily looking for the most acres offered but instead are prioritizing mindful conservation efforts to ensure that FSA maximizes the return on investment from both a conservation and an economic perspective. 
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