National Ag News for June 30, 2025
Environmental Working Group Pans Reconciliation Bill
Agriculture policy experts in a press conference hosted by Environmental Working Group said the massive budget reconciliation bill waiting for debate and approval in the Senate, would drive further dependency on farm safety nets, and have negative effects on small- and medium-sized producers. The bill pulls money from the federal nutrition programs and to pay for federal farm subsidies, which the analysts argued would go to “some of the wealthiest people in farm country. The budget reconciliation bill, commonly referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” comprises budgets across the entire government, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees farm programs and nutrition programs. Its budget is typically determined by omnibus legislation known as the Farm Bill. Environmental Working Group reported USDA paid $279.4 billion in commodity subsidies in 2024, and that from 1995 through 2024, the top 10% of commodity farms received nearly 80% of commodity subsidy payments.
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U.S./India Trade Talks Stall over Tariff Disputes
Trade negotiations between the U.S. and India have reached a major impasse, casting doubt on prospects for a bilateral agreement ahead of President Donald Trump’s July 9 deadline to impose new reciprocal tariffs, Reuters reports. Indian officials say both sides remain divided over import duties on auto components, steel and agricultural products. India is pressing for a rollback of the proposed 26% U.S. reciprocal tariff and seeking relief from existing U.S. duties on Indian steel and auto parts. However, U.S. negotiators have rejected these requests and are demanding deeper tariff cuts by India on U.S. farm goods — including soybeans and corn — as well as on automobiles and alcoholic beverages and are seeking eased non-tariff barriers. An Indian delegation is expected to travel to Washington before the deadline, but sources caution that negotiations may shift toward a broader deal rather than a rushed interim pact.
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JBS: Cattle Herd Rebuild is Underway
U.S. ranchers are moving to expand their herds from a seven-decade low, paving the way for a long-awaited recovery in beef supplies, according to top producer JBS NV. Wesley Batista Filho, chief executive officer of the Brazilian company’s North American business, said in an interview, “We are into herd rebuild right now. The economic incentives are there, the weather is helping.” That’s much-needed news for both meatpackers and consumers. A severe shortage in the world’s largest producer has sent cattle costs surging, wiping out billions in profits for companies such as JBS, Cargill Inc. and Tyson Foods Inc., while driving record beef prices at grocery stores. The move is backed up by a recent reduction in the number of female cows being sent to slaughter, which indicates more of them are being held for procreation, according to Batista. Still, it will take years for cattle supplies to recover, with no meaningful increase expected before 2027.
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New Survey Predicts 1.3 Million Acre Jump for Corn
Just ahead of USDA’s new estimates, the Kluis Commodity Advisors/Successful Farming Acreage Survey revealed American farmers planted over 1 million more corn acres for the 2025/2026 crop year than USDA previously forecast. Soybean and wheat acres were pegged lower. According to the survey results, the acreage for corn and soybeans combined is 179.3 million versus 178.8 million in USDA’s March 2025 Prospective Plantings report. The survey attributes this increase to a 500,000-acre reduction in spring wheat. USDA’s March report contained 2025/2026 acreage estimates based chiefly on surveys asking what U.S. farmers anticipated planting. Monday, June 30 (Today), USDA is expected to release the annual Acreage report, containing new estimates based mainly on farmer surveys to discover how many acres were actually planted. Al Kluis, managing director of Kluis Commodity Advisors, said the survey’s corn estimate has the potential to translate to increased U.S. corn production and ending stocks, making the number negative for prices.
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Kochia Found in Missouri Soybean Fields
Kochia, a highly competitive weed well adapted to the Great Plains and western regions of the U.S. and Canada, has made its way to Missouri soybean fields. Wayne Flanary, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy, discovered large, scattered kochia plants in soybean fields in Atchison County, Missouri, which borders Iowa to the north and Nebraska to the west. He noted that flooding along the Missouri River and its tributaries likely carried the weed into agricultural fields. Though the weed species is not new to Missouri, this may be the first report of kochia showing up in cropland in the state. DTN reports the weed grows rapidly and aggressively outcompetes crops for water, nutrients and sunlight. It’s also drought tolerant, producing up to 30,000 seeds per plant. These seeds have potential to germinate quickly — within two or three hours under the right conditions.
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Ag Groups Ask Administration to “Correct” Course of MAHA
Concern about the Make America Healthy Again report led 250-plus agriculture groups to ask the Trump administration to “correct” the direction of its MAHA goals, in a letter dated June 13. The letter was addressed to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. Groups signing the letter included: American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. In the letter, the groups criticized the MAHA Commission’s “lack of transparency” in creating the report, adding it also did not allow any opportunity for public engagement. In an article published by NOTUS, a digital news outlet, reporters noted the MAHA report contained a number of citation errors and “false claims” that could have been avoided with better industry input ahead of the commission’s report release. A MAHA follow-up report is due for release by August 12.
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