October 02, 2025
Over 40,000 USDA Employees Furloughed By Shutdown
The White House Office of Management and Budget requires the USDA to maintain a plan for agency operations in the absence of appropriations. The plan shows a total of 85,907 USDA employees on board before the government shutdown took place on Wednesday morning at 12 am. According to the plan, a total of 42,256 agency employees were placed on furlough. The plan shows that the work getting paused during a shutdown includes most of the Risk Management Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, Food and Nutrition Service, and other segments of the agency. The shutdown particularly affects employees who work face-to-face with farmers. More than 6,000 of the 9,000-plus Farm Service Agency employees are going on furlough. By comparison, just 533 of the 7,600-plus people working at the Food Safety and Inspection Service, which regulates meat and poultry processing, are to be furloughed. Pesticide registration work at the EPA will continue.
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Global Productivity Not Progressing Fast Enough
The Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences released its annual Global Agricultural Productivity Report this week. Among the key findings, global agricultural productivity growth, which is averaging 0.76 percent annually, is only about one-third of the target rate of two percent per year needed to sustainably and profitably meet the demands of the world’s agri-food systems. Asia has emerged as a global productivity leader, especially in China, India, and Vietnam. The growth is driven by R&D investment and technology adoption. In contrast, much of Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America remains reliant on land expansion and input intensification, which can generate short-term output gains but can also erode ecosystems and stall sustainable growth. While the U.S. averaged -0.05 percent annual growth during the past decade, China surged ahead at 1.9 percent, backed by twice the R&D funding and threatening the U.S. edge in global agriculture.
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Rollins: Farm Economy Not in a Good Place
The U.S. agriculture industry continues to lose sales from trade severances with China and other partner nations, prompting Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins to say the farming economy is “not in a good place.” During an appearance on the Fox Business Channel, she said the administration is working around the clock. Rollins also said a “Golden Age” was around the corner for farmers, and they’d have an announcement on farmer support likely next week. Not everyone agrees with the Golden Age comment. The Hill said Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley slammed the administration’s decision to support the Argentine government financially while China purchases an increasing number of soybeans from the South American nation. In a post on X, the Senator said farmers are still “very upset” about Argentina selling soybeans to China right after the USA bailout. With no sales to China, Grassley said farmers need a trade deal with China “Now.”
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Democrats Want Argentina Bailout Halted
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the Ranking Member of the Senate Ag Committee, led 13 colleagues in calling on President Trump to halt his plan to send a $20 billion bailout to Argentina. The Argentinian government just suspended its soybean export taxes, undercutting American farmers in the international market. “Despite that, you are still reportedly moving forward with the bailout for the country,” the Senators said in a letter to the White House. “American soybean farmers, already hurting from your sweeping tariffs, deserve better.” The senators said it’s unclear why the White House would use taxpayer dollars to bolster the re-election campaign of a foreign president while the country takes steps to undermine U.S. farmers. As the American Soybean Association puts it, “U.S. soybean prices are falling, the harvest is underway, and farmers read headlines about not securing a trade agreement with China, but that the government is extending billions to Argentina.”
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Motion to Dismiss Denied in Ear Tag Case
The U.S. District Court for the Fourth District of South Dakota denied much of the USDA’s motion to dismiss the New Civil Liberties Alliance’s R-CALF, et al. v. USDA Lawsuit. The NCLA, representing farmers, ranchers, and livestock producers, challenged the USDA and its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s unlawful 2024 rule requiring electronically readable (EID) eartags for certain cattle and bison transported across state lines, rather than the long-used visual tags. USDA claimed that NCLA’s clients – cattle producers – did not have standing to bring the lawsuit, but the District Court rejected USDA’s arguments. NCLA is determined to defeat the rule on the merits and finally end this costly and unnecessary mandate, which is disproportionately borne by smaller and independent cattle producers. Kara Rollins, Litigation Counsel for NCLA, said, “Since this rule came into effect almost a year ago, America’s farmers and ranchers have been forced to comply with an unnecessary mandate.”
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Celebrating Leadership and Agriculture at the National FFA Convention
Tens of thousands of FFA members, advisors, alumni, and supporters from across the country will gather in Indianapolis for the 98th National FFA Convention and Expo. This celebration of agricultural education and leadership takes place from October 29-November 1. “This year’s convention is more than just an event; it’s a celebration of our members’ dedication and a launchpad for the next generation of leaders,” said Christine White, chief program officer for the National FFA Organization. “It’s a time where we honor the hard work of today and ignite the spark of inspiration for tomorrow, empowering a community that will shape the future of agriculture and innovation for years to come.” Last year, over 71,000 people attended the event, which is the largest annual gathering of FFA members. Attendees will participate in award ceremonies, explore careers, do hands-on service projects, and more. FFA members will participate in a variety of competitions.
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