October 06, 2025
FDA Approves First Drug for Prevention and Treatment of New World Screwworm in Cattle
The FDA recently, conditionally approved Dectomax-CA1 (doramectin injection) injectable solution for the prevention and treatment of New World screwworm (NWS) larval infestations and prevention of NWS reinfestation for 21 days. “We understand the urgency with which America’s farmers and ranchers are asking for tools to fight New World screwworm,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. “Today’s conditional approval – the first in the U.S. for NWS – shows our dedication to rapidly advancing important animal medicines when they are needed most. We continue to work tirelessly to complete review of other NWS products to protect multiple animal species in the U.S.” “Under this conditional approval, the FDA has determined the drug is safe and has a reasonable expectation of effectiveness. We are making this treatment available to cattle producers immediately while the sponsor collects the data needed for a full approval,” said Timothy Schell, Ph.D., acting director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.
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Trump Reportedly Eyeing $10 Billion Farmer Bailout—Using Tariffs
President Donald Trump is considering a massive aid program for U.S. farmers, according to multiple outlets, floating the potentially tariff-funded idea as the agriculture industry navigates low commodity prices and high operating costs amid Trump’s trade war. The aid package could provide $10 billion or more for U.S. farmers, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed people familiar with the discussions who said money could start being distributed in the coming months. Trump officials are evaluating how money made from tariffs could supplement farmer payments. Official details about the bailout are scarce, though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that information regarding “substantial support” for farmers would be released Tuesday. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday his administration will provide “some of that tariff money” to farmers, “who are, for a little while, going to be hurt until the tariffs kick into their benefit.”
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US Soybean Farmers, Deserted by Big Buyer China, Scramble for Other Importers
A trade mission to Nigeria. A memorandum of understanding with Vietnam. A surge of purchases from Bangladesh. These countries are not typically major customers for soybeans from the U.S. farm belt. But, according to Reuters, desperate farmers, their trade organizations and President Donald Trump’s administration are turning to far corners of the world in hopes of averting a disaster for agriculture from a trade war that has kept China from purchasing U.S. supplies. The efforts so far are failing to offset the loss of the country’s biggest customer for the crop. The crisis is particularly acute in Illinois, the largest U.S. soybean producing and exporting state. After months of work that included planting seeds, fertilizing fields and spraying weedkillers, Illinois growers are facing losses of up to $8 per acre thanks to low crop prices and weak exports, according to University of Illinois estimates.
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Emergency Quarantine in Effect to Protect Texas Agriculture from Invasive Leafhopper Pest
The Texas Department of Agriculture enacted an emergency quarantine Oct. 2 to stop the spread of the invasive two-spotted cotton leafhopper, also known as the cotton jassid. Originally from Asia, the cotton jassid has spread across much of the southeastern United States and now poses a serious threat to Texas’ multi-billion-dollar cotton industry and other agricultural products, said TDA. “Texas cotton farmers are the backbone of our economy and our communities,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said. “Texas grows 40% of the cotton grown in the U.S., making this pest a major threat to our supply. I won’t let a threat like the cotton jassid harm our farmers, ranchers, nurseries or landscapes. We’re taking aggressive steps to stop this pest in its tracks.” The quarantine applies to shipments from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee where the pest has been detected.
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New Agriculture Wage Rate Rule Important Step in Reform
A new wage rate rule for agricultural guestworkers takes a much-needed step towards reforming regulations that have put labor out of reach for many of America’s farmers. The Department of Labor announced a new rule that revises agriculture wage rates for all 50 states and Puerto Rico. AFBF President Zippy Duvall said, “For many farmers, prices for the products they raise are low while production expenses are at record highs, so a fair wage rate is essential. In most states, the new rates will help farmers afford to get crops from the fields to the tables of America’s families.” “This new rule holds promise for many farm families who would be out of business if not for the H-2A program. We look forward to working with the administration to ensure more transparency, predictability and clarity as it implements the rule, and we remain committed to working with Congress for more lasting reforms that provide mutual benefit for workers and farmers.”
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Gov’t Shutdown Halts Some Payments, Loans to Farmers
“The U.S. federal government shutdown that began Wednesday will halt some payments to farmers and delay access to federal farm loans, the latest blow for producers already facing low crop prices, record-high debts, and a trade war at the height of the fall harvest.” reports Reuters. On Wednesday, the scope of the shutdown’s potential impact to U.S. farmers was beginning to emerge. Even short interruptions in payments could deepen farmers’ economic turmoil. ‘It costs money to run those combines,’ said Chad Hart, agricultural economist with Iowa State University.” The shut down effects the processing of farm loans and making payments to farmers, including billions of dollars in disaster aid contained in President Donald Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill. The USDA has stopped issuing weather-related disaster payments, accepting and processing farm loans, providing technical assistance for conservation programs, and swaths of other agency work.
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