October 13, 2025

AFBF: Farmers are at a Breaking Point

The American Farm Bureau Federation sent letters to President Donald Trump and Congressional leaders to emphasize the severe economic pressures facing America’s farmers and ranchers. Falling crop prices, skyrocketing expenses, and trade disputes are creating conditions that are too much for farm families to bear. “Across the country, farms are disappearing as families close the gates on the farms tended by their parents, grandparents, and generations before them,” wrote Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. “In the short term, we urge leaders to authorize bridge payments for farmers before the end of 2025.” While emergency aid will help, Farm Bureau asks for long-term solutions to help improve economic conditions in rural America, including fair and enforceable trade agreements. The organization also wants year-round sales of E15, restoration of whole milk in schools, and protection of interstate commerce. “Federal leadership can now prevent a deepening crisis in the agricultural economy,” Duvall added.

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Rollins: No Farm Aid Until Shutdown Ends

The Trump administration won’t move forward on financial assistance for producers struggling with high costs and low commodity prices until the government shutdown ends. Successful Farming said that comes directly from Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins. On September 28, the administration transferred $13 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation account to fund the aid package. However, it hasn’t announced the terms or the exact size of the package. Rollins said the government needs to be reopened so they can move forward on the assistance. “Once we do that, we’ll be able to move out a significant program to help our farmers,” Rollins said. The Secretary and President Trump blamed the sluggish farm economy on former President Joe Biden’s inaction. Trump recently told reporters that he would address China’s lack of soybean purchases when he meets China’s President Xi Jinping later this month during a meeting of regional leaders in South Korea.  

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DNC: Trump, Rollins Betray U.S. Farmers

Democrats responded to an announcement from Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins that emergency assistance for farmers won’t happen until the government shutdown ends. The Democratic National Committee said U.S. agricultural exports are expected to decline in 2025 and 2026, specifically due to President Trump’s “reckless trade war.” The Committee did say Rollins got one thing right by saying the “farm economy is in a very uncertain time.” Communications Director Rosemary Boeglin said, “The administration says it supports U.S. farmers, but Trump’s tariffs have destroyed trade relationships, increased fertilizer and equipment costs, and tanked our rural economy.” She also said Trump’s rumored bailout of farmers won’t solve the problems that he has created. “Farmers do not want handouts,” she added. “They want to be able to sell their crops, something Trump’s tariffs have made impossible, putting family farms on the brink of bankruptcy while he bails out other countries like Argentina.” 

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Beef Price-Fixing Lawsuit is Settled 

Tyson Foods and Cargill will pay a combined $87.5 million in a settlement reached with the Consumer Indirect Purchaser plaintiffs in a beef price-fixing lawsuit that began in 2019. Filed this week in a Minnesota U.S. District Court, the Consumer IPP class notified the court that Tyson will pay $55 million and Cargill $32.5 million in monetary relief. Both of the companies agreed to cooperate in the case against the two remaining defendants, JBS and National Beef Packing. National Hog Farmer Magazine said the Consumer IPPs are consumers who indirectly purchased beef from major retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Sam’s Club between August 2014 and December 2019. They’re based in 26 states and Washington, D.C., where laws allow indirect purchasers to sue for damage. The class action lawsuit claims that the four largest meatpackers, who control 80 percent of the market, conspired to restrict the supply of cattle and fix beef prices.  

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Agricultural Drone Market to Surpass $29 Billion

According to Research Intelo, the global agricultural drones market size reached $4.7 billion in 2024. That demonstrated robust momentum, which is expected to continue. The market is projected to reach a value of $29.1 billion by 2033, driven by the escalating adoption of precision farming and the growing demand for advanced agricultural solutions. This growth trajectory is driven by the increasing integration of cutting-edge drone technologies intended for crop monitoring, field mapping, and yield optimization across diverse geographies. The global agricultural drones market is witnessing exponential growth as farmers increasingly adopt advanced technologies to enhance crop productivity and reduce operational costs. Manufacturers are also developing hybrid drones that combine the endurance of fixed-wing models with the agility of multi-rotor drones, making them ideal for large-scale agricultural operations. Unprecedented innovations in battery life and payload capacity have extended drone flight times, allowing them to cover much larger areas of land. 

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USW Joins Successful Trade Mission to Japan

U.S. Wheat Associates joined a successful USDA trade mission to Japan in early October. The trip was led by Luke Lindberg, USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. The mission provided USW president and CEO Mike Spier and USW Chairman Jim Pellman of North Dakota with an additional opportunity to reaffirm the enduring partnership between U.S. wheat farmers and Japan’s government and milling and baking industries. “Japan has been a consistent customer of U.S. wheat from before USW was even officially formed as an organization,” Spier said. “We appreciate the opportunity to showcase our long-term success in this market with Under Secretary Lindberg.” He also said these missions strengthen cooperation and communication between the two nations, maintaining U.S. access to this mature, quality-conscious, and steady buyer. Meetings with Japanese customers included topics like policy, sanitary and phytosanitary regulations, advancements in wheat breeding technologies, and U.S. trade promotion efforts. 

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