October 29, 2025

Fertilizer Institute Wants Policy to Strengthen Input Supplies

As farmers continue navigating a period of tight margins and volatile markets, The Fertilizer Institute is urging policymakers to focus on practical solutions. TFI president and CEO Corey Rosenbusch said the solutions need to strengthen U.S. agriculture, expand markets for producers, and ensure farmers have access to fertilizer exactly when and where it’s needed. “America’s farmers are the most productive in the world, and we’re proud to stand with them through the challenging market conditions we are experiencing as global factors continue driving fertilizer costs,” Rosenbusch said. TFI listed a number of steps to accomplish its goals, including advancing a national policy to expand domestic fertilizer production, appointing a full-time USDA Fertilizer Economist to monitor market dynamics, and streamlining federal permitting and regulatory reviews to accelerate construction and modernization of fertilizer plants, mines, and infrastructure. “The input industries like fertilizer and seed all rely on strong, stable farm demand,” Rosenbusch added. 

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Meat Institute Applauds Asian Trade Deals 

The Meat Institute reacted positively after the White House announced trade deals with Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. “We applaud the elimination of onerous establishment and product registration requirements and the reinforcement of sound, internationally recognized science in determining market access,” said Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the Meat Institute. “We are so grateful to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Assistant USTR for Agricultural Affairs Julie Callahan for their hard work to address both tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade that have been challenging meat and poultry exports for years.” Potts also said the Meat Institute is pleased that Cambodia and Malaysia agreed to our protections for common meat product names, and as negotiations proceed with Thailand and Vietnam, her organization will continue working with the White House to ensure the final agreements include these provisions. 

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Winter Wheat Planting Continues Slowly

Recent rains brought much-needed soil moisture across Kansas, improving prospects for fall wheat stands. At the same time, the weather-restoring soil moisture has also slowed wheat planting progress, leaving many farmers behind schedule. In central Kansas, Derek Sawyer, chair of the Kansas Wheat Commission, said planting progress in his area is only about halfway complete. “Acres are steady so far, but overall, I think acres will be down because fall harvest has been delayed,” Sawyer said. “We’re up against the deadline for double-cropping behind corn or beans.”  While moisture conditions are favorable, the season has also brought reports of fall armyworms. Damage has been mostly to early-grazing wheat, but growers are encouraged to watch for pressure on emerging stands. Fields can often recover if the pressure drops quickly, but replanting may be needed in areas more heavily affected. As fields dry, producers still should quickly finish planting.

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Rounds: Packers and Stockyards Act Being Ignored

South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds met recently with President Donald Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to discuss the president’s plan to import some beef from Argentina. Rounds said they agreed the U.S. needs an America First game plan that prioritizes American farmers and ranchers. Following the meeting, Rounds said he was encouraged by the president’s desire to do right by the American producer. Opening the market to even more foreign beef, which American consumers cannot differentiate because of current labeling rules, would only exacerbate the problem and hurt domestic producers. Implementing Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling would empower consumers to choose, but instead it “continues to sit on the shelf gathering dust.” Rounds said the Packers and Stockyards Act continues to be ignored, as four companies – two of which are Brazilian-owned – monopolize the beef processing market. He said that the issue cannot be resolved by displacing American beef with foreign beef. 

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Food Banks Bracing for November Surge

As the government shutdown continues, the USDA published a website notice saying federal food aid will not be going out to families nationwide. The USDA notice says “the well has run dry” for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps roughly one in eight Americans buy groceries. A Reuters report said nine food banks and anti-hunger groups located in eight states say they’re going to have a hard time absorbing higher demand if SNAP funds don’t get distributed, especially since hunger in the U.S. has already risen over multiple years. Food banks have already seen record demand in recent years as food price inflation continues to strain household food budgets. Feeding America, a national food bank network, said over 50 million people received food from food banks, pantries, and other charitable sources in 2023. The shutdown also threatens almost seven million participants in the Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC (wick) Program. 

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Communicating with Farmers Under Stress Webinar

An upcoming webinar from Penn State University Extension titled “Communicating with Farmers Under Stress” is intended to help participants learn the signs of stress and how to help. It takes place on November 17, 2025, from 10 am to Noon, Eastern Time. The program is designed for ag industry professionals, loan officers, family members of farmers, and concerned citizens. The session will cover how to communicate with and respond to farmers and their family members when they need assistance. The program will help build awareness of stressors affecting farmers and their families, recognize the signs and symptoms of anxiety and warning signs of suicide, and how to assess, approach, and assist farmers showing a change in their mental health. The webinar is free, but participants must register before it starts to get the access link. For more information and to sign up, go to the Penn State Extension website at extension.psu.edu.

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