December 08, 2025

USDA Expanding Crop Insurance Access

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced major updates to federal crop insurance, reducing red tape for farmers, modernizing long-standing policies, and expanding access to critical risk protection beginning with the 2026 crop year. The “Expanding Access to Risk Protection (EARP) Final Rule streamlines requirements across multiple crops, responds to producer feedback, and strengthens USDA’s commitment to putting American farmers first. The Act reduces regulatory burdens by removing the “insured” requirement from the “1 in 4” rule for prevented planting payments. Other changes include allowing policyholders switching Approved Insurance Providers to submit production reports directly to their new provider, reducing confusion and paperwork. “With this new rule, we are delivering real, meaningful relief by modernizing the system, expanding access to crop insurance, and making it easier, not harder, for farmers and ranchers to protect their operations and keep doing their work of feeding and fueling America,” Rollins said. “We’re putting farmers first.”  

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How Will Food Prices Affect Holiday Meals in 2025?

The holidays bring large increases in food spending for both food at home and food away from home. Consumers’ decisions during this season can have important implications for farmers and ranchers. Farmdoc, at the University of Illinois, said persistent inflation has impacted consumer food decisions in recent years, including their holiday meals. This year, estimates of Thanksgiving meal costs showed prices were slightly lower than in previous years. A survey showed 69 percent of respondents expect food prices to affect their meal plans this year. The concern was much higher for people who utilize nutrition assistance programs like SNAP. Despite the challenges, demand for many holiday favorites like turkey remains strong. Despite recent concerns regarding high beef prices, a larger share of consumers report plans to serve beef in their holiday meals compared to recent years. Consumers are adapting by shopping for food deals and shopping earlier than normal. 

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Conditional Approval of Topical Screwworm Treatment

Merck Animal Health announced that the Food and Drug Administration granted conditional approval for EXOLT CATTLE-CA 1. It’s a new topical that’s approved for the prevention and treatment of infestations caused by New World Screwworm larvae, as well as the treatment and control of the cattle fever tick. “The New World Screwworm represents a growing concern to U.S. agriculture, potentially causing devastating economic losses for cattle producers that could reach hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Rick DeLuca, president of Merck Animal Health. “We worked closely with the FDA to accelerate availability so that veterinarians and cattle producers will have access to a powerful new tool to protect cattle from these serious parasites, helping to safeguard the industry’s economic future and the nation’s beef supply.” Merck also received market authorization in Mexico to prevent and treat the New World Screwworm to help control the spread of the parasite and protect cattle. 

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China’s Deadline Moved to February

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent extended an earlier deadline for Beijing’s purchases of American soybeans from December to February. Bessent said China is on pace to meet its pledge to buy 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans by the end of February. Bloomberg said Bessent was asked about soybean purchases and the time left before the end of the year, to which the Secretary clarified that the target was the “end of the season,” which would be February 28. Reuters said the USDA confirmed 2.25 million tons of Chinese purchases to date for shipment in the 2025-2026 marketing year that ends in August 2026. Analysts and traders estimate that actual sales could be somewhere between three and four million tons, as some individual deals were likely under the USDA’s threshold, while others were reported to undisclosed destinations. However, total Chinese purchases remain well short of the volumes bought before the trade war.  

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Plant-Based Product Survey Shows Continued Support

The Plant-Based Products Council released its 2025 Consumer Trends Research, revealing overwhelming public support for plant-based products. This is the sixth year the Council has conducted annual research to track consumer awareness, perceptions, and purchasing behavior related to plant-based products. “This year’s research makes one thing unmistakably clear: Americans see plant-based products as the future,” said James Glueck, executive director of the Plant Based Products Council. The 2025 Consumer Trends Research shows 71 percent of consumers are familiar with plant-based products. 85 percent of consumers view plant-based products favorably. Up to 68 percent of consumers say they use plant-based products at least monthly. 63 percent of consumers say they purchase plant-based products at least monthly. Almost three in four consumers support policy incentives and government investment in the American ag bioeconomy. The findings show plant-based products are firmly established as a mainstream consumer expectation and not a niche trend. 

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World Food Prices Fall in November

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s Food Price Index fell 1.2 percent to 125.1 points in November, marking a third consecutive monthly decline and a new low level since January. Sugar prices tumbled 5.9 percent to the lowest level since December 2020, amid expectations of ample global sugar supplies in the current season. Sugar production remained strong in Brazil and India. Dairy prices dropped 3.1 percent to September 2024 lows with declines recorded across all major dairy commodities. Prices for vegetable oils went down 2.6 percent as lower prices in other categories more than offset a slight increase in the price of soy oil. Also, meat prices dropped 0.8 percent, continuing to be driven lower by pig and poultry prices. On the other hand, cereal costs went up 1.8 percent, driven by a 2.5 percent increase in wheat bolstered by potential Chinese interest in supplies from the U.S. and reduced Russian plantings. 

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