December 11, 2025

Trump Loosens Rules to Cut Ag Equipment Costs

As he was announcing up to $12 billion in relief payments to farmers, Bloomberg said President Donald Trump pressured farm equipment manufacturers to drop their prices. The president said his administration would allow companies like Deere and others permission to “take off a lot of the environmental restrictions they have on machinery,” blaming them for driving up the costs for farmers. The president said manufacturers are “going to have to reduce their prices because farming equipment has gotten too expensive, and a lot of the reason is that they put these environmental excesses on the equipment, which don’t do a damn thing except make it complicated.” Fox Business reported that the administration is going to take a lot of that “nonsense” off the equipment. While Trump didn’t give many specifics on how the plan will work, he did say EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin would be involved in carrying out the effort. 

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Organic Trade Association Reacts to Organic Investment Legislation

The Organic Trade Association applauded the introduction of the Domestic Organic Investment Act in the House and Senate. The bill makes essential improvements to expand U.S. farmers’ and manufacturers’ capacity to meet the demands of the growing organic marketplace, now at $71 billion. It will help ensure the continued expansion of the organic sector in the U.S. While the U.S. organic sector grew at double the pace of conventional agriculture in 2025, domestic organic production hasn’t kept pace with the growth in demand for organic products. The purpose of the new legislation is to create competitive grants for organic producers and manufacturers to invest in increased storage, processing, aggregation, and distribution capacity. “These infrastructure investments will remove longstanding barriers from the farm-gate through the supply chain to give organic producers and manufacturers the capacity they need to meet the growing demand,” said Matthew Dillon of the OTA.

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USDA will Conduct a 2025 Organic Survey

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will conduct the 2025 Organic Survey. In early December, NASS will mail survey codes to respondents with an invitation to reply online. NASS will follow up by mailing the full questionnaire in early January. Last conducted in 2021, this Census of Agriculture special study will look to gather new data on organic production, marketing practices, incomes, and expenses in the U.S. This effort is critical to help determine the economic impact of organic agriculture production on the nation. The results will be available on October 30, 2026. “Organic agriculture is a growing industry, and it’s our job as a federal statistical agency to help measure this part of the agriculture sector,” said NASS Administrator Joseph Parsons. 

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CoBank: Forces Shaping the 2026 Rural Economy

A new CoBank Report on the forces shaping the economy in 2026 says ample grain supplies will likely continue burdening the markets in 2026. Global grain and oilseed markets are still oversupplied, but increased biofuels production and improving export conditions are boosting optimism that prices have passed their cyclical bottoms. Demand for U.S. grains and oilseeds will continue strengthening as low prices stimulate usage. Elsewhere, investment in efficiency is paying dividends in animal protein production as consumers continue demanding more. Despite rising prices for meat and poultry, animal protein demand is expected to remain strong in 2026. The combination of higher revenues and falling feed prices is boosting producer optimism for the year ahead, but not to the degree that expansion is expected to proliferate. Milk protein is also poised for an extended bull-market run as demand for protein-based dairy products continues to climb. 

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SAF Coalition Applauds Securing America’s Fuels Act

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition’s Executive Director Allison Graab, applauded the introduction of the “Securing America’s Fuels Act” in the U.S. House. The SAF Act restores the full value of the credit for SAF and extends the entire 45Z tax credit through 2033. Senator Mike Flood (R-NE), one of the sponsors, said now is the right time for this legislation as America is on the cusp of the next great biofuels’ revolution. “This Act is yet another way that Congress can grow our biofuels economy and encourage innovation that creates great jobs across Rural America,” Flood said. Sharice Davids (D-KS) said the SAF Act ensures that clean fuel production incentives are strong and long-term, so businesses, farmers, and innovators can plan for the future with confidence. “Sustainable aviation fuel isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for our farmers, communities, and economy,” said Tracey Mann (R-KS). 

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USDA Raises Global Wheat Production Forecast

USDA raised its outlook for global wheat production by 1.1 percent in its December WASDE report. The increase was thanks in part to gains in several major growing countries like Canada, Australia, and Russia. World production is projected at 837.81 million metric tons, up from the prior forecast of 828.89 million tons. The agency said Canadian wheat output is now projected at 40 million metric tons, up from the previous outlook for 37 million. Australian production is now expected to be 37 million metric tons, up from 36 million the previous month, while Russian output is seen at 87.5 million tons versus 86.5 million in November. Several other countries will likely see production that’s higher than previously forecast. For example, Argentina will produce a record 24 million metric tons of wheat this year, a nine percent jump above the previous forecast. 

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