December 26th, 2025
House Passes the SPEED Act
The Fertilizer Institute applauded the House of Representatives for passing HR 4776, the Standard Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act. The bipartisan legislation is focused on taking important steps to modernize the federal permitting process while maintaining strong environmental protection. “Fertilizer production is highly capital-intensive and requires long-term investment in mines, manufacturing plants, and processing facilities,” said TFI President and CEO Corey Rosenbusch. “Even with additional projects in development, after extensive environmental analysis, these projects too often face years of uncertainty due to duplicative reviews, poor coordination, and permitting-related litigation.” The bill modernizes and reforms the National Environmental Policy Act review process, codifying a recent Supreme Court decision clarifying that environmental reviews should focus on impacts with a reasonably close causal relationship to the project under review. That will help return NEPA to its intended role as a procedural statute rather than a tool for indefinite delay.
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U.S. Hog Inventory Up One Percent
The U.S. hog inventory is growing. As of December 1, there were 75.5 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, which is up one percent from December 2024 and slightly higher than the numbers on September 1, 2025. That’s according to the Hogs and Pigs report published by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Other key findings in the report included that of the 75.5 million hogs and pigs, 69.6 million were market hogs, while 5.95 million were kept for breeding. Between September and November 2025, 35 million pigs were weaned on U.S. farms, up slightly from the same period a year earlier. During the same timeframe, hog and pig producers weaned an average of 11.92 pigs per litter. Producers also intend to have 2.89 million sows farrow between December 2025 and February 2026, and 2.91 million sows farrow between March and May 2026. Iowa, Minnesota, and North Carolina had the most hogs.
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Rural Mainstreet Index Climbed Above Growth Neutral
For only the second time in 2025, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index climbed above a growth-neutral reading of 50.0. That’s according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in a rural ten-state region dependent on agriculture and energy. The December reading hit 50.1, its highest level since July 2025, and was up from November’s 44.0. The index ranges from 0 to 100, with 50.0 representing growth neutral. “Weak agriculture commodity prices and high input costs for grain producers continue to restrain economic activity in the ten-state region,” said Ernie Goss of Creighton University. When asked to identify the most effective policy changes to boost farm income, half of the bank CEOs named the reduction of farm tariffs and trade restrictions as the most effective or useful. For only the second time in the past 20 months, farmland prices expanded above growth-neutral. Farm loan delinquencies only grew by 1.6 percent during the past six months.
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Sage Grouse Plains Use Science and Stakeholder Input
The Bureau of Land Management released its updated greater sage grouse management plans, amending 77 separate land use plans across the West. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council submitted comments on these plans after each phase of the revisions in 2015, 2019, and 2024, advising BLM leadership to leverage livestock grazing as a tool for strengthening sagebrush habitat and preventing wildfires that kill countless birds every year. These amended plans will accomplish these goals and will greatly increase conservation efforts. “The revised sage grouse management plans recognize the role of cattle producers, as the original conservationists, and follow the best available science,” said NCBA President and Nebraska cattleman Buck Wehrbein (WHERE-byne). “Without ranchers actively managing millions of acres of western rangeland, there would be less habitat and forage, and the grouse populations would be substantially smaller.” A single conservation strategy among all states would have been ineffective.
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USDA Projects $37 Billion Ag Trade Deficit Next Year
The USDA is forecasting that the agricultural trade deficit will shrink in 2026 more than previously anticipated. Agri-Pulse said USDA expects the trade deficit to drop from $43.7 billion in fiscal year 2025 to $37 billion in fiscal year 2026. That’s according to the Quarterly Trade Forecast published on Tuesday. During a previous report released in August, the USDA originally predicted a trade deficit of $41.5 billion in this fiscal year. Driving the adjusted outlook are factors like larger-than-expected exports. USDA’s export prediction during FY2026 is now $173 billion, up from the projected $169 billion in August. However, even with the revision, exports are still set to contract year-over-year after the U.S. recorded $175.6 billion in exports during fiscal year 2025. “A significant portion of the better outlook can be attributed to improvements in the Chinese market,” Agri-Pulse reported. “Exports are also projected to improve in South Korea, Japan, Mexico, and Southeast Asia.”
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College Scientists Develop Small-Scale Food Recycling System
Scientists at the University of California-Riverside have developed a small-scale system that transforms food waste into high-protein animal feed and fertilizer. The system uses black soldier flies, which offer a sustainable solution to an environmental problem. Black soldier flies have long been used by cities and industry to break down food scraps and agricultural waste. Compared to industrial-scale operations, which require significant infrastructure and staffing, the system is far more affordable and accessible. The setup lets people recycle food waste right where it’s produced, either on a farm, in a greenhouse, or even at a large residence. Scientists ran their experiment using food waste from a campus dining hall. Black soldier fly larvae are sought after as a protein-rich feed for poultry and fish. Their manure, called frass, is a valuable soil additive. Scientists added that this project isn’t just waste management, it’s also resource creation, taking what people don’t want and turning it into something they do want.
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