January 06, 2026

Does Assistance Favor Rice and Cotton Producers?

USDA released details about how much row crop farmers will receive this year from a $12 billion aid program. However, U.S. soybean producers say the payments won’t help farmers hurt by low crop prices and trade disputes. Reuters said while the aid is expected to help farmers get ready for next season, growers and agricultural economists say those payments will only cover a fraction of farm losses and won’t rescue the sagging U.S. farm economy. The one-time payments will go to growers who planted one of 19 covered commodity crops. “The highest per-acre payments will go to rice farmers, who could get $132.89 an acre,” Reuters said. “Cotton farmers could get $117.35 an acre, and oats farmers could receive $81.75 an acre.” Meanwhile, farmers are eligible for $44.36 per corn acre, $30.88 per soybean acre, and $39.35 per wheat acre. The overall payment limit is $155,000 per entity or individual.

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Corn and Wheat Export Pace Ahead of Last Year

USDA data said exports of corn and wheat remain well ahead of year-earlier levels, while soybeans lag behind last year’s pace through the week of December 18. Corn exports from the start of the marketing year on September 1 through mid-December stood at 24.61 million metric tons, up 67 percent year-over-year. Wheat shipments from the beginning of the marketing year through December 18 totaled 14.561 million metric tons, a 24 percent increase. Soybean exports from September 1 were reported at 14.237 million metric tons, down 46 percent on an annual basis. USDA said total commitments by overseas buyers to purchase U.S. ag products tell the same story. U.S. corn sales rose 31 percent year over year to 49.781 million metric tons, and wheat sales to offshore importers were up 18 percent to 20 million metric tons. Soybean sales were reported through December 18 at 26.833 million metric tons, down 32 percent. 

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2025 was a Solid Year for Biodiesel, Renewable Diesel Success in 2026

The clean fuels industry strengthened its foundation in 2025 behind record policy targets, new engine capabilities, and proven performance, setting expectations for continued growth in 2026. “Government agencies, fleets, manufacturers, and consumers in 2025 recognized that biodiesel and renewable diesel have stepped forward and taken a leadership position in fueling our nation’s transportation systems,” said Clean Fuels Alliance America CEO Donnell Rehagen. “Clean fuel use has grown dramatically in recent years, and for the first time, policymakers took full account of that growth.” Last year, for the first time in the history of the Renewable Fuel Standard, the EPA proposed robust biomass-based diesel volumes that accurately reflected the industry’s potential. EPA proposed a renewable volume obligation of 5.61 billion gallons for 2026, and a growth path of annual volume increases for 2027 and beyond. In doing so, EPA acknowledged the industry’s investments in production capacity and domestic feedstock supplies produced by U.S. farmers. 

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Gap Between Farm Costs and Prices Hits Ten-Year-High

U.S. farmers are facing one of the widest gaps between what they pay to produce food and what they earn from selling it. Investigate Midwest said it’s the largest gap farmers have seen between income and expenses in ten years. New USDA data released in December shows that by October 2025, the prices paid index climbed to 154.6, while the prices received index had fallen to 120.5. The agency measured that against 2011 levels, which are set to 100, making it easier to see how it’s changed over time. Investigate Midwest said, “In practical terms, that means production costs were over 50 percent higher than in 2011, while the prices farmers received were only about 21 percent higher.” That gap of 34.1 index points in October was the biggest gap going back at least a decade. Terrain Ag is projecting slightly higher operating costs for 2026 corn and soybean crops. 

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NPPC Welcomes Familiar Name as Director of Federal Affairs

Molly O’Connor has rejoined the National Pork Producers Council as director of federal affairs in the Washington, D.C., public policy office. “NPPC is pleased to have Molly O’Connor join the government affairs team,” said NPPC Vice President of Government Affairs Maria Zieba. “Molly brings a strong record of legislative advocacy, staff leadership, and coalition management across Capitol Hill and multiple administrations, and I’m confident she will hit the ground running and be a strong advocate and asset for America’s pork producers.” O’Connor began her career with NPPC as an international trade intern in 2011 and now returns to the organization, bringing more than a decade of experience in federal government relations and food and agriculture policy. Most recently, O’Connor served as the director of government relations at CropLife America, where she led federal policy advocacy strategy and represented the U.S. pesticide industry. 

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New USDA Plan Advances Farmland and Federal Program Security

As part of a commitment under the USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced new actions to help American ag research and innovation stay in America or among our allies and not with hostile nations. The actions strengthen transparency around foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land and ensure federal programs and purchasing preferences do not support supply chains controlled by foreign adversaries. “Strengthening national security starts with knowing who owns our farmland and where federal dollars are flowing,” said Rollins. “These actions close longstanding gaps in oversight and enforcement by improving transparency around foreign land ownership and ensuring USDA programs support and prioritize American farmers and manufacturers.” She also said entities linked to foreign adversaries currently control at least 277,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land, and each acre is a threat to our food supply chains and a potential vector for agroterrorism. 

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