February 02, 2026

House Ag Chair Wants Farm Bill 2.0 in February

GT Thompson, the chair of the House Agriculture Committee, has tentatively set a farm bill markup for the week of February 23. Politico said that’s according to three sources familiar with Thompson’s plans. While the formal text of his farm bill has yet to be introduced, it will likely have the same priorities as the version that advanced out of committee in 2024 but never became law. “Committee staff is still waiting for the cost estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, which could delay the markup in February,” Politico said. Two people who were granted anonymity to discuss private details said that House Ag Republicans want to get a floor vote on the farm bill before the Easter recess. The ‘Farm Bill 2.0,’ as Thompson refers to it, will address multiple industry priorities like rural development, research plans, and could be a vehicle for year-round E15. 

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RFA: 2025 Ethanol Exports Set a Record

According to data from the Census Bureau, 2025 U.S. ethanol exports through November totaled 1.96 billion gallons, already surpassing the 1.94 billion in 2024, which had smashed the previous record. With one month of data to go, exports were on pace to exceed two billion gallons for the first time, which would represent 13 percent of U.S. ethanol production, also a record. “Continued expansion in the export market provided a tremendous lift for the U.S. ethanol industry in 2025,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Record exports not only highlight the growing global demand for affordable energy solutions, but also underscore the vital role trade plays in strengthening the American energy sector, driving innovation, and supporting economic growth.” He also said one out of every eight gallons of ethanol produced in the U.S. is being exported, providing savings at the pump and cleaner air for drivers in dozens of countries across the globe.   

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CoBank: Farmers Aggressively Sold Soybeans in 2025

U.S. farmers were aggressive sellers of soybeans last fall as prices climbed after trade tensions eased between the U.S. and China. With higher prices and a swifter pace of sales, commercial ownership of soybeans rose sharply while use of delayed pricing programs and basis contracts fell. A new report from CoBank said off-farm grain storage hit record levels last fall, with farmers shifting more soybeans and wheat to commercial storage to free up on-farm space for the record corn harvest. Grain company ownership of soybeans in commercial storage jumped to 73.6 percent as of November 30, up from 66.3 percent the previous year as farmers sold soybeans at a faster pace. “Any material increase in corn and wheat prices will likely be met with heavier selling pressure compared to soybeans, which already experienced a higher level of farmer selling last fall,” said Tanner Ehmke of CoBank. 

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Wheat Growers Elect a New President

The National Association of Wheat Growers elected Jamie Kress as its new President during the 2026 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Jamie and her husband, Cory, own and operate an 8,500-acre dryland farm in eastern Idaho. They grow winter and spring wheat, plus a variety of rotational crops. Kress most recently served as president of the Idaho Grain Producers Association, the first woman to hold the role. “It’s an honor to serve as the president of the Wheat Growers at such a pivotal time for agriculture,” Kress said. “I am inspired by the resilience and innovation of wheat growers across the country, and I am committed to leading with collaboration and purpose.” One of her biggest goals for the Wheat Growers is to elevate the voice of every grower in Washington, advance policies that empower producers, and secure a strong, sustainable future for the nation’s farmers and rural communities. 

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USGBC Hails Agreement with El Salvador

The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office released a statement saying the United States has signed another agreement on reciprocal trade, this time with El Salvador. Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, signed the agreement with El Salvador’s Minister of Economy, Maria Luisa. The agreement commits El Salvador to addressing and preventing barriers to U.S. agricultural products in the market, such as fumigation requirements, facility registration, product registration, and acceptance of currently agreed certificates issued by U.S. regulatory authorities. “U.S. DDGS’ exports are up in the first quarter of the 2025-2026 marketing year, and with this agreement, we hope we will continue to see a rise in trade with those products and others the Council represents,” said USGBC President and CEO Ryan LeGrand. “The U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council is pleased to see the first agreement on reciprocal trade in the Western Hemisphere.”  

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Young Farmers Concerned About Land Survey

The National Young Farmers Coalition expresses deep concern over the continued delay of the 2024 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land Survey, originally scheduled for release on October 31, 2025. The survey aims to provide important insights into the trends and patterns of ownership of agricultural land across the U.S. “Without the TOTAL Survey, we’re flying blind on one of the most urgent issues in agriculture, which is land access,” said Vanessa Garcia Polanco, the government relations director with the National Young Farmers Coalition. “This delay prevents policymakers, advocates, and farmers from understanding the scale of farmland loss, speculation, and consolidation, and from acting to keep farmers on the land.” Young Farmers calls on the administration to release the critical information they’re looking for, and they had planned to hold a congressional briefing upon the Survey’s release to discuss how the data should inform proactive federal policy. 

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