October 16, 2026

Reallocation Plan Offers Relief for Ethanol Producers, Farmers

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to reallocate more than 770 million renewable fuel blending credits. These were granted through small refinery exemptions. The decision aims to preserve demand for ethanol and biodiesel. According to Progressive Farmer, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the proposal during a visit to Iowa. He said the agency wants to ensure exemptions granted to 29 refiners do not reduce overall renewable fuel blending requirements. The proposal would protect the equivalent of 770 million gallons of ethanol from being waived under the Renewable Fuels Standard. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports EPA is considering either spreading the exempted credits across the 2026 and 2027 compliance years or applying them entirely to 2027. Reuters reported that the exemptions, totaling more than 1.7 billion renewable identification numbers – aka RINs – were the largest ever issued under the program. That drew criticism from biofuel and farm groups. Renewable Fuels Association CEO Geoff Cooper told Reuters that EPA’s reallocation plan, if finalized as proposed, will offset the demand loss for ethanol producers and farmers.

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NYSE Owner Challenges CME in Livestock Futures Market

Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, plans to begin offering cattle and hog futures contracts before the end of the year. This would create new competition for CME Group. According to Bloomberg, ICE is targeting a December 7 launch, pending regulatory approval. The exchange plans to offer physically settled cattle futures along with three cash-settled contracts tied to cattle and hog prices. The move comes as CME continues updating its trading infrastructure. Bloomberg reports that some traders and firms are concerned that CME’s planned shift to cloud-based technology could increase costs and affect trading speeds. CME has said the transition will improve efficiency and analytical capabilities. ICE’s senior vice president of futures markets says they’ve received significant customer demand from those seeking credible alternatives to what has historically been a singular choice for cattle.

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New Research Center to Advance PNW Agriculture

The Agricultural Research Service and Washington State University have opened a new 100,000-square-foot Plant Bioscience Research Building in Pullman, Washington. The goal is to advance agricultural research across the Pacific Northwest. The facility will house four ARS research units focused on wheat health, grain legumes, sustainable agroecosystems, and plant germplasm testing. Researchers will work on improving the health, resilience, and profitability of both dryland and irrigated farming systems. The partnership between ARS and WSU dates back to 1931, contributing to advances like disease-resistant wheat varieties, food-grade winter peas, regenerative farming practices, and crop quality forecasting tools. ARS Administrator Joon Park says this new Plant Bioscience Research Building opens a new chapter in the nearly century-long partnership between ARS and WSU. By bringing federal and university researchers together under one roof, they are accelerating the innovations that U.S. farmers need to thrive.

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USDA Invests $86.6 Million in Specialty Crop Industry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $86.6 million through its Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to support producers of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops across 56 states and territories. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is administering the money. The dollars will support just over 600 projects. The focus is on improving the competitiveness of specialty crops through research, marketing, food safety initiatives, pest and disease management, seed development, and consumer education. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says these 609 state projects represent the Trump Administration’s commitment to innovation, marketing, and research. Some examples of projects getting support include more than $2 million for Texas crops such as grapes, watermelons, pecans, onions, and spinach. Florida will use more than $4 million for crops such as mangoes, blueberries, and sweet corn. Michigan will invest $2.6 million for crops such as apples, asparagus, beans, and Christmas trees. Find the full list of projects by visiting USDA’s AMS grants webpage.

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U.S. Lamb Producers Make Case for Import Safeguards

The American Sheep Industry Association is set to present testimony before the U.S. International Trade Commission this week (October 16). The association is arguing that rising lamb imports have caused significant financial harm to U.S. producers and processors. The hearing is part of a Section 201 safeguard investigation initiated in July at the request of U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Greer. According to ASI, imported lamb has grown from just over 30% of the U.S. market during the ITC’s last lamb investigation in 1999 to more than 70% today, with imports from Australia and New Zealand cited as key competitors. The association says increasing imports have led to lost sales, reduced revenues, and declining market share for domestic producers. The effort has received support from 68 members of Congress who recently urged the commission to consider relief measures. ASI Executive Director Mike Michener says American lamb producers and processors have endured years of surging imports that have taken a devastating toll on their livelihoods.

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USDA Urges States to Review Wolf Management Policies

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is urging states to review wolf management policies and strengthen engagement with livestock producers following President Trump’s Executive Order 14425, “Supporting America’s Ranchers.” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins called on state agencies to work closely with ranchers, increase awareness of predation reporting procedures, and coordinate with USDA on livestock protection efforts. She says for too long, America’s ranchers have dealt with wolves threatening and killing their livestock, their livelihoods, and the family operations they have spent generations building. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service provides wolf damage management assistance through partnerships with state and federal agencies. This includes support for authorized lethal removal requests when permitted by law. USDA said wolf predation can increase costs for producers through livestock losses, added management expenses, and reduced animal weights. The department also noted that recent changes to the Livestock Indemnity Program increased compensation rates for qualifying predation losses to 100% of the determined market value.

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