The 2025 Farm Progress show is underway, and USDA’s second in command is making headlines.
Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden said the Trump Administration is considering some type of emergency relief later this year. It would serve as a bridge for farmers until they get commodity program payments on their 2025 crops next fall.
Vaden also addressed New World Screwworm, and he said the recent case of a Maryland resident bringing back the infection from a trip to Central America poses no threat to agriculture. He said USDA’s biggest concern is keeping the flies out of our cattle supply.
Vaden also expressed the President’s support for biofuels, calling this the most pro-biofuel Administration we have ever had.
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Bioethanol is becoming a global standard. For growers, that boom comes as drops in Mississippi River levels and in soybean demand occur in tandem, leaving barge space for corn and wheat.
Slightly higher output amid softer gasoline pull points to steady corn grind — watch regional stocks and export pace for basis clues.
Expect firm calf and fed-cattle prices — pair selective heifer retention with prudent hedging and liquidity to bridge rebuilding costs.
Soybean farmer and Arkansas Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge highlights why the U.S. trade standoff with China is especially critical for Arkansas producers.
Peel says Mexico has a much greater capability to expand its beef industry than it did 20 or 30 years ago in terms of its feeding and packing infrastructure.
Support policies that keep U.S. biofuels at the table—marine demand could materially lift corn grind, crush margins, and rural jobs.
China is not one of our top suppliers of cooking oil, according to USDA ERS data, but does export a lot of used cooking oil to the U.S. for biofuel production.
“USDA can no longer keep wasting its time and personnel to deploy Commissioner Miller’s infamous traps, which USDA has deployed, tested, and has proven ineffective.”
Treat storage as risk management and logistics, and budget to break even since export growth is unlikely to absorb bigger U.S. corn and soybean crops.
