The President’s Commerce Secretary was in the hot seat this week, talking American manufacturing with a Senate subcommittee.
Kansas Senator Jerry Moran questioned Lutnick over a program that helps smaller U.S. manufacturers. The department is not requesting money for that program next year. Lutnick says it is not forgotten, but rather being reworked.
“Programs that were set up by the Department of Commerce decades ago, to assist in technology for manufacturing, tend to be outdated. The new technology is AI-driven, automated, and I think we need to reexamine and retool a whole variety of these programs so that we are able to provide the best technological assistance rather than just continuing our program that’s decades and decades old.”
The Hollins Manufacturing Extension Partnership was started back in 1988. It is a public-private partnership that was designed as a cost-share program. Leaders say the program helped manufacturers get $15 billion in sales last year.
The government shutdown has touched nearly every sector of the ag industry since it began, and now impacts are spilling over into dairy.
October 20, 2025 12:46 PM
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Southern farms are deepening online engagement for cost savings and market access, while higher-cost precision technologies face renewed scrutiny amid tight budgets.
October 20, 2025 11:22 AM
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Global trade teams and summit discussions highlight expanding opportunities for U.S. corn and ethanol exports as nations explore renewable fuel options and reduced-carbon energy pathways.
October 20, 2025 11:17 AM
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The Louisiana cotton crop is the smallest on record, but strong yields are a silver lining. LSU AgCenter’s Craig Gautreaux reports from northeast Louisiana.
October 17, 2025 04:48 PM
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Using FEMA and USDA data, Trace One researchers estimate average annual U.S. agricultural losses of $3.48 billion, with drought accounting for more than half.
October 17, 2025 04:29 PM
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Soybean farmer and Arkansas Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge highlights why the U.S. trade standoff with China is especially critical for Arkansas producers.
October 17, 2025 04:07 PM
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