Farm Bureau Applauds Progress to End Shutdown

American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall today applauded the Senate vote to end the government shutdown and urged the House to act quickly.

"Farm Bureau commends the Senate for voting to end the government shutdown, ensuring that farmers and ranchers can continue to rely on critical USDA services and disaster relief to keep their farms running and also ensure Americans maintain access to food assistance programs...

Farmer Sentiment Weakens, But Farmers Believe US Policy Headed in Right Direction

Farmer sentiment continues to weaken, as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer declined again in July. The barometer fell 11 points to 135 from June, a reading that resulted from U.S. farmers' weaker perceptions of both current conditions and future expectations. The July Current Conditions Index dropped 17 points to 127 from last month, while the Future Expectations Index posted a smaller decline of 7 points to 139. Driving the weaker income prospects for 2025 were farmers' assessment of current conditions...

US Republicans Continue Push to Override California Animal Welfare Law

U.S. Republicans continued on Wednesday a years-long effort to override a 2018 California law that bans the sale in the state of pork from pigs kept in tightly confined spaces, arguing in a House Agriculture Committee hearing that the law is overly burdensome to farmers.

Proposition 12, which also sets housing standards for veal and eggs sold in the state, was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2023 after a legal challenge by the pork industry.

President Donald Trump's administration sued California...