Federal Updates

From dtnpf.com Farmers who consistently produce crops on lower-risk fields could potentially save $10 to $15 an acre on crop insurance under a new private insurance program that uses artificial intelligence to evaluate agricultural risks field by field. Read the rest of the article here

From the National Association of Wheat Growers Wheat growers have until Thursday, Dec. 11, 2026, to choose between Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) for the 2026 crop year. After Congress paid producers the higher of the two programs for 2025, this year the choice is back…

From Farm Policy News Reuters’ Bo Erickson and Kanishka Singh reported that “President Donald Trump said on Monday the US Department of Agriculture will launch what he called a new ‘harvest fuel relief program’ that will provide farmers with $8 billion in support to ​offset diesel costs during the harvest season.” Read…

The Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) is urging Congress to act swiftly after the latest extension of the 2018 Farm Bill expired Sept. 30. Without a new law or another extension, Washington wheat growers face renewed uncertainty around federal programs that support farm income, conservation, trade, research, and rural…

From Successful Farming/Reuters Sept. 14 (Reuters) – Railroad fuel surcharges on U.S. grain shipments have more than doubled over the past year, rippling through the farm belt and raising transportation costs as many farmers also struggle with higher production costs. The average fuel surcharge rate on grain shipments climbed to…

From the Capital Press The top official at USDA’s Farm Service Agency has this advice for farmers impacted by wildfire, or any disaster: Document everything. “Probably the most important thing you can do is go out and take pictures,” said Bill Beam, agency administrator, during a wildfire impact roundtable discussion…

From PNW Ag Network Time is running short in Washington, D.C., to pass a Farm Bill in 2026.  The House passed their version of the legislation earlier this year, but the Senate has failed to address the topic, after its farm bill legislation failed to clear the Senate Ag Committee. And while lawmakers have approved $12 billion to help…

University of Maryland researchers Nidhi Rawat and Vijay Tiwari contributed to breakthrough research led by Subhashree Subramanyam at USDA-ARS, West Lafayette, Indianna, and Bikram Gill at Kansas State University on cloning of a hessian fly resistance gene in wheat that makes wheat resistant to predation by Hessian fly larvae and…

From Successful Farming Average prices of fertilizers and diesel fuel are higher as the fall harvest season approach compared with the past two years. Higher fuel prices will increase fuel costs associated with harvest activities for the 2026 crop. Higher fertilizer prices will increase the cost of fall fertilizer applications…

Following the Aug. 6 Senate Agriculture Committee markup, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) called on committee leaders to quickly resume bipartisan negotiations and reconvene to advance a comprehensive farm bill. The legislation failed to advance on a 10–11 vote amid continued disagreement over Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provisions,…