Top Agriculture News

We needed rain. We got rain, and we’re still getting rain. I’m Mike Davis talking with Corey Davis from the state climate office of North Carolina. Corey, over the last several weeks, you’ve been telling us about how drought conditions were continuing to progress in the Carolinas. I think we got the answer we were […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has rolled out his plan to increase U.S. tariffs to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports. The Republican is possibly triggering a broader economic confrontation with allies and rivals alike as he hopes to eliminate any trade imbalances. Trump said Thursday: “I’ve decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff.’ The prospect of a dramatic hike on tariffs could send shockwaves through the world economy, possibly depressing growth while also causing inflation to intensify. Most economists say the tariffs would effectively be a tax increase on U.S. consumers. Trump says he’s decided “for purposes of fairness” that he’ll charge reciprocal tariffs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brooke Rollins has been confirmed as secretary of agriculture. The Senate confirmed Rollins in a vote Thursday, placing a close ally of President Donald Trump into a key Cabinet position at a time when mass deportation plans could lead to farm labor shortages and tariffs could hit agricultural exports. Rollins acknowledged that Trump’s plans for the mass deportation of people in the country illegally could led to labor shortages on arms. But Rollins said Americans support Trump’s plans and she would work to help the president while also trying to protect farmers. Rollins also promised to “modernize” USDA in line with Trump’s vision for the department.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today led 45 of his Senate colleagues, including Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and all four senators from North Carolina and South Carolina, in reintroducing legislation that would permanently repeal the federal estate tax, commonly known as the death tax. The Death Tax […]

WASHINGTON (February 13, 2025) – Today, National Cattleman’s Beef Association (NCBA) Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane issued a statement congratulating Brooke Rollins on her confirmation as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): “We are pleased with the bipartisan confirmation of Brooke Rollins to be Secretary of Agriculture. We know Secretary Rollins will […]

Pollinator habitat. What comes to mind? A flower bed, fruit or tree orchard, a corn or wheat field, wild flowers along the side of the road, a flowering bush…a lawn of turf grass? “There are some turf species that produce seed heads, where dispersal or movement, either through air currents or through pollinators, may be […]

The House Ag Committee held a hearing on the economic crisis in farm country. Chair Glen “GT” Thompson of Pennsylvania says a crisis is exactly what hundreds of thousands of farm families are facing as we speak. “Across the board, commodity prices have fallen precipitously while input costs remain at or near record-high levels. For some commodities, […]

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina House members have advanced a Republican package to boost state recovery funding after Hurricane Helene by another $500 million. Committees met Tuesday and Wednesday to consider and vote on the legislation. A House floor vote is expected next week. The package remains less than half of what new Democratic Gov. Josh Stein sought in new recovery spending earlier this month. Senate Republicans also will have their own Helen spending ideas. The legislature already appropriated close to $1 billion since last fall to address the historic flooding. Both Stein and Republican lawmakers want to get more Helene spending out the door early this year.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Egg prices have reached a record high in the U.S. The consumer price index released on Wednesday confirmed what consumers, bakers and food companies already knew: an ongoing bird flu outbreak that began in 2022 are making eggs terribly expensive right now. The average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities reached $4.95 in January, eclipsing the previous record of $4.82 set in January 2023. Of course, that is only the nationwide average. A carton of eggs can cost $10 or more in some places. And specialized varieties, such as organic and cage-free eggs, are even more expensive.

While inflation finally shows signs of slowing, consumers still face higher costs and an uncertain economic future. A recent AARP survey found one in three older adults feeling financially insecure. Sean Voskuhl, Oklahoma State Director for the AARP, talks about the list of concerns from survey respondents. “The cost of living, social security, and having […]