Pig in an R&D Poke Various coalitions of U.S. agricultural research universities are lamenting that the House Agriculture Committee-approved farm bill failed to include increases in federal subsidies for their research. It is natural for these largely academic institutions to seek greater support, but their rationale is flawed. They warn that other countries like China have substantially increased their agriculture research and development (R&D) spending, and this is a threat. That is an overly simplistic characterization of the situation due to the following factors:
Broader Scope: As noted in a 2016 report (U.S. Agricultural R&D in an Era of Falling Public Funding) by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, U.S. privat...
What You Need to Know Today: USDA reports are delayed until Tuesday due to the federal holiday on Monday. Over the weekend, President Trump announced a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Russia warmly welcomed and confirmed this ceasefire by conducting more strikes against Ukraine. Specific...
On Saturday, 10 October, at a campaign rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, President Trump said that the U.S. and Mexico would come to terms on a new trade deal, and he said Canada does not need to be part of the deal. Trump called the coming agreement with Mexico “great” but gave no d...
Key Takeaways: The United States has steadily lost global wheat export market share since the 1970s, falling from the world's leading exporter to a projected fifth place in 2026/27. The rapid expansion of Black Sea wheat exports, driven by improved productivity and export infrastructure, has r...
