Stronger El Niño Forecast Raises Crop and Food-Security Risks
NOAA says El Niño is strengthening toward a potentially very strong 2026-27 event, prompting early plans to protect crops, livestock, water and food access.
Agriculture
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Russia’s Fuel Squeeze Deepens After New Refinery Strike
A reported fourth refinery attack in three days has added pressure to Russia’s uneven fuel supply as queues, sales limits and harvest costs mount.
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Europe’s drought cuts crop forecasts as heat strains farms and rivers
EU monitoring cut winter-crop forecasts and reduced grain maize and sunflower prospects as early potatoes, damaged corn and low rivers pressure farms.
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USDA’s Farm Safety-Net Deadline Is Aug. 31: What to Review
Eligible landowners have until Aug. 31, 2026, to review possible base-acre increases that could affect future ARC and PLC eligibility.
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Iowa governor race takes shape as Zach Lahn campaigns against the establishment
Republican nominee Zach Lahn is pitching change on Iowa farms, in schools and small towns as he prepares to face Democrat Rob Sand on November 3.
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Arizona Supreme Court ruling changes how qualifying orchards and vineyards are valued for property taxes
Arizona’s high court rejected separate market values for qualifying orchard trees and vineyard vines, but refunds, retroactive corrections and revised tax bills remain unresolved.
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Washington’s statewide drought emergency keeps pressure on farms, rivers and water planning
Washington remains under a statewide drought emergency after a warm winter left snowpack at 0% of normal for the calendar date. The sharpest immediate allocation risks are in the Yakima Basin, while household impacts depend on local utilities.
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USDA Opens $500 Million Fertilizer Expansion Program With Aug. 17 Deadline
The USDA is accepting applications for the FIELDS program, which will provide competitive cost-share awards for domestic fertilizer production and related infrastructure.
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Gower-area farms to host MU Extension field-to-consumer tours
MU Extension has announced farm tours involving Gower-area agricultural operations, giving residents and consumers a chance to learn how local food is produced.
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USDA opens $500 million fertilizer program to expand domestic supply
The USDA is accepting applications for the FIELDS program, a nationwide initiative intended to expand domestic fertilizer production, promote competition and strengthen agricultural supply chains.
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Wyoming drought and wildfire season intensify pressure on the state’s water strategy
A near-record dry winter and the state’s driest spring in decades have left most of Wyoming in extreme or severe drought, putting agricultural water demand at the center of a worsening wildfire season.
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Georgia’s amended statewide water-management plan takes effect after unanimous Senate vote
Georgia’s General Assembly has enacted amendments to the state’s comprehensive statewide water-management plan, with the legislation taking effect July 1, 2026.
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Conflict and Energy Shocks Threaten Farm Inputs and Global Hunger Gains
Global hunger fell for a third year in 2025, but UN scenarios warn that conflict-driven energy, fertilizer and shipping shocks could reverse gains.
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USDA sets conditional Aug. 24 reopening for Mexican cattle trade
USDA plans to reopen Douglas, Arizona, on August 24 after a long screwworm-related suspension, but inspections and Mexico’s compliance will control what follows.
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USDA’s $500 Million Fertilizer Program Faces an Aug. 17 Deadline
USDA is accepting FIELDS applications through Aug. 17 for domestic fertilizer projects, but the program is not direct farmer aid or immediate price relief.
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Georgia shoppers warned about recalled iceberg lettuce linked to Cyclospora outbreak
Georgia shoppers should check Mexico-origin Taylor Farms and Marketside iceberg lettuce against recalled product descriptions and best-if-used-by dates through August 3, 2026.
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USDA farm-aid deadlines approach for specialty crops and disaster losses
Farmers face Aug. 7, Aug. 12 and Aug. 31 deadlines for specialty-crop aid, disaster relief and ARC/PLC base-acre reviews.
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Pennsylvania orders animal-movement limits as officials warn of New World screwworm risk
Pennsylvania’s active quarantine order requires inspection and recent veterinary paperwork for animals from affected areas, adds treatment rules for infested-zone movements and restricts some dog and cat transfers. The state reports no confirmed cases.
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Federal drought update puts nearly half of Lower 48 in drought
A July 30 federal update found drought across 47.89% of the Lower 48, with worsening conditions in parts of the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest.
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WTO Farm Talks Remain Divided After First Post-MC14 Session
WTO agriculture talks resumed in Geneva after MC14 without a deal, as members split over subsidies, food stocks, safeguards, market access and exports.
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California lawmakers examine electricity costs, agriculture and toxic-substance oversight
California legislative committees are holding August 4 oversight hearings on electricity affordability and reliability, agricultural production, toxic-substance reform and telehealth outcomes.
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UK Clarifies Narrow Restriction on U.S. Porcine Offal
Great Britain clarified that certain U.S. porcine offal products remain barred after Iowa’s disease case, while non-offal pork remains eligible.