At the Agriculture Outlook Forum in Kansas City on September 25, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced new steps to ease pressure on farmers as production costs rise.
Since 2020, seed prices have climbed 18 percent, fuel and oil 32 percent, fertilizer 37 percent, and interest charges 73 percent. Labor costs are up 47 percent, driven largely by the H-2A visa program. Rollins said USDA ended its Farm Labor Survey, which had been used to set wage rates, and is working with other agencies to make the program more affordable.
To tackle high input prices, USDA signed an agreement with the Department of Justice. The Antitrust Division will review supply chains and enforce competition rules in seed, fuel, and fertilizer markets.
USDA will also release the final $2 billion in Emergency Commodity Assistance Program funding this week, completing nearly $10 billion in aid. Since March, more than 560,000 farmers have received payments. Another $480 million will fund purchases of U.S. commodities for food aid abroad, supporting demand for grain and other products while reinforcing trade ties.
On October 2, USDA will launch the $285 million America First Trade Promotion Program to expand export opportunities, a year earlier than planned. Disaster aid continues as well, with livestock producers receiving $2 billion through emergency programs and $5.5 billion in crop and livestock disaster payments. More assistance is expected in October.
“Relief is already reaching farms and ranches, but more help is still needed,” Rollins said. “We’re holding companies accountable and expanding markets so American farmers can keep producing the most nutritious, safe, and high-value food in the world.”
