The Latest

  • An aerial image of two wind turbines in rural farmland at sunset in Southwestern Ontario, Canada
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    Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Foreign ownership of US farmland continues to rise, but Chinese holdings dip

    As renewable energy projects drive foreign land investments, acreage owned by China has declined 27% between 2022 and 2023, according to the USDA’s latest report.

  • John Deere's logo is seen
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    David Becker via Getty Images
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    Deere sued by FTC over farmers’ right to repair equipment

    The tractor giant is accused of holding a monopoly over its repair services, forcing customers to pay more at dealerships to fix equipment.

  • Two people in safety suits kneel in front of a machine with tubes
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    Courtesy of Windfall Bio
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    Column

    Agtech seedlings: Amazon-backed Windfall Bio hits commercial milestone for methane-eating microbes

    Also in this week's farm technology news: Syngenta to speed up biostimulant development with AI, and Pilgrim's Pride expands its renewable gas efforts at a South Carolina plant.

  • hormel chili
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    Courtesy of C.H. Guenther & Son
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    Hormel Foods CEO to retire

    The departure of James Snee, who took over the top post in 2016, is the third leader from a major food company to announce they are leaving since December.

  • A farmer points to chickens on a cage-free farm
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    USDA withdraws rule defining unfair practices in meat markets

    The regulation would have paved the way for increased enforcement against anticompetitive practices in the meatpacking industry.

  • An excavator pushing a muddy pile onto agricultural land.
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    The image by Sustainable Sanitation Alliance is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    EPA warns PFAS in biosolid fertilizers could pose health risks

    The agency said farmers could be at risk due to the chemicals leaching into food and water in its draft risk assessment, now open for comment. 

  • People working at a chicken factory.
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    andresr via Getty Images
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    US poultry, swine workers face increased health risks, studies show

    The USDA-backed research comes as meat producers push to increase factory line speeds in processing facilities, which critics say compounds the likelihood of injury.

  • The outside of a factory is seen. A sign with "JBS" in red letters is plastered on the front.
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    Chet Strange via Getty Images
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    JBS will pay $4M to counter illegal child labor practices

    A DOL official praised the remedial steps proposed by the world’s largest meat processor as “creative and forward-thinking.”

  • A photograph of a brick building with a red sign and white letters that says Chipotle.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Chipotle invests to reduce methane emissions from cows

    The restaurant chain's venture fund is also backing efforts to produce plant-based meat from duckweed.

  • CHS processes grains and oilseeds for customers.
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    Courtesy of CHS, Inc.
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    CHS leans into supply chain investments as profits tank

    The agribusiness giant, which saw net income fall by more than half in the first quarter, is announcing new products, shipping terminals and agronomy services to turn around market declines. 

  • A blue CNH tractor is seen on a farm
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    Permission granted by CNH
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    Bridgestone offers buyouts to workers at Iowa tractor tire plant

    The offers come in response to a down farm economy that has rattled John Deere, CNH and other tractor makers.

  • The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, California.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Seafood company not on the hook for overtime in COVID lockdown case, court rules

    The case highlights the complexities involved with determining compensability under the Fair Labor Standards Act, particularly when workers are kept on campus.

  • A man in a tractor looks at a grain bin being filled with corn
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    US corn exports off to strong start

    First quarter sales reached the highest level in roughly six years thanks to plentiful supply, competitive pricing and an uncharacteristically weak harvest from main competitor Brazil.

  • Corn is seen with an ethanol plant in the background.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    USDA invests $180M in biofuels and clean energy projects

    The Biden administration has doled out $3.3 billion to expand solar, wind and biofuels infrastructure across rural America.

  • Cows behind a fence graze on grass
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Adopt a class cow? How schools are helping students understand where food comes from.

    A variety of new resources are giving students hands-on opportunities that illustrate the role tech plays in agriculture.

  • eggs grocery store
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Higher egg prices boost Cal Maine earnings

    Bird flu outbreaks have created supply shocks at the grocery store, with some retailers limiting consumer purchases.

  • Wind turbines spin over a field of canola, also called rapeseed, at a wind park on May 10, 2023 near Pinnow, Germany.
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    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
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    Column

    Agtech seedlings: Bayer, European refinery to scale US biofuel production

    Also in this week's farm technology news: Inari raised $144 million to bring gene-edited seeds to market and an Israel-based startup looks to develop its computer vision technology for horticulture.

  • plant based ingredients
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    Mediterranean via Getty Images
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    Louis Dreyfus buys BASF’s food and health ingredients business

    The food processor seeks to dominate the plant-based space while chemical producer BASF shifts its focus to other areas.

  • A farmer and his son walk toward a tractor with their backs to the camera.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Will $10B in economic payments offset farm income losses?

    Researchers are still projecting negative returns for grain producers even after assistance from Washington, highlighting the extent of the downturn in the agricultural industry.

  • A Deere tractor is seen running without a person in the driver's seat
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    Courtesy of Deere & Co.
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    Deere lays off 75 workers at Iowa tractor plant

    The job cuts are some of the first in 2025 after the company reduced its workforce by the thousands last year in response to slowing demand.

  • Dockworkers hold picket signs as they strike in front of a port.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    East Coast port strike averted after tentative deal reached

    The agreement comes a week before a previous agreement was set to expire, allaying concerns of supply chain disruptions at major shipping hubs.

  • Farm equipment sits in a field
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    5 agriculture trends to watch in 2025

    It could be a tumultuous year for farmers with experts predicting low commodity prices, extreme weather events and changes in food policy to reshape industry priorities.

  • Aerial view of oranges being harvested in Florida
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Tropicana orange supplier Alico to exit citrus business

    The company concluded that "growing citrus is no longer economically viable for us in Florida," with disease and hurricanes reducing production by 73%.

  • A group of dockworkers gather outside an ocean terminal.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Shippers urge deal to avert East Coast port strike as deadline looms

    Worker contracts will expire again on Jan. 15, prompting fears of supply chain disruption acorss industries including agriculture.

  • A building with the Smithfield logo is seen
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    Wolterk via Getty Images
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    Smithfield Foods files for public offering on US stock exchange

    The proposed listing comes amid pricing pressures in the pork industry and mounting public scrutiny over the agriculture industry's ties to China.