Ag and Manufacturing Leaders Push for USMCA Renewal

Leaders from the agriculture, manufacturing, and technology sectors convened in Washington to highlight the importance of renewing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement as the landmark trade deal approaches the formal review period. The panel discussion was co-hosted by the National Corn Growers Association and the National Foreign Trade Council. “USMCA has been incredibly important to farmers like me,” said Matt Frostic, a Michigan farmer and the first vice president of the NCGA. “Mexico and Canada are two of our most important trading partners, and the certainty of this agreement allows farmers to plan, invest, and continue feeding and fueling the world.” Speakers from the agriculture and manufacturing sectors pointed out that the agreement has strengthened North American trade and created greater certainty for businesses across many sectors. “As the agreement enters its review period, it’s important that policymakers strengthen what works so American agriculture can continue to grow,” Frostic added. 

Lawmakers Eyeing War Funding Package for More Farm Aid

President Donald Trump will seek a funding package for the war unfolding in Iran, and Republican lawmakers are debating whether to attach wildfire aid and $15 billion in tariff relief for farmers to the package. Four sources told E&E News that senior GOP congressional aides stressed that no decision had been made yet. Sources said House Republicans are particularly cautious about the idea of a package growing too large. Meantime, Bloomberg said that Senate Republicans are feeling rising pressure from farmers in their states for a bailout to offset quickly rising fuel and fertilizer prices due to the war. The Republican Senate Ag Committee Chair called for new federal aid to help farmers in the wake of spiking prices for gas, diesel, and fertilizer, driven by the offensive against Iran. “I think very definitely that they’re going to need help,” Senator John Boozman (BOZE-man) told Bloomberg. “If you’re growing something, you’re losing money.” 

Most Rented U.S. Farmland is Owned by Non-Farmers

Over two million landowners rented out 348 million acres of farmland. That’s according to the results of the 2024 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey results released by the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Of these, 79 percent are owned by non-farming landowners. Non-operating landowners include entities that rent out agricultural lands under a variety of ownership arrangements, such as privately owned, trust, family entity, non-family entity, or others. Of the land rented by non-operating landlords, over 251 million acres were rented out by private landowners, trusts, or family entities. According to the survey results, rented farmland acres, combined with the buildings on this land, are valued at over $1.6 trillion. In 2024, landlords combined received $34.1 billion in rental income while incurring $12 billion in total operating expenses. The report also showed that the average age of landlords is 69.2 years old, which exceeds that of the average farmer, who is 58.1 years old. 

Government Providing $1 Billion to Study Impact of Crop Protection Tools

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency, announced over $1 billion to study the impact of “cumulative chemical exposures” on human health. The agencies are also looking to eventually reduce reliance on “chemical crop protection tools.” HHS is contributing $200 million toward this effort, of which $100 million will be spent on a grand prize challenge for researchers to identify creative solutions for evaluating the exposure, diagnosis, and treatments of cumulative chemical exposures on individual health. The other $100 million from HHS will be put towards developing new technologies to reduce reliance on chemical crop protection tools in order to improve human health. USDA is committing $840 million, with $700 million of that going toward regenerative agriculture projects. The EPA is also providing $30 million for finding alternatives to the pre-harvest desiccation use of pesticides. 

Partnership to Strengthen American Farmer Resilience

ADM announced a partnership with American Farmland Trust and will partner with hundreds of farmers across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, and Missouri. The $500,000 investment from ADM Cares is part of ADM’s Farm Forward Initiative, the company’s long-term commitment to working alongside American farmers to strengthen resilience in a rapidly changing landscape. Through the partnership, ADM Cares and AFT will engage American farmers to offer direct technical assistance for succession planning, connections to production resources and peer networks, and grant funding to support farmer productivity, market access, and farmer well-being. “By partnering with trusted organizations like AFT, we’re offering American farmers access to the tools, resources, and support they need to strengthen their businesses, care for their land, and sustain their families,” said Gary McGuigan, ADM Senior Vice President. The partnership comes as American farmers are adapting faster than ever to changing market demands, evolving trade policy, and ongoing uncertainty. 

Rail Merger Costly for Farmers

The proposed merger of the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railways would leave farmers with fewer transportation options and vulnerable to shipping cost increases at a time when balance sheets are squeezed to the breaking point. American Farm Bureau Federation economists analyzed the proposed merger and said the risks are clear. “It would leave farmers more dependent on fewer railroads at a time when they already have almost no ability to walk away from higher costs or poor service,” said an AFBF Market Intel Report. “The merger doesn’t create new competition for agriculture.” The report also said the merger removes what little leverage remains by eliminating key routing and interchange options that currently help keep rates and service in check. The $85 billion merger would create the first coast-to-coast Class I Railroad in U.S. history. The system would span roughly 50,000 route miles across 43 states. 

Friday Watch List

Markets

Macroeconomic reports scheduled for Friday include the first revision of fourth quarter 2025 GDP at 7:30 a.m. CDT. At the same time, the Bureau of Economic Analysis will release the delayed Personal Consumption Expenditure report for January. For agriculture reports, there are no major releases scheduled but CFTC will be out with their Commitments of Traders report at 2:30 p.m. CDT, updating trader positions as of Tuesday, March 10.

Weather

A system has moved into the Great Lakes on Friday morning with strong winds continuing as well as some areas of rain and snow. The system will continue through the Northeast Friday as well, while winds diminish across the Midwest. There is not much of a break though, as the next system is moving into the Pacific Northwest with scattered showers that move as snow into the Northern Plains. This is ahead of the main action this weekend that will produce another strong storm system with heavy snow and blizzard conditions.