Major Turnover Expected on Congressional Agriculture Committees

Congressional agriculture committees are facing significant turnover after the November elections, with several experienced lawmakers leaving Congress and new leadership positions opening up. At least nine House Agriculture Committee members and five Senate Agriculture Committee members are departing at the end of the 119th Congress, according to several reports. Among those leaving are House Agriculture Committee Democrat Angie Craig of Minnesota, who lost her Senate primary, and Republican Don Bacon of Nebraska, who is retiring. Several others are seeking different offices, including Iowa Republican Randy Feenstra and South Dakota Republican Dusty Johnson. On the Senate Agriculture Committee, Republicans Joni Ernst of Iowa and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, along with Democrats Dick Durbin of Illinois and Tina Smith of Minnesota, are retiring. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are running for governor. Craig's departure leaves an opening for the committee's top Democrat. Representatives Shontel (shawn-TELL) Brown of Ohio and Jim Costa of California are seeking the position.

Canada and U.S. Resume Trade Discussions

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he had a good conversation with President Donald Trump about the future of U.S.-Canada trade. Carney says the discussion builds on recent talks toward a mutually beneficial agreement that could create jobs, improve affordability, and respect Canada's sovereignty. He says negotiating teams will work over the coming weeks to reach an outcome. Trade negotiations broke down in late August, and tariffs remain a point of tension between the two countries. The Trump administration recently removed duties on certain Canadian goods important to agriculture, although other tariffs remain in place. A White House official told Agri-Pulse the administration welcomes continued engagement with Canada and is working to finalize a deal that delivers results for Americans. The renewed discussions could offer a path toward easing trade tensions, but no agreement has been announced.

Chinese Buying of U.S. Farm Goods Remains Weak

China's purchases of U.S. agricultural products outside soybeans are on track for their lowest level in seven years, despite a trade agreement calling for billions of dollars in annual imports. A Reuters analysis of Chinese customs data shows Beijing purchased just 7.2 billion dollars worth of other U.S. agricultural goods between January and September. That includes products such as meat and corn, with imports at their lowest for that period since 2019. The White House announced in May that China had agreed to purchase 17 billion dollars in U.S. agricultural products annually beginning in 2026, with this year's target prorated. Those purchases are in addition to a separate soybean commitment. China is on track to meet its soybean target, but questions remain about when the broader purchase commitment takes effect. National Sorghum Producers CEO Tim Lust says growers have plenty of grain in storage and want to see more trade. “Beans are trading, but other commodities are not,” Lust said.

Dairy Checkoff Reports Gains in Sales and Export Markets

Dairy Management Incorporated is highlighting growth in dairy sales, consumer demand, and export markets in its 2025 annual report. The organization, which manages the national dairy checkoff, says partnerships with foodservice, retail, and dairy companies helped launch more than 30 new dairy-focused products last year. Those partnerships generated an additional 516 million pounds of milk-equivalent demand. The checkoff's “We Are Family” online sales campaign generated nearly 70 million dollars in additional dairy sales over two years, including a 3.41 percent sales increase during the 2025 campaign. Internationally, U.S. dairy exports reached 9.63 billion dollars in 2025, up 15 percent from the previous year and just short of the record set in 2022. International partnerships also helped generate an estimated 1.5 billion additional pounds of milk-equivalent export volume. DMI Chair Marilyn Hershey says transparency and accountability are essential to showing farmers and importers how their checkoff investments are being used.

Competitive Markets Action Announces Closure

Competitive Markets Action and its affiliated political action committee are shutting down after three and a half years of advocating for independent farmers and competitive agricultural markets. The organizations' boards of directors voted to cease operations, citing a lack of funding and exhausted financial resources. CMA says a major focus of its work was opposing the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act, known as the EATS Act, and the Save Our Bacon Act. The group argued those proposals threatened state-level protections and could put independent livestock producers at a disadvantage. The organization says its efforts, alongside other agricultural groups, helped keep the measures out of Senate farm bill legislation that advanced through committee in September. Despite the closure, CMA says concerns remain about consolidation in the pork industry, including Chinese ownership and influence, and the impact on independent producers and rural communities. The group thanked farmers, lawmakers, donors, and advocates who supported its work.

Desalination Costs Limit Its Potential for Western Farm Irrigation

Ocean desalination could help expand water supplies for Western communities and industry, but the high cost makes it an unlikely solution for large-scale agricultural irrigation. California estimates put the cost of new seawater desalination at 3,400 to 3,700 dollars per acre-foot. That's more than twice the roughly 1,444 dollars in average gross farm revenue generated per acre-foot of irrigation water applied. Even at 3,000 dollars per acre-foot, desalinated water could add thousands of dollars per acre in costs for crops such as lettuce, strawberries, and almonds. Desalination uses reverse osmosis to remove salt from seawater. While the technology is established, it requires significant energy and infrastructure investment. Lower costs have been achieved in countries such as Israel and the United Arab Emirates, but differences in energy prices, project scale, and regulations make those figures difficult to replicate in the American West. Desalination may supplement municipal and industrial water supplies, but its economics remain a major obstacle for farmers.

Tuesday Watch List

Markets

Tuesday is midterm election day in the U.S. For reports, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for September at 9 a.m. CST.

Weather

A fairly strong storm system continues to develop across the middle of the U.S. on Tuesday, producing widespread areas of showers and thunderstorms. Some pockets of heavy rain will be likely, especially where thunderstorms develop. Some of those thunderstorms could be severe with a few bursts of strong winds as a line pushes through the Mississippi Valley Tuesday afternoon and evening.