Vaden Sworn In as New Deputy Secretary at USDA

This week, Judge Stephen Vaden was sworn in as the Deputy Secretary of the USDA. Vaden, a native of Tennessee, joins Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins to not only deliver on the administration’s promises but also to execute the agriculture and nutrition policies of the One Big Beautiful Bill. “I am so excited to welcome Deputy Secretary Vaden to the USDA team,” said Secretary Rollins. “His policy and legal acumen will be a tremendous asset to the Department, and I look forward to his partnership as we continue to revitalize rural America and make certain our farmers continue providing the safest, most affordable, and most abundant food supply in the world’s history.” Vaden thanks President Trump and Secretary Rollins for their trust in him to support the incredible men and women of American agriculture. “I look forward to getting to work to support the Secretary in Making Agriculture Great Again,” said Vaden. 

Friday Watch List

Markets

July NASS Crop Production Report at 11 a.m. CDT

July World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) Report at 11 a.m. CDT

World Markets and Trade Reports from FAS at 11:15 a.m.

CFTC Commitment of Traders Report at 2:30 p.m. CDT

Weather

Heavy rain that moved through on Thursday across Iowa and northern Illinois continues early Friday morning, but a system moving through the Northern Plains should enhance that later Friday, including bringing a risk of severe weather. Additional showers and thunderstorms will continue in the South and East as well.

Farmers for Free Trade Sounding Economic Alarm Regarding Tariffs

All summer, Farmers for Free Trade has been on the road and holding events called Tariff Town Halls in half a dozen states. The events all brought together farmers, business leaders, economists, and trade experts to spotlight how newly-imposed tariffs are already harming the communities that grow and make American-made products that power local economies and are in demand around the world. At each stop, farmers and experts shared new data, on-the-ground stories, and growing urgency. Just days before the Fourth of July, agricultural leaders at a town hall in Little Rock, Arkansas put it bluntly: “I’ll tell you this much as a producer. Between 20 and 30 percent of the producers in the United States would be out if this doesn’t change between now and December.” On a per-state basis, Texas businesses paid $934 million more in tariff costs. North Carolina also saw a 190 percent spike in its tariff costs. 

June Missouri River Runoff Much Below Average

June runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, was 3.3 million acre-feet, 60 percent of the average. The updated 2025 calendar year runoff forecast for the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City is below average. Mountain snowpack melted more rapidly than normal, and all reaches except the Sioux City reach experienced below normal precipitation during June,” said John Remus of the Army Corps of Engineers. “The June runoff was less than forecast, and dry conditions will continue in July.” The June 2025 runoff forecast above Sioux City is 19.1 million acre-feet, 74 percent of the average and slightly lower than last month’s forecast. System storage on July 1 was 52.1 million acre-feet, four million below the top of the carryover multiple-use zone. The monthly study indicates that the winter release from Gavins Point will likely be at the minimum rate of 12,000 cubic feet per second. 

Groups Want a New Chief Agricultural Negotiator

Over 40 U.S. agricultural groups, including the National Corn Growers Association, sent a letter to President Trump asking him to quickly nominate a Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the USTR Office. The groups said the nomination is critical to prioritizing the needs of American agriculture amid the ongoing reciprocal trade negotiations. “The chief agricultural negotiator is an asset to farmers and ranchers across the U.S. as well as within the federal government,” the letter said. “That voice ensures that agriculture issues are prioritized as negotiations are ongoing and become more complicated.” The role is responsible for conducting and overseeing international negotiations related to the trade of agricultural products. The role is politically appointed, and each incoming administration is responsible for nominating someone to serve in the position. The letter comes as farmers and ranchers are facing challenging economic conditions. U.S. farmers and ranchers also heavily rely on exports to be successful

NCBA Applauds Farm Security Action Plan

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association applauded Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins’ Farm Security is National Security action plan. The USDA is releasing a number of farm security and national security policies supported by NCBA and America’s cattle farmers and ranchers. “We’re blessed to have hundreds of thousands of family farms and ranches producing beef right here at home,” said NCBA President Buck Wehrbein. “NCBA strongly agrees with Secretary Rollins that farm security is national security.” He also said NCBA is pleased that the agency is protecting our family farms and ranches, scrutinizing foreign acquisitions to ensure they don’t threaten American agriculture, protecting American agriculture research from foreign adversaries, and bolstering animal health programs to prevent a foreign animal disease outbreak. As part of the plan, USDA will increase its oversight of foreign land acquisitions, strengthen inspections to root out dangerous products entering the U.S., and prevent the spread of potentially devastating diseases. 

Legislators Look for a Skinny Farm Bill this Fall

Republicans on Capitol Hill cleared their agriculture megabill hurdle. Now, they’re looking to pass a smaller farm bill that will include important priorities that haven’t been updated since 2018. Politico says lawmakers already included $67 billion in spending on farm bill programs in the reconciliation bill. That means some of the most expensive priorities were taken care of. However, there are other farm programs and priorities that need funding, extension, or updating. House Ag Chair GT Thompson looked ahead to a “skinny” farm bill, calling it “farm bill 2.0” and predicting a cost of less than $8 billion. He expects the Fall legislation to be largely based on what the House Ag Committee advanced in 2024. “Unless Democrats purely want to play politics, there’s no basis for partisanship with what we’re planning to do with the rest of the farm bill,” Thompson said. He’s planning on finishing it in September.