The House is on track to debate the GOP’s massive budget blueprint next week. The House Rules Committee is scheduled Monday to prepare the budget resolution for floor action, although it’s not yet clear that Republicans have nailed down the votes.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., reiterated to the Conservative Political Action Conference Thursday that one big bill, including tax cuts as well as sweeping spending cuts, is the only way to go. “It has to be by necessity, because that gives us the highest probability of success,” he said. 

The Senate, of course, prefers a two-step approach.

Check Agri-Pulse.com for news on the Senate’s overnight vote-a-rama on its budget resolution. 

Tariffs will hit US farmers, Nutrien CEO says

U.S. farmers will pay higher prices for potash from Canada, should President Donald Trump impose tariffs on fertilizer and other goods exported from the United States’ northern neighbor. 

On an earnings call Thursday, Nutrien CEO Ken Seitz noted that his company has been engaged in “dialogues” with lawmakers and officials in both Canada and the U.S. “We continue just to emphasize how reliant the U.S. farmer is on something like Canadian potash … where Canadians supply over 80% of that market,” he said.

Seitz said the timing of potential tariffs is up in the air.

Trump has delayed tariffs on Mexico and Canada until March 4 after both countries highlighted efforts to bolster border security. But the president has said he expects additional concessions to further stave off tariffs. U.S. departments and agencies also have until April to submit reports evaluating U.S. trade policy and recommend additional actions. Meanwhile, a reciprocal tariff is also under consideration.

WTO deputy DG appeals to members to break ag talks deadlock

A deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization appealed to members to break the deadlock that has stalled talks on critical global agricultural issues.

Angela Ellard said in remarks in Brussels on Thursday that “agriculture is expected to be a central element” of the organization’s 14th Ministerial Conference next year. “Rebuilding trust and setting credible targets is essential to progressively restoring an effective negotiating process and achieving an agricultural outcome,” Ellard stressed.

Take note: WTO members have been stuck in a “Groundhog Day” scenario of missing out on a deal on how to proceed with negotiations at successive ministerial conferences. Members are trying to find consensus on how to proceed with talks on acceptable levels of domestic support, market access and export restrictions, among other issues

Two key blocks of countries noted talks have progressed in recent months, particularly around domestic support. Members are aiming to unveil initial outcomes at the March 2026 conference in Cameroon.

Senate Ag Democrat: USDA layoffs have ‘intense’ impact for farm country

Senate Agriculture Committee member Tina Smith, D-Minn., tells Agri-Pulse Newsmakers she’s concerned about how USDA will continue to provide producer services after the recent layoffs.

The cuts “seem to be just sort of willy-nilly without any thought or even any real understanding about what these different parts of USDA do,” Smith says.

She says that firing staff who are nearly finished with training is a massive waste of resources.

Newsmakers will be available today at Agri-Pulse.com.

But some money released: Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins said Thursday night that USDA is releasing about $20 million in Inflation Reduction Act  funding that had been paused pursuant to a Trump executive order.

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The funds are tied to contracts for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program, and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.

Rollins said the review of IRA funding is continuing. She claimed the Biden administration had allocated some IRA money “to programs that had nothing to do with agriculture.”

More than half of commercial beekeepers seeing losses, new survey says

Commercial beekeeping operations in the U.S. have lost an average of 62% of their colonies since last June, with potential ramifications for pollination for nuts, fruits, vegetables and other crops, according to results of a new survey by Project Apis m.

Roughly 1.1 million colonies faced losses, with direct monetary impacts estimated at $224.8 million for beekeepers, according to a press release. However, when adding lost income from almond pollination, that total is believed to exceed $428 million. 

Another $206.4 million is believed to represent colony loss rates not accounted for in the survey. Respondents include 702 beekeepers, who are estimated to house roughly 68% of the nation’s commercial bees, the release noted.

Rural economic slump continues, bankers say

Rural bankers’ ratings of the rural economies of 10 agriculture-dependent states sank in February as farm equipment sales, regional retail sales and land prices continued to fall, according to Creighton University’s latest Rural Mainstreet Index.

The index, a monthly survey of rural bankers, fell to an overall reading of 38, a 10% drop from January. The survey assigns values of between 0 and 100 for bankers’ perceptions of the economy, with 50 meaning growth-neutral.

Grain prices have improved slightly, but “not enough for profitability for many producers, Creighton economist Ernie Goss said in a release. Meanwhile, livestock producers are seeing solid prices “with only 9.3% of bankers expecting negative cash flow for ranchers in 2025,” he added.

Take note: Jim Eckert, CEO of Anchor State Bank[1]  in Anchor, Illinois, reported seeing customers “almost universally favorable” to Trump’s efforts to close the border and deport illegal aliens, according to a release. He also reported customers showing some favorability to DOGE’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government.

Broad coalition pushes EPA for robust, multiyear RVOs

A coalition of farm, biofuel and petroleum groups is urging EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to consider robust, multiyear renewable fuel volume standards.

EPA is responsible for establishing renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2026-2028. Clean fuel groups have said the most recent RVOs were set too low and did not truly reflect production capacity. 

The coalition says “strong, steady” RVOs for conventional biofuels, biomass-based diesel and advanced fuels would reflect availability and increased demand in new markets. 

“Our organizations are excited to help deliver on the Trump Administration’s promise of U.S. energy dominance,” the groups wrote. “Together we share the same mission — to produce and deliver reliable, affordable, and cleaner fuels for our nation and our world.”

Final word 

Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is calling it quits after his four-decade Senate career. On Thursday, McConnell said he won’t seek reelection.

“During my time in the Senate, I’ve only really answered to two constituencies – the Republican conference and the people of Kentucky,” McConnell said in a floor speech yesterday. The Senate Agriculture Committee veteran recalled ensuring   “that major agriculture legislation remembered Kentucky farmers, including when they needed extraordinary assistance, like the tobacco buyout.”

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