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President Joe Biden plans to direct the Agriculture Department to take actions to curb the market power of agribusiness giants, including by enabling farmers to repair their high-tech machinery.

The House Appropriations Committee approved a funding bill Wednesday for the Agriculture Department, Food and Drug Administration and Commodity Futures Trading Commission that would boost spending by more than 10%, including hefty amounts for ag research and climate-change-related programs.

Farmers are expected to plant more corn, soybeans, and wheat acres than last year, but official estimates from a USDA report released Wednesday came in below trade expectations, which sent futures prices soaring.

There are still a lot of Brazilian soybeans filling up China's port stocks, and that’s expected to continue for at least another month. But the Chinese are not waiting to commit to buying up U.S. soybeans for delivery in the 2021-22 marketing year, according to analysts and USDA data.

More workers and a more diverse food system, including small and medium-sized meatpackers, are necessary for American agriculture to maintain resilience in the face of threats to the system, commenters told USDA as the department embarks on its effort to reimagine the country's agricultural supply chains.

House appropriators are proposing to steer new Agriculture Department funding into tackling climate change and expanding rural broadband service under a fiscal 2022 spending bill released Thursday.

A United Nations-led effort to jump-start progress on meeting global sustainability goals is raising fears among U.S. farm groups that it will lead to recommendations that denigrate U.S. farming practices and discourage meat consumption.

American ag exporters have been finding it increasingly difficult to get their commodities into containers and onto ships as Chinese companies and international shippers monopolize ocean transportation, but lawmakers are hoping to alleviate the situation with new legislation.

The U.S. and UK have reached a deal to end a dispute over aircraft subsidies as trade leaders from both countries express new optimism over strengthening trade ties.

The U.S. and European Union remain at odds over major trade issues, but leaders announced a new age of cooperation Tuesday, and U.S. farmers stand to benefit if leaders can follow through on the goodwill expressed in Brussels this week.