USDA has announced that agricultural producers who suffered eligible crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can now apply for $16 billion in assistance through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP). USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is delivering assistance in two stages. This first stage is open to producers with eligible crop losses that received assistance under crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program during 2023 and 2024 and sign up is now underway at county offices. SDRP Stage Two signups for eligible shallow or uncovered losses will begin in early fall.
A letter with signatures from 42 agricultural associations, led by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), was sent to President Trump this week urging him to expeditiously nominate a chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The group said the nomination is critical to prioritizing the needs of American agriculture amidst the ongoing reciprocal trade negotiations.
As part of a $10 million effort funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the first National Cover Crop Variety Test Report was released publicly. This project is led by the University of Missouri’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture, working closely with the American Seed Trade Association and over a dozen partner organizations including seed companies, land-grant universities, as well as USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and Natural Resource Conservation Service
Meyocks, a leading branding and marketing agency, has recruited Kelli Calkins as director of social media. In this role, Calkins will oversee social media strategy, content development and influencer campaigns for the agency’s client roster of food, agriculture, health and mentor brands. Most recently, she served as associate social media director at Charleston Orwig.
The National Wheat Foundation (NWF) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Anne Osborne as Executive Director. Osborne has served as the Foundation’s Project Manager since January 2021, playing a key role in the expansion and success of its core programs. Under Osborne’s leadership, the Foundation’s signature initiative—the National Wheat Yield Contest (NWYC)—has grown significantly. The contest now includes over 30 industry partners and receives more than 500 entries annually across five categories. It has led the way in innovation with the introduction of a digital yield category and an enhanced focus on wheat quality, attracting collaboration from all sectors of the wheat value chain.
Judge Stephen Alexander Vaden was sworn in as the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Vaden, of Union City, Tennessee, joins Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to deliver on the promises of President Trump and execute the agriculture and nutrition policies of the One Big Beautiful Bill.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimated 95.2 million acres of corn planted in the United States for 2025, up 5% from last year, according to the Acreage report released today. Soybean area planted is estimated at 83.4 million acres, down 4% from last year.
Nichino America announced that Jeffrey Johnson will continue his role as Chairman of Nichino America, Inc. In this capacity, Johnson will continue to lead the NAI board of directors and management team, focusing on strategic oversight and corporate governance. Nichino also announced Dustin Simmons was appointed as an Executive Officer of Nihon Nohyaku Co., Ltd., the parent company of the NICHINO Group and Nichino America, Inc.
Kynetec, a global leader in agricultural and animal health market data, analytics and insights, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ines Kapphan as Chief Operating Officer for Agriculture. Ines brings over a decade of experience in technology, data science, and digital product development within the agricultural industry. She joins Kynetec from Bayer Crop Science, where she spearheaded the development of Bayer’s Data & Cloud Solutions business
From Australia to Zimbabwe, 39 visionary scientists, farmers, policy advisors, entrepreneurs and humanitarians have been named to the 2025 Top Agri-food Pioneers (TAP) list, announced today by the World Food Prize Foundation. Now in its second year, the TAP list honors individuals driving bold and innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges in global food security. This year’s honorees span 27 countries and one territory and range in age from 20 to 79, representing a powerful cross-section of experience, geography and expertise.
The World Food Prize Foundation extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Simon Nanne Groot, 2019 Laureate, who passed away on July 6, 2025, in his hometown of Enkhuizen, the Netherlands. Groot played a transformative role in empowering millions of smallholder farmers in more than 80 countries to earn greater incomes through enhanced vegetable production while providing hundreds of millions of consumers with greater access to nutritious vegetables for healthy diets. His initiative over more than four decades developed a dynamic, smallholder-centered tropical vegetable seed industry, starting in Southeast Asia and spreading through Asia, Africa and Latin America.
