Weekly Update for
April 23

National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) CEO Sam Kieffer has joined the Center for American Food Powers’ Food Power Council. The Center for American Food Power (CAFP) is a nonpartisan think tank supported by U.S. agriculture and policy leaders to advance a domestic agri-food strategy aligned with national security priorities. NAWG CEO Sam Kieffer said, “Most everyone agreed that food security is national security. And there have been significant, undeniable shifts in geopolitical alliances, trade loyalties, and the technology used in agriculture, national defense and commerce. I’m honored to join this group of strategic thinkers to consider some of the most complex challenges as we build a stronger, more resilient U.S. food system.” CAFP was founded by Brett Sciotto, Ray Starling, and Greg Somerhalder to be a nonpartisan platform for strategic analysis, cross-sector coordination and policy framework development, with the goal of positioning U.S. agriculture for long-term resilience, competitiveness and geopolitical relevance.

On April 17th, NAWG joined 330 other agricultural organizations to support the advancement of Farm Bill 2.0 to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies, all members of the House of Representatives, and House Ag Committee Staff. While the coalition of groups acknowledge the bipartisan work that has been done for the passage of a full comprehensive farm bill, they also encourage the same bipartisanship effort in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Since the last effort in September 2025, pressures facing farmers and producers have intensified. With global supply chain disruption and prices of fuel and fertilizer being affected by global conflicts, and uncertainty in both domestic and foreign demand, American agriculture cannot function on solutions from 2018, when the last farm bill was passed. The letter said “our organizations stand ready to assist in any way possible and will support this process through enactment. Representing a broad cross-section of the agriculture community, we are committed to working collaboratively with Congress to ensure that final Farm Bill 2.0 is responsive, forward-thinking, and reflects today’s environment for producers and rural stakeholders across the country.”

In this edition of Heads Up: Wheat in DC, NAWG’s Sam Kieffer breaks down the upcoming Supreme Court case Monsanto v. Durnell, and what it means for wheat growers. The case asks whether federal pesticide law should override conflicting state requirements—underscoring the importance of a consistent, science-based national standard. For farmers, clear and reliable rules are critical. EPA-approved labels carry the force of law, and a patchwork of state standards would create unnecessary confusion and risk. The discussion also corrects common misconceptions: glyphosate is not used to desiccate wheat, and the vast majority of applications occur before planting, with limited use later for targeted weed control. Read the full blog below.

On April 22, NAWG CEO Sam Kieffer met with Nutrien’s External Affairs and Legal leadership team to discuss key priorities impacting wheat growers. The conversation focused on the current farm economy, progress toward a new farm bill, USMCA, research investments, tariffs, MAHA, and the Food for Peace program. NAWG continues to engage with industry partners to advance policies that strengthen the agricultural economy and support U.S. wheat farmers.

On April 22, Anthony Peña, NAWG’s Vice President of Policy and Communications, briefed members of the New Democrat Coalition on grocery prices as part of a multi-stakeholder panel that included representatives from the National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, U.S. Apple Association, Feeding America, and AFSCME. In his remarks, Peña highlighted key drivers of food price pressures, including persistently high input costs for farmers, global supply chain disruptions, and ongoing market volatility, emphasizing the need for policies that strengthen the farm safety net and reduce cost pressures at the production level.

With rising temperatures and a lack of rain, farmers in the Central Plains are facing harsh conditions this season. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) weekly crop progress report, 34% of all winter wheat was rated good to excellent, a 13% decrease since 2025. The nation’s leading hard red winter wheat producer, Kansas, has worsened crop conditions. In the USDA’s last report, 32% of Kansas wheat was in good to excellent condition, a 30% decrease from the crop conditions heading into winter. CEO of Kansas Wheat Justin Gilpin said, “That’s probably the most disappointing part about this crop right now… we did have decent moisture and planting conditions when the crop went in the ground in October. Going into dormancy, we looked to be in pretty good shape, and things were promising even coming out of dormancy in February.” While conditions for hard red winter wheat in Kansas are poor, conditions in other key states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Colorado, for hard red winter wheat crop predictions are also rated poor to very poor. Gilpin said that, combined with the warm winter, early spring temperatures, and drought, have caused the crop to mature more rapidly. According to the Kansas Wheat CEO, “there’s anxiety out there among farmers, for sure…at this point, should a farmer spend more for additional high-priced inputs? Do you make a spring nitrogen application on a crop that hasn’t had any rain on it, and it’s not forecasted either? Those are the decisions that are going on right now.”

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says that the Trump administration is acting “with urgency” to bring the prices of fertilizer down and hinted that further steps could be announced this week. On Monday, April 20th, Rollins wrote on X, “fertilizer input costs remain a serious challenge for our farmers… More coming this week. Stay tuned! We won’t be able to fix it overnight, but progress is happening.” The Trump administration has begun efforts to ease price pressures, including easing domestic shipping requirements and loosening controls on Venezuelan fertilizer imports. Be that as it may, urea prices are up roughly 80% from the beginning of the year. Rollins told lawmakers that the administration is confident to announce an initiative to use tariff revenues to strengthen domestic fertilizer supplies.

House Republicans are shifting into high gear to boost support for the farm bill ahead of the planned vote next week. The amendment deadline for the bill is April 22nd, and leadership is planning a floor vote on the bill next week on April 27th. According to a notice from Whip Tom Emmer, GOP leadership will be talking to Republican lawmakers on the House floor during Tuesday’s 3 pm vote and will be recommending a ‘yes’ vote on the bill. In the notice from Emmer’s floor director, it is emphasized that the farm bill is budget-neutral and prioritizes “responsible spending on agriculture.” “This bill expands on investments in rural communities, returns science-backed management to our national forests, and restores regulatory certainty in the interstate marketplace,” according to the whip notice. “Interstate marketplace” is the language used to describe the controversial provisions in the package that would ban states from requiring pesticide labeling, which is counter to EPA’s health findings and roll back restrictions on livestock sales under laws like California’s Proposition 12. Negotiations on the farm bill, which is meant to be reauthorized every five years, have been halted due to parties fighting over nutrition and climate-smart agriculture policies. In an interview on Monday, April 20th, House Ag Chair G.T. Thompson (R-PA) said that he doesn’t expect the vote on the farm bill to be delayed due to other legislative battles. Thompson said, “I have not had any indication of delays”.

Illinois Democratic Representative Eric Sorensen introduced a bipartisan bill and submitted an amendment to the farm bill to provide low-interest loans and USDA grants to expand domestic production and improve storage capabilities for companies. Ranking Member of the House Ag Committee Angie Craig backs the legislation and says grants and direct or guaranteed loans up to $1 million to prioritize small domestic producers by excluding the top four manufacturers, processors, and stores from eligibility. The bipartisan effort comes from the republican support of Ashley Hinson (IA), Tracey Mann (KS), and Mike Bost (IL), as well as other Democratic support from Sharice Davids (KS) and Nikki Budzinski (IL). The Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Corn Growers Association, and the National Association of Corn Growers all support the legislation as well. The text emphasizes that the USDA should show priority to promote innovation in fertilizers, bio stimulants, nutrient alternatives, storage capacity for U.S. commodity production, and improve competition. Recipients of the loan or grant will be required to repay in full if any facility or company developed through the project is sold, transferred, or changes ownership to one of the companies that hold the four largest shares of the nitrogen, phosphate, or potash market.

Kalshi, the betting prediction platform, added a Commodities Hub to bet on the market predictions of eight key commodities: natural gas, sugar, corn, coffee, soybeans, nickel, lithium, diesel, copper, and wheat. Kalshi’s platform structures each contract on threshold outcomes and price direction. Kalshi said activity has increased greatly as conflict in the Middle East shakes global trade flows and oil markets, thus prompting the launch of Commodities Hub. According to Kalshi’s announcement on April 15th, “amid recent geopolitical uncertainty- the war in Iran, rising inflation, and political shifts in many of the world's most powerful countries- the commodities market has exploded both in volume and in volatility. Uncertain times call for more stringent risk management, and commodities markets sit at the heart of many of the world's most important supply chains.” There has been no communication with commodity and farm groups about their launch.

On April 23rd, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Mission Area today announced a reorganization and leadership restructuring to better align its work with USDA priorities, improve operational efficiency, and deliver results more effectively for American farmers, ranchers, and producers. This effort refocuses REE’s structure on mission delivery—streamlining operations, strengthening leadership accountability, and positioning resources closer to the agricultural communities USDA serves. “At USDA, we are putting farmers first,” said Secretary Brooke L. Rollins. “This reorganization ensures our research, data, and innovation efforts are focused where they matter most: delivering real results for the men and women who feed, fuel, and clothe this country. By streamlining operations and moving resources closer to the ground, we are making USDA more responsive, more efficient, and better equipped to support American agriculture. This move puts our research institutions outside of the beltway and closer to the land grant universities with talent pipelines who will lead the research and solve the problems facing the future of American agriculture. This is about strengthening our USDA research focus and improving the services the agricultural economy relies on.”

Many of our great partners have vouchers to pay the entry fee. You must be a member of your state's wheat organization to be a direct member of the National Association of Wheat Growers. Everything is done through the contest website.

The Wheat Quality Council’s annual winter wheat tour is coming up May 11-14. Anyone interested in learning more about wheat and getting a firsthand look at the crop can attend. Hotel rooms are limited, so don’t delay. Learn more or register below.