Weekly Update for
December 12

On December 8, U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent announced $12 billon in one time bridge payments to U.S. farmers who have been impacted my market disruptions and increased input costs this year. “Wheat growers have endured another year of market adversity and rising input costs. NAWG is encouraged to see the Trump administration delivering much needed assistance to farmers through a simple program for FSA to implement. Right now, timely assistance is critical for farms to make it to 2026. We look forward to working with Congress and the administration to build a policy and regulatory environment where family farms can thrive, not just survive,” said Pat Clements, NAWG President.

This week, NAWG convened board members and state staff in Minneapolis, MN, for a comprehensive strategic planning session. The meeting centered on defining the organization’s highest-priority objectives, envisioning NAWG’s most significant future role, and evaluating the expectations of members and partners. Participants also reviewed potential revisions needed to meet long-term goals and worked to prioritize strategies that will strengthen NAWG.

This week, NAWG staff participated in the National Wheat Improvement Committee (NWIC) meeting held during the 2025 National FHB Forum in Denver, Colorado. NWIC is a non-profit organization representing public and private wheat researchers. NAWG serves as the organization’s secretary. Together, the two organizations collaborate annually to identify and advocate for key wheat research priorities. During this year’s meeting, attendees discussed 2026 policy priorities and the DC Fly-In, scheduled for March.

Registration and hotel booking are now open for the 2026 Joint NAWG/USW/NWF Winter Meeting, taking place Monday, January 26 through Thursday, January 29, 2026, in Washington, DC at The Westin Washington, DC Downtown hotel. We would encourage all attendees to arrive before the Operations and Planning Committee meeting at 1 PM on Monday, January 26. The Board of Directors will conclude at noon on Thursday, January 29, so please plan your return trip accordingly. The DCA airport is approximately a 20-minute drive from the hotel. The deadline to register and book your hotel room is January 2. Registration costs for NAWG members are $125 and nonmembers are $250. NAWG will invoice your association after the event. Additionally, make sure to book your hotel room through our website versus a third-party website to get a discount rate. All rooms from the NAWG block that are not confirmed on or before January 2 will be released back to hotel inventory and the conference rate will no longer be available after this date. Register and book your accommodation below.

On December 10, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, alongside U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced a $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program which intends to help American farmers adopt practices that improve soil health, enhance water quality, and boost long-term productivity. Building off the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy released in September, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is also investing in research on the connection between regenerative agriculture and public health, as well as developing public health messaging explaining this connection. “In order to continue to be the most productive and efficient growers in the world, we must protect our topsoil from unnecessary erosion and improve soil health and land stewardship. Today’s announcement encourages these priorities while supporting farmers who choose to transition to regenerative agriculture,” stated Secretary Brooke Rollins.

On December 10, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, joined by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced the approval of six new state SNAP food-choice waivers under the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. The waivers, submitted by Hawai‘i, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, will amend the statutory definition of “food for purchase” under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beginning in 2026. “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic diseases epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long,” stated Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. “With these new waivers, we are empowering states to lead, protecting our children from the dangers of highly-processed foods, and moving one step closer to the President’s promise to Make America Healthy Again.”

The House Committee on Agriculture convened a “Member Day” hearing on December 10, 2025, providing Representatives an opportunity to present the agricultural priorities and challenges facing their districts. Members emphasized pressing rural issues, including farm income pressures, food security concerns, and limited access to assistance programs in underserved communities. The hearing highlighted broad worries over rising food and living costs, gaps in rural development, and the need to reauthorize key legislation, particularly the Farm Bill, to strengthen American agriculture and support rural families.

On December 9, House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) and House Agriculture Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture Chairman Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) released a statement on the advancement of the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025. "Today’s bipartisan passage of the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act delivers long-overdue certainty for rural communities, schools, and public services that depend on these funds to survive,” stated Thompson and LaMalfa. “For too long, counties with federal land have seen an unfair decline in timber revenue through no fault of their own. This legislation ensures rural students and families aren’t left behind simply because of where they live.”

On December 8, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released a statement on the administration’s announcement of assistance to farmers. “While we need to help farmers who have been hurt by the President’s across-the-board tariffs, ultimately farmers want trade — not aid. The easiest way to give our farmers more certainty would be for the President to end his tariff taxes,” stated Klobuchar. “This assistance will clearly benefit some farmers now, but a one-time payment is not a long-term fix — only restoring these markets can do that. While more details are needed, as announced this assistance may fall short for many farmers who have been harmed by the President’s reckless tariffs.”

On December 8, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) released a statement regarding the Trump administration’s announced farm assistance plan. “America’s farm families share President Trump’s vision for increased market access. Delivering this farm assistance will bridge the gap until farmers realize the benefits of the recent trade deals and the One Big Beautiful Bill that will provide the certainty they need,” stated Boozman.

On December 8, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) released a statement regarding the Trump administration’s announced $11 billion farm aid plan. “Despite the administration’s repeated denials, farmers know that they experienced billions of dollars in losses for this past crop year thanks to the Trump administration’s crushing tariffs and trade war,” stated Craig. “While I am encouraged to see USDA acknowledge this fact, after two months of promises from the administration, I’m disappointed that the president can find $40 billion to bail out Argentina and its farmers but find far less to help Americans here at home.” According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, American farmers have suffered increasing losses, including nearly $30 billion within the last crop year alone.

On December 8, House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) released a statement after President Trump announced an economic assistance package for American producers. “The critical assistance announced today will help farmers obtain financing for 2026 and serve as a bridge to the long-term improvements to the farm safety net, which were included in the One Big Beautiful Bill,” stated Thompson. “I look forward to working with President Trump and Secretary Rollins on assessing any additional needs in farm country and continuing to support America's farmers and ranchers as the Administration works to bring down costs, secure new trade deals, and ensure China lives up to its commitments."

On December 5, the USDA released the Expanding Access to Risk Protection (EARP) Final Rule, a major crop insurance update stemming from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. (OBBBA). The rule is intended to modernize long-standing federal crop insurance policies, expand access to coverage, and reduce regulatory burdens. “With this new rule, we are delivering real, meaningful relief by modernizing the system, expanding access to crop insurance, and making it easier, not harder, for farmers and ranchers to protect their operations and keep doing the work that keeps America fueled and fed,” stated U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins.

Anne Osborne and Mark Haugland exhibited and attended the Prairie Grains Conference in Grand Forks, ND this week along with NAWG Treasurer, Nathan Keane. “This conference is so well organized and attended by Minnesota and North Dakota farmers, we got a chance to talk about the National Wheat Yield Contest and congratulate the winners from the area at their banquet.  I hope that this will encourage even more participation in the 2026 contest because growers in these states are proving to be very competitive in raising high yield and high-quality spring wheat” said Anne Osborne, Executive Director of the National Wheat Foundation. 

WestBred has been a partner for all ten years of the NWYC, we thank them for their support! 

Results from the 2025 National Wheat Yield Contest offer growers valuable insights into variety selection for the next crop. The average yield of the 28 NWYC national winners was 2.6 times the national average at 140 Bu/A. Across all six categories in the 2025 NWYC, 16 of the 28 national winners planted WestBred® Wheat varieties. At the state level, WestBred Wheat varieties won in 11 of the 14 states in which the brand was planted. A look at some of the winning varieties: WB9590 is a Hard Red Spring variety and a perennial contest winner for growers in the northern and northwestern regions, earning five national wins in the dryland category. This variety is broadly adapted, offering excellent yield potential and protein content, as well as very good tolerance to yellow (stripe) rust. WB9645 is a new Hard Red Spring bred for the Northern Plains with excellent yield potential, standability, leaf rust tolerance and very good protein content. This variety helped a North Dakota grower earn a win by yielding a 150% increase over the county average. WB7589 is a Hard White Spring Wheat variety with excellent yellow (stripe) rust tolerance, yield potential and protein content. It helped growers in the Northwest earn multiple state wins. This medium-maturing variety also has excellent standability, test weight, and milling and baking quality. WB6430, a Soft White Spring Wheat variety, earned multiple state wins in the contest. This variety offers excellent tolerance to yellow (stripe) rust and leaf rust. Bred for the northwestern and southwestern regions, WB6430 exhibits excellent standability and test weight, along with very good protein content. WB4792 is a Hard Red Winter Wheat variety with excellent yield potential and test weight, and strong standability. This medium- to late-maturing variety helped a Texas grower earn a win by yielding 219% over the county average in the dryland category. WB4792 also exhibits good drought tolerance and grazing potential, and is well adapted to the Western Plains WB4422 is a key companion product to WB4792, offering excellent winter hardiness and very good protein content. This Hard Red Winter Wheat is broadly adapted across southern, northern and central regions, helping an Oklahoma grower earn a win by yielding 240% more than the county average. WB1621 was the top-performing Bin Buster-winning variety for an Idaho grower, yielding 228 Bu/A in the irrigated winter wheat category. This Awnless Soft White Winter Wheat variety is good for dual-purpose forage and grain use. WB1621 has excellent standability, test weight and grain yield/forage potential, with very good tolerance to yellow (stripe) rust.