Weekly Update for
June 6

This month President Donald Trump released his budget request for fiscal year 2026. The proposal signals a significant reduction in overall USDA funding, requesting $23 billion for FY2026, which is nearly a $7 billion cut from the current year's funding levels. This represents a 22.55% decrease from the 2025 Enacted (CR) levels in discretionary budget authority. NAWG remains committed to working with the Trump administration to ensure that the critical programs farmers and growers depend on remain fully operational and adequately supported.

This week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins visited Rome, Italy, to push for greater market access for U.S. agricultural products and call on UN food agencies to prioritize American interests, reduce costs, and focus on their core mandates. Rollins criticized the European Union and Italy for imposing high tariffs and non-tariff barriers that disadvantage U.S. producers and pledged to work with Ambassador Tilman Fertitta to increase opportunities for American farmers, ranchers, and food processors. During the trip, she met with Italian officials and representatives from U.S. diplomatic missions and UN agencies, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme. The trip follows a May visit to the U.K. and comes amid a broader push to reverse what USDA describes as a “trade deficit” caused by four years of inaction under the Biden Administration. Upcoming trade missions will include travel to India, Vietnam, Japan, Peru, and Brazil as part of Rollins’s effort to reopen and expand markets for U.S. agriculture.

On June 3, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing to consider the nomination of Michael Boren to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment. Boren is a businessman and investor based in Idaho. He co-founded Clearwater Analytics, a financial technology company specializing in investment accounting and reporting software. Additionally, he has founded six companies in total, including Sawtooth Investment Management, an investment advisory firm. He owns Hell Roaring Ranch in Stanley, Idaho, and has served as a volunteer firefighter for the Sawtooth Valley Rural Fire Department.

On June 3, the Senate Agriculture Committee approved the bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which would allow schools in the National School Lunch Program to offer whole and reduced-fat milk, along with expanded options for nutritious nondairy beverages. The bill, passed by voice vote, aims to improve children's access to essential nutrients while supporting U.S. dairy producers. Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) praised the legislation, highlighting its benefits for both student health and the dairy industry. The bill permits a broader range of milk options, allows parents to request nondairy substitutes, and excludes milk from school meal saturated fat limits. It follows an April hearing where experts emphasized the importance of boosting calcium intake among students. Introduced by a bipartisan group of senators, the bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

On May 29, a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that proposed federal budget changes could impact food assistance for over 4 million Americans, including a nearly $290 billion reduction to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade. The report, requested by Senate and House Agriculture Committee Ranking Members Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Congresswoman Angie Craig (D-MN), indicates that about 3.2 million individuals could lose benefits due to changes in eligibility requirements, while another 1.3 million may experience benefit reductions if states take on a larger share of program costs. Under the proposal, all 42 million current SNAP recipients would face an average monthly benefit reduction of approximately $15 by 2034, driven by revisions to the Thrifty Food Plan—a tool used to calculate SNAP allotments. These changes would also affect funding for related food programs, including school meals, food banks, and Puerto Rico’s nutrition assistance. The CBO also estimates that adjustments in how utility and energy assistance are calculated for SNAP eligibility could lead to $17 billion in further reductions, affecting over 10 million households. Some could see monthly benefit decreases of at least $10, while others may lose up to $100. In addition, the proposal may affect up to 250,000 lawful U.S. residents—such as refugees and asylees—by altering eligibility standards and could reduce school meal benefits for an estimated 420,000 children each month.

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) released a statement criticizing the MAHA Commission Report, calling it an “over-ambitious” document that fails to meet scientific and evidence-based standards. While supporting a nationwide effort to improve health through nutrition, Craig warned against relying on misinformation and influencer-driven trends. She pointed out that the report cites fake studies, misrepresents agricultural science, and confuses correlation with causation. Craig also noted the contradiction in the report’s praise for local food sourcing in France, despite the Trump administration’s recent cancellation of USDA’s Local Foods for Schools Program. As the MAHA Commission approaches its August 12 deadline to publish a national strategy, Craig urged it to engage seriously with agricultural and nutrition experts to ensure meaningful contributions to future health policy, according to The House Agriculture Committee Democrats on May 29th.

On June 5, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology, chaired by Rep. Frank Lucas, held a hearing titled “Supporting Farmers, Strengthening Conservation, Sustaining Working Lands” to examine farm bill conservation programs. Chairman Lucas emphasized the importance of Title II programs that support farmers and address natural resource concerns through voluntary, locally led, and incentive-based efforts during his opening statement. He reflected on the origins of federal conservation efforts following the Dust Bowl, noting the 90th anniversary of both Black Sunday and the establishment of the Soil Conservation Service, now NRCS. Lucas highlighted the need to modernize and improve program delivery through reforms such as precision agriculture eligibility, streamlined processes, and increased funding by reallocating unobligated Inflation Reduction Act dollars. He stressed that these improvements aim to make conservation programs more producer-friendly, science-based, and effective at ensuring the long-term sustainability of working lands.

On June 4, the House Appropriations Committee released the FY26 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, proposing $25.5 billion in discretionary funding, $1.2 billion less than FY25. The bill emphasizes fiscal responsibility while supporting farmers, rural communities, agricultural research, food and drug safety, and broadband expansion. It aligns with the Trump Administration’s priorities by funding key programs like FDA and APHIS, limiting DEI and climate-related initiatives, enhancing national security by addressing foreign ownership of U.S. farmland, and closing regulatory loopholes in hemp sales. The bill also blocks proposed Biden-era regulations and eliminates funding for several initiatives including the Rural Partners Network and Office of Urban Agriculture.

On June 4, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, emphasized the importance of SNAP and the risks it faces due to the House Republican Reconciliation bill at the Agriculture Spotlight Forum titled “Hunger by Design – The GOP’s Assault on SNAP.” A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s questions is available below and a video can be downloaded below. 

Soft red is the wheat class that has the most entries in the Winter Wheat categories in this year’s contest. Soft red winter wheat is grown mainly in the eastern part of the country and used for making cookies, crackers, cakes and other products that require a tender texture. The quality tests the wheat contest runs on soft red include grain qualities such as test weight, moisture, falling number, protein and thousand kernel weight. Flour tests include flour extraction, bran %, shorts %, alveograph and solvent retention capacity. “To make the highest quality flour, the miller must start with sound wheat- fully developed berries, low disease pressure and harvesting wheat with no field sprouting. It takes a combination of good genetics, favorable environmental conditions and high-quality management to produce a food product suitable for the consumer.” Carl Schwinke, Sr. Vice President Siemer Milling, retired.

Sphaerex® Fungicide: National Wheat Foundation Newsletter All Signs Point to Quality with FHB Protection Quality is a cornerstone of high-caliber wheat operations. Any opportunity to improve quality, yield and return on investment (ROI) is worth considering, especially in an industry with variable factors like weather and rising input costs. Fusarium head blight (FHB), or head scab, is one of the most aggressive diseases that can compromise wheat quality. It steals test weight, protein content and gluten content, with the potential to drop yields by 80%[1]. Fusarium head blight can lead to increased deoxynivalenol (D.O.N.) toxin levels and wheat quality grade reductions of $0.25 - $2.00 per bushel2. Plenty of economic and agronomic reasons exist to prevent FHB — price discounts, grain rejection, additional costs for cleaning equipment, and mycotoxins harmful to both people and livestock. Sphaerex® fungicide effectively stands up against weather and toxins, efficiently improving wheat quality. Two proven active ingredients, metconazole and prothioconazole, help keep acres healthy while reducing FHB and D.O.N. toxin. Summer can be rife with unexpected thunderstorms, but that’s not an issue because Sphaerex® fungicide is rainfast in 15 minutes. In addition to speedy protection, it doesn’t waste time in application. With a use rate of 7.3 ounces per acre, Sphaerex fungicide can add efficiency by reducing costs associated with handling and downtime. The oil-based product mixes and flows easily without plugging nozzles. With efficient use, fast protection, improved peace of mind and higher wheat quality, Sphaerex fungicide can add value and increase your profitability potential. To hear about other high-quality wheat growers’ experience with Sphaerex fungicide, visit sphaerex.basf.us. Always read and follow label directions. Sphaerex is a registered trademark of BASF. © 2025 BASF Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 1Alisaac E, Mahlein AK. Fusarium Head Blight on Wheat: Biology, Modern Detection and Diagnosis and Integrated Disease Management. Toxins (Basel). 2023 Mar 3;15(3):192. doi: 10.3390/toxins15030192. 2 Great Lakes Grain. “ADM 2022 Wheat Discount Schedule (CDN).” Accessed February 12, 2025. 2021 BASF Trial at Murray State, KY. Flowering application of 7.3 oz/A Sphaerex fungicide. Photos taken 27 DAT.