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US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

The latest news and top stories on US Department of Agriculture. A prominent Washington, D.C.-based governmental body, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is dedicated to developing and executing federal policy on farming, agriculture, and food. Its main areas of focus include supporting agricultural production, ensuring food safety, promoting rural development, managing natural resources, and providing nutrition assistance. The USDA, established in 1862, is recognised for its crucial role in safeguarding the nation’s food supply, fostering rural communities, and addressing hunger both domestically and internationally.The latest news and top stories on US Department of Agriculture.

US President Donald Trump listening to a speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, last week. Photo: Reuters

2026 Xi-Trump summit

China to purchase at least US$17 billion of US agricultural goods, White House says

The agreement was struck at the recent summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to US fact sheet.

18 May 2026 - 6:39AM

2026 Xi-Trump summit

High fertiliser prices mean more soybeans for farmers – and greater reliance on China

11 Apr 2026 - 4:55AMvideocam

The Philippines

How soaring fuel prices are pushing Filipino farmers to the brink

8 Apr 2026 - 3:14PMvideocam

US-China trade war

Trump pitches China trade ‘win’ to US farmers ahead of Xi meeting, midterms

Claims come despite farmers remaining unsure if China will meet its 25 million-tonne commitment for 2026, as planting season approaches.

28 Mar 2026 - 6:21AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump gestures to farmers from the Truman balcony of the White House in Washington on Friday. Photo: AFP

Science

Could ultra-precise harvest forecasts give China an advantage in Iran war fallout?

Accurate grain output prediction allows China to mitigate food shortages, react to global price rises or plan storage and export measures.

22 Mar 2026 - 6:20PMvideocam

United States

US may have averted major shutdown by splitting bill, but partial closure is on

House approval still needed, with a funding lapse expected before lawmakers move to pass the spending package early next week.

31 Jan 2026 - 3:21PMvideocam

US-China trade war

Trump sells tariffs as farmers’ win in Iowa, but many aren’t buying it

As US president courts rural voters before midterms, growers fear Beijing may retaliate against Trump policies by curbing purchases again.

28 Jan 2026 - 7:17AMvideocam

Arkansas soybean farmer Randall Shelby says renewed US-China tensions risk pushing already struggling growers deeper into the red. Photo: Randall Shelby

United States

Are Trump loyalists struggling in US rural heartland ready to say ‘enough’?

Hammered by crippling costs and precious revenue lost to China, Midwest farmers’ loyalty to the US president will be tested in 2026 midterms.

21 Dec 2025 - 7:35AMvideocam

US-China trade war

China reportedly sticking to its soybean deal with US, but worries remain

Beijing secures 7 million tonnes of soybeans, passing halfway mark of its US purchase agreement. However, little has been shipped so far.

19 Dec 2025 - 10:36AMvideocam

US-China trade war

‘A slap in the face’: some US farmers unhappy with Trump’s US$12 billion bailout

US soybean growers, who were hit hardest by tariff disputes, have voiced frustration that overdue funding falls well short of what they need.

31 Dec 2025 - 6:52AMvideocam

A soybean farmer inspects his harvest at his family’s farm in Maryland in October. US farmers fear that the government’s new US$12 billion farm aid package will not provide enough funding. Photo: AFP

China-Latin America relations

Trump seizes on China ‘ban’ in Brazil soy trade, but data shows US gains small

China halted imports of soybeans from five Brazil-based exporters after pesticide-treated wheat was found mixed into cargo bound for Beijing.

3 Dec 2025 - 7:34AMvideocam

US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday that US farmers are benefiting from China’s recent ban on select Brazilian soybean shipments. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

China food security

‘Impossible to achieve’: why China can’t grow enough soybeans to feed itself

The shift from soybean exporter to world’s top buyer has reshaped global markets and forced Beijing to confront new security risks.

20 Nov 2025 - 10:31AMvideocam

US-China relations

US soybean futures rebound on signs China is ramping up purchases

Prices in Chicago rose as much as 3.2 per cent on Monday, a 17-month high, after Trump said China is in the process of buying soybeans.

18 Nov 2025 - 6:21AMvideocam

United States

Trump signs funding bill to end longest US government shutdown

The signing came just hours after the Republican-controlled US House passed a measure to end the record 43-day shutdown.

14 Nov 2025 - 1:26AM

US President Donald Trump after signing the funding bill to end the US government shutdown. Photo: Reuters

United States

US Supreme Court lets Trump continue food aid cuts, even as shutdown nears end

Reopening the government would restart the programme that helps 42 million Americans, but it’s not clear how soon full payments can resume.

12 Nov 2025 - 7:49AM

A man carries away food boxes being distributed in Los Angles, California, on Tuesday in response to the Snap benefit delays. Photo: AFP

Mainland China

China’s importers sign record US$83.5 billion in deals at trade expo

Deal value at the just-ended import fair rises 4.4 per cent from a year earlier, reflecting confidence in Chinese consumer spending.

10 Nov 2025 - 8:04PM

United States

US court orders Trump to fund food aid amid shutdown chaos

On Saturday, the US Department of Agriculture directed states to ‘undo’ any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits during the shutdown.

10 Nov 2025 - 6:17PM

US-China trade war

US government shutdown muddies China trade as agricultural officials miss expo

Federal shutdown prevents officials from opening agriculture pavilion, complicating positive trade momentum after US-China leaders’ summit.

6 Nov 2025 - 9:00PMvideocam

The US Soybean Export Council’s stand is seen at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

United States

Trump blames ‘kamikaze’ Democrats for longest ever government shutdown

The Republican president told a breakfast meeting at the White House that the Democrats would ‘take down the country if they have to’.

6 Nov 2025 - 12:33AM

Donald Trump

Trump threatens to withhold Snap food aid until US shutdown ends

Critics warn that the US president may be planning to defy a court order requiring that the programme continue to be funded.

5 Nov 2025 - 2:59AM

Xi Jinping

Premier Li Qiang to highlight US-China pact at world’s largest trade fair CIIE

Li Qiang’s plan to visit booths of American companies aims to send strong signal that China is open for global business, sources say.

3 Nov 2025 - 4:59PM

A photo taken on October 29, 2025, shows the south square of the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, the main venue for the eighth China International Import Expo. Photo: Xinhua

United States

Snap benefits cut off during US shutdown, driving long lines at food pantries

US judges have ordered the Trump administration to keep funding the programme, but it is not clear how and when payments will be made.

2 Nov 2025 - 11:25AM

People wait in line for free food at the World of Life Christian Fellowship International food pantry in New York on Saturday. Photo: Reverend John Udo-Okon via AP

United States

Trump says ready to continue Snap aid, doesn’t want Americans to go hungry

The US president’s comments come after two judges ordered his administration to keep paying for the programme despite the shutdown.

1 Nov 2025 - 7:35AM

United States

US judge blasts ‘political game’ over shutdown pause on food aid

More than 42 million people receive Snap benefits, which are set to lapse on November 1.

31 Oct 2025 - 6:12AM

United States

US shutdown nears 1-month mark, threatening flights and food aid

US transport secretary predicts growing cancellations, saying air traffic controllers will receive a ‘big fat zero’ pay cheque.

27 Oct 2025 - 3:01PM

A Delta Air Lines flight passes in front of the Air Traffic Control tower while departing from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: EPA

United States

US will not use contingency fund to keep food aid flowing, memo says

The Trump administration’s funding is crucial for a food aid programme, which helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries.

25 Oct 2025 - 3:25PM

Food items in a shopping cart at a distribution event held in Pontiac, Michigan on Friday. Photo: AP

Donald Trump

Trump to quadruple Argentine beef imports while US ranchers fume

Farmers are also angered by Trump’s US$20 billion currency swap with Argentina and losing out to the country on soybean sales to China.

24 Oct 2025 - 12:48AM

US-China trade war

Argentina’s soy exports to China soar, angering US

China’s soybean buyers turn to Argentina after tax drop, leaving US farmers sidelined and Washington unhappy.

30 Sep 2025 - 12:41AM

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