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Action Deadlines

Agriculture News

As war roils fertilizer market, Trump administration seeking backups

Farm Progress

Cotton growers facing another tight margin year — high input costs and elevated interest rates are squeezing 2026 profitability. If you're carrying debt or planning spring inputs, lock in pricing now and review your cost structure. Beef producers: packer margins bounced back this week but cattle prices dropping; watch for strike impacts on slaughter volume.

Auctions

Four regional livestock auctions line up for March 18, 2026: Jackson MO (exotics), Humeston IA, Athens GA, and Sidney MT. Check your closest location if you're moving cattle or looking to buy—timing matters for spring grass and breeding season. Exotic operation in Missouri may interest diversified operations looking beyond conventional stock.

Market Prices

Livestock as of 03/17/2026 (USDA daily)

Grants & Funding

$50 million available for disaster water and community facility repairs through Rural Development—eligible if you're a public body, non-profit, or tribe, covering up to 75% of project costs. Check rdapply.sc.egov.usda.gov for water grants and grants.gov for facility repairs; deadlines vary. Most relevant for operations hit by weather damage needing infrastructure work.

Recent USDA Awards

Lincoln County grabbed $191M for watershed work—biggest payout here. If you're in wildfire zones (Oregon, Idaho), note the $8.7M and $7.5M wildfire defense grants rolling out now. Texas cotton growers: boll weevil eradication funds hit $8M. Check your county extension office to see if you qualify before these programs shift.

Subsidy Payments

$16.2B in farm subsidies flowed nationally last year, with top payouts hitting Corn Belt counties in Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota. If you're running row crops in those regions, check your USDA Farm Service Agency records—your county may rank higher than you think for direct payments and crop insurance payouts.

Drought Status

Drought conditions now cover 23% of U.S. farmland, with severe-to-exceptional drought in parts of the Southwest and Northern Plains affecting irrigation costs and grazing capacity. Cattle operators and irrigators in affected counties may qualify for emergency LFP payments or adjusted crop insurance claims—check your county's drought classification before filing deadlines hit this fall.

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