Agriculture Shorts

The Daily Livestock Report noted the percentage of cattle in drought areas exceeded 50% for most states in the central U.S., including 94% in Nebraska, 90% for Oklahoma, Texas with 82%, Colorado at 64%, Iowa at 50%, and South Dakota at 50% as of March 24, 2026 . . . Agri-Pulse reported that fertilizer producers Mosaic and Simplot support continuing countervailing tariffs on phosphate imports from Morocco and Russia. The tariffs, ranging from 16.6% to more than 47%, have been in place since 2021 . . . The U.S. and Ecuador have agreed to a trade deal on March 13 which would eliminate tariffs on U.S. soybeans and certain dairy, beef, pork, and poultry products . . . Axios reported Easter chocolate goodies are costing Americans about 14% more this year compared to last year, due to higher cocoa prices . . . Chris Clayton of DTN reported the Trump Administration’s proposed budget would cut $4.9 billion, or 19%, from USDA’s discretionary spending next year. Clayton wrote, “the Trump administration calls the department ‘a bloated Washington, D.C., bureaucracy with multiple management layers and many extraneous programs that are irrelevant to supporting an America First agricultural policy.'”