The annual “National Ag Week” in the United States (US), which has just drawn to a close, was marked by an announcement from US Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, that agricultural producers are to benefit from a $10 billion funding injection.
Secretary Rollins said producers are facing higher costs and market uncertainty and the new funding package means that “the Trump administration is ensuring they get the support they need without delay”.
The funding will come from the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year and will be administered by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA).
According to the USDA “to streamline and simplify” the delivery of ECAP, FSA will begin sending pre-filled applications to producers who submitted acreage reports to FSA for 2024 eligible ECAP commodities.
But while one of America’s largest farming organisations, the National Farmers Union (NFU), president, Rob Larew, welcomed the funding overall he also said that “this support is essential—but it’s not enough”.
US farmers
Farmers, ranchers, and the broader agricultural industry in the US are “celebrated” each year during the US National Ag Week which also seeks to “raise awareness about the importance of agriculture in everyday life”.
In a social media post Secretary Rollins said to her “agriculture isn’t just a career – it’s a way of life” and stated that farming is about “perseverance and innovation and a deep respect for the land”.
US president, Donald Trump, also delivered a proclamation during US National Ag Week, specifically on National Agriculture Day, 2025, which fell on March 18, to “pay tribute to every farmer and rancher who makes our country strong”.
In his proclamation President Trump said: “To make good on my promises to fortify the American farmer and make our nation’s agricultural products affordable again, I have worked to rapidly reduce the spread of bird flu inherited from the previous administration — including by strengthening biosecurity measures and ensuring rapid outbreak containment.
“As president, I will ensure that American agriculture remains the gold standard of the world, producing the best food, feed, fuel, and fiber on the face of the earth.
“My administration will strengthen our farmers’ competitiveness on the world stage by promoting fair trade practices, streamlining export processes, and expanding market access”.
According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bird flu has been detected in 51 states and there are an estimated 1,660 outbreaks.
Earlier this month the H7N9 variant of bird flu was found in a broiler chicken breeder flock in Mississippi, this was the first case of this variant in commercial poultry in the US since 2017.
Other key developments during US National Ag Week this year included an announcement that new actions will be taken to “reduce burdens on the U.S. pork and poultry industries”.
Secretary Rollins said: Under President Trump’s leadership, we are cutting unnecessary red tape, empowering businesses to operate more efficiently, and strengthening American agriculture –all while upholding the highest food safety standards”.
Food safety
Under the new policy the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) “will extend waivers” to allow pork and poultry facilities to maintain higher line speeds, ensuring they can meet demand “without excessive government interference”.
According to the USDA FSIS will no longer require plants to “submit redundant worker safety data” because it stated that “extensive research has confirmed no direct link between processing speeds and workplace injuries”.
Meanwhile although National Ag Week may be over for another year it is not likely to be the last time in 2025 that the US agricultural industry is seeking to step into the spotlight.
The NFU has announced a Farmers Union Week of Action to take place May 5 to 9.
They intend that farmers’ union members will join together both in Washington, D.C. and in their own communities across the the US to call on congress to “make farmers, ranchers and rural Americans a priority”.
