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Accounting for about 15% of USDA’s total workforce and representing FSA, NRCS, FSIS, APHIS and other departments, 3,877 staff signed contracts in February for the first deferred resignation program and 11,305 in the second round in April.

The agency plans to cut staff to Reagan administration levels and shift research to office run by political appointees. Advocacy groups are concerned about scientific independence.

The forecast for May is pointing to a rapid warm up with rains across the drought-stricken Plains, but there’s a drier forecast for the heart of the Corn Belt. One meteorologist is concerned about the amount of dryness entering the picture.

One farmer who was chased out of fields by rain this past weekend told Farm Journal, “This is the wettest drought I have ever seen.” There are some silver linings, though: soil-applied herbicides are being activated, the U.S. corn crop won’t all pollinate the same week and you have time to make stand counts where the crop has emerged.

The stakes are high with the latest trade war. While the risks of losing more market share into China are a concern, the upside potential of a trade deal with China could be monumental.

To be eligible for the spring workforce window, employers must begin the H-2 application process by June 1.

“UAN is easily the most important topic right now,” says Josh Linville at StoneX. “That is because it is no longer a price story—it’s a ‘can you even find it supply story.’”

A pair of Canadians in farming weigh in on the country’s latest election results and the implications for agriculture sectors like the dairy industry and farm equipment manufacturing.

Agriculture is an export dependent business. At peak uncertainty, the industry could go either way: Gain ground with new trade deals or take a big hit as exports further decline.