USDA Highlights President Trump's First 100 Days in Office:

This past Tuesday marked President Trump’s 100th day in office, typically an important checkpoint for any presidential administration. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a press statement highlighting the top issue areas the Department has been working on since Trump was sworn into office. One of the main focal points of the release was USDA’s rollout of the five-point plan to lower the cost of eggs for Americans while simultaneously tackling the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak. Additionally, the statement highlighted Rollins' upcoming trade missions to expand markets and boost American agricultural exports, ongoing negotiations with Mexico regarding water treaty obligations, the timely rollout of funds coming out of the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program for the 2024 crop year, and the Secretary’s mission to deliver rural prosperity to Americans. In a similar 100 day memo, USDA highlighted steps taken by each agency to reverse the “woke” Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda of the previous Biden Administration highlighting efforts related to freezing funds and grants, revaluation of standing contracts, and the deconstruction of the Partnership of Climate Smart Commodities program. You can find the initial 100-day press release here and the following DEI one here.

USDA Announces Major Win for Agriculture with Regards to Water Negotiations with Mexico: On Monday, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that an agreement was made between the U.S. and Mexican government for Mexico to meet the current water needs of farmers and ranchers in Texas as part of the 1944 Water Treaty, delivering a huge win for American agriculture. In the agreement, the Mexican government committed to transferring water from international reservoirs and increasing the U.S. share of the flow in six of Mexico’s Rio Grande tributaries through the end of the current five-year water cycle. The agreement between the United States and Mexico solidified a plan for immediate and short-term water relief to meet the needs of Texas farmers and ranchers for this growing season. Additionally, the agreement includes water releases and continued commitments through the end of this cycle, which concludes in October. Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico is obligated to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet over five years to the United States from the Rio Grande River. The United States, in turn, delivers 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico from the Colorado River. Mexico’s persistent shortfalls in deliveries have led to severe water shortages for Rio Grande Valley farmers and ranchers, devastating crops, costing jobs, and threatening the local economy. Going forward, the U.S. welcomes further collaboration with Mexico about their treaty agreements, keeping other outstanding water debts in mind.