SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – President Donald Trump makes a visit to South Dakota this week as the first payments begin for commodity producers hurt by an ongoing trade war.

The Market Facilitation Program allows producers of soybeans, wheat, corn, sorghum, cotton, pork and dairy to receive money from a $12 billion federal trade compensation package.

Joseph Santos, an economics professor at South Dakota State University, says commodity producers are especially hurt by trade disputes because they come after years of already low prices for grain.

"It's a tough time to have this happen to them,” he states. “It's not a tough time for the aggregate economy, for the macro-economy, but it's a tough time for commodity producers, not that this would ever be good, but you don't want it right now."

Details about the president's visit to South Dakota have been sparse so far, but he will be stumping for the state's GOP governor candidate at a fundraiser.

It's not known if he will hold a public rally where he could address agricultural issues or the trade compensation package.

Last month the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that soybean farmers will receive $3.6 billion through the federal program.

But some growers say it's a Band-Aid that won't begin to cover their losses.

Santos expects prices for commodities such as soybeans to fall dramatically with tariffs. He says free trade means transactions, more economic activity, innovation and competition.

And while the administration's long-term aggressive approach to even out the trade balance makes sense, right now it's just a tax causing less trade.

"You know, we're imposing these tariffs everywhere in very blunt ways, disrupting markets all over the world simultaneously, and that's a tough, multi-layer chess game to keep track of," he states.

Distribution of the aid package to producers begins as Congress debates the Farm Bill, set to expire on Sept. 30.

A conference committee held its first negotiations on Wednesday, acknowledging that the biggest sticking point between the competing House and Senate bills is over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, often called food stamps.

Trump has said he favors a bill that includes tougher work requirements for SNAP recipients.


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New global guidelines for aquaculture aim to address growing concerns about the industry's impact on the oceans.

Scientists have suggested ways to protect aquatic ecosystems, reduce antibiotic use, and even prevent ocean litter from discarded aquaculture gear.

Danielle Blacklock, director of the Office of Aquaculture at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, calls the guidelines "a big deal," as consumer demand for seafood outpaces supply.

"We're developing a new food system for the first time in millenia," said Blacklock. "That means that things are changing quickly. We're learning fast. We're adapting."

Blacklock said the U.S. currently imports up to 85% of its seafood.

She said the new guidelines should help level the playing field for Massachusetts farmers to ensure they, too, can reap the financial benefits of aquaculture while using sustainable practices.

For the first time, the amount of seafood produced on farms has surpassed the amount harvested from the wild, according to the United Nations.

Critics of finned fish farms, in particular, say they're no different than land-based factory farms and are detrimental to ocean habitats.

But Blacklock said aquaculture, including New England's numerous shellfish and kelp farms, will play an important role in countering food insecurity.

"When we mix climate change with our growing population," said Blacklock, "it clearly starts to rise to the top as part of our solution set to fight hunger."

Blacklock said the new guidelines also suggest ways aquaculture itself can reduce its carbon footprint.

She said the new guidelines are voluntary - but if implemented, they could help lift local economies and coastal communities, while building climate change resilience.



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Idaho is accepting proposals for projects that improve confined animal feeding operations in the state.

The operations - also known as CAFOs - can cause pollution in a variety of ways for water, soil, and air nearby.

Mary Anne Nelson is the surface and wastewater division administrator for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.

She said the state's grant program seeks to mitigate the potential environment harm CAFOs can cause.

"We are concerned about anything that comes off that production facility," said Nelson, "that's going to contaminate nearby surface water or groundwater, that could potentially then move into nearby surface waters."

Excessive nutrient runoff from the animal feeding operations are also a concern.

The Idaho DEQ is accepting proposals for grants until August 30. The grant program has funded 35 projects in the past two years, including $5 million to 14 applicants in 2023.

This year, DEQ has $2 million to support the selected proposals.

Nelson said the DEQ is looking for ways these projects can managing animal waste.

"We are looking to do any kind of project," said Nelson, "that would help improve the way in which that manure management process is done."

Nelson said her agency also is considering the ancillary benefits in applications as well.

"So if they're proposing to do something that reduces odor coming off their lagoon," said Nelson, "we would consider that an air quality benefit as well as a manure management benefit."




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Farms in the Midwest should become more resilient to challenges created by climate change, with a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The money will go toward working with farmers in Ohio and Missouri on ways to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil and water quality and respond to extreme weather conditions, all while remaining profitable.

Ernie Shea, president of the nonprofit Solutions from the Land, one of the partners in the project, said the grant is unique because it centers around farmers' needs.

"When you approach a farmer in that way, you're beginning the conversation with what's important to him or her, which is surviving, continuing to operate," Shea explained. "You then can talk about co-benefits that can help the public."

This grant will also feature partners like Ohio State University and will fund education programs, research and collaborations with other stakeholders. The federal government is investing billions in climate-smart programs trying to reach its goal of a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050.

Agriculture is responsible for about one-tenth of the greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., mostly from livestock and fertilizer use. Shea pointed out there are many ways for Midwestern ag producers to be climate smart, including no-till operations, where farmers do not plow the ground and plant directly into soil, and much more.

"They could plant cover crops that provide green photosynthesis activity beds for many months of the year," Shea suggested. "We could implement practices where we're substituting nutrient inputs; where we're making a greater use of livestock manure instead of synthetic fertilizers."

Ohio has more than 13 million acres of farmland and agriculture is responsible for about 3% of the state's gross domestic product.


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