AGP Executive Report

Market Access Pressure (Afghanistan): Balkh melon growers report a strong harvest but collapsing prices and no reliable buyers, saying fertilizer costs and lost export routes leave them unable to cover costs; they’re urging government help to reopen Central Asia sales. Livestock Trade Policy (Pakistan): AMEPA argues against allowing live animal exports, saying it would drain healthy animals from domestic markets and weaken meat processing and food security, pushing instead for value-added Halal meat exports. Fair Food Retail (Rhode Island, U.S.): Rhode Island signed a bill limiting “scorched earth” restrictive covenants that block grocery stores, aiming to reduce food deserts and protect small businesses. Farmer “Lawfare” Shield (U.S.): SBA and USDA signed an MOU to help producers report weaponized regulation and target patterns of regulatory abuse. Disaster Relief (U.S.): SBA opened low-interest disaster loans for Louisiana businesses and residents hit by Tropical Storm Arthur. Palm Oil Value Chain (Indonesia): President Prabowo ordered cooperatives into palm oil supply chains from plantations through downstream derivatives to break private consolidation. Psylla Damage Relief Request (Oregon, U.S.): Gov. Kotek asked USDA for disaster designation and market relief for Gorge pear growers after major 2025 crop losses. Ag Innovation (Insect Vaccine): A licensed insect vaccine platform is reported as moving beyond antibody limits, with early results pointing to protection for shrimp and honeybees. Women Exporters (Nigeria): Lagos backed women exporters with financing and quarantine/packaging upgrades to cut rejection rates abroad. Fresh Produce Logistics (South Africa): Dube TradePort plans to expand its AgriZone to help smaller growers reach high-value perishable markets.

USMCA Shock for Ag Trade: The Trump administration declined to renew USMCA in its current form, starting a 10-year countdown and annual reviews—raising uncertainty for North American farm markets and supply chains. Mexico–US Friction: Mexico says the US won’t automatically extend USMCA and disputes US tariff moves plus seasonal import schemes for agricultural goods, with talks set around July 20. California Avocado Pressure: California growers are urging a seasonal import policy for Mexican avocados during March–September, citing oversupply and cartel-linked risks in Mexico’s supply chain. US Farm Safety Net Update: USDA/FSA expanded payment limitation and eligibility rules, including more options for structuring farm entities and a broader definition of farming income. Philippines Rice Relief: The Philippines’ agriculture department secured an industry commitment to limit entry of 5% broken imported rice, steering imports toward lower-quality varieties to protect domestic growers. Kenya Jobs Push: Kenya launched NASIP 2026–2030, a KES 1.081T plan to modernize value chains, expand irrigation, boost incomes, and create 2M+ jobs. Pesticide Worker Safety Fight (Canada): Worker advocates warn that new rules making safety data sheets optional could weaken protections for agricultural laborers. Zimbabwe Honey Quality Boost: Zimbabwe commissioned a new honey testing lab to meet premium export standards and strengthen buyer confidence. Ag Logistics Upgrade (Brazil): DP World and MRS Logística launched a multimodal agri-export corridor to cut road reliance and emissions for commodities like cotton, beans, and sugar.

Trade Policy Shock: The U.S. says it won’t renew USMCA “in its current form,” starting a new negotiation clock while the pact stays in force—raising fresh uncertainty for farm exports. Ag Inputs & Regulation: Bayer is consolidating its U.S. glyphosate business into Ruveon after seeking duties on Chinese imports, a move farmers say could lift herbicide costs. Biosecurity & Pollination: Queensland funds six projects under a Community Bee Innovation Fund to tackle varroa mite with research, training, and preparedness. Farm Finance: Agribank and other lenders are tapping bond markets to strengthen capital buffers and keep credit flowing for agriculture and related projects. Policy & Support Programs: Ireland’s tillage sector is pushing for full Straw Incorporation Measure funding after oversubscription fears, while the Irish minister says farmers will know “very soon.” Industry Pressure: Thailand’s shrimp sector urges a national 2026–2030 marine shrimp action plan as disease hits production and exports. Climate Impact: Hungary’s drought is exposing Lake Velence and cutting fodder yields, underscoring water stress risks for agriculture. Market Signals: USDA forecasts smaller sweet and tart cherry crops after freeze damage, while global weather risks keep sugar prices sensitive.

Food Security & Inputs: USDA data and acreage moves are keeping grain traders on edge, with Chicago corn and wheat extending a rebound after the latest USDA stocks and planting estimates. US Policy Compliance: Louisiana producers are being urged to book appointments with local FSA offices and file crop acreage reports by July 15 to protect USDA program benefits. Port & Logistics Risk: South Africa’s Port of Cape Town is blamed for major table-grape export diversions, with logistics losses estimated around R3.2bn and tens of thousands of tonnes rerouted to the Eastern Cape. Agri-Trade & Contracts: Gafta has rolled out updated Rice Contracts No. 120 and 122 to streamline international rice trading terms. Africa Investment Push: Kenya launched a KSh 1.081tn agri-food systems investment plan to modernize value chains, expand irrigation, and create 2m+ jobs. Tech for Farming: Italy’s agritech firms are scouting Kenya to cut post-harvest losses, while a UK-led research project (FARMAR) is set to test AI and robotics on farms. Biosecurity: Queensland is intensifying electric ant eradication using surveillance and targeted treatments, relying on community reporting.

Climate Risk Planning: Philippines’ Department of Agriculture is moving to a data-driven food-systems network and fast-tracking irrigation and small reservoirs to blunt El Niño impacts, including fixing storage and cold-chain gaps that force imports despite local production. Crop Demand & Exports: Ube (purple yam) demand is surging, but local output is slipping, pushing imports; USDA is backing a Bohol research push to strengthen pest/disease work and build a crop protection center. Biofuels & Regenerative Incentives: USDA finalized rules for regenerative biofuel feedstocks, plus an updated carbon-intensity calculator, aiming to help farmers earn more from lower-carbon fuel markets. Food Prices Watch: “Tomatoflation” is hitting U.S. grocery bills after Florida freeze damage and Mexico supply issues, with tomato prices spiking and expected to ease later as production rebounds. Trade & Inputs: Monsanto is seeking duties on Chinese glyphosate imports, while a Ghana study found many cabbage and okra samples exceed pesticide residue limits. Market Risk Tools: CME Group plans new Beef Trim contracts to help cattle supply-chain players hedge lean-beef input price swings. Weather Alerts: Pakistan’s upper Sindh faces monsoon rains and thunderstorms starting July 3–4, with guidance for farmers to adjust field plans.

Fertiliser Security: The EU is weighing a strategic fertiliser reserve after warnings that Middle East instability and supply-chain fragility are driving shortages and price spikes that threaten crop output. Dairy Regulation: The Netherlands will cap dairy at 2.6 livestock units per hectare as part of a nitrogen-emissions “future-proofing” package, backed by billions in funding for farm changes and nature restoration. EV Charging Theft: Farmblox launched COP-R-LOCK to detect copper-tampering and breaches at EV charging sites, aiming to cut downtime from cable theft. Biofuel Push: North Dakota farm groups are urging year-round approval of E15 higher-ethanol gasoline to boost demand and ease farm market pressure. Trade & Inputs: Trump’s move to suspend countervailing duties on certain phosphate imports is framed as immediate relief for farmers and a stronger US fertiliser supply chain. Food Safety: COCERAL published its mycotoxin management survey, highlighting continued industry focus on prevention across traded grain volumes. Ag Finance: Kenya’s FINAS summit spotlights a $100bn agri-food financing gap and a wholesale lending model that could expand credit to smallholders. Ag Tech & Markets: A UCLA study links long-term chlorpyrifos exposure to higher Parkinson’s risk, while grain markets brace for USDA acreage and stocks reports amid heat stress.

Fuel & Inputs Shock: Russia’s Putin admitted gasoline shortages and queues, citing export bans and refinery output boosts—an issue that also hits agricultural producers in summer. Biotech Crop Protection: BASF commissioned a fermentation “BioHub” to make biological fungicides and seed treatments, aiming to strengthen supply resilience for integrated crop protection. Farmer Compensation & Food Safety: India’s Bharatiya Kisan Sangh urged government to pay fourfold compensation for land acquired for infrastructure and pushed for tighter checks on food safety linked to fertilizer use. Weather Stress: Pakistan’s major crops (cotton, maize, sugarcane, vegetables) face severe heat stress, with growers cutting fertilizer due to higher prices. Soil Health & Tech Farming: Metagen promotes “paddock-lab-paddock” soil benchmarking and biological solutions, while farmers were also advised to lean into tech-driven farming. Policy & Market Signals: U.S. grain markets stayed focused on trade and biofuel policy ahead of USDA acreage and stocks reports; China is planning sulphur futures to hedge fertilizer-linked price swings. Research-to-Market Push: Pakistan’s UAF ORIC steering group backed commercialization funding and an endowment to translate research into farm-ready products. Local Support Programs: Stettler County launched a business/services directory and grant-funding resources for rural producers and ag businesses.

Regenerative Ag Push (US): Trump signed an executive order directing HHS, USDA and EPA to build a research framework on cumulative chemical exposures and to speed methods that cut reliance on chemical crop protection, with a NIH grand-prize challenge and ARPA-H priorities tied to farm resilience. Food Safety & Skills (Global): HACCP training is being positioned as a career booster as manufacturers face tighter oversight and demand preventive food-safety systems. Quality for Exports (Ethiopia): Ethiopia launched a five-year quality management capacity project with KOICA to strengthen standards, testing, inspection, certification and accreditation for agricultural and processed foods. Tariff Relief for Farmers (New York, US): Gov. Kathy Hochul released a $30m Agricultural Resiliency Against Tariffs Program to offset export losses and higher input costs for dairy, livestock, specialty crops and aquaculture. Water & Farm Pollution (Northern Ireland): DAERA began a 10-week consultation on revised Nutrients Action Programme proposals for 2027-2030 to improve water quality while protecting farms. Ag Trade & Logistics (Indonesia/Singapore): Indonesia offered at least 10,000 tons of rice exports to Singapore, citing surplus storage constraints and broader food-security cooperation. Agri-Industry Finance Gap (Africa): A summit preview warns Africa’s ag faces a financing shortfall of $100bn+ annually, with weak water and measurement infrastructure holding back investment.

Trade & Market Access: India and Seychelles signed pacts to boost trade, digital payments and farm ties, including a line of credit for Seychelles. Agri-Inputs & Food Security: Nigeria’s NADF flagged off subsidised fertiliser for 80,640 smallholders in the South-south under FISP, aiming to cut costs and raise yields. Irrigation Finance: Zimbabwe is converting grain import levy revenue into irrigation projects, with about US$3.2m already deployed to rehabilitate and expand schemes. Investment & Agribusiness Expansion: EBID committed $268m to Taraba for irrigated rice (10,000 hectares plus milling), renewable power and an industrial park. Livestock & Biosecurity: The U.S. pledged $84m to stop screwworm spread as a sterile fly plant ramps up production for U.S. and Mexico. Farm Policy & Oversight: Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced a risk-based organic oversight bill to reduce burdens on low-risk farms. Local Farming Economy: Millarville Farmers’ Market returns for its 44th season with 125+ vendors, while Zimbabwe-China investment talks tee up new opportunities for industrialisation.

Food Security & Prices: A World Bank economist says the world’s bigger problem is access, not production, as food prices rise again (cereal up 4%) driven by supply-chain, energy and conflict pressures. Nutrition Policy: A top USDA watchdog warned Congress that SNAP fraud has benefited people linked to terrorist groups and foreign adversaries, intensifying calls for tighter oversight. Livestock Biosecurity: Cebu tightened borders with a 45-day restriction on livestock vehicle pass-throughs to protect its P20B hog industry after an ASF outbreak in Negros Occidental. Farm Economics: U.S. farmers are in a 12th straight quarter of downturn, with net farm income projected to fall and bankruptcies up sharply as costs stay high. Agri-Trade & Supply Chains: Russia-Iran trade is up modestly, with Russian grain and vegetable-oil exports and growing North-South corridor volumes. Value Addition & Skills: Nigeria’s cassava push focuses on turning production into processing and industrial inputs, while Tanzania’s WFP-backed youth training trains agribusiness practitioners to spread financial literacy locally. Regional Ag Growth (Malaysia): Penang plans durian market interventions and buys fruit via forward agreements to manage seasonal oversupply, while Melaka highlights pineapple expansion and a faster SG-1 variety rollout.

Animal Health & Border Control: Cebu activated African Swine Fever (ASF) task forces and tightened border checks via Executive Order No. 36 after outbreaks in Negros Occidental and elsewhere in the Visayas, aiming to protect the province’s roughly P20B hog industry. Policy & Standards for Crops: Pakistan’s PM approved a National Agricultural Biotechnology Policy, setting a direction for science-based innovation and seed systems, but implementation risks remain amid ongoing GM maize misinformation. Export Support for Rice: Pakistan’s rice exporters urged extending the DLTL duty and taxes remission scheme to Sept 30, 2026, citing shipping disruptions and higher freight costs that delayed orders. Farm Funding Accountability: Fiji’s Agriculture Minister said the 2026-27 budget will come with stricter monitoring so farmers use assistance effectively, alongside added support for marketing and training. Market Access & Local Food: Downtown Bloomington Farmers Market returned with Illinois-grown produce and direct-to-consumer sales, while Morden (Canada) kicked off its seasonal farmers market to boost local shopping. Trade & Regional Business: Albania and Kosovo signed agriculture cooperation deals covering advisory services, innovation, and a shared approach to agri-food marketing and trade facilitation. Biosecurity Update (US): Texas expanded emergency quarantines for New World screwworm after new detections, tightening animal movement in border-region counties.

Trade Policy Watch: India and the U.S. are nearing a major interim trade deal, but New Delhi is pushing for a “sunset clause” to protect against shifting U.S. policy. US Farm Relief: Virginia got a USDA disaster declaration covering 43 primary and 61 contiguous counties after late-spring frost and freeze damage. Biosecurity & Livestock: Idaho tightened entry rules after the New World screwworm reached Texas and New Mexico, requiring fresh veterinary inspections and permits. Plant Health & Peace: Negros Occidental urged tighter coordination on African swine fever and red-striped soft scale insect, warning farm losses can spill into youth violence and unrest. Ag Markets & Costs: A Fourth of July cookout in Iowa now averages $73.82 for 10 people—about 4% higher—highlighting how inflation hits farmers too. Fertilizer Pricing Shock: Nepal reportedly paid far more than India for the same chemical fertilizer from the same supplier, raising questions about tender practices. Export Wins: India’s APEDA enabled the first commercial export of GI-tagged Rewa Sundarja mangoes to the UAE. Digital Ag & Finance: Bangladesh’s iFarmer won a $250,000 OPEC Fund award to expand smallholder access to inputs, advice, and markets. Policy & Industry Support: New York’s Dairy Modernization Grant Program reports 90% of Round 1 projects underway or completed.

Trade Talks: Philippines President Marcos will push for faster Canada free-trade talks during a July 1–4 visit to Vancouver, aiming to conclude both a Philippines-Canada FTA and a Canada-ASEAN FTA this year. Legal/Agri-Finance: Chile’s appeals court vacated a $217M salmon-farm arbitration award tied to Joyvio’s nearly $1B purchase, a blow to deal certainty in seafood M&A. Dairy Support: Iowa awarded nearly $400K in Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation grants to 11 Eastern Iowa projects, backing processing, packaging, robotics, and herd-health tech. Fertilizer Access: Madhes Province in Nepal has started subsidized paddy fertilizer distribution (DAP and urea), but farmers are still worried about delays and limited supply. Beekeeping & Pollination: South Africa’s Agriculture and Rural Development will host the 2026 BEE National Conference (June 30–July 1) to boost honey value chains and pollinator protection. Rural Broadband: Wyoming is moving ahead with ARPA and planned BEAD funding to expand fiber to thousands of rural locations, including farm areas. Hemp Policy Shock: North Carolina hemp businesses brace for a federal change starting November 2026 that could shut down intoxicating hemp products. Ag Workforce & Tech: Central Wyoming College is expanding Controlled Environment Agriculture training, and the University of Wyoming is launching a CEA Network to grow jobs and innovation.

Rice & Input Costs: The USDA raised its forecast for Philippines rice imports to 5.20M MT for MY 2026-27, citing weaker milled rice output (down to 12.30M MT) and shrinking planted area as fuel and fertilizer prices squeeze farm profitability. Climate Risk: S&P Global warns El Niño could hit rice and corn production across several emerging markets, with the Philippines among the most exposed as rainfall falls below average and pressures food and power supplies. Ag Policy & Rural Support: Northern Ireland’s DAERA will open a £4M Rural Business Development Grant Scheme (50% support up to £7,500) for rural micro businesses, with applications due by July 30. Skills & Competitiveness: Fane Valley Group plans £1.1M in workforce training across Northern Ireland, targeting sales, leadership, supply chain development, digital skills, and traceability. Market Access & Trade: Albania and Kosovo agreed to cooperate on farming advice, digital services, joint promotion, and support for international fairs to help producers reach wider markets. Agri-Tech & Digital Links: Spain’s Naturr closed a €620,000 round to expand its platform connecting fresh produce producers with professional buyers and improving transparency in the agri-food supply chain. Food Fraud Controls: Bulgaria’s agriculture minister urged EU-backed labs to detect counterfeit honey and rose oil, arguing current mechanisms aren’t protecting authentic products well enough.

Biofuels Policy: The Philippines’ agriculture chief ordered a halt to importing bioethanol feedstocks (molasses, sugar, sugarcane and syrups), aiming to close a loophole and protect the domestic sugar sector and farmers. Fisheries Reform: NSW abalone stocks are under pressure, and the state is moving toward lower catch limits, tougher anti-illegal fishing enforcement, and a draft new management framework out for consultation until July 17. Water Stress: Lake Powell is entering summer at its lowest level ever, with federal projections warning it could hit “minimum power pool” next spring—raising risks for electricity and, in worst cases, river flow. Farm Bill Momentum: U.S. senators are pushing a “Farm Bill 2.0” draft and resilience measures, including making USDA infrastructure programs permanent and expanding regional food hubs. Food Security & Trade: FAO says global cereal supply looks steady, but growing risks—from El Niño to trade tensions—could quickly disrupt access. Local Agriculture Economy: Santa Barbara County reported $2.24B in 2026 agricultural production, led by strawberries. Heat & Worker Safety: An Ireland survey found only one-in-five farm contractors use sunscreen during heatwaves, urging UV protection even inside tractor cabs.

Biofuel Policy: Philippines’ Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered a halt to importing bioethanol feedstock (molasses, sugar, sugarcane, syrups), aiming to close a legal loophole and protect the domestic sugar sector and farmers. Animal Health: South Africa’s agriculture department approved new, consolidated FMD outbreak control measures to give a single national framework from detection to recovery. Livestock Threat Training: Texas ranchers at an AgriLife Stocker Cattle event trained on the approaching New World screwworm risk, including vaccine and wormer strategy shifts. Market Support: India approved Karnataka mango relief under the Market Intervention Scheme—Rs 1,750 per quintal for Totapuri—after price drops and weather damage. Trade & Tariffs: EU formally cleared final approval for tariff commitments under the EU–US deal, including preferential access for some US seafood and non-sensitive ag products, with safeguards. Agri-Tech & Inputs: Drone imaging and AI platforms keep expanding, while pest-control demand continues to lift acephate market forecasts. Food Safety: Afghanistan authorities uncovered a counterfeit agricultural chemicals factory in Nangarhar, seizing thousands of cartons and arresting suspects.