USDA’s Seth Meyer Looks Back On 2025

U.S. agriculture saw many new developments in 2025, such as a new administration, a new Ag Secretary, and new policies, with more to come in the new year.  USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer suggests it’s been a turbulent year for American agriculture.

“There’s been a lot of things this year that have affected the overall market," Meyer said.  "There’s been a lot in the kind of typical stuff that we talk about, in terms of straight weather...there’s been unusual events in terms of animal diseases.”

Including the spread of avian flu here and the New World Screwworm northward in Mexico.  And then, there were President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs that hurt a variety of American producers, spurring more planned farm aid.

"A lot of action on the trade front in terms of policy, other policies like ad hoc disaster assistance being rolled out in the last year," Meyer said.  "And pending bridge payments to be provided in the new year…and a lot of the things that describe or influence the health of the Ag sector, as well.”

Including the high cost of farm inputs and the continued lack of a new Farm Bill, but legislated improvements in reference prices.  And when it comes to the year head, 2026 will see a review of the USMCA with the U.S.’s other two most important Ag trade partners—Canada and Mexico.

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