This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly digest of regulatory developments, legislative discussions and other government-related news for farmers, seed-growers, ranchers and their upstream suppliers and downstream buyers. Once a week, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Want to track the upstream and downstream forces affecting Agri-Food? Don’t miss this week’s updates in Freight & Transport and Oil & Gas.

Dates: 2026-01-05 to 2026-01-16

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🏛️ This Week's Congressional Calendar
• 🇺🇸 Federal Government News
• 📜 Legislative Updates
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Congressional Calendar

• House Small Business Subcommittee Hearing: Empowering Rural America Through Investment in Innovation: On January 21, 2026, the House Small Business Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Supply Chains will hold a hearing on rural innovation investment at 3:00 p.m. ET, Rayburn 2360.

Federal Government News

Revisions to Agriculture Risk Coverage, Price Loss Coverage, and Dairy Margin Coverage Programs Announced

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a final rule revising Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC), and Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) programs to comply with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Key changes address reference pricing, base acres, elections, and payment limits for ARC and PLC, applicable to the 2025 crop year and extending program authority through 2031. ARC and PLC payment limits will rise to $155,000 for covered commodities and peanuts, with inflation indexing starting in 2025. The update allocates an additional 30 million base acres for 2026, referencing the 2019-2023 planting history. DMC is reauthorized through 2031, permitting dairy operations to establish new production histories using annual milk marketings from 2021-2023, increasing Tier 1 coverage from 5 to 6 million pounds, and extending premium discounts for multi-year contracts. Administrative provisions to facilitate implementation accompany the regulatory changes, with estimated program cost increases of $47 billion over ten years.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act Signed Into Law

On January 14, 2026, the President signed S. 222, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025. This legislation amends milk requirements in the National School Lunch Program, permitting broader inclusion of whole milk for participating schools.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

USDA Announces Notice for Animal Disease Traceability Data Collection Revision

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intends to revise and extend its approval for animal disease traceability information collection. The framework mandates interstate movement documentation and official identification for livestock under 9 CFR part 86, aiming to bolster disease response capabilities and delineate disease-free zones. Respondents include State, Tribal, and territorial animal health officials, accredited veterinarians, producers, and market operators. A reduction in respondents is noted, with an estimated annual burden of 536,091 hours across 80,302 respondents.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

USDA Renews Information Collection on Specified Risk Materials

The Food Safety and Inspection Service seeks renewal of its information collection regarding specified risk materials (SRMs) in cattle, expiring April 30, 2026. Official establishments must maintain written procedures and daily records for removal, segregation, and disposition of SRMs under 9 CFR 310.22, and ensure documentation for carcass transport of cattle over 30 months of age. Estimated annual reporting involves 3,512 establishments with 123,916 burden hours.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

White House Finalizes Removal of CEQ NEPA Implementing Regulations

The Council on Environmental Quality concluded its deregulatory effort by rescinding its National Environmental Policy Act implementing regulations, effective April 2025, under the Unleashing American Energy Executive Order. Federal agencies updated NEPA procedures in June 2025 for faster project permitting, and CEQ issued modernization materials for agency use. The move redirects CEQ's role to consulting for statutory compliance while reducing regulatory complexity.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

Legislative Updates

Bill 178: Activities to Suppress Wildfires

H.R. 178 requires the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out wildfire suppression activities. The House Committee on Natural Resources reported the bill (amended) with the accompanying H. Rept. 119-429, Part I.

Sources: www.congress.gov

Bill 131: Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act

The House passed the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, focused on water resources development, and directed the Clerk to notify the Senate of the action.

Sources: www.congress.gov

What We're Reading This Week

• We Went Shopping for the $3 Dinner—and Actually Found It: Reporters attempt to assemble a complete dinner for $3, benchmarking USDA cost estimates.
• For the World’s Food Supply, Federal Funding Cuts Have Long-Term Impacts: Recent coverage explores the consequences of reduced federal investment in global food security and scientific research.
• Watch Farming Without Subsidies: Could New Zealand’s Approach Work Elsewhere?: Video discusses New Zealand’s subsidy-free agriculture and its implications for international policy.
• Jan 12: The $429 Billion Invisible Chain Behind Your Food and Medicine: Newsletter examines logistics networks supporting food and pharmaceutical supply chains.

.