U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump has nominated all cabinet members and most heads of agencies per The New York Times. The following will most impact agriculture if approved by the Senate:

• Brooke Rollins, JD, president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, as Secretary of Agriculture
• Activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., JD, as Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Fracking company CEO Chris Wright as Secretary of Energy
• North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior, who will chair the new National Energy Council
• Surgical oncologist Marty Makary, MD, MPH, as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration
• Former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin, JD, as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
• Dave Weldon, MD, internist and former U.S. Representative, as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Of note to agricultural stakeholders, per Politico, RFK Jr. is calling for tighter regulations on pesticides; per NPR, Wright seeks to increase fossil fuel production while denouncing the impact of climate change; and per Red River Farm Network, Zeldin was a lead sponsor of a bill to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Agriculture Secretary-Elect Rollins grew up on a farm in Glen Rose, Texas and got an undergraduate degree in agricultural development from Texas A&M University before getting a law degree from the University of Texas. She served as director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration. Then she co-founded and led the America First Policy Institute, a think tank with an influential role in the Trump campaign and transition. “While GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill were surprised by the pick, she’s expected to have a fairly smooth Senate confirmation,” noted Politico.

Economic assistance for agriculture remains uncertain in the wake of hurricanes and other natural disasters. Numerous members of Congress have voiced support for it and the Senate held a hearing on it. Several Senators, including John Boozman (AR), Jerry Moran (KS), Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS) and John Hoeven (ND), expressed their support. Potential delivery options are the FARM Act, reimbursement of crop insurance premiums, a uniform per acre payment for covered commodities and/or accelerating projected 2025 Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage payments.

There will not be any further attempts to pass a new farm bill in 2024 so Congress aims to extend the current one into 2025, which it will need to pass by year-end. Similarly, Congress will not act on FY2025 appropriations bills this year and will need to pass another Continuing Resolution before Dec. 20 to fund government agencies at existing levels into 2025.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued a final notice effective Nov. 13, 2024, on certain genetic modifications in plants that are exempt from regulations under 7 CFR part 340. These modifications, which are achievable in conventional breeding, allow for up to 12 modifications per plant. The updated regulations reflect advances in plant breeding, ensuring plants with similar characteristics are regulated consistently.

The EPA released its Rodenticide Strategy with final biological evaluation for 11 rodenticides, including chlorophacinone, diphacinone and its sodium salt, warfarin and its sodium salt, brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, difethialone, bromethalin, cholecalciferol, strychnine and zinc phosphide. This evaluation assesses the potential impact of these chemicals on endangered species and critical habitats. The findings indicate that most species and habitats will not be affected by the current use of these rodenticides but a few could be. The Rodenticide Strategy outlines possible mitigation measures, which will only be applied in necessary areas. It does not impose immediate restrictions on rodenticide use. Any required changes to pesticide labels will be made in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service based on its findings during formal consultation.

A report, “Farm Bill Programs and the Role of Crop Protection Tools,” issued by the Directions Group highlights the significant impact on U.S. agriculture if farmers were to lose access to glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide. The report analyzes how this disruption could affect key farm bill provisions as well as result in higher production costs, food inflation and negative environmental consequences. Specifically:

• Food prices could rise by as much as 2.4 times.
• Farmers could experience a loss of $2.89 billion in yearly net income.
• Spending on nutrition programs like SNAP could increase by $7.1 billion throughout the 2025-2029 Farm Bill.
• Crop insurance expenses could rise by nearly $2.95 billion during the 2025-29 Farm Bill.
• CO2 emissions could increase by an additional 33.72 million tons annually.

The $632-million investment in cover cropping from the 2018 Farm Bill could be undone, reversing two decades of progress in reducing carbon emissions, sediment loss and nutrient run-off.

Mike Stamm, a canola breeder at Kansas State University, works to develop winter canola varieties resistant to diseases like blackleg, climate change and extreme weather, reported Spectrum News. Some of his canola seeds are now being used at the Salk Institute in San Diego, which is engineering the plants to combat climate change. With winter canola gaining popularity in the U.S. for its higher yield (20-30% more than spring canola), Stamm hopes his work will lead to better crops for farmers and a healthier planet.

In Odessa, Wash., farmers are achieving record-breaking yields of winter canola thanks to advanced genetics and regenerative farming practices. Despite challenging conditions, including low rainfall, hot/dry falls and harsh winters, non-biotech hybrid winter canola from Rubisco Seeds has excelled due to its resilience and suitability for dryland farming, the company reported. For example, Shoonover Hutterian Brethren farm, leveraging regenerative techniques, achieved an average yield of 113.8 bushels per acre, surpassing global records. This crop, with 46% oil content, equates to 340 gallons per acre of canola oil. (Photo by Brian Caldbeck, Rubisco Seeds.)

Consumption of seed oils high in unsaturated fatty acids (the building blocks of fat), including the essential fatty acid linoleic acid, is associated with numerous health benefits, according to a new, peer-reviewed manuscript published in the British Journal of Nutrition, stated a news release issued by Soy Global Nutrition Institute. A team of authors provided their expert perspective on the health effects of the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) based on human research. “When drawing conclusions about diet and health relationships, it is imperative to do so based on the totality of the evidence and to consider study quality,” says Kristina S. Petersen, Ph.D., lead author and associate professor of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University. “The data clearly support the benefits of seed oils high in unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid.” EatingWell magazine echoed these statements in an article debunking myths about seed oils, drawn from a Q&A fact sheet. The article was syndicated, appearing in the New York Post as well as on Yahoo! Life and AOL. Nutraceutical Business Review (UK) also addressed misinformation about seed oils, referring to the scientific review.

Decades of research have shown that consuming seed oils is associated with better health, said Christopher Gardner, professor of rnedicine at Stanford University, in The New York Times. “In fact, a large body of research has shown that people who consume more omega-6 fatty acids or who have higher levels of those fats in their blood have lower risks for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and earlier death.” Clinical trials have also shown that when people replace some saturated fats (from animal fats like butter or lard) with seed or other plant-based oils, their LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol levels and risk for cardiovascular disease decrease, added Alice H. Lichtenstein, professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University. This article was syndicated, even appearing in Dutch in De Morgen (Belgium).

The New York Times also delved into what RFK Jr. “gets right – and wrong – about nutrition,” the latter of which includes the false claim that seed oils are harmful to health. “Decades of research have shown that seed oils are not only safe, but the heart-healthy unsaturated fats they contain have been linked with reduced risks for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and earlier death,” wrote reporter Alice Callahan. “Seed oils are a far better choice for health than solid fat alternatives, like beef tallow, butter or lard, which are high in saturated fats.”

Looking for some holiday recipes with canola oil this festive season? Go to CanolaInfo.org for a wide range of tested recipes with all of your favorite seasonal ingredients, such as Turkey Roulade, Porcini Mushroom Gravy and Mini Peppermint Cupcakes.

The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act’s new 45Z rule could impose a strict country-of-origin requirement for biofuel feedstocks, potentially restricting Canadian canola’s access to the U.S. market. Given the U.S. reliance on Canadian canola imports to meet domestic demand for food and fuel, the USCA has issued a position statement to exempt Canadian canola from the 45Z rule: The USCA supports a tax credit for biomass-based diesel produced from feedstocks derived from North America. This would also be in alignment with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement for smooth trade.

Canadian canola is being consumed at record rates, raising concerns about tight supplies by the end of the crop year in July 2025, reported The Western Producer (Canada). A lower production estimate from Statistics Canada, due to reduced yields, may push total output below 18.4 million tonnes, intensifying the supply-demand imbalance. Domestic canola crushing is on track to exceed 12 million tonnes, surpassing last year’s record, while exports are also accelerating, driven by competitive pricing in global markets. To avoid critically low stock levels, the market must ration demand likely through price increases or reduced competition from other oilseeds like Australian canola. Current futures prices suggest Canadian canola remains highly competitive internationally, but stronger price adjustments are needed to slow consumption.

Richardson International has more than doubled capacity at its canola crush plant in Yorkton, Sask., which can now crush 2.5 million tonnes of seed annually, up from 1.1 million tonnes, reported The Western Producer. “It’s the largest canola crushing plant in the world,” said Tobias Dewey, vice president of oilseed operations, who noted Richardson supplies oil to the food and fuel markets in North America as well as oil and meal overseas. The new facility is also efficient: it enables a truck to drop off seed in less than 12 minutes.

The 2025 Canadian Crops Convention, hosted by the Canola Council of Canada and Canada Grains Council, will be March 4-6 at the JW Marriott in Edmonton, Alberta.

The University of Manitoba announced groundbreaking work on solvent-free canola oil extraction by Dr. Nazanin Vafaei, a post-doctoral researcher at the Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research. She developed a sustainable method for extracting 99.9% of oil, leaving behind dry canola meal. Her innovation – for which she received a receiving a Mitacs Innovation Award – is unique because it applies techniques used to producing essential oils and decaffeinated coffee in North America. (Photo by University of Manitoba,)

Rubisco Seeds has introduced Winter HOLL, a non-GMO winter canola hybrid that produces high-oleic, low-linolenic (HOLL) oil, offering greater stability and new market opportunities for U.S. farmers. Previously, HOLL canola oil was derived only from the spring type. Winter HOLL offers sustainability benefits and supports renewable diesel production from used oil. “Growing canola over the winter months prevents valuable soil nutrients from leaching and runoff into watersheds while sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide when northern hemisphere carbon levels are relatively high due to fallow fields and dormancy in most plant growth,” notes Rubisco Seeds. Targeted at southern U.S. regions for double cropping with soybeans, Winter HOLL consistently yields over 200 gallons of oil per acre. (Photo by Brian Caldbeck, Rubisco Seeds.)

Cibus, Inc., a U.S. leader in agricultural gene editing, and Biographica, a UK-based AI and graph machine learning innovator, have partnered on a pilot project to enhance disease resistance in canola and rapeseed. The collaboration leverages Biographica’s machine learning expertise and Cibus’ trait development proficiency to unlock new insights into disease resistance.

The Northern Canola Growers Association (NCGA)  will hold its 18th Annual Canola Research Conference on Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 8 am to 12 noon via Zoom. Regional researchers will present results from canola projects funded by the NCGA in 2024. Topics include canola meal in cattle and swine diets; weed control and new modes of action; blackleg, clubroot and verticillium stripe disease control; and sulfur management in canola. NCGA Executive Director Barry Coleman tells more on the Red River Farm Network. Anyone interested can join this virtual event at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85756177711.

The NCGA held its annual meeting last month in Minot, N.D., where Dr. Bill Wilson of North Dakota State University and Jerry Gulke of AgWeb gave keynote addresses and other presenters discussed prevention of weed resistance, disease control, forthcoming crop insurance changes and thee canola market outlook. Researchers highlighted the increasing prevalence of verticillium stripe in canola this year. This disease is increasing in the northeast and most pronounced in shorter rotations. Growers were told to consider longer rotations and grow a wide variety of crops to keep the disease in check. The NCGA will devote more resources to understanding it and developing control strategies.

Also at the annual meeting, the NCGA re-elected Dan Marquardt of Bottineau, Zach Jacobson of Langdon and Troy Romfo of Calvin to its board of directors and President Tim Mickelson (left) presented a Canola Excellence Award to Ryan Pederson of Rolette for his years of dedication and service to the canola sector. Pederson served as president and member of the boards of the NCGA and U.S. Canola Association for several years. In addition, Pederson was a board member of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association and currently serves on the board of Clean Fuels Alliance America.

The USCA held its autumn 2024 board meeting in San Diego Nov. 11-13, including presentations on timely topics and visits to member company Cibus, a pioneer in precision gene editing based in San Diego, and Prickett avocado farm in Escondido, Calif. Topics discussed were election outcomes, federal policy outlook, nutrition research, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-30, California Low Carbon Fuel Standard, biofuel policy issues, potential sustainability measurements, a new Brassica juncea variety and updates from the Canola Council of Canada.

The spring 2025 board and membership meeting will be in Washington, D.C., Mon.-Wed., March 17-19.

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