Rollins Promises Lower Farm Costs in '26
Published: Friday, February 27, 2026
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins addressed agricultural professionals from across the U.S. last Friday at the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum in Arlington, Va., recapping the challenging situation facing agriculture today, celebrating actions made last year to boost farmers and introducing the 2026-28 USDA plan for the industry.
Rollins said farmers can expect lower input prices, lower labor costs, lower interest rates and lower taxes beginning this year and continuing over the course of the rest of the Trump Administration. She noted that in 2026, fertilizer costs are forecasted to decrease by 1.4%, seeds by 1.3%, fuels and oils by over 6% and pesticides by nearly 8.5%. Additionally, she noted that average production costs are set to decline for the first time in five years.
Rollins said that while the work at the USDA to bring farmers relief has seen some successes over the past year, "There's no doubt that right now right now our industry continues to be under threat."
Looking back over the past five years, Rollins noted that inputs have been particularly challenging for farmers. She stated that from 2020-24 input cost percentages have been in double digits in fuel and oil seed costs fertilizer prices, labor and interest expenses.
According to the 2025 National Agricultural Statistics Service Selected Farm Expenditures Report, between 2021-24 these inputs have been up 19%, 23%, 17%, 44% and 47%, respectively.
Rollins noted that between January 2021 and January 2025, U.S. agricultural trade shifted from having a surplus to a nearly $50 billion deficit. She noted that through new agricultural trade markets forged over the past year, the USDA has able to chip that back to a $41.5 billion deficit.
"That new market access represents almost 50% of the global GDP just based on the deals that were struck last year," she said.
She highlighted the renewed focus on costs and financing, strengthening markets, and open and fair trade.
"New demand opportunities are emerging," she added.
Rollins stated that in addition to the new trade deals secured in 2025, input prices are beginning to decline, commodity prices are rising and median net farm income is improving.
She added that 2025 closed with increased exports in tree nuts (up 11%), ethanol (11%), dairy (15%) and corn (29%).
"But it is just the beginning and that is less than one year of work," Rollins said. She expects more and bigger trade deals in 2026.
Announced last Friday, Trump will return to China in March for more agricultural trade negotiations.
As Rollins and the USDA are working to increase the U.S. share in global agricultural trade, they are also prioritizing domestic trade market strength; fewer agricultural imports are expected for 2026, she said.
"We want to ensure at USDA that we are framing the status of the market, not driving price outcomes, and that will be a major effort over this next year," Rollins added.
Starting in 2026, the USDA will implement the first expansion of the ARC/PLC Program acres since 2002. It increased by 30 million acres across the U.S.
Rollins and the USDA will also be examining anticompetitive behavior within U.S. food supply sectors to ensure fair market access and fair pricing.
"Anticompetitive behavior, especially when carried out by foreign-controlled corporations, threatens the stability and affordability of America's food supply," she said. "Food supply sectors including meat processing, seed, fertilizer and equipment have similar vulnerabilities to price fixing and other anticompetitive practices."
Rollins said USDA has a team examining whether anticompetitive behavior is taking place and affecting the U.S. food supply.
The Department of Labor recently issued an interim final rule changing the way H-2A adverse affective wage rate is determined, she said. Moving forward, farmers will be able to file H-2A applications concurrently with the DOL and Department of Homeland Security.
The USDA secretary said that the agriculture industry is key to U.S. security.
"Agriculture truly is a national security issue. If we cannot feed ourselves, if we continue to rely on foreign countries, foreign adversaries even, to ensure that our agricultural industry can continue, then we will lose what freedom tastes like by the next generation, or perhaps, the next. And I believe sincerely this is one of the key existential crises facing our country today. We will do everything we can to reverse that trend," Rollins said.
Rollins vowed to put "every ounce of energy" the USDA has into supporting and growing farms across the U.S.
Other things to look forward to are: the highest Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) decision for biofuels, 45Z tax credits and a finalization of the regenerative feedstock rule.
Rollins also highlighted the passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill, which included provisions for farmers; to help rebuild the U.S. cattle herd; the announcement of the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program; and moving year-round E15 into its final stage in the hands of Congress, among other things.
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