USDA Foreign Agricultural Service,update

 

The following GAIN reports were released on February 12, 2026. _______     China: Planting Seeds Annual 2025 China’s seed supply for marketing year 2025/26 is sufficient to meet domestic demand, with seed producers generally achieving high yields for major crops including corn, rice, wheat, and soybeans. Imports of vegetable and grass seeds are declining due to rising domestic production, though China still relies on high-end foreign germplasm for specialty seeds. Seed exports are growing, particularly for rice, cotton, and vegetables, driven by strong demand in Asia for Chinese-developed seeds as a finished product for crop production as well as from foreign seed companies which utilize operations in China for certain intermediate portions of their global supply chains.   European Union: EU Early Alert - Pesticide Review - December 2025 The European Union (EU) follows a complex, rolling system of review for active ingredients and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in food. For agricultural inputs, U.S. farmers must know early in the process of review to prevent or mitigate the loss of, and/or access to, chemical inputs. The information in this document provides interested stakeholders with advance notice of those active ingredients under review, highlighting those substances undergoing new restrictions or may not be renewed. This is a quarterly update from December 2025. For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.

REMINDER: USDA Accepting Applications for an Agribusiness Trade Mission to Türkiye

Washington, D.C., Feb. 9, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is now accepting applications for its agribusiness trade mission to Istanbul, Türkiye, scheduled for May 11–14. U.S. exporters interested in exploring trade opportunities in Türkiye, the Caucasus and Central Asia must apply by Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.

“With stable economic growth and proven demand for high-quality U.S. food in Türkiye and the surrounding region, now is the time for U.S. agribusinesses and producers to take advantage of the momentum that President Trump has been building in trade worldwide,” said USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke J. Lindberg. “This trade mission hopes to follow in the successes we’ve had so far under this administration and I’m looking forward to connecting U.S. exporters with key buyers to forge partnerships and tap into these dynamic markets.”

The U.S. was Türkiye’s fifth-largest supplier of agricultural products in 2024, while Türkiye ranked as the 16th-largest market for U.S. agricultural exports – a figure that has grown roughly 45% since 2020. Total U.S. agricultural product exports to Türkiye exceed $1.7 billion, including more than $590 million in retail-ready goods like snack and pet foods, fruits, meats and dairy products.

USDA sees strong opportunities for continuing growth in Türkiye and the surrounding region, reflecting increasing consumer demand and expanding supply chains for the product groups including:

• Tree nuts
• Soybeans
• Pulses
• Dried distiller grains and solubles
• Seafood
• Poultry
• Beef and pork
• Prepared foods, sauces, condiments, sweets and snacks
• Live animals, livestock genetics, hides and skins
• Alcoholic beverages, distilled spirits and wine

Participants will join buyers from Türkiye, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan for targeted business-to-business meetings to discuss market opportunities. FAS staff and regional experts will be on hand to host market briefings, site visits and networking events.

Visit the application page for more information. The application deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 24.

The agribusiness trade mission to Türkiye is one of several USDA-led export promotion initiatives in 2026. USDA will announce application details for planned missions to Australia and Saudia Arabia soon. An additional trade mission to Vietnam will follow later in 2026. To learn more about FAS agribusiness trade missions, visit https://www.fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-missions.

 

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Expanding Opportunities for U.S. Agricultural Exports to Türkiye and Regional Markets

Türkiye is an important destination for U.S. agricultural exports and a strategic gateway to regional markets. As a Group of 20 economy with a young and expanding middle class and a population of more than 86 million people, Türkiye offers sustained demand for imported agricultural products. Although Türkiye is an agricultural exporter, it relies on imported inputs, including cotton, feed grains, oilseeds, and food ingredients as intermediate inputs, in producing food for domestic and export channels. During the past 5 fiscal years (FY)¹, Turkish agricultural imports from the world have fluctuated moderately, ranging from $19.1 billion in FY 2021 to $26.3 billion in FY 2025. Despite inflationary pressures and the depreciation of the Turkish lira, Turkish consumers continue to demand higher-value food and beverage products from home and abroad. Most recently, the Government of Türkiye lifted its retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. agricultural products, helping to level the playing field and facilitating new export sales to Türkiye. Promising opportunities for U.S. exporters include tree nuts, cotton, soybeans, distilled spirits, live animals and livestock genetics, pulses, and rice.

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Announcing the 2026 Awardees for MAP and FMD 

Washington, D.C., February 11, 2026 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announced it is awarding more than $212 million through the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program to help expand export markets for U.S. food and agricultural products.  

The MAP and FMD programs are longstanding cost-share partnerships that help producers build and maintain a competitive presence in the global marketplace.  

“USDA’s market development programs crowd in private sector capital to help promote U.S. food, fuel, and fiber to foreign buyers.” said Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke J. Lindberg. “Partnering with industry ensures that these resources are deployed efficiently and effectively, and that decisions are farmer-driven.”

For FY26, FAS will provide more than $181 million to 68 nonprofit organizations and cooperatives through MAP. Map supports a range of consumer-focused promotion for small businesses and cooperatives and is widely used by organizations representing fruits, nuts, processed foods and intermediate bulk commodities. On average, MAP participants contribute more than $2.50 for every federal dollar invested, demonstrating strong industry commitment and leveraging of private-sector resources.  

Through the FMD program, FAS will allocate more than $31 million for FY26 to 18 trade organizations representing U.S. agricultural producers. FMD supports long-term market development with a focus on generic commodity promotion, rather than individual brand promotion. Preference is given to organizations that represent broad industry sectors with nationwide membership with an aim to deliver the greatest economic benefit for American agriculture. On average, FMD cooperators contribute $3.25 per federal dollar invested, again demonstrating a shared, successful investment in expanding global demand for U.S. commodities.  

The list of awardees for the MAP can be found at www.fas.usda.gov/programs/market-access-program-map/map-funding-allocations-fy-2026.

For FMD Program awardees, visit www.fas.usda.gov/programs/foreign-market-development-program-fmd/fmd-funding-allocations-fy-2026.  

 

To learn more about MAP, FMD and other FAS programs, visit www.fas.usda.gov.