# Almond Byte, May 2026: Trade Shifts, Middle East Disruptions and USDA Funding Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/almond-journey-2535631/almond-byte-may-2026-trade-shifts-middle-east-disruptions-and-usda-funding Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/almond-journey-2535631/almond-byte-may-2026-trade-shifts-middle-east-disruptions-and-usda-funding.md Podcast: [Almond Journey](https://stenobird.com/podcast/almond-journey-2535631) Published: 2026-05-21T16:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://almond-journey.captivate.fm Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/e39f623c-b1b8-4842-88aa-724e15dcd5ec.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/almond-journey-2535631/episodes/almond-byte-may-2026-trade-shifts-middle-east-disruptions-and-usda-funding Duration seconds: 379 ## Resource In this month’s Almond Byte, we’re digging into highlights from May’s Global Update and what they mean for California almond growers. We’ll cover the latest developments in trade and tariff activity, including movement on the farm bill and ongoing discussions tied to key export markets. We’ll also look at how the Iran conflict is disrupting shipments in the Middle East, creating delays, reroutes and added costs for handlers. And we’ll share news on new USDA funding that will help ABC continue building demand and expanding opportunities for California almonds overseas. ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/almond-journey-2535631/episodes/almond-byte-may-2026-trade-shifts-middle-east-disruptions-and-usda-funding/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/almond-journey-2535631/almond-byte-may-2026-trade-shifts-middle-east-disruptions-and-usda-funding.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.