Latest News From U.S. Department of Agriculture

On Monday, February 5 the news of Bill Northey’s passing quickly spread through the agriculture industry, of which he dedicated his professional life to serving.

AgWeb and Trust In Food’s beta Climate-Smart Opportunity Navigator is matching producers with Climate-Smart Commodities grants tailored to their operation.

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) funding supports researchers who are developing surveillance, prevention and preparedness methods for the highly infectious animal disease, African swine fever.

USDA has granted Mr. Claus and his reindeer a special permit to enter the U.S., ensuring a seamless journey for the joy they bring each holiday season.

COP28's decision to not include food and agriculture as a way to meet climate goals was influenced by a request from the G77 group of developing countries for additional review related to agriculture and food.

 Some Republican House and Senate members have expressed their concerns to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, particularly regarding the new payment formula used for ERP in 2022.

The shift to El Nino brings several changes to the upcoming winter.

Calling all aspiring pig enthusiasts and biosecurity buffs! Grab your camera and get ready to participate in USDA’s APHIS “I Protect Pigs” photo contest, showing how you protect your pigs from African swine fever! 

USDA looks to improve the future measure, monitoring, reporting and verification of ag climate emissions via a $300 million investment announced on Wednesday.

Even with rains sweeping the Northern Corn Belt last weekend, the latest drought monitor shows drought continues to spread across Illinois with D2 (Severe Drought) taking a 28-point jump in a week.

According to USDA, Russian-speaking hackers are the likely suspects. The Office of Personnel Management and two organizations within the Department of Energy also were apparently targeted or breached.

Lenders In the hearing seemed to agree on a boost to lending limits in USDA guaranteed loans as lawmakers ready for the next farm bill.

Zoetis claims it delivered its bird flu vaccine to USDA’s stockpile in 2016, following a bird flu outbreak in 2015; however, the company says USDA never tapped into the stockpile.

According to USDA, this funding was made available to help struggling rural communities “recover economically” and offer more market opportunities, improve infrastructure and protect farmland.

This round is for those who were delinquent on a direct loan as of Sept. 2020, restricted a loan after Feb. 2020 through FSA, or those who owe more interest on a direct loan than the level of the principal.

Sixty projects have been awarded $15.8 million by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to focus on the nation’s response and control to animal disease outbreaks.

To put cover crop investments in motion, NRCS would draw on federal, state and private conservationists to hire “thousands” of employees for rural America.

Egg prices peaked in December at around $5.43, then decreased 52% to $2.61 per dozen in February thanks to bird flu. Some speculate this could become a trend based on a hypothesis in how the disease is transmitted.

"The prioritization of resource concerns must be left to the local level where producers decide how they can best address their unique and varied landscapes and needs," said Sen. John Boozman.

“It’s a mystery as to why the USDA began to hide the names of many recipients,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs for the Environmental Working Group.

Vilsack said USDA believes there are more options for farmers other than “get big or get out. There’s got to be a system in which the many and most have a fair shot.”

Farm Bureau's Duvall says the rule puts farmers and ranchers in a position where they will have to hire lawyers and consultants to establish the boundaries of farming.

Under the rule, APHIS would require tags that are both visually and electronically readable for interstate movement of cattle and bison six months after a final rule is published in the Federal Register.

ERP Phase Two is likely to be announced by USDA in coming weeks, according to Jim Wiesemeyer. In a farm bill year, he says there might be more opportunities to capture additional profit.

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Alexis Taylor for Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. According to Taylor, her priorities include addressing export markets and food insecurity.

Soybean oil, food waste and leftover feedstocks and manure will be turned into bioproducts like asphalt and plastic, thanks to a USDA program aimed at increasing U.S. competition in global markets.

Funding will be drawn from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), a development that has caught lawmakers’ attention.

Data released by USDA on Monday shows the farm share of the U.S. food dollar hit an all-time low in 2021. However, USDA says the decrease doesn’t necessarily mean producers are making less.

If Upside gets USDA approval next, the company said it could start pumping out 50,000 pounds of “no-kill” meat products every year.

Livestock industry groups, R-CALF USA and the NPPC, sit on opposite sides of the fence regarding the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s proposed changes to indemnity regulations.

USDA announced on Tuesday a $24 million investment to “teach and train” beginning farmers and ranchers through NIFA's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).

USDA Secretary Vilsack announces $200 million to increase competition across the economy through expansion of meat and poultry processing capacity, aiming to lower costs for Americans and strengthen the supply chain.

Funding designated for Tribal Nations and organizations in animal disease preparedness and response activities was announced by USDA APHIS on Tuesday.

USDA seeks input on how to identify those who experienced discrimination and what kind of evidence should be submitted to back up the claims.

The Virginia farmers filing the suit allege repeal of the debt relief effort is a breach of contract by the government, arguing some farmers made financial plans based on the expectation of getting debt relief.

USDA says the organizations were selected for their proven track records working with farmworkers, meatpacking workers, and grocery workers. The funds amount to $600 per person and will be dispersed in the fall.

A pandemic-era program that provided free breakfast and lunch to all schoolchildren expired this year. Republicans voted against efforts to include free school meals this week. Biden's plan reinstates the program.

The National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health released on Tuesday will cover everything from a congressional push for $15 per hour minimum wage to research in soil management impacts on human health.

Approximately 87,383 lb. of various ready-to-eat meat products, processed at Behrmann Meat and Processing Inc., in Albers, Ill., may contain Listeria monocytogenes, according to the USDA FSIS.

President Richard Nixon hosted the last White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health in 1969. That confab led to expansions of the food stamp program and the school lunch program.

President Richard Nixon hosted the last White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health in 1969. That confab led to expansions of the food stamp program, the school lunch program and WIC.

When adjusted for inflation, 2022 net cash farm income is forecast to increase by $13.5 billion (8.7%) from 2021 and be at its highest level since 2012.

These funds—separate from the $500 million recently enacted through the Inflation Reduction Act—will be used for facility installation, retrofitting and pump upgrades, along with new equipment and buildings.

The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into action on Tuesday, triggering a stream of funds to ag, including conservation. USDA penned a press release to break down its plans for roughly $60 billion in new funds.

A joint meeting on cell cultured meat or “lab-grown meat” could help direct labeling of the emerging alternative protein products, as well as address safety concerns.

There may be a better, more reliably-connected reality in the near future.

Corn production was down 4 percent, while soybeans were up 2 percent.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced his agency will withdraw the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices, as it superceeded the agency's authority.