Latest News From U.S. Department of Agriculture

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.

The reduction is due to orchards facing drought conditions and extreme weather, according to a recent report.

After two decades of negotiations, Chile has reached the last mile in the authorization process of the systems approach for table grape exports to the North American market.

Small producers and underserved farmers and ranchers are leading the second round of Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program project investments.

The bipartisan group of 14 senators is seeking help for farmers and ranchers to conserve water, improve water infrastructure and efficiency, protect lands at risk of erosion, and more.

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.

USDA has announced additional disaster and pandemic assistance for farmers, plus there is more funding for climate smart ag on the way.

The University of Florida, Texas A&M University and The Organic Center have been awarded over $2 million for a multi-year grant to find citrus greening solutions for organic producers, with hopes for broader application.

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).

The National Organic Program has updated the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances to include paper pots and low acyl gellan gum as acceptable for organic production.

The National Organic Program published integrity and enforcement dashboard for 2022 that outlines trends and enforcement statistics.

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a solicitation to procure fresh oranges.

The U.S. Trade Representative has declined a 301 investigation request from Florida lawmakers and instead will form an advisory panel to explore ways to assist Southeastern producers.

USDA grant supports research on how farmers can harness ecology in organic cropping systems at Purdue, University of Wisconsin and Western Illinois University.

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

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.

California-based Elevated Foods granted $20 million from USDA to support farms and working lands with climate-smart ag practices and expand markets.

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.

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.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office has found some problems with the USDA's handling of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

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.

Higher labor costs are squeezing fruit and vegetable growers and forcing them to respond by automating, borrowing foreign labor or moving production out of the U.S.

The USDA and other federal agencies will develop a pilot program utilizing up to $65 million in American Rescue Plan funding to provide support for agricultural employers, according to a news release.

United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the Department is investing $633 million to reduce the impacts of climate change on rural communities.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the theme and program of the 98th Agricultural Outlook Forum, a virtual event that will be held on February 24-25, 2022.

The South Texas Onion Marketing Order isn’t dead yet.

USDA is currently accepting applications for the Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant Program.

The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives expressed its support for the inclusion of significant new funding to promote the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a six-month moratorium on the enforcement of mandatory inspection requirements under the federal marketing order for California walnuts.

The White House said the USDA is making up to $500 million available to help rural health care facilities, tribes and communities expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, health care services and nutrition assistance.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will host a virtual roundtable 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT Sept 15, titled, "Exploring Food Waste Solutions: Success Stories from the U.S. and Beyond."

The USDA has announced that it has upgraded its Agricultural Transportation Open Data Platform with new datasets and dashboards on rail, truck, barge and ocean vessels.

U.S. growers must apply to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 by Dec. 11.

In a year that has seen double-digit increases in demand for fresh produce at supermarkets, the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that retail prices for fruits and vegetables will come in below historical averages.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hosting web seminars every third Monday of the month on how local food systems can respond to needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Total South Africa citrus exports will reach record levels in 2020 and exports to the U.S. also are setting new highs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is reminding specialty crop growers that the deadline for submitting applications for Coronavirus Food Assistance Program is Sept. 11.

President Trump has added $1 billion to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program and extended it beyond the end of October.

The Packer’s Tom Karst visited Aug 13 with Richard Owen, vice president of membership and engagement at the Produce Marketing Association.

House Agricultural Subcommittee leaders and 46 other Democratic members of Congress are raising alarms about a plan to include a letter from President Trump in Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended the deadline for applying for Coronavirus Food Assistance Program funds, and added dozens of herbs and specialties as eligible crops.

Fresh produce industry associations have joined other agricultural groups in asking the USDA to extend the deadline for producers to receive direct payments through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

Coastal Sunbelt Produce was in the room where it all started.

Democrats on a House Agriculture subcommittee have notified Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue of what they see as inadequacies of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program in serving specialty crop producers.

The Packer’s Tom Karst visited in July with Tevis Foreman, executive director of Produce Perks Midwest, based in Cincinnati.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has updated the farmers.gov website with features designed to help growers hire workers through the H-2A program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has scheduled a web seminar to discuss the new commodities added and price adjustments made to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

California is forecast to have another record almond crop this year, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimating an increase of almost 18% over last season’s crop.

Apples and potatoes are among the crops now eligible for direct payments to growers for sales losses in the $2.1 billion in Coronavirus Food Assistance Program funds for specialty crops.