swine

NIFA Helps Veterinary Medical Students Repay Loans

Dan Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Economy, USDA-NIFA

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) helped 89 food animal veterinary practitioners with loan repayments from the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program in 2022. NIFA reported this week that the 89 students from 28 American Veterinary Medical Association accredited Colleges received nearly $9 million in loan repayment benefits. The program up to $75,000 in loan repayment over a three-year period …

jobs

USDA to Bring Jobs to Rural Partners Network

Dan Agri-Business, Economy, Labor and Immigration, This Land of Ours

The USDA is working to bring more jobs to rural communities. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Department of Agriculture this week announced an effort to help rural communities to address some of their immediate needs and foster long-term economic growth. USDA is providing loans and grants to help people living in rural and Tribal communities in …

organic dairy producers

USDA Offers Assistance to Help Organic Dairy Producers

Dan Agri-Business, Cattle, Dairy, Economy, Funding, Organic, This Land of Ours, USDA-FSA

Help for organic dairy producers. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced assistance for dairy producers with the new Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP). The program helps dairy producers mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices that have created unique hardships in the organic …

food spending

Food Spending Decreased Unevenly Across States in 2020

Dan Economy, This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

Trends in food spending across the U.S. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States disrupted the food industry in 2020, according to fresh data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). Inflation-adjusted total U.S. food expenditures were 6.6 percent lower in 2020 than in 2019. However, individual states experienced varying degrees of food …

socially disadvantaged

Socially Disadvantaged Farms Concentrated in South and West

Dan Economy, This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

Some areas of the nation are more likely than others to have socially disadvantaged farms. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) shows socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers tend to be more concentrated in southern and western regions of the country. USDA defines socially disadvantaged farmers as those belonging to groups subject …

farm income

Economic Research Service: Farm Income Decline Varies by Region

Dan Economy, USDA-ERS

After reaching recent highs in 2021 and 2022, the average net cash income of U.S. farm businesses is expected to decline by 18 percent in 2023 compared with 2022. Farm businesses across the country are forecast to see higher production expenses, lower cash receipts, and lower Government payments in 2023, resulting in lower expected average net cash farm income. However, …

cattle

Smaller U.S. Cattle Herd Squeezing Meatpacker Profits

Dan Beef, Cattle, Economy, Marketing

America’s beef cow herd hasn’t been this small since 1962. Drought and the high cost of feed forced producers to cut their herd sizes instead of keeping animals for breeding. Livestock producers who fatten cattle suddenly have leverage over meatpackers as they negotiate cattle prices with organizations like Tyson Foods, JBS, and Cargill. U.S. News says meat processors are assessing …