USDA has trimmed its forecast for 2019 beef production and increased its steer price projection. Gary Crawford has more on that, along with what could possibly happen to milk production and prices this year with predictions of a shrinking U.S. dairy herd.
USDA Announces Launch of the Start Simple with MyPlate Campaign
In a continuing effort to help Americans make healthy food choices, and in honor of National Nutrition Month®, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced a new campaign to help simplify the nutrition information that surrounds us each day. Start Simple with MyPlate is a new initiative to reduce confusion surrounding healthy eating and help people start with the …
USDA Announces Voting Period for Continuance Referendum for National Peanut Research and Promotion Program
For the first time, eligible peanut producers can opt to vote electronically or by paper ballot. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing a referendum among eligible producers of peanuts to determine whether they favor continuance of the Peanut Promotion, Research and Information Order (Order), which authorizes the National Peanut Board. The …
Secretary Perdue Comments on President Trump’s Budget Proposal
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement after President Trump submitted his FY 2020 budget proposal to Congress: “Our economy is booming, and unemployment is the lowest it’s been in decades. While the agriculture community still faces challenges, the Trump economy is creating new opportunities for all Americans to thrive,” said Secretary Perdue. “President Trump’s budget is fiscally …
USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Applications Being Accepted
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) is accepting grant applications for projects that enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops in foreign and domestic markets. The application deadline for these specialty crop block grants through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is April 18, 2019, 5 p.m. CST. Specialty crops are defined by USDA as fruits and …
USDA and FDA Announce a Formal Agreement to Regulate Cell-Cultured Food Products from Cell Lines of Livestock and Poultry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a formal agreement to jointly oversee the production of human food products derived from the cells of livestock and poultry. FSIS and FDA released a formal agreement to address the regulatory oversight …
USDA Strengthens Partnerships and Protections to Keep ASF Out of the Country
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced additional steps to keep African swine fever (ASF) from entering the United States, even as the disease spreads internationally. These steps strengthen the protections announced last fall after the deadly swine disease reached China. The goal remains to protect our nation’s swine industry from this disease. ASF does not affect people, nor …
Perdue Reiterates Need to Restore Original Intent of SNAP
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue reiterated during a U.S. Senate hearing the need to restore the original intent of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is to be a second chance and not a way of life. Secretary Perdue’s comments come on the heels of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishing in the Federal Register a proposed …
New USDA Cattle on Feed Report
While the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture Cattle on Feed report is a month late, Gary Crawford reports it still has some pertinent information for the industry.
Discussing Prevention of Swine Fever in North America
During USDA’s 95th Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum held last week in Arlington, Virginia, many issues were discussed by the various speakers. But there was one issue touched on by all three of the keynote speakers concerning the livestock industry. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Canadian Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay and Mexican Secretary of Agriculture Victor Villalobos all made comments about preventing the spread of African …