More than $1 billion in payments are being released over the next several weeks for ag producers with approved applications for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program and for those who have already received payments through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+). Farm Service Agency Administrator, Zach Ducheneaux, notes this second round of WHIP+ payments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is …
Farm Bank Lending Stay Strong in 2020
Despite a global slowdown in 2020 brought on by COVID-19, agricultural lending by U.S. farm banks remained strong at $98.6 billion, just a 1.8 percent drop from the prior year. The American Bankers Association’s annual Farm Bank Performance Report attributes the change to a 6.7 percent decline in agricultural production loans. By contrast, the outstanding loans secured by farmland increased …
Efforts to Help Agriculture Through Infrastructure Budget
Efforts are underway to help agriculture through the infrastructure budget, Tyron Spearman has more details. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Offers Unique Opportunity For Applied ResearchOctober 24, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Plays Major Role in Applied Beef Cattle ResearchOctober 17, 2025FCEB Recurring Funding Provides Opportunity for Longer Term Research ProjectsOctober 10, 2025
USDA Announces Additional Aid to Ag Producers and Businesses in Pandemic Assistance for Producers Initiative
Since January, USDA has allocated $11B to producers and food and ag business (WASHINGTON, June 15, 2021) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced additional aid to agricultural producers and businesses as part of the USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. Earlier this year, Secretary Vilsack announced plans to use available pandemic assistance funds to address a number of gaps and disparities …
U.S. Total Farm Tractor Sales Drop in May
Sales in the under-40 horsepower tractor category pulled total U.S. farm tractor sales negative, while all other segments continued with strong growth. The latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers shows that U.S. total farm tractor sales fell 3.9 percent in May compared to 2020, making it the first overall negative sales result in a year. Only the sub-40 …
Producers Encouraged to Check with RMA about Crop Insurance
With planting of the 2021 crop expected to end soon, Tyron Spearman reports producers are being urged to check with the Risk Management Agency (RMA) about crop insurance. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Offers Unique Opportunity For Applied ResearchOctober 24, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Plays Major Role in Applied Beef Cattle ResearchOctober 17, 2025FCEB Recurring Funding Provides Opportunity for Longer Term Research …
NRCS Providing Support for Urban Farming
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has been assisting urban farmers for over 10 years. Since 2010, NRCS state offices have provided more than $18 million to 130 entities in the form of grants and agreements to support urban agriculture and conservation projects. From 2014 to 2019, NRCS completed more than 18,000 conservation practices totaling $41 million on urban farms …
NCBA Takes Action to Increase Producer Profitability
Last week, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) to eliminate the use of “Product of the USA” (POTUSA) and other broad U.S. origin labeling claims for beef products that are potentially misleading to consumers. NCBA believes that current “Product of the USA” labels are a disservice to …
USDA to Begin Payments for Producers Impacted by 2018 – 19 Natural Disasters
Producers to Receive Assistance through the Quality Loss Adjustment Program and Additional Assistance through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus More than $1 billion in payments will be released over the next several weeks starting June 15 for agricultural producers with approved applications for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program and for producers who have already received payments through …
Commissioner Nikki Fried Hosts Zoom Discussion on Black Farmers Debt Relief
(Tallahassee, Fla./June 11, 2021) — Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried hosted a Zoom conversation with Black elected, agricultural, and financial leaders to discuss the history of systemic discrimination in farm lending. In the past century, Black participation in farming has decreased 85 percent in Florida, while 90 percent of Black-owned farmland has been lost across the nation. Under the Biden Administration, the USDA has acknowledged this historic …