President Joe Biden unveiled his budget proposal for fiscal year 2023, Monday. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the President’s budget provides USDA with “the tools needed to support a vibrant, revitalized, and prosperous rural America.” The budget includes more than $10 million for oversight and enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act as well as money to support innovation in …
GPC Celebrates National Peanut Month
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) used March, also known as National Peanut Month, to continue its promotion of Georgia peanuts. Joy Crosby, assistant executive director of the GPC, discusses some of the events that the organization participated in. “We were able to kick off National Peanut Month with our annual peanut butter and jelly day at the …
GCC, UGA Advise Cotton Growers to Plan Now to Save Later
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Cotton Commission and the University of Georgia (UGA) Extension Cotton Team implore the state’s producers to be prepared for planting season now so to avoid unnecessary trips through the field later. UGA Extension cotton agronomist Camp Hand said with input prices soaring, growers need to plan ahead to save money. “We don’t want to overlook …
Programs Announced by USDA to Increase and Expand Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity
Technical Assistance Now Available to Processors; $23.6 Million Available for Meat, Poultry Readiness Grant program (USDA/WASHINGTON, March 25, 2022) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the launch of the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA) to provide technical assistance to meat and poultry grant applicants and grant-funded projects. Processors and applicants involved with the Meat and …
NCBA Welcomes Announcement on Japan-U.S. Trade Agreement
Thursday, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. and Japan had reached an agreement that will help keep more American beef flowing into Japan. And this is news that pleases the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). As part of the terms of the Japan–U.S. Trade Agreement, both countries entered consultations after the volume-based safeguard was triggered in …
Conservation Trends Highlight New USDA Report
A new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report shows use of no-till, crop rotations, more efficient irrigation methods and advanced technologies have climbed in recent years. The report, “Conservation Practices on Cultivated Cropland: A Comparison of CEAP I and CEAP II Survey Data and Modeling”, is from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It demonstrates progress made through voluntary conservation over a …
Rep. Scott: Work on 2023 Farm Bill On Track
The 2018 Farm Bill faced months of delays that left the nation without farm bill programs from the expiration of the 2014 Farm Bill on September 30, 2018, until the bill was finally passed and signed by then-President Donald Trump in December 2018. The 2018 Farm Bill is set to expire next year and work is getting underway on the …
Farmer Feedback on Fertilizer Grant Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced it will support additional fertilizer production for American farmers to address the rising costs. $250 million will be made available through a new grant program to support independent, innovative and sustainable American fertilizer production. As Rod Bain reports, the Agriculture Secretary noted producer input will be important before announcing application details on the grant program. …
USDA Designates 17 Florida Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of …
Thank a Farmer for Food, Fiber, Fuel, and Our Future
By Deborah Tannenbaum, State Executive Director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency; Juan Hernandez, State Conservationist for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service; and Davina Lee, Regional Office Director for USDA’s Risk Management Agency March 22 is National Ag Day, a time for us to thank farmers and ranchers for feeding, sheltering and powering our nation. We also want to celebrate and …