The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $34 million in available funding for projects that promote sustainable water use for food production, processing, and other competing uses. Funding is made through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.
Capital Area Food Bank Receives Peanut Butter Donation
The U.S. peanut industry donated more than 30,000 jars of peanut butter to Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C. on National Ag Day, March 21, 2017. The Capital Area Food Bank is the largest organization in the Washington metro area working to solve hunger and its companion problems: chronic undernutrition, heart disease, and obesity. The donation was made possible …
House Passes Agro-terrorism Bill
The U.S. House this week passed the Securing our Agriculture and Food Act, agro-terrorism preparedness legislation that’s also up for a vote in the U.S. Senate. The bill passed the House by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 406-6.
Amid Brazil Scandal, Groups Urging Reconsideration of COOL
Amid a meat safety issue in Brazil and a trade priorities list from President Trump, some groups are calling for the reconsideration of country-of-origin meat labeling. COOL was repealed by Congress in late 2015 when the World Trade Organization authorized retaliatory measures against the U.S. because of the legislation.
Senate Ag Committee Talks with Perdue
Agriculture Secretary nominee Sonny Perdue appears to have won over the Senate Agriculture Committee and is headed for confirmation by the full Senate, after the committee votes to move Perdue forward.
Store Formats and Patterns in Household Grocery Purchases
by Richard Volpe, Annemarie Kuhns, and Ted Jaenicke USDA Economic Research Service What Is the Issue? Americans are buying more and more of their “food at home,” or groceries, from stores that are not conventional supermarkets. According to Nielsen Homescan data, U.S. households spent 80 percent of their grocery dollars at traditional supermarkets in 1999 but only 62 percent there …
Daily Access to Local Foods for School Meals: Key Drivers
by Katherine Ralston, Elizabeth Beaulieu, Jeffrey Hyman, Matthew Benson, and Michael Smith USDA Economic Research Service What Is the Issue? USDA’s Farm to School Program was established in 2012 to improve access to local foods in eligible schools through grants and technical assistance. Farm-to-school programs bring locally or regionally produced foods into school cafeterias; provide hands-on learning activities such as school …
USDA Announces Eradication of New World Screwworm in Florida
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the successful eradication of the New World screwworm (NWS) from Florida. “I want to personally thank our many collaborating partners at the Federal, State, and local levels,” said Dr. Jack Shere, USDA Chief Veterinarian. “Through their dedication and professionalism close to 154 million sterile flies have been released, 16,902 animals …
Commissioner Black and Chairman McCall Tour Freeze Damage
Commissioner Gary W. Black joined House Ag Committee Chair Tom McCall late last week to survey the damage to fruit and vegetable crops from freezing temperatures that hit the state on Wednesday, March 15 and Thursday, March 16. The extreme temperatures were felt border to border, with farmers experiencing temperatures as low as 22 degrees as far south as Homerville, …
U.S. Biodiesel Industry Calls Out Illegal Trading
The National Biodiesel Board filed an antidumping and countervailing duty petition, making the case that Argentine and Indonesian companies are violating trade laws by flooding the U.S. market with dumped and subsidized biodiesel. The petition was filed with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission on behalf of the National Biodiesel Board Fair Trade Coalition, which …