USDA Reopens Program Sign-Up to a Larger Share of Producers with Plans to Expand Outreach and New Programming (USDA) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is establishing new programs and efforts to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions. The new initiative—USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers—will reach a broader …
USDA Announces Intent to Pursue Rulemaking on RFID Use in Animal Disease Traceability
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) announced Tuesday that after reviewing 944 public comments on a July 2020 notice that proposed to approve Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) as the official ear tag for use in the interstate movement of cattle, they have decided to use the rulemaking process for future activities related to this proposal. This means that …
Cattle Feedlot Inventory Little Changed in Last Three Months
The March Cattle on Feed Report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows the number of cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the U.S. for feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head was 12.0 million head on March 1, 2021, 2 percent above March 1, 2020. This is the second-highest March 1 inventory since the series …
Funding Awarded to Help Small and Mid-Sized Farms on National Ag Day
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) celebrated National Ag Day by investing $11.5 million in research to help ensure America’s small and medium-sized farming operations remain viable and improve the quality of life in American farm communities. “Few groups are as resilient and as determined as American farm families,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is …
Investment in Land and Water Conservation Announced by USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service will invest more than $218 million to fund Great American Outdoors Act projects. Their objective is to conserve critical forest and wetland habitat, support the economic recovery of rural communities and increase public access to national forests and grasslands. This investment will improve public access by funding strategic land acquisitions. Funds will also …
Information on USDA’s Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Strategy Requested
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a Federal Register Notice requesting public input on a climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy. The Notice represents an important step toward implementing President Biden’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The Order, signed January 27, states that, “America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners have an important role to …
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack on Passage of the American Rescue Plan Act
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement today on the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act by the U.S. Congress. The bill now goes to President Biden for his signature. For a detailed review, see the USDA fact sheet (see below). “President Biden wasted no time fulfilling his pledge to the American people to bring substantial financial relief within …
USDA to Investigate COVID-19 Spread in Meat Processing Facilities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is initiating an audit of USDA actions that may have contributed to the spread of the COVID-19 in meat processing facilities. The USDA OIG initiated the audit in response to Colorado Senator Michael Bennet’s request last August for an investigation. Bennet says high infection rates early in the …
USDA Investing to Improve National Forest and Grassland Infrastructure
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced they will invest $285 million to help the Forest Service address critical deferred maintenance and improve transportation and recreation infrastructure on national forests and grasslands. The investment is made possible by the newly created National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, established in 2020 by the Great American Outdoors Act. The …
Application Deadline Extended for the Quality Loss Adjustment Program
(USDA/FSA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline from March 5 to April 9 for agricultural producers to apply for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program because of recent winter storms and some clarifications to program rules. This program assists producer who suffered crop quality losses due to qualifying 2018 and 2019 natural disasters. “Because of …