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, RFID for efficient tracking, they have decided to use the rulemaking process for future activities related to this …
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 Seeks Public Comment on Revised Conservation Practice Standards
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is seeking public comment on proposed revisions to 23 national conservation practice standards through a posting in the Federal Register. The proposed revisions were published March 9 and comments are due April 8. Proposed revisions to the national conservation practice standards include: Stream Crossing– modification to allow vented fords as an …
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 …
Citrus Showcase Speaker Predicts Trade War Ahead
Geopolitical expert Peter Zeihan was the keynote speaker for the recent California Citrus Mutual Showcase. The showcase was presented on March 4 online. Zeihan said he believes North America will recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19 this year, but the rest of the world will not. That, along with other factors, leads him to predict a trade war is inevitable, …
USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Applications Being Accepted in Alabama
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) has announced they are accepting grant applications for projects that enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops in foreign and domestic markets in the state. The application deadline for these grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is May 3, 2021. Specialty crops are defined by USDA as fruits and vegetables, …
CFAP Application Deadline Extended
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it has extended the deadline to apply for the latest round of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The original deadline was today, Feb. 26. But according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the new deadline will extend 30 days after USDA completes a review of the program. USDA had suspended processing and payments …
AFBF: Farmers Need More Time to Apply for CFAP
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is asking the USDA to extend the deadline to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Last month, an additional $13 billion in assistance was made available to help farmers and ranchers who are suffering losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the current deadline is Friday, Feb. 26, recent severe weather and …
UF/IFAS, FDACS to Help Teach Science, Engineering Through Aquaculture
Through a $64,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to Schools program, the University of Florida and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) will help some Florida K-12 educators who teach science, technology, engineering, math, and agriculture start or strengthen aquaculture education programs. To apply for the program, follow the steps. The deadline for applications …
Fried & FDACS Launch Bilingual Farmworker Vaccine Education Campaign
With the COVID-19 vaccine becoming available for at-risk populations in Florida, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services launched a bilingual vaccine education campaign to encourage COVID-19 vaccination among Florida’s farmworkers and agriculture community. A recent study found that food and agricultural workers are among those most at risk of death from COVID-19, facing a 39 percent increase in excess …