Perdue: It Has Been a Privilege to Serve Farmers

Dan General, USDA

(NAFB) — Former Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, via Twitter this week, stated, “It has been a privilege to serve America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers the past four years.” The former head of the Department of Agriculture promised to continue to fight for U.S. agriculture. Perdue highlighted his visits to farms in all 50 states, saying, “I have learned that while …

Secretary Perdue Applauds USDA’s 2020 Accomplishments

Dan Industry News Release, USDA

(USDA) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded the accomplishments made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over the past year. “While this was a tough year with the coronavirus, historic wildfires, and weather damage, USDA met these challenges with a multitude of programs and services to support Americans and keep our agricultural sector running and responsive to the …

Ag Secretary Talks Trade at NAFB Convention

Dan Industry News Release, Technology, Trade

On Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue made an appearance at the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) virtual annual convention, and there was a lot to discuss. Trade has been a hot topic of conversation over the past four years, especially as it pertains to the trade war with China. Perdue says America might not feel as successful as we …

Secretary Perdue Comments on DOL’s H2A Wage Rule

Dan Economy, Industry News Release, USDA

(USDA) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue praised the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new H2A Wage Rule, which delivers on President Trump’s promise to stabilize farm labor costs and reform the H-2A wage rate. “This rule shows once again President Trump’s commitment to America’s farmers by delivering lower costs when they need it the most,” said Secretary Perdue. “Over the …

USDA Opens Application Portal for New ReConnect Rural Broadband Infrastructure Program

Dan Industry News Release, Technology

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting online applications for funding through the new ReConnect Rural Broadband Pilot Program. These funds will enable the federal government to partner with the private sector and rural communities to build modern broadband infrastructure in areas with insufficient internet service. Insufficient service is defined as connection …

USDA Census of Agriculture One Week Away

Dan Census of Agriculture, Industry News Release, USDA-NASS

Videos on how to use Census data are now available The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will release the 2017 Census of Agriculture results on Thursday, April 11, at noon ET. The full Census report will include millions of data points, including number of farms, land in farms, total value of production, demographics, and …

USDA Launches New Farmers.gov Features to Help with H2A Applications, Managing Loans

Dan Economy, Industry News Release, Labor and Immigration

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched two new features on farmers.gov to help customers manage their farm loans and navigate the application process for H2A visas. “Customer service is our top priority at USDA and these new features will help our customers as they manage their farm loans and navigate the H-2A temporary agricultural …

Trump Budget Proposal to Include USDA Cuts

Dan Economy, Industry News Release

The Trump 2020 budget proposal will include “big cuts” to the Department of Agriculture, according to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. The budget request will propose cutting non-defense programs by five percent. However, Politico reports USDA is likely to face steeper budget cuts. Perdue noted that Congress usually disregards the president’s budget request, which in recent years has unsuccessfully called for …

Perdue Calls on Agriculture to Fight Back against Movement

Dan Fruits, Technology, Vegetables

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is calling on agriculture to fight back against the “Fear Your Food” movement. During last week’s Ag Outlook Forum, Perdue said the “Fear Your Food” movement could harm efforts to feed the world’s soaring population and shouldn’t go unanswered.  “This growing fear has the potential to sideline, deter, critical technologies that we already use, and derail …