The USDA planting intentions numbers may have shocked a lot of people, but according to a story from Gary Crawford, much can happen between the time weeks ago when farmers were surveyed and actual planting time. USDA Prospective Plantings Report Not the Last Word Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Offers Targeted Research for Florida Cattle IndustryFebruary 20, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement …
USDA: No Consolidation in Cow-Calf Operations for Five Years
There’s no question that agriculture has seen its share of consolidation across several sectors. The one major exception is beef production, more specifically as it relates to cow-calf and stocker production. A recent report from the Economic Research Service at USDA shows that all areas of livestock production, with the exception of beef, have fewer and larger operations. James MacDonald, …
Secretary Perdue Issues USDA Statement on Plant Breeding Innovation
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued a statement providing clarification on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) oversight of plants produced through innovative new breeding techniques which include techniques called genome editing. Under its biotechnology regulations, USDA does not regulate or have any plans to regulate plants that could otherwise have been developed through traditional breeding techniques as long …
Meat Exports on the Rise for U.S.
Last week, President Trump requested a three-year extension of trade promotion authority, but the request comes amid growing concerns over the direction of the administration’s trade policy. And despite what we are hearing about trade issues, USDA is projecting that U.S. meat exports will rise this year just as production rises. Gary Crawford has the story. U.S. Meat Exports on …
Organic Groups Suing USDA over Livestock Rule
Four organic groups have filed a lawsuit against The U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, regarding the organic livestock welfare rule. Led by the Center for Food Safety, the groups say the decision to withdraw the rule was “outrageous and unlawful,” similar to what USDA called the rule. In the March 13th decision, USDA claimed the regulations …
USDA Provides Funds to Protect Agriculture and Plants from Pests and Diseases
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach announced that USDA is allocating almost $70 million from Section 10007 of the 2014 Farm Bill to support 494 projects in 49 states, Guam and Puerto Rico. These projects prevent the introduction or spread of invasive plant pests and diseases that threaten U.S. agriculture and the …
Perdue Comments Regarding Omnibus Spending Bill
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement regarding the omnibus spending bill released by Congressional leaders: “The omnibus spending plan released last night contains a number of our priorities at USDA. Fixing the so-called ‘grain glitch’ 199A problem is simply an issue of fairness. We should not be picking winners and losers through the federal tax code …
USDA Looking for More Funding Applications to Improve Broadband Access
Anne Hazlett, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, says the USDA is accepting applications for grants to fund broadband infrastructure projects in unserved rural communities. She says e-connectivity is essential to the economic vitality and quality of life in rural communities. “Investing in broadband can strengthen rural economic growth and improve critical access to jobs, education, healthcare, and social …
USDA Announces Regionalization Agreement with South Korea
Help Protect U.S. Trade During HPAI Detections The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an agreement with the government of South Korea that significantly reduces negative impacts on trade should another detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) occur in the United States. The agreement will allow for trade restrictions at the state level instead of the country level …
USDA Under Secretary Remains Optimistic on Trade Despite Tariffs
While U.S. agriculture braces for possible retaliation against American tariffs on steel and aluminum, a USDA Under Secretary remains optimistic about the future of trade. AgriMarketing Dot Com says the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Affairs, Ted McKinney, was in Japan when the tariffs were announced. McKinney told reporters that while talking with Japanese leaders, there was absolutely no …