On Thursday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue gave an update on a potential second tranche of payments to producers under a USDA tariff mitigation program. Rod Bain has the details. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Allows Viable Research in the Cattle IndustryFebruary 6, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Track Record Well Received By LegislatorsJanuary 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Supports Beef …
Commissioner Nikki Fried on USDA Federal Hemp Program Rules
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its long-awaited Domestic Hemp Production Program rules, following the reclassification of hemp as an agricultural commodity in the 2018 federal Farm Bill. Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried, who will oversee Florida’s state hemp program through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, offered the following statement: “The announcement by the USDA is welcome news …
USDA Establishes Domestic Hemp Production Program
(USDA) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the establishment of the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program. This program, as required by the 2018 farm bill, creates a consistent regulatory framework around hemp production throughout the United States. “At USDA, we are always excited when there are new economic opportunities for our farmers, and we hope the ability to …
USDA Pauses RFID Ear Tag Proposal
(NAFB) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has paused its effort to mandate radio-frequency identification (RFID) ear tags for cattle and bison. The proposal would have mandated the ear tags for animals moved in interstate commerce beginning in January of 2023. A guidance document detailing the proposal on the USDA website was recently removed, following a lawsuit against the …
U.S. Cattle on Feed Down 1 Percent
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released its October Cattle on Feed Report. The new numbers show that as of Oct. 1, there were 11.3 million head of cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market. That is 1 percent below Oct. 1, 2018. Gary Crawford discusses whether we are about to enter a cattle herd contraction. USDA livestock analyst Shayle …
Deadline Extended to Enroll in CSP Grassland Conservation Initiative
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline for eligible agriculture producers to enroll in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Grassland Conservation Initiative. The original deadline of Oct. 25 has been extended to Nov. 8. This program, created by the 2018 farm bill, is available to producers with base acreage that has been in grass or grasslands over a nine-year …
ARC and PLC Payments Being Processed
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that agricultural producers now can enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2020 crop year. Tyron Spearman reports that producers who enrolled farms for the 2018 crop year have started receiving more than $1.5 billion for covered commodities for which payments were triggered under such programs. …
USDA Announces Support for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will issue $16.2 million in grants (PDF) to provide training, outreach, and technical assistance to underserved and veteran farmers and ranchers. This funding is available through the USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the …
Progress Reported in Creating Foot and Mouth Vaccine Bank
Last week we told you that representatives of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to move as quickly as possible to establish a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine bank. The groups recognized the steps USDA has taken to establish the …
USDA Invests $11M In Research That Will Support Specialty Crop Farmers
WASHINGTON (USDA-Oct. 3, 2019) — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary Scott Hutchins announced that the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has invested $11 million in research that will support specialty crop farmers. “This collaborative public-private research effort will focus on applying innovative solutions to pest management problems that often are otherwise not available to specialty …