USDA
APHIS extends comment period on five-year plan
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving farmers and other industry stakeholders another month to comment on a five-year strategic plan for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. APHIS extended its comment period to... more »
USDA adds specialty crops to market news app
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has added specialty crops to the USDA Market News App 2.0 update. The free app gives producers and others in the supply chain instant access to market information about conventional... more »
Michigan tart cherry volumes return after two years
After two years of almost no crops, Michigan tart cherry producers expect higher yields in 2022. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, through its National Agricultural Statistics Service, forecasted Michigan tart cherry yields in 2022 at 159.5 million... more »
National Organic Standards Board seeks comments for fall meeting
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is accepting comments in preparation for its fall meeting. The board reviews comments before its two annual meetings; the fall meeting is scheduled for Oct. 25-27 in Sacramento, California. The board... more »
USDA extends fertilizer cost, supply comment period
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is again extending the deadline for comments and information from the public about its “Access to Fertilizer: Competition and Supply Chain Concerns.” The notice originally published in the Federal Register on... more »
Specialty crop program offsets $200 million in food safety costs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing specialty crop growers up to $200 million to offset certain expenses incurred to receive food safety certification. The USDA’s new Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program... more »
USDA grants support urban specialty crops
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing millions of dollars in programs for urban producers, with a goal of strengthening the food supply chain and transforming food systems to be fairer, more competitive and more... more »
USDA opens container assistance program amid shipping woes
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin accepting applications for the Commodity Container Assistance Program (CCAP) as the lack of containers adds to supply chain issues. The CCAP currently... more »
USDA’s new Emergency Relief Program kicks off with $10 billion
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency is mailing applications for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP), to help offset losses caused by wildfires, droughts, hurricanes and other natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. The... more »
Specialty crop, commodity growers eligible for $6B in disaster relief
The U. S Department of Agriculture announced May 16 that commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021 will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments totaling approximately $6 billion.... more »