The Department of Agriculture plans to review the use of language featured on meat labels that many producers have said does not adequately describe the product’s origin.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said Thursday USDA would conduct a “top-to-bottom review of the ‘Product of the USA’ label” to help the department “determine what that label means to consumers,” among other things.

“I am committed to ensuring that the Product of USA label reflects what a plain understanding of those terms means to U.S. consumers,” he said in a statement.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced loan interest rates for July 2021, which are effective July 1. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures, or meet cash flow needs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced $20.2 million in grant funding for the Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives. This program supports USDA’s efforts to develop higher value uses for dairy products, diversify farmer income through processing and marketing innovation, and encourage the use of regional milk production.

“This program has already shown success in helping dairy farmers develop new business models and value-added products,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The additional funding provided will allow USDA to reach more farmers by increasing the capacity of current initiatives and expanding the program to new areas.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for July 2021, which are effective July 1. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures, or meet cash flow needs.

The House Appropriations Committee advanced their agriculture appropriations funding bill for Fiscal Year 2022 Wednesday, which was marked up and approved by the Agriculture Subcommittee last week. The agriculture appropriations bill plays a major role in shaping our food and farm systems as it funds many major programs and functions of USDA. For FY 2022, the bill proposes a total of $26.55 billion, a more than 10% increase from FY 2021.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) does not expect to purchase and sell sugar under the Feedstock Flexibility Program (FFP) for crop year 2020, which runs from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021.

The CCC is required by law to quarterly announce estimates of sugar to be purchased and sold under the FFP based on crop and consumption forecasts.

Federal law allows sugar processors to obtain loans from USDA with maturities of up to nine months when the sugarcane or sugar beet harvest begins. On loan maturity, the sugar processor may repay the loan in full or forfeit the collateral (sugar) to USDA to satisfy the loan.

USDA, the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced an interagency agreement to share information about and coordinate the distribution of broadband deployment federal funds.

In accordance with the Broadband Interagency Coordination Act, the respective Cabinet and agency leaders announced that their agencies will consult with one another and share information about the distribution of new funds from the FCC’s high-cost programs that support broadband buildout in rural areas, the USDA’s Rural Utilities Services grant and loan programs and programs administered or coordinated by NTIA.

Corn Planted Acreage Up 20 Percent from 2020 Cotton Planted Acreage Down 29 Percent

Rice Planted Acreage Down 4 Percent

Soybean Planted Acreage Up 5 Percent

Louisiana corn planted area for all purpose is estimated at 600,000 acres, up 100,000 acres from a year ago but down 10,000 acres from March planting intentions.

Upland cotton planted acres is estimated at 120,000, down 50,000 acres from a year ago, but unchanged from March planting intentions.

All hay expected to be harvested is estimated at 390,000 acres, down 10,000 acres from a year ago but unchanged from March intentions.

All rice planted area for 2021 is estimated at 460,000 acres, down 20,000 acres from a year ago but up 15,000 acres from March planting intentions. Breakout is 420,000 acres for long grain and 40,000 acres for medium grain.

Soybeans planted area is estimated at 1.10 million acres, up 50,000 acres from a year ago but unchanged from March planting intentions.

Sugarcane for sugar and seed harvested acres is estimated at 490,000 acres, up 1,600 acres from a year ago.

Jeanie Igl did not hesitate when asked, “What are the greatest challenges in farming going forward?”

“Taxes and government regulation,” she responded promptly and firmly. The fourth-generation Mason, Mich., farmer was looking for answers when Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited their 2,600-acre corn and soybean operation June 11 — Vilsack’s first Midwest farm visit since his appointment as secretary.

Vilsack was invited to the farm by U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., to hear from growers who had questions about taxes, climate change provisions and more.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) began accepting nominations for county committee members on June 15. Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2021 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 2, 2021.

Landowners and agricultural producers currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) now have a wider opportunity to enroll in a 30-year contract through the Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers initiative, called CLEAR30. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding CLEAR30 – a water-quality focused option available through CRP – to be nationwide now.

Interested producers with CRP contracts expiring September 30, 2021, should sign up by August 6, 2021. CLEAR30 provides an opportunity for producers to receive incentives for a 30-year commitment to water quality practices on their CRP land, building on their original 10- to 15-year CRP contracts