USDA Accepting Applications To Help Cover Costs For Organic Certification
Organic producers and handlers can now apply for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds to assist with the cost of receiving or maintaining organic certification. Applications for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) are due Nov. 1, 2021.
“USDA is here to help all producers, including those who grow our nation’s organic food and fiber. Many farmers have told us that cost was a barrier to their ability to get an organic certification,” said Zach Ducheneaux, administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). “By assisting with the costs, this program can help organic farmers get their certification along with the benefits that come with it.”
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Louisiana Crop Production, August, 2021
Corn Yield Down but Production Up from 2020
Cotton Yield Up but Production Down from 2020
Rice Yield and Production Down from 2020 Soybean Yield Down but Production Up from 2020
Sugarcane Yield and Production Down from 2020
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Senators Question Slow Pace of Pandemic Payments to Farmers
The Biden administration has committed $7.3 billion in pandemic aid to farmers and ranchers since March, but payments are now much smaller; $583 million in the past four months, according to an unofficial tally by FERN. Four members of the Senate Agriculture Committee queried the USDA on Monday about the lack of payments to farmers who produce hogs under contract.
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Big Boost for USDA in Senate Budget Proposal
The budget plan unveiled by Senate Democrats on Monday would increase USDA spending by $135 billion over a decade, equal to a 9% increase from pre-pandemic levels. The money would be directed to projects ranging from child nutrition to clean energy and climate mitigation, said a memo from the Senate Budget Committee.
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New USDA Market News Reports To Enhance Price Transparency In Cattle Markets
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that beginning Monday, August 9, 2021, it will issue two new USDA Market News reports based on Livestock Mandatory Reporting data that will provide additional insight into formula cattle trades and help promote fair and competitive markets.
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USDA Celebrates National Farmers Market Week
The Secretary proclaimed the first week of August as National Farmers Market Week (PDF, 146 KB) as a way to champion the direct-to-consumer producers, market managers, and customers that make their communities come alive during market days.
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USDA Announces August, 2021, Lending Rates For Agricultural Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for August 2021, which are effective August 2. 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.
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FSA Deadline for County Committee Member Nominations
The election of responsible agricultural producers to FSA county committees is important to ALL farmers and ranchers with large or small operations. It is crucial that every eligible producer take part in this election because county committees are a direct link between the farm community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Committee members are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA. They help deliver FSA farm programs at the local level. Farmers who serve on committees help decide the kind of programs their counties will offer. They work to make FSA agricultural programs serve the needs of local producers.
Today is the last day to file nomination forms at the local USDA Service Center.
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Biden Administration to Invest $67 Million to Help Heirs Resolve Land Ownership and Succession Issues
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced during a press conference with U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, U.S. Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., and U.S. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing $67 million in competitive loans through the new Heirs’ Property Relending Program (HPRP), which aims to help agricultural producers and landowners resolve heirs’ land ownership and succession issues.
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Surveillance Data Shows White-Tailed Deer Exposed To SARS-CoV-2
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently completed a study that analyzed serum samples from free-ranging white-tailed deer for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). Results of the study indicate that certain white-tailed deer populations in Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania were exposed to SARS-CoV-2.
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Farm Service Agency Administrator Talks Programs
USDA's Farm Service Agency is the most directly linked to farmers often administering payments and providing other support for farmers. And lately the service has been busy.
In this episode of the Around Farm Progress podcast, Jacqui Fatka, policy editor, Farm Progress, talks with Zach Ducheneaux, administrator of FSA. This is a wide-ranging conversation from pandemic-related indemnity payments to issues surrounding the lingering drought.
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USDA to Measure Crop Production Throughout the Growing Season
How will this year’s weather conditions affect crop production? The Monthly Agricultural Yield Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey U.S. farmers beginning July 30, 2021, regarding yields of the major row crops and hay, as well as hay stocks throughout the growing season across the United States.
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Whitley Named Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack named Daniel Whitley the new administrator of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Whitley has served as the agency’s acting administrator since December 2020 and a staffer at the agency for 20 years. As administrator he will oversee personnel in nearly 100 U.S. embassies consulates, and international organizations around the world and collectively providing representation across 180 countries.
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USDA Announces Pandemic Assistance For Timber Harvesters And Haulers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing up to $200 million to provide relief to timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses that have experienced losses due to COVID-19 as part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. Loggers and truckers can apply for assistance through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) July 22 through Oct. 15, 2021. The Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers program (PATHH) is administered by FSA in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service.
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Deadline Fast Approaching for Conservation Reserve Program General Signup
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reminding producers and landowners that the signup deadline for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) current general signup is fast approaching. Eligible producers must submit their offers by July 23, 2021.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) made several changes to CRP to make it more appealing to all producers, including those who are historically underserved, beginning, and veterans. FSA added incentives to encourage producers to include climate-smart agricultural practices in their operations to increase natural resource and environmental benefits.
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