The LSU AgCenter has received a federal grant for a series of webinars, workshops and farm tours to train new farmers, particularly in the areas of finance and marketing, to help make them more risk-resilient.
The Southern Extension Risk Management Education grant was from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The amount was not reported.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the details of the Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program as part of meetings with farmers and a tour of farms with U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy from Vermont.
In June, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack committed to providing additional pandemic assistance for dairy farmers in an exchange at a hearing with Leahy, who is the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman. Through the program, the USDA will provide about $350 million in pandemic assistance payments to dairy farmers who received a lower value for their products due to market abnormalities caused by the pandemic. The assistance is part of a larger package including permanent improvements to the Dairy Margin Coverage safety net program.
Read MoreOrganic 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.”
Read MoreCorn 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
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreAgriculture 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreUSDA'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.
Read MoreHow 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.
Read MoreAgriculture 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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