The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $10 million in a new initiative to sample, measure, and monitor soil carbon on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres to better quantify the climate outcomes of the program. CRP is an important tool in the Nation’s fight to reduce the worst impacts of climate change facing our farmers, ranchers, and foresters. This initiative will begin implementation in fall 2021 with three partners. Today’s announcement is part of a broader, long-term soil carbon monitoring effort across agricultural lands that supports USDA’s commitment to deliver climate solutions to agricultural producers and rural America through voluntary, incentive-based solutions.
Read MoreIf Martin Barbre has his way, it soon may be a whole lot easier to certify your acres with the Farm Service Agency.
How easy? Think from your home, at your computer — without a trip to the FSA office, which could be clear across the county.
“All producers will be able to sit at home and do acreage reporting at their own computer, rather than going to the FSA office and standing there with stacks of books and maps,” Barbre says.
Read MoreOn September 29, USDA announced $3 billion in investments targeting “urgent challenges facing agriculture today,” as part of Secretary Vilsack’s work as co-chair of the President’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force. Of the $3 billion total, $500 million will be made available via the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide relief from increased transportation challenges, scarcity and rising costs of certain materials, and other near-term obstacles related to the marketing and distribution of certain commodities .
Read MoreOn Tuesday, Oct. 12, USDA is expected to release higher ending stocks estimates of U.S. corn and soybeans for 2021-22, revised production estimates for 2020 and lower estimates of U.S. ending wheat stocks. Traders have already reacted to the changes stemming from USDA’s Sept. 30 reports, but may find another surprise or two Tuesday.
Read MoreAn extensive report on the U.S. cattle market, including information on supply chain disruptions, has been completed by the Agricultural and Food Policy Center, AFPC.
The 180-plus page book, titled “The U.S. Beef Supply Chain: Issues and Challenges” is the result of proceedings from an AFPC-hosted workshop on cattle markets held in June in Kansas City, Missouri.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today an investment of $4.7 million to establish partnerships with organizations to provide outreach and technical assistance to historically underserved farmers and ranchers. The partnerships will support participation in Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs, including those that are part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.
Read MoreThis article contains a summary of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Service Agency (FSA) report on commodity program choice for the 2021 crop year. For most crops, share of base acres enrolled in ARC-CO (Agriculture Risk Coverage – County version) increased. Share decreased in ARC-IC (ARC farm version) and PLC (Price Loss Coverage).
Read MoreTuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the selection of recipients for more than $6.6 million in grants and cooperative agreements through the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. These grants and cooperative agreements build on $4.1 million in projects funded in 2020.
Read MoreThrough a comprehensive set of investments, USDA announced an additional $3 billion will be made available through the Commodity Credit Corporation to take action to prevent the spread of African swine fever, assist producers grappling with drought and market disruptions at ports and help school nutrition professionals obtain nutritious food for students.
Read MoreMonday, U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai announced the Biden Administration’s plans for a new approach to the U.S.-China relationship, including enforcement of the U.S.-China Phase One Agreement that was signed in January 2020. A series of upcoming bilateral discussions amongst trade negotiators will be scheduled.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing a higher loan limit will be available for borrowers seeking a guaranteed farm loan starting Oct. 1, 2021, from $1.776 million to $1.825 million.
“Farm loans are critical for our customers’ annual operating and family living expenses, emergency needs, and cash flow,” FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said. “Raising the guaranteed loan limit will allow FSA to better meet the financial needs of producers as natural disasters and the pandemic continue to impact their operations.”
Read MoreLouisiana all wheat stored in off farm storage facilities on September 1, 2021 totaled 3.43 million. United States all wheat stored in all positions on September 1, 2021 totaled 1.78 billion bushels, down 18 percent from a year ago. On farm stocks are estimated at 419 million bushels, down 41 percent from last September. Off farm stocks, at 1.36 billion bushels, are down 6 percent from a year ago.
Read MoreLouisiana agricultural operations have been significantly impacted by Hurricane Ida and related weather events. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover. Additionally, agricultural producers in certain Louisiana parishes will have an additional time after the Sept. 30 sales closing date for producers to make coverage adjustments in hardest hit parishes.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) announced Sept. 30 that one of its African Swine Fever Virus (ASF) vaccine candidates has been shown to prevent and effectively protect both European and Asian bred swine against the current circulating Asian strain of the virus.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for October 2021, which are effective Oct. 1, as well as marketing assistance loan rates for upland cotton in 2022. 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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