USDA Invests $14.5M In Taxpayer Education, Program Outreach Efforts For Farmers & Ranchers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing in two outreach and education efforts for farmers and ranchers, including those who are new to farming or who have been historically underserved by USDA programs. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is investing $10 million for agriculture-oriented taxpayer education as well as $4.5 million in outreach for the Conservation Reserve Program’s Transition Incentives Program (CRP TIP), which helps with access to land for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Both efforts help advance equity and access to USDA programs and agriculture.
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USDA Publishes Organic Livestock & Poultry Standards Proposed Rule
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) previewed the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) proposed rule in the Federal Register. With this publication, USDA proposes requirements for organic poultry and livestock living conditions, care, transport, and slaughter.
This new proposed OLPS rule would change the USDA organic regulations to promote a fairer and more competitive market for organic livestock producers, by making sure that certified USDA livestock products are produced to the same consistent standard.
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FAS International Staff Get a Taste of Louisiana Agriculture
Local staff from USDA offices around the world were in the United States recently, exchanging information with American farmers and producers and learning firsthand how U.S. agricultural systems and processes work.
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service has nearly 100 overseas offices covering 180 countries. The agency serves as the eyes, ears, and voice of U.S. agriculture overseas. In addition to U.S. Foreign Service officers, FAS employs 320 local staff whose insight into local culture, politics, and business makes them an invaluable asset to FAS and American farmers, ranchers, and producers.
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Streamlined Delivery Of Emergency Relief Programs Is Win-Win For USDA & Ag Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has processed more than 255,000 applications for the new Emergency Relief Program (ERP). USDA has made approximately $6.1 billion, to date, in payments to commodity and specialty crop producers to help offset eligible losses from qualifying 2020 and 2021 natural disasters. By breaking-down agency barriers, using existing data across USDA and pre-filled applications, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in cooperation with the Risk Management Agency (RMA) has been able to expediently provide economic relief and save producers and staff over a million hours of time.
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Rep. Scott unveils Small Family Farmer and Rancher Relief Act
House Agricultural Committee Chairman Rep. David Scott (D-GA) recently introduced the Small Family Farmer and Rancher Relief Act (H.R. 8590). The act attempts to serve small farmers and ranchers in the cattle industry and address a “growing crisis” in decreasing cattle numbers.
The measure is intended to take a “two-pillar approach” to expanding and diversifying marketing opportunities while helping ranchers to preserve their operations for future generations.
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Weekly Cotton Market Review
Spot quotations were 37 points higher than the previous week, according to the USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service’s Cotton and Tobacco Program. Quotations for the base quality of cotton (color 41, leaf 4, staple 34, mike 35-36 and 43-49, strength 27.0-28.9, and uniformity 81.0-81.9) in the seven designated markets averaged 104.41 cents per pound for the week ending Thursday, July 28, 2022.
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USDA Announces August '22 Lending Rates For Ag Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for August 2022, which are effective Aug. 1, 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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Inflation Reduction Act Includes Ag Funding
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen Joe Manchin, D-W.V., announced a long-sought agreement on a tax, climate and healthcare package – the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 - which includes $40 billion for climate-smart agriculture and biofuels.
Manchin says the bill is “laser focused on solving our nation’s major economic, energy and climate problems.”
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Deadline Extended And More Pre-Filled Forms For '20 & '21 Disasters On The Way
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it will indefinitely extend the deadline for producers to return the pre-filled applications for Phase One of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP). A new deadline will be announced after the last Phase One applications are mailed and provide at least 30 days following the mailing.
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USDA Searching for Innovations in Climate-Smart Agriculture and Soil Health
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today it will invest $25 million this year for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials program.
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Fall Wildlife Food Plot Workshop Set for August 2 in Ruston
A free Fall Wildlife Food Plot Workshop will be offered on August 2, 2022, at the Lincoln Parish Library in Ruston, Louisiana, to provide information on how to improve wildlife habitat by establishing or improving wildlife food plots. This workshop is part of the Trailblazer Tuesdays at the Lincoln Parish Library and is hosted by the Lincoln Parish Library, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Trailblazer RC&D.
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Help USDA Estimate Feral Swine Damage to US Agriculture
NASS mailed questionnaires to more than 11,000 producers growing corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, peanuts, and sorghum in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas during the last week of June 2022. If you or someone you know received a survey, please be sure to send in your responses by August 12, 2022.
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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, 2022, regarding yields of the major row crops throughout the growing season across the United States.
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Louisiana Milk Production Report: July 2022
Louisiana milk production during the April - June 2022 quarter was 32.0 million pounds, down 9 percent from the same period in 2021 and down 3 percent from the January - March quarter. The average number of milk cows on farms during the quarter was 9,000 head, 500 head lower than the same period last year but unchanged from the previous quarter.
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Farm Bill Survey: Atrazine
USDA's Office of Pest Management Policy (OPMP) requests your input to inform our response to a recent EPA amended atrazine interim decision for registration review that includes ecological mitigation measures. You can learn more about the decision on the Regulations.gov site.
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