The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the launch of the Distressed Borrowers Assistance Network, an initiative designed to provide personalized support to financially distressed farmers and ranchers across the nation
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Louisiana corn for grain production is forecast at 85.0 million bushels, up 3 percent from August 1 forecast but down 29 percent from 2023. Based on conditions as of September 1, yield is expected to average 191 bushels per acre, up 6 bushels from last month and up 16 bushels from last year. Harvested acreage for grain is estimated at 445,000 acres, down 235,000 acres from 2023.
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USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) forecasts inflation-adjusted U.S. net cash farm income (NCFI), defined as gross cash income minus cash expenses, will decrease by $16.3 billion (9.6 percent) to $154.1 billion in 2024. This would come after an NCFI decrease of $52.9 billion (23.7 percent) in 2023 from an all-time high of $223.3 billion in 2022.
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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced new funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) for fiscal year 2025 as part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’ Investing in America agenda. Administered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the program helps landowners and other eligible entities conserve, restore, and protect wetlands, productive agricultural lands, and grasslands at risk of conversion to non-grassland uses. Healthy wetlands, grasslands, and farmlands sequester carbon and provide many other natural resource benefits. Today’s funding is made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action in history.
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The USDA Farm Service Agency is looking for a Loan Assistant/Specialist (Agriculture) to work out of the office in Oak Grove, La. Anyone interested has until September 9, 2024 to apply.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for September 2024, which are effective Sept. 1, 2024. USDA 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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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announced today that it does not expect to purchase and sell sugar under the Feedstock Flexibility Program for crop year 2024, which runs from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025. The CCC is required by law to quarterly announce estimates of sugar to be purchased and sold under the Feedstock Flexibility Program based on crop and consumption forecasts.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the launch of the Debt Consolidation Tool, an innovative online tool available through farmers.gov that allows agricultural producers to enter their farm operating debt and evaluate the potential savings that might be provided by obtaining a debt consolidation loan with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) or a local lender.
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USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS) Census of Agriculture is published every five years and provides data at the U.S., state, and county levels.
One metric tracked is the average age of agricultural producers. This information is provided for selected southern states for the Census reporting periods 2017 to 2022, along with the percentage change in average age for that timeframe.
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Louisiana leads the country for soybeans dropping leaves. Soybean maturity in the state climbed 10 percentage points to 40% the week ending Aug. 25. That’s just ahead of the five-year average of 37%.
Soybeans in good/excellent condition made up 74% of Louisiana’s crop the week ending Aug. 25. That’s an impressive number on its own, but a nosedive compared to 84% good/excellent soybeans reported the week prior.
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The USDA has issued payments to 43,000 persons, most in Mississippi and Alabama, who completed applications detailing how they experienced discrimination in the Agriculture Department’s lending programs before January 2021.
The next highest number of awards to both categories of farmers were 2,926 in Oklahoma, 2,170 in Georgia, 1,584 in Tennessee, 1,456 in Arkansas, 1,376 in North Carolina, 1,369 in South Carolina, 1,311 in Texas, 1,265 in Louisiana and 1,059 in California.
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This report contains the results from the 2024 Cash Rents Survey.
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Meet Kaitlyn, a determined single mother from rural Louisiana whose dream of owning a home became a reality through the USDA Rural Development's Section 502 Direct Loan Program. Kaitlyn envisioned providing her son, Tyrin, with the comfort and stability of a home of their own after facing the unimaginable loss of her fiancé shortly before Tyrin's birth. Her dream then became even more poignant.
Kaitlyn's journey to homeownership was driven by her desire to offer her son a better life. "I have wanted to own my own home since I knew I was going to be a mother," she shares. "I wanted my son to enjoy a yard and home that was ours." Her dream came true eight months ago when they moved into their new home. The transition from a cramped apartment to a spacious, welcoming house has been transformative for both mother and child.
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As we approach this critical election season and remainder of the 118th Congress, there are numerous issues vying for the attention of voters and policymakers alike. Among them, the upcoming farm bill stands out because it holds profound implications for our nation’s agriculture, food security and rural communities.
As a member of the agricultural community, I understand firsthand the essential role this bill plays in sustaining the backbone of our food system and supporting the livelihoods of countless families across the country.
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Have you participated in our Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) in the last three years? If so, we want to hear from you!
To continually improve our flagship conservation program, we're asking our EQIP customers to participate in a survey.
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