Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced additional assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help producers impacted by Hurricane Helene in the recovery process. USDA is announcing the counties that have triggered for payment under the Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) endorsement for Hurricane Helene. As a result, Approved Insurance Providers (AIP) have 30 days to issue payments to producers, but AIPs typically issue payments much sooner.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) in Louisiana announced today that it is opening an application period for the Open Pine Landscape Restoration Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project. The signup period will begin on November 18 and run until December 13, 2024.
Read MoreU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced a more than $46 million investment in projects supporting America’s veteran, underserved, and beginning farmers and ranchers to help aspiring producers enter the business and improve their skills and knowledge to sustain their operations for years to come.
Read MoreThe notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of Texas is hereby amended to include permanent work under the Public Assistance program for the following areas among those areas determined to have been adversely affected by the event declared a major disaster by the President in his declaration of July 9, 2024.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an additional $250 million in automatic payments for distressed direct and guaranteed farm loan borrowers under Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act. This significant step continues USDA's commitment to keeping farmers and ranchers financially viable and support for agricultural communities.
Over the past two years, USDA acted swiftly to assist borrowers in retaining their land and continuing their agricultural operations. Since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in August 2022, the USDA has provided approximately $2.4 billion in assistance to more than 43,900 distressed borrowers.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded farmers and small businesses from 34 states, including Arkansas and Louisiana, grants through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to expand access to clean energy and lower energy bills.
In Louisiana, farmers and small businesses were awarded more than $2.2 million to combat the climate crisis.
Read MoreOn a recent fall day, as Wilburn Harris did the rounds on his cattle farm in the Missouri town of Drexel, he was met with brown grass, cracked soil and half-empty ponds.
He was used to it. Last year’s drought was so bad, he had to haul water and hay to his farm to keep the animals fed and watered.
Read MoreLouisiana all wheat stored in off farm storage facilities on September 1, 2024 totaled 6.92 million bushels, up 28 percent from a year ago. United States all wheat stored in all positions on September 1, 2024 totaled 1.99 billion bushels, up 12 percent from a year ago. On farm stocks are estimated at 664 million bushels, up 11 percent from last September. Off farm stocks, at 1.32 billion bushels, are up 13 percent from a year ago.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for October 2024, which are effective Oct. 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.
Read MoreThe United States Department of Agriculture has created a new position in state Farm Service Agency offices designed to keep continuity of services during changes of Federal administrations. That new position is the Deputy State Executive Director (DSED) and serves in a direct supervisory line over all Federal FSA positions in the state. The position would also serve as the State Executive Director’s (SED) proxy in their absence and participates fully with the SED in managing state programs to further the agency’s mission.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $58 million available for marketing assistance to eligible organic dairy producers through the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) 2024 to help expand the market for organic dairy and increase the consumption of organic dairy.
“The Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program continues USDA’s commitment to keep the market for organic dairies sustainable as they weather challenges outside of their control,” said USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Ducheneaux.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hosted the Final Equity Convening to celebrate the work of the USDA Equity Commission and the progress the Department has made under the Biden-Harris Administration to improve access to and inclusion in its programs and services. Held at the USDA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., this event represented a culmination of the National Equity Summit and eight regional equity convenings hosted by the Department throughout this year, as well as an opportunity for discussion around how equity and inclusion are a central focus of USDA’s programs.
Read MoreAccording to The United States Department of Agriculture, 1 in 7 people in Louisiana struggle with access to healthy foods. Beauregard Parish is one of the most affected by food insecurity.
”If you’re comparing it to other communities around the country it’s not very good. We have one of the highest rates of food insecurity,” Paul Scelfo, Chief Regional Officer of Second Harvest Food Bank, said.
Read MoreAs of Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) long-awaited updates to the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Farm Loan Programs are officially in effect. These changes, part of the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule, are designed to increase financial flexibility for agricultural producers, allowing them to grow their operations, boost profitability, and build long-term savings.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announced sugar loan rates for crop year 2024 (fiscal year 2025).
USDA offers commodity loans to processors of sugar beets and domestically grown sugarcane to provide interim financing to producers so that sugar can be stored after harvest when market prices are typically low and then sold later when price conditions are more favorable.
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