Stories by USDA Newswire on Federal Newswire

News Release: USDA Has Deployed 1,576 Disaster, Public Health Specialists to Assist with Federal Response WASHINGTON, May 26, 2021 — In January 2021, President Biden released the National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness. The plan is driven by science, data, and public health to improve the effectiveness of our nation’s fight against COVID-19 and to restore trust, accountability and a sense of common purpose in our response to the pandemic.

USDA Forecasts Record Farm Exports in FY 2021

News Release: WASHINGTON, May 26, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s quarterly agricultural trade forecast, released today, projects fiscal year 2021 U.S. farm exports at $164 billion – the highest total on record. This represents an increase of $28 billion, or 21 percent, from last fiscal year’s total, and a $7-billion increase from USDA’s previous FY 2021 forecast published in February. The annual export record of $152.3 billion was set in FY 2014.

Chair Hayes Opening Statement at Hearing on SNAP

News Release: WASHINGTON - House Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations Chair Jahana Hayes delivered the following statement at today's hearing titled "The Future of SNAP: Moving Past the Pandemic"...

Extension of Deregulation to Corn Developed Using Genetic Engineering

Release: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is extending deregulation to Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.’s (Pioneer), corn variety developed using genetic engineering, designated as DP56113 maize. The corn variety is engineered for maintenance and ...

USDA Forecasts Record Farm Exports in FY 2021

News Release: Washington - The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s quarterly agricultural trade forecast, released today, projects fiscal year 2021 U.S. farm exports at $164 billion - the highest total on record. This represents an increase of $28 billion, or 21 percent, from last fiscal year’s total, and a $7-billion increase from USDA’s previous FY 2021 forecast published in February. The annual export record of $152.3 billion was set in FY 2014.

Chairwoman Stabenow Urges USDA to Implement Food and Ag Supply Chain Provisions of American Rescue Plan

News Release: WASHINGTON - In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday, Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow of Michigan pressed the department to quickly implement provisions passed as part of the American Rescue Plan to protect food and farm workers and build resilience into the nation’s agricultural supply chain.

Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on USTR Request for USMCA Dispute Settlement Panel on Canada Dairy Tariff-Rate Quota Administration

News Release: WASHINGTON, May 25, 2021 — “Today, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative made a request to initiate a dispute settlement panel under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to challenge Canada’s allocation of dairy tariff-rate quotas (TRQs). This is an important step for American agriculture, ...

U.S. Department of Agriculture Announces Key Staff Appointments

News Release: WASHINGTON, May 25, 2021 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the names of individuals who will hold senior staff positions in Washington, D.C.

Statement from Secretary Vilsack on Request for USMCA Dispute Settlement Panel on Canada Dairy TRQ

News Release: Washington - “Today, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative made a request to initiate a dispute settlement panel under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to challenge Canada’s allocation of dairy tariff-rate quotas (TRQs). This is an important step for American agriculture, and one...

USDA Announces New Initiative to Quantify Climate Benefits of Conservation Reserve Program

News Release: Washington - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced an initiative to quantify the climate benefits of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts. This multi-year effort will enable USDA to better target CRP toward climate outcomes and improve existing models and conservation planning tools while supporting USDA’s goal of putting American agriculture and forestry at the center of climate-smart solutions to address climate change.

ARS Scientists Are Developers of Most Used Prediction Technologies to Reduce Soil Loss

News Release: Agricultural Research Service scientists designed seven of the top ten-13 of the top 25-most used predictive technologies/simulation models that are reducing the loss of soil to erosion around the world, according to a recently published study.

Republican Ag Committee Members Call on USDA to Release Details on Impact of Proposed Tax Increases

News Release: WASHINGTON-Republican members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry are calling on U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to make public a detailed explanation and any supporting economic analyses that clarifies how the Biden administration’s proposed tax increases will affect farm estates.

Chairwoman Stabenow on USTR’s Canada Dairy Enforcement Action: “Fair Access for Our Dairy Farmers”

News Release: WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow of Michigan welcomed news Tuesday that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has established a dispute settlement panel under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to review Canada’s administration of tariff ...

Chairman David Scott Announces Staff Promotion

News Release: WASHINGTON - House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott announced the following staff promotion on the Democratic staff of the House Agriculture Committee.

Witness List: The Future of SNAP: Moving Past the Pandemic

News Release: 12:00 p.m. This hearing will be streamed live via YouTube. WITNESS LIST. Dr. Lauren Bauer, Fellow in Economic Studies, The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C. Ms. Odessa Davis, on behalf of Share our Strength, Washington, D.C. Mr. James Whitford, Executive Director, Watered Gardens, Joplin,...

In Historic Move, USDA to Begin Loan Payments to Socially Disadvantaged Borrowers under American Rescue Plan Act Section 1005

News Release: WASHINGTON, May 21, 2021 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) today published the first notice of funding availability (NOFA) announcing loan payments for eligible borrowers with qualifying direct farm loans under the American Rescue Plan Act Section 1005. The official NOFA ...

APHIS Adds Portions of Charleston and Dorchester Counties, South Carolina to the Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) Quarantine Area

Release: FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION. DA-2021-07. May 21, 2021To: State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory OfficialsEffective immediately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the South Carolina Clemson University Department of Plant Industry, ...

APHIS Adds Del Norte County in California to Phytophthora ramorum Quarantine Area

Release: FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION. DA-2021-09To: State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory OfficialsEffective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is expanding the Phytophthora ramorum (P. ramorum) quarantine area in Del Norte County, California. APHIS is taking this action in ...

USDA Expands the Federal Quarantine Area for Asian Longhorned Beetle in South Carolina

Release: Washington -Effective immediately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), together with South Carolina Clemson University's Department of Plant Industry (DPI), is adding portions of Charleston and Dorchester Counties to the quarantine area for the Asian ...

APHIS Amends Federal Order for Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical race 4 (Foc TR4) Import Restrictions