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News Release: Final Rule Balances Concerns Raised by Retailers While Still Improving Access to Healthy Food Choices for SNAP Participants WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2016 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced final changes to increase access to healthy food choices for participants ...

Statement by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on House Agriculture Committee Report on SNAP

News Release: WASHINGTON, December 8, 2016—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today released the following statement on the House Committee on Agriculture's new report on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which contains the Committee's findings from a series of hearings on the program: "After holding ...

USDA Boosts Healthy Food Access, Sets New Standards for SNAP Retailers

Release: Washington, DC, Dec. 8, 2016 - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced final changes to increase access to healthy food choices for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The provisions in this rule require SNAP authorized retail establishments to offer a larger inventory and variety of healthy food options.

Private Exporters Report Sales Activity for South Korea and Unknown Destinations

Release: Washington -Private exporters reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture the following activity.

Senator Stabenow Statement on Nomination of Scott Pruitt to Lead EPA

News Release: U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released a statement on President-Elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency...

Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Passage of the 21st Century Cures Act

News Release: WASHINGTON, December 7, 2016 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today released the following statement on the 21st Century Cures Act, passed by the Senate today: "On behalf of all of the families across rural America affected by the heroin and opioid epidemic, I am grateful that Congress has answered ...

USDA Announces New Conservation Opportunities to Improve Water Quality and Restore Wildlife Habitat

News Release: DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 7, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will offer farmers and ranchers more opportunities to participate in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The announcement includes new CRP practices to protect water quality and adds an additional 1.1 million acres targeted to benefit wildlife, pollinators and wetlands.

New, Easy-to-Harvest Raisin Grape Reduces Production Cost

News Release: A new raisin grape developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in California is proving to be very popular among producers because it costs less to harvest.

Private Exporters Report Sales Activity for China and Unknown Destinations

Release: Washington -Private exporters reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture the following activity.

USDA Expands Farm Loans for Native Americans Farming and Ranching on Tribal Land

News Release: Department Awards First Loan Under Highly Fractionated Indian Land Program LAS VEGAS, Dec. 6, 2016 - Agriculture Under Secretary Michael T. Scuse today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved and obligated the first loan under the Highly Fractionated Indian Land Loan program ...

USDA Invests $33 Million to Improve Water Quality in High-Priority Watersheds

News Release: WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2016 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced an investment of more than $33 million in 197 high-priority watersheds across the country to help landowners improve water quality through the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI).

Private Exporters Report Sales Activity for China, South Korea, and Unknown Destinations

Release: Washington -Private exporters reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture the following activity.

Chairman Roberts’ Statement on Child Nutrition Reauthorization Negotiations

News Release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today released the following statement on the status of efforts to complete reauthorization of child nutrition programs.

Secretary Vilsack Appoints Members to the Council for Native American Farming and Ranching

News Release: WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2016 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the appointment of six new members and the re-appointment of five members to the Council for Native American Farming and Ranching. As a discretionary advisory committee, the Council provides recommendations to the Secretary ...

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Names Members and Alternates to the National Honey Board

News Release: Washington - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today appointed four members and five alternate members to serve on the National Honey Board. The appointees will serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2017, and ending Dec. 31, 2019, except the additional alternate producer member, who will serve the remainder of a term expiring Dec. 31, 2018.

Stabenow Statement on CFTC Position Limits Reproposal

News Release: U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today released a statement on the decision by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to repropose the position limits rule...

Chairman Roberts’ Statement on CFTC’s Position Limits Proposed Rule

News Release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today released the following statement after the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) released a re-proposed rule on position limits.

Private Exporters Report Sales Activity for China