News and reports from the Department of Agriculture.

Release: FSIS is amending its regulations to expand generic label approval to certain categories of meat, poultry, and egg product labeling products starting March 19, 2023. FSIS is also announcing the availability of the revised FSIS Guideline for Label Approval for the types of labels that must be submitted to FSIS for approval. The final rule, which published on Jan. 18, 2023, also responds to comments received on the September 2020 proposal.

News Release: WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2023 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the names of individuals who will hold senior staff positions in Washington, D.C.

The US Agriculture Department published a six page notice on Jan. 20, according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office.

Release: Private exporters reported the following sales activity.

News Release: WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2023 ─ The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has selected 30 university students who will attend USDA’s 2023 Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF) as winners of the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture program. These undergraduate and graduate students from land-grant, non-land-grant ...

Release: Private exporters reported the following sales activity.

News Release: Washington - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds specialty crop producers of available assistance to help cover certain costs of complying with regulatory and market-driven food safety certification requirements. Applications for the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program for eligible 2022 costs are due by Jan. 31, 2023. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will accept applications for 2023 costs from Feb. 1, 2023, to Jan. 31, 2024.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service signed a cooperative agreement with Hawaii for more than $600,000 to increase the purchase of nutritious local foods for school meals.

News Release: Scientific experts will review the body of evidence on key nutrition topics to help inform HHS-USDA’s development of next guidelines

State Rep. Bobby Payne (R-FL) predicted that the Florida legislature will pass a bill this session banning entities associated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other hostile nations from purchasing land in Florida.

Release: Private exporters reported the following sales activity.

News Release: Agricultural Research Service scientists and their Chinese colleagues have identified a specific metabolic pathway that controls how honey bees apportion their body's resources such as energy and immune response in reaction to stresses such as winter's cold temperatures, according to recently published research.

News Release: WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2023 - Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced expanded efforts to reduce wildfire risk across the western U.S. These investments, made possible through President Biden’s landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), will directly protect at-risk communities and critical infrastructure across 11 additional landscapes in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

News Release: Washington - Today, the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) previewed the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) final rule. This update to the USDA organic regulations strengthens oversight and enforcement of the production, handling, and sale of organic products. This final rule implements 2018 Farm Bill mandates, responds to industry requests for updates to the USDA organic regulations, and addresses National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) recommendations.

The US Agriculture Department published an eight page rule on Jan. 19, according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office.