The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the launch of the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA) to provide technical assistance to meat and poultry grant applicants and grant-funded projects. Processors and applicants involved with the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG) program and the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) can access this technical …

The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that ranchers who have approved applications through the 2021 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for forage losses due to severe drought or wildfire in 2021 will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments for increases in supplemental feed costs in 2021 through the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) new Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP). “Producers …

A number of factors have converged over the last 18 months to send global agricultural commodity prices to near-record levels. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and the potential loss of Ukrainian exports – was the latest development to push commodity prices higher. Other factors affecting global markets, which date back to late 2020, include: increased global demand, led by China; …

The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) today announced the launch of a free webinar series focusing on current research and advancements in managing weeds and invasive plants. “ARS scientists have worked in a wide range of agricultural and natural ecosystems that include agronomic and horticultural crops, pastures, forests, rangelands, wetlands and riparian areas,” …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its strengthened commitment to advancing research and programmatic priorities that support pollinator health by soliciting nominations for members to serve on its newly formed USDA National Pollinator Subcommittee. The subcommittee will be part of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board, which provides feedback to the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA’s …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced that it is doubling down on its small business innovation investments, extending almost $18 million in research funds to further develop transformative agricultural solutions. NIFA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program funds these research projects, each of which proposes an innovative or disruptive solution across …

Scientists with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) aim to enhance the capacity of regulatory agencies to trace Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 back to its source during a foodborne outbreak investigation by studying how the DNA of a specific population of this bacterium gradually evolves within its natural environment. E. coli O157:H7 is a frequent source of concern for public health due …

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is celebrating a major milestone – 50 years of serving the public as a Federal agency. USDA created APHIS on April 2, 1972 to consolidate animal health, plant health, and inspection duties under one roof. The new agency focused on protecting American agriculture and natural resources, …

Recent outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) within the U.S. layer flock are adding strain to beleaguered egg supply chains, which have not fully recovered from disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. While egg production has stabilized in recent months, it is still well below pre-pandemic levels and egg availability could be limited leading into Easter, according to …

Being new to farming can come with challenges and many beginning farmers find themselves having higher debt-to-asset ratios and having to rely on off-farm income than more established farmers. They also have trouble gaining access to land, capital, and markets and are less likely to receive government support. This has been exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the Beginning Farmer …