USDA Latest

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2023 – With severe storms forecast for northern and central California, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reminding communities in the region to prepare and to be aware of USDA programs to assist following flooding and other disasters. Food safety guidance: Severe weather forecasts often present the possibility of power outages or flooding that could compromise the safety of stored food. USDA encourages those in the […]

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2023 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that producers in counties affected by eligible disaster events in Kentucky, Minnesota, South Dakota, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, and Tennessee can apply for cost-share assistance through the Emergency Grain Storage Facility Assistance Program (EGSFP). The new program provides cost-share assistance for the construction of new grain storage capacity and drying and handling needs, in order to support […]

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today an investment of more than $43 million in meat and poultry processing research, innovation and expansion in support of its ongoing efforts to transform the food system at every stage along the supply chain. This investment is funded through the American Rescue Plan and the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).

WASHINGTON, March 8, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today kicked off the inaugural National Biobased Products Day and highlighted the accomplishments of people and organizations working to improve sustainability within the federal government.

WASHINGTON, March 6, 2023 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack issued the following statement regarding today’s announcement by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that the United States is requesting technical consultations with Mexico under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Chapter of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $89 million across the country (PDF, 160 KB) to finance the startup and expansion of independent meat processors. USDA also announced initial steps the Department is taking to create a more competitive marketplace for seeds and other agricultural inputs.

WASHINGTON, March 6, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released a proposed rule with new regulatory requirements to better align the voluntary “Product of USA” label claim with consumer understanding of what the claim means.

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the appointment of L’Tonya Davis as its first permanent Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO). The CDIO will lead USDA in its ongoing efforts to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) across the Department and will oversee the implementation of USDA’s first-ever DEIA Strategic Plan (PDF, 1.2 MB).

Washington, March 1, 2023 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the first steps in its process for providing financial assistance to farmers, ranchers or forest landowners who have previously suffered discrimination with respect to USDA farm lending programs. In addition, USDA set a target of distributing the allocated funds, which were authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act, out to borrowers by the end of 2023.