Ag Policy Blog

USDA on Wednesday announced more scrutiny on meatpacker and retailer claims about how animals are raised, seeking more information that must be approved by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) before labels can be added to meat and poultry products.

Eleven governors called on Congress to support the "Exposing Agricultural Trade Suppression Act," a bill reintroduced in the U.S. Senate last month following the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 decision in May upholding California's Proposition 12.

USDA on Monday announced its enrollment for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign up. The Department also released details for $714 million in grants and loans for its ReConnect broadband program.

The committee will markup a set of tax bills on Tuesday that includes several provisions for extending bonus deprecation and expanding Section 179 deductions and the creation of rural opportunity zones.

While the Senate minority leader wants a new farm bill passed, the Canadian government on Friday also announced it will join the U.S. in a dispute case against Mexico under the USMCA over the Mexican decree regarding biotech corn.

Lawmakers introduced a bill that would create an office at USDA focusing on smaller farm operations. A House committee also advanced a bill that would allow schools to offer whole milk to students in the school-lunch program.

Rather than the Senate aggies, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, announced a hearing next week looking at agriculture and climate change. Whitehouse is known for giving nearly 300 floor speeches in the Senate chamber on climate...

The letter to Tai noted she had told Congress two months ago that if the Biden administration's concerns over Mexico' policies were not resolved through technical consultations then the USTR would "consider all options to fix this problem, including by taking additional steps...

The debt-limit bill, as released Sunday by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., would cover U.S. obligations through Jan. 2, 2025. The bill is titled the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Agricultural groups and Republican lawmakers praised the Supreme Court decision for setting a new standard for regulating bodies of water. Democrats and environmental groups see the ruling as setting back the country's clean water provisions. There was even disagreement over...

If you haven't filled out your ag census form, it is due May 31. USDA also wants comments from producers and will be holding public listening sessions on possible changes to prevented-planting crop insurance coverage.

In a subcommittee hearing Tuesdy, the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee raised doubts over whether USDA can manage all of the conservation spending ifrom the Inflation Reduction Act. He also remains opposed to rules with the funding that tie it to reducing...

The markup for USDA's fiscal-year 2024 funding was unusual in that the subcommittee usually reaches agreement in advance of the markup, but this year the Republicans made big cuts to farm and nutrition programs to which the Democrats objected vigorously.

Using $10.7 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, USDA on Tuesday will lay out two new loan and grant programs for rural electric cooperatives and other rural power providers. The projects will look to help rural areas convert more energy to low-carbon...

In a hearing Wednesday before a House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, leaders from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), National Turkey Federation (NTF) and North American Meat Institute (NAMI) each lamented the...

Using $10.7 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, USDA on Tuesday will lay out two new loan and grant programs for rural electric cooperatives and other rural power providers. The projects will look to help rural areas convert more energy to low-carbon...

When former U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, was in Congress he tried multiple times to get language in what became the 2014 and 2018 farm bills that would have prevented states from blocking agricultural products from outside their state if those products had been approved by...

The four principal leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees came out of a meeting Thursday with President Joe Biden and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issuing identical 86-word statements declaring they are going to push ahead for a "2023 farm bill."

Politico reported earlier Wednesday that President Biden had invited the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Agriculture committees to come to the White House to discuss the farm bill.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack launched the AIM for Climate initiative at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November 2021. He is co-hosting a summit this week with the minister of climate change and environment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In...