USDA

The USDA faces criticism for cuts and delays affecting farmers, including staff reductions and frozen funds. The bird flu crisis also raises concerns over vaccination plans for poultry.

The USDA's recent updates include the expansion of the grasslands Conservation Reserve, a pioneering bird flu vaccine trial, rising oxtail popularity, and a record agricultural trade deficit.

On this week's episode of Farm News & Views, Bob Bragg talks about dry weather affecting parts of the U.S. and a report concerning what people in a study think about higher food prices at grocery stores and restaurants.

The Bureau of Land Management announces a new draft plan to protect the greater sage grouse on sagebrush range lands in several Western states, the U.S. Senate passes a resolution to overturn the USDA’s rule that would allow Paraguayan fresh beef imports,

Agricultural losses from the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles, the USDA finalizes the "Product of the U.S.A." labeling rule for meat, poultry, and eggs, researchers develop the first transgenic cow capable of producing human insulin, corn prices are expected to be down this year, and how a calf roping contestant made sure he didn't miss the rodeo.

The USDA releases the 2022 Ag Census, revealing that since 2017 the U.S. lost nearly 142,000 farms and more than 20.1 million acres of productive farmland, that just over 26,000 farms account for 50% of all sales for all products, and an overall continued rise in the average age of farmers.

Record setting drought in the Texas Panhandle is creating challenges for farmers and ranchers there, grain like rice, corn, and wheat are supplying over 50% of the food calories consumed globally, cyber crime is a very real concern for U.S. agriculture, and the USDA reports that $100 million of farm income is lost annually in the U.S. due to soil erosion.

A breakdown of what appropriations will be included in the new Farm Bill, the USDA boosts farm loan relief for producers, and Colorado State University is selected to run one of 12 regional food business centers as part of a new U.S. Department of Agriculture program.

New USDA grant funding is available for meat and poultry producers, Southwest Colorado Meat and Livestock Day scheduled on May 11th, the shifting landscape of farm sizes and subsidies, and solar "farms" innovate to better serve rural communities.

The average length of a growing season in the United States is getting longer, a survey of young farmers finds that 93% have never used a USDA program, beef production is decreasing in 2023, changes to livestock grazing on public lands could be on the way, and Congress acts to ban Chinese ownership of U.S. farm ground.