The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) kicked off its virtual annual meeting Monday with comments from USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, and a virtual presentation of the NASDA Ambassadors Circle Award to him. NASDA President and North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Goehring hosted the conversation with Secretary Perdue, who discussed how USDA has responded to COVID-19 impacts …
EPA and USDA Announce Next Gen Fertilizer Challenge
The Environmental Protection Agency has teamed up with USDA to advance agricultural sustainability with the Next Gen Fertilizer Challenges. The competition includes two challenges that seek proposals for new and existing fertilizer technologies to maintain or improve crop yields while reducing the impacts of fertilizers on the environment. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced …
USDA Announces More Eligible Commodities for CFAP
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has added new commodities to the list covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), and is extending the deadline to apply for the program to September 11th. Additional commodities now eligible for the program include a variety of specialty crops like pumpkins, rutabagas, shallots, tangelos; all types of sheep; aquaculture such as catfish, …
USDA Announces Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
This evening U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). This new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program will take several actions to assist farmers, ranchers, and consumers in response to the COVID-19 national emergency. President Trump directed USDA to craft this $19 billion immediate relief program to provide critical support to our farmers and …
Agriculture Secretary Addresses U.S. Food Supply Issues
The White House Coronavirus Task Force Update on Wednesday included comments from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on the U.S. food supply. Secretary Perdue discussed the health and safety of essential food processing workers, praised those working in the food industry, and stressed that the food supply is “strong, resilient, and safe.” He also stated that there is plenty …
Secretary Perdue Announces New Innovation Initiative for USDA
At the start of USDA’s 2020 Agriculture Outlook Forum on Thursday, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the Agriculture Innovation Agenda, a department-wide initiative to align resources, programs, and research to position American agriculture to better meet future global demands. Specifically, USDA will stimulate innovation so that American agriculture can achieve the goal of increasing production by 40 percent while …
Secretary Perdue Press Call from Rome
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has been traveling Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy this week to engage with his counterparts on important issues facing agriculture at home and abroad. The Secretary, along with Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney has been participating in events with government officials and agricultural leaders. As President Trump was preparing to …
USDA Under Secretary and RFA CEO at Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit
USDA Deputy Secretary Steve Censky had the pleasure of announcing the Senate passage of USMCA to the crowd at the 2020 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Thursday in Altoona, Iowa, and also talked about the signing of the phase one trade deal with China. In addition, Censky discussed actions the Trump Administration has taken on behalf of the biofuel industry, including …
Agriculture Celebrates China Phase One Trade Deal Signing
President Donald Trump signed the historic Phase One Trade Agreement with China Wednesday, an agreement which calls for China to purchase between $40 and $50 billion in American agricultural goods each year for two years. “Together we are righting the wrongs of the past and delivering a future of economic justice and security for American workers, farmers, and families,” said …
Secretary Perdue Talks Mexico Trade
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue led a trade mission to Mexico this week to investigate new opportunities with our nation’s largest bilateral trading partner and second-largest export market for agricultural products. The secretary was joined by the heads of six state departments of agriculture: Bryan Hurlburt of Connecticut, Celia Gould of Idaho, Joseph Bartenfelder of Maryland, Chris Chinn of …
USDA Deputy Secretary on Trade Mission in West Africa
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Steve Censky is on a trade mission to West Africa this week to help United States exporters unlock new opportunities in a region where strong economic growth is driving demand for imported food and farm products. He is joined by representatives of more than 40 companies and organizations seeking to increase exports of U.S. agricultural …
USDA Unveils Domestic Hemp Production Program
On Tuesday, USDA officials announced the establishment of the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program to create a consistent regulatory framework around hemp production throughout the United States. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue commented on the program and Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach and Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey offered details. …
USDA Deputy Provides Farm Bill Update
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing Thursday to hear from USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky regarding implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill, and commented on the EPA supplemental proposal out this week. Listen to his opening remarks below and read full testimony. (5:14) The announcement out of EPA this week regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard …
Past and Current Ag Secretaries Support USMCA
All former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture since President Reagan’s Administration this week announced their support for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). In a letter to Congressional leaders, former Secretaries John Block (Reagan), Mike Espy (Clinton), Dan Glickman (Clinton), Ann Veneman (W. Bush), Mike Johanns (W. Bush), Ed Shafer (W. Bush), and Tom Vilsack (Obama) underscored the importance of passing USMCA …
USDA Provides Details of Support Package for Farmers
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and other agency officials announced further details of the $16 billion package “aimed at supporting American agricultural producers while the Administration continues to work on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals.” In May, President Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a relief strategy in line with the estimated impacts of unjustified retaliatory tariffs on …