May 19, 2023
Three employees of the largest agricultural research facility in the U.S. have filed federal whistleblower complaints alleging that the facility’s conditions are hazardous to workers and undermine their research, even as farmers are facing pressing issues like climate change, according …
May 15, 2023
America’s wheat fields have become so plagued by drought that farmers are now poised to abandon crops at the highest rate in more than a century. Producers are expected to harvest about 67% of their planted acres, the US Department …
April 4, 2022
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is looking into vaccines as an option to protect poultry against deadly bird flu, the agency’s chief veterinary officer said as the country faces its worst outbreak since 2015. Supporters say vaccines could help keep …
December 3, 2021
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is changing some rules around crop insurance for hemp, including making the insurability requirements more flexible. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has also added a new requirement for producers who grow direct-seeded hemp and is …
October 8, 2021
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working on a proposal for a waiver system for hog plants forced by a federal court to slow processing lines, Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Thursday. Waivers to allow plants to speed up processing …
June 14, 2021
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release more than $1 billion in payments over the next several weeks starting June 15 for agricultural producers who suffered losses in 2018 and 2019 natural disasters. The payments are going to farmers …
July 29, 2020
A food workers’ union filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday to block Trump administration waivers that allow poultry plants to operate production lines at a faster pace, arguing the higher speeds endanger employees. The suit challenges the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s …
February 5, 2020
Dogs specially trained by the federal government’s Agricultural Research Service scientists have proven to be the most efficient way to detect huanglongbing—also known as citrus greening—according to a paper just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. …
September 16, 2013
Another disaster plaguing the state, widespread flooding in Colorado is being viewed as an “unprecedented” event in which losses will take quite some time to calculate – although there are more immediate lessons to be learned. Thousands are missing, tens …
February 8, 2012
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has declared an agriculture flood disaster in Jackson County stemming from heavy rains in late November. The declaration, made on Tuesday, means the state Department of Agriculture can apply for federal assistance for losses to the …