AMS

Rod Bain takes a look at how the USDA is using dashboards to help farmers and consumers alike. If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia.com

Earlier this week, the USDA published the 2020 Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary. The summary shows that more than 99% of the samples tested had pesticide residues below benchmark levels established by the EPA. The report for 2020, issued by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, marks the 30th year of survey results. Ove ...

Last week, the USDA announced changes and improvements to crop insurance for hemp. USDA’s Risk Management Agency is adding flexibilities around how producers work with processors as well as improving consistency with the most recent USDA hemp regulation. RMA ...

If you are one of the estimated 20,500 producers growing hemp this year, hopefully got a survey form last month asking about acreage and other aspects of hemp production. It's the first comprehensive hemp survey since the 1940's, so it's no wonder USDA officials are fervently asking producers: "Please, please, take the time and return the survey to us," said Bill Richmond with USDA's Ag

The House Agriculture Committee will advance several bills Thursday, including one supporters says will boost cattle contract transparency. The bipartisan, industry-backed Cattle Contract Library Act is expected to boost contract transparency and producer leverage in negotiating with packers, a top concern in the highly concentrated industry ...

The Washington state Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday the availability of $10 million in federal grants for the specialty crop industry. The WSDA is now accepting applications from Washington-based operations that are the lead on projects with multiple state partners for the 2021 Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP) ...

On Tuesday, The House Ag Committee passed the Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act by a unanimous voice vote. House Resolution 2424 was introduced last year by Dan Newhouse, chair of the  Western Caucus, to help preserve ag fairs across the country and offset the devastating financial losses those fairs have experienced due to the pandemic. Th ...

When announcing pandemic relief grants for farm, food, and front line grocery store workers, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "We expect and anticipate to be making another announcement for a separate $700 million. We have pandemic safety and response grants directed at producers, processors, farmers markets, distributors, and seafood processors ...

Beef, lamb, and veal producers now have resource to get real-time data on market grading, volume, and price discovery by USDA's recently introduces grading dashboard. Taylor Cox is AMS's Associate Deputy Administrators. He said data is gathered from plants and companies ...

In addition to the value of a beef carcass and the beef cuts that typically are generated, there is a value of other parts of the carcass that are termed “drop credit.” This includes the value of the hide, head, organs, and blood. Whi ...