The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Dr. Basil Gooden as USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development. Dr. Gooden has served as Director of State Operations for Rural Development since July 2021 and will fill the under secretary position left vacant by Xochitl Torres Small, who was confirmed in July 2023 as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. The Agribusiness Association of …

In an unprecedented opportunity for Commodity Classic attendees, both United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan will keynote the General Session of this year’s event, fast approaching Feb. 28-March 2 in Houston. The General Session is Friday, March 1, 8:30-10:30 a.m. (CST) at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The Environmental Protection …

New agriculture census data released by USDA shows the number of farms operating in the United States and the number of farm acres have both fallen significantly. The 2022 Census of Agriculture reports 141,733 fewer farms in 2022 than in 2017. The number of farm acres fell to 880,100,848, a loss of more than 20 million acres from just five …

At noon EST on Feb. 13, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will release the much-anticipated 2022 Census of Agriculture data at nass.usda.gov/AgCensus and in their online searchable database, Quick Stats. The release event that will start at 12:30 p.m. EST will be livestreamed on USDA’s YouTube channel and website. U.S. consumers are paying more for chocolate products as confection …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that most farm loan borrowers will be able to make payments to their direct loans online through the Pay My Loan feature on farmers.gov in early February. Pay My Loan is part of a broader effort by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to streamline its processes, especially for producers who may have limited …

The Agriculture Council of America (ACA) announced March 19, 2024, will be National Agriculture Day with the theme of “Agriculture: Growing a Climate for Tomorrow.” Activities planned for March 19 feature a virtual Ag Day program, and in-person events in Washington DC. ACA will invite students to interact virtually with legislators and agency representatives, delivering the Ag Day message. A …

Soybeans and their products—soybean meal and soybean oil—are the most traded agricultural commodity, accounting for nearly nine percent of the total value of global agricultural trade. A new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service, Soybean Production, Marketing Costs, and Export Competitiveness in Brazil and the United States describes the factors that affect production, marketing costs, and export competitiveness of the …

Already preparing for the 2027 Census of Agriculture, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct the National Agricultural Classification Survey (NACS) starting Jan. 24. The survey, an important step in determining who should receive a 2027 Census of Agriculture questionnaire, will go to approximately 250,000 recipients to ask if they conduct agricultural activity. The results of the survey will …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced that starting Dec. 18 they will mail the 2023 Census of Aquaculture to all producers who indicated in their 2022 Census of Agriculture that they produce and sell aquaculture products. The deadline to respond is Jan. 15, 2024. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign …

Upon the completion of the Census of Agriculture every five years, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service conducts a thorough review of its estimating programs. The goal of the review is to ensure that the annual estimating programs target the commodities and states most relevant to U.S. agriculture. In addition to ag census data, NASS will consider all available information, …