USDA Press Releases

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2019 – Acting Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Joel Baxley today announced that USDA is investing $485 million to upgrade rural electric systems (PDF, 102 KB) and reduce energy costs. The funding includes nearly $7.1 million for smart grid technologies that...

(WASHINGTON, D.C., April 4, 2019) – The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will release the 2017 Census of Agriculture results on Thursday, April 11, at noon ET. The full Census report will include millions of data points, including...

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2019 – To aid Iowa residents impacted by recent flooding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits for five western Iowa counties. Households that do not normally qualify...

(WASHINGTON, D.C., April 3, 2019) – Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched two new features on farmers.gov to help customers manage their farm loans and navigate the application process for H-2A visas. “Customer service is our top...

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2019 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) kick off Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month by calling for greater collaboration with public, private, and nonprofit partners as...

(WASHINGTON, D.C., April 2, 2019) — A new study released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) finds greenhouse gas emissions from corn-based ethanol are about 39 percent lower than gasoline. The study also states that when ethanol is refined at natural gas-powered refineries, the greenhouse...

(WASHINGTON, D.C., April 2, 2019) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) today announced its toxoplasmosis research has been redirected and the use of cats as part of any research protocol in any ARS laboratory has been discontinued and will not be...

(Washington, D.C., April 1, 2019) – Spring is a popular time to move, but unfortunately, people aren’t the only ones on the move. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today signed a national proclamation (PDF, 579 KB) to declare April “Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month,” during a...

(Washington, D.C., March 29, 2019) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today applauded President Donald J. Trump’s selection of Scott Soles to be the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Chief Financial Officer. Regarding the announcement, Secretary Perdue issued this statement: “The...

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2019 – Low-income Nebraskans recovering from recent flooding could be eligible for food benefits through the Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) program approved today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The department also approved the state’s request for temporary flexibility in...