The Agriculture Secretary provided an explanation of planned testing of milk samples for possible H5N1 contamination in efforts to prevent spread of the virus. (Rod Bain and Secretary Tom Vilsack)

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack explains how recent developments in California and a testing regime in Colorado influenced USDA’s recently announced expansion of milk testing for H5N1 virus.

The Agriculture Secretary Thursday visited the site of field trials associated with development of an H5N1 vaccine for dairy cattle. (Rod Bain and Secretary Tom Vilsack)

The Agriculture Secretary Thursday provided more information on the case of a backyard swine in Oregon testing positive for a strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. (Rod Bain and Secretary Tom Vilsack)

The final U.S. Drought Monitor for October 2024 records record or near-record drought coverage in the lower 48 states. (Rod Bain and USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey)

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey goes inside the numbers of the October 29th U.S. Drought Monitor to explain the expansion of nationwide drought coverage over the month.

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey discusses what is behind the significant expansion of drought coverage across the country over the month of October - record coverage in some categories.

Many U.S. corn and soybean producers managed to harvest their crops with minimum effect from sudden, expanding drought coverage across the country in October. (Rod Bain and USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey)

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey explains how a perfect August weather-wise and dry September allowed most of the nation’s corn and soybean crops to escape the impacts of rapidly expanding drought in October.

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey looks at winter wheat production areas in drought for the period ending October 29th, and what, if any impact, recent rains have on this outlook.