U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) News

US House Democrats Open Investigation Into Kennedy Bird Flu Response

Democrats on the U.S. House of Representatives oversight committee opened an investigation on Tuesday into health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s handling of the federal response to bird flu, according to a letter sent to Kennedy and released by the …

US Will Spend Up to $1 Billion to Combat Bird Flu, USDA Says

The U.S. will invest up to $1 billion to combat the spread of bird flu, as well as increase imports of eggs in an effort to drive down high prices, agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins said on Wednesday. A three-year bird …

US Chicken, Pork Plant Workers Face Higher Health Risks, USDA Studies Confirm

Workers in U.S. chicken and pork plants face higher risks than other manufacturing workers for musculoskeletal disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome, according to two studies the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued on Friday. The findings highlight health concerns for …

US Issues Order Mandating Bird Flu Testing of Milk Supply

The U.S. issued a federal order on Friday mandating that the national milk supply be tested for bird flu, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Reuters, as authorities seek to grapple with rapid spread of the virus among dairy herds. Bird …

Midwest Chicken Farmers Struggle to Feed Flocks After Closure of Producer

Dozens of farmers in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin are scrambling to feed their flocks after a struggling organic broiler chicken producer abruptly closed a year after getting a $39 million federal loan. Pure Prairie Poultry shuttered its Charles City, Iowa, …

Boar’s Head Faces Legal Scrutiny Over Deadly Listeria Outbreak

Boar’s Head, the deli meat company at the center of a deadly listeria food poisoning outbreak, is being scrutinized by law enforcement officials, the U.S. Agriculture Department disclosed in response to government records requests. Officials with USDA’s Food Safety and …

Outbreak Continues to Grow as Bird Flu Found in Oklahoma Dairy Herd

Oklahoma has become the 13th U.S. state to detect bird flu in dairy cows, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed on Monday, though the state said the infection happened months ago. The confirmation shows the outbreak was more widespread than …

USDA Offers Disaster Assistance to Agricultural Producers Impacted by Recent Storms

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responding to the agricultural devastation caused by tornadoes and flooding in the Midwest. On May 24, Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Ducheneaux signed an Administrator’s Physical Loss Notification (APLN), making 29 counties …

USDA to Provide Weaned Calf Risk Protection Insurance in Four States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is announcing Weaned Calf Risk Protection, a new insurance option for livestock producers in several states. This policy, offered by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), offers Actual Production History (APH) coverage for beef cow-calf producers …

Federal Crop Insurance Provides Billions in Profit for Insurers, Says USDA

Roughly one-third of U.S. government spending to insure the nation’s crops since 2011 has gone to insurance companies that derive more than $1 billion in profit from the program each year, according to a government watchdog’s report released on Monday. …