Approximately 15% of the USDA's workforce, including those in the Farm Service Agency (FSA), National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), have accepted financial incentives to leave the agency.

Mexico lifted the restrictions on USDA aircraft and waived customs duties on the eradication equipment used to fight the New World Screwworm outbreak.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a second round of payments coming this week for specialty crop producers through the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program, providing up to $1.3 billion in additional program assistance.

The USDA weekly Crop Progress Report stated 25% of corn and 18% of soybeans had been planted as of April 27.

This past weekend, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins urged Mexico to lift restrictions hindering the U.S. response to a New World Screwworm outbreak in southern Mexico.

An effort by several environmental groups to tighten regulations on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) ended as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the petition.

The latest USDA Milk Production Report revealed that production jumped 19 billion pounds.

The latest USDA Crop Progress Report indicated that a window of rain-free days allowed farmers to push corn and soybean planted acres slightly ahead of last year’s pace.

On Tuesday, April 22, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced $340.6 million in USDA disaster assistance to deliver relief to farmers, ranchers and rural communities impacted by natural disasters that have caused devastation across the country.

Significant changes to the initial proposed fees placed on Chinese-made vessels arriving at American ports have been announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).