Articles Tagged with ''specialty crops''

USDA is promoting new crop insurance choices this year, even as strong commodity prices and elevated production costs are making existing coverage even more vital to farmers, says Marcia Bunger, administrator of the Risk Management Agency.

The advocacy group has embarked on bold strategies to address the shipping crisis, control the narrative on water use and turn almonds from a luxury product to a staple of nutrition programs.

In a pessimistic outlook for the 2023 farm economy, CoBank analysts say the upcoming year will be shaped by political gridlock in Washington and financial conditions that soften the American economy into a period of economic contraction.

Producers of fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops will be asking lawmakers for more funding in the next farm bill, including new research to meet the sector’s pressing need for automation and new crop-protection products.

A new report by USDA’s Economic Research Service demonstrates how federal risk management programs have changed and attracted more specialty crop producers, while also investigating the decision-making process for participation.

The Agriculture Department failed to adequately guard against fraudulent claims by producers for payments under the $31 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program that the Trump administration launched in 2020, the Government Accountability Office says.

Gene-edited fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops are likely to hit the market in increasing numbers over the next five years to meet consumer demand for improved traits, according to a report by Rabobank.

The much-anticipated White House hunger and nutrition conference set for Sept. 28 will feature the release of a national strategy that's expected to lay out a blueprint for ending hunger and addressing diet-related diseases that could very well embrace the old parental admonition: Eat your vegetables.

Farmers in Ohio expressed strong support for crop insurance during a listening session with members of the House Agriculture Committee on Monday, but some producers wanted the policies to be means-tested or more focused on encouraging climate-smart practices.

A farm bill program that supports the production and marketing of fruits, vegetables, nuts and other crops swelled to $97 million last year, thanks to an influx of stimulus funding. But lawmakers are being asked to expand eligibility for the program when the farm bill is up for reauthorization, and that worries some in the sector.