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Farmers who grow the crops being hammered the hardest by commodity market declines are hitting Capitol Hill this week, accompanied by ag bankers and Farm Credit lenders, to make a last-ditch push for a new farm bill.

USDA is due out today with its latest forecast for farm income, and the numbers are expected to be bad. Look for more new calls for Congress to pass a new farm bill to shore up incomes of row crop producers. 

Some 13.5% of U.S. households had trouble getting enough food in 2023, as food insecurity among Americans jumped once again to just under the highest rate USDA has recorded in its annual surveys. 

Two House subcommittees will look into into the food shortages that have plagued tribal communities throughout the summer. The House Ag subcommittee that oversees nutrition programs and the House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee have scheduled a joint hearing for next Wednesday. 

Records show USDA inspectors found about 92 instances of noncompliance between Jan. 1, 2022 and Aug. 1, 2023 at the Boar’s Head Jarratt, Virginia plant now associated with a major listeria outbreak that has left nine dead.  

USDA inspectors found mold, a “rancid smell,” rusted equipment and insects at a Boar’s Head facility now associated with a major listeria outbreak that has resulted in nine deaths, according to agency records.

Republicans are using the growing ag trade deficit to buttress their criticism of the Biden administration’s trade policy.

USDA has updated its guidance on validating animal-raising and environment-related claims on meat and poultry labeling in response to criticism that companies were making claims without backing them up.