Food

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The Farmers to Families Food Box program has played a valuable role in addressing the hunger crisis caused by the COVID pandemic, but it needs to be improved so farms of all sizes can take advantage of it and hungry Americans can obtain needed sustenance, witnesses told the House Agriculture Committee Thursday.

The National Pork Producers Council says it plans to hold the World Pork Expo this year, marking the return of the event after a two-year hiatus due to a pair of global animal and human health concerns.

New research on the peach genome could eventually lead to heartier peach trees able to withstand changing climate conditions while still providing a tasty fruit.

The USDA keeps a tight lid on the amount of foreign sugar that enters the U.S., and the department is keeping a close eye on whether it will need to allow more into the country if consumer demand increases as the COVID-19 pandemic loosens its grasp on Americans.

Land-grant universities continue to face a huge and costly backlog of deferred infrastructure needs that, left unaddressed, threaten U.S. agricultural competitiveness, according to a new report released by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU).

The Agriculture Department is recruiting owners of cattle and hog operations to take part in surveys about their marketing strategies and the size and health of their herds, and officials say the results could be beneficial in future trade negotiations.

Many ag jobs got designated “essential” at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. A year later, masks and other safety precautions have become common in fields and packing houses. Food continues to move from the farm to the consumer. But impacts on the people making that happen have been significant.

The Agriculture Department is extending waivers to current law so schoolchildren can continue to receive free meals through this summer.

Producers of conventional and cultured seafood products are calling on the Food and Drug Administration to make sure consumers know what they’re buying once products ultimately hit the market.

Exports of American beef and pork were lower in the first month of 2021, a result the U.S. Meat Export Federation says is due to “COVID-related obstacles and significant transportation and labor challenges.”