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Questions linger about the efficiency of USDA's new Farmers to Families food box program and why the Agricultural Marketing Service gave contracts to some companies that appeared unqualified to fulfill them.

The “phase one” trade deal with China is paying off substantially for commodities like soybeans, corn, wheat and sorghum, but it’s hit or miss for specialty crop farmers, many of whom are still trying to find replacement markets.

Contract chicken growers are struggling to cover their costs because of outbreaks that have forced poultry processors in many areas to slow operations and reduce the number of birds their farmers will produce.

The Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations to fill five open seats on the National Organic Standards Board.

The Food and Drug Administration and USDA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding designed to help prevent interruptions at FDA-regulated food facilities, including fruit and vegetable processing, the agencies announced Tuesday.

Farmers can start enrolling next week for $16 billion in coronavirus relief payments, but the Agriculture Department has decided to prorate the aid to ensure there is enough money to go around, Agri-Pulse has learned.

The Agriculture Department has finalized a sweeping overhaul of its approval process for biotech crops that will exempt some gene modifications from regulation and allow developers to decide on their own whether their products qualify.

Following a stellar last week of April, fresh produce sales remained highly elevated during the first week of May. That’s according to an analysis by 210 Analytics, IRI and the Produce Marketing Association.

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service 2020 California Almond Subjective Forecast estimates California almond orchards will produce 3.0 billion pounds of nuts this year, up 17.6% from last year’s 2.55 billion-pound crop.

Farmers, employees, consumers, and residents in communities such as Waterloo, Iowa, can only hope the changes Tyson Foods has made in its sprawling pork processing plant there will soon have workers safely processing hogs again at something close to full capacity.