Items Tagged with 'hogs'

HotHog, a smartphone application developed by USDA's Agricultural Research Service and a team of university scientists, analyzes levels of heat stress hogs might be facing and recommends corresponding cooling measures.

The Supreme Court’s decision to allow California’s animal housing law to remain in place caused a furor in the pork industry and among farm-state lawmakers, who vowed to introduce legislation to overturn the ruling. But the ruling's impact also may be felt in the 25 other states that allow voters to craft laws through ballot initiatives.

The Biden administration is pouring $2.8 billion, far more than originally planned, into a series of pilot projects aimed at developing markets for climate-smart commodities in every state and across a wide range of commodities and farm types. Another $700 million for smaller projects will be awarded later.

Producers who sold hogs during 2020 could be eligible for assistance under a $50 million program rolled out Monday by the Department of Agriculture.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announces plans to finance a series of large-scale projects on climate-smart farming and forestry practices. He's also tapping his Commodity Credit Corp. spending authority to promote drought resilience, combat African swine fever, and assist farms and schools with supply chain disruptions.

Farmers' financial earnings are expected to increase this year, but fewer government payments and increased production costs will likely offset higher cash receipts, USDA's Economic Research Service said Thursday in its Farm Sector Income forecast.

Hog and poultry producers who had to depopulate herds or flocks because of the COVID-19 slowdowns in processing plants can start applying July 20 for compensation from the Agriculture Department.

Farm and environmental groups that often disagree on ag policy are urging the Agriculture Department to prioritize climate change in conservation programs and to consider changes to crop insurance that would promote the use of cover crops and other carbon-conserving practices.

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.

An Agri-Pulse analysis shows that the Trump administration's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments were distributed more widely than traditional forms of government assistance although larger farms continue to receive the big share of the money.