Individuals in Hancock, Harrison, Jackson and Pearl River Counties in Mississippi, who were unable to work because of Hurricane Isaac may apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance....More
Eight legislative days remain before the current farm bill expires on September 30. That’s scant time for the House – whose leadership, as of Monday (September 10), has again refused floor time for a farm bill passed out of the House Agriculture Committee in July -- to pass farm legislation and then conference with the Senate. Even a disastrous drought across much of farm country has failed to move the House to act on the legislation....More
The Arkansas Agriculture Department has announced an extended deadline for Livestock Assistance Grant Program applications until close of business on Tuesday, September 4....More
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) is urging livestock producers affected by natural disasters such as Hurricane Isaac to keep thorough records of their livestock and feed losses, including additional expenses for such things as feed purchases because of lost supplies....More
The USDA has announced a two-month extension for emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres, freeing up forage and feed for ranchers as they look to recover from this challenging time....More
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced the availability of up to $5 million in grants to evaluate and demonstrate agricultural practices that help farmers and ranchers adapt to drought. NRCS is taking applications for Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to help producers build resiliency into their production systems so they can adapt to climatic extremes, such as the historic drought impacting the nation....More
The USDA intends to file special provisions with the federal crop insurance program to allow haying or grazing of cover crops without impacting the insurability of planted 2013 spring crops, a move that can help provide much needed forage and feed this fall and winter for livestock producers....More
Arkansas Farm Bureau applauded Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe’s release of $2 million for an emergency livestock program, saying the state-wide drought has pushed livestock producers into a crisis situation....More
The USDA has designated an additional 172 counties in 15 states as primary natural disaster areas due to drought and heat, making all qualified farm operators in the areas eligible for low-interest emergency loans. To date, USDA has designated 1,792 counties as disaster areas -- 1,670 due to drought....More
The USDA intends to purchase up to $170 million of pork, lamb, chicken, and catfish for federal food nutrition assistance programs, including food banks. The purchase will help relieve pressure on American livestock producers during the drought, while helping to bring the nation's meat supply in line with demand while providing high quality, nutritious food to recipients of USDA's nutrition programs....More
The USDA will utilize nearly $16 million in financial and technical assistance to immediately help crop and livestock producers in 19 states cope with the adverse impacts of the historic drought. In addition, USDA will initiate a transfer of $14 million in unobligated program funds into the Emergency Conservation Program....More
Following a Tuesday (August 7) meeting with the White House Rural Council, President Obama ratcheted up pressure on Congress to pass a new farm bill calling the legislation “the single-best way that we can help rural communities … in the short term, but also in the long term.”...More
Financial assistance is available through a special initiative for Arkansas agricultural producers impacted by the exceptional drought the state is experiencing....More
On Wednesday (August 1), the USDA announced two new pieces of disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers impacted by the nation's worsening drought....More
On July 25, an additional 76 counties in six states were designated as primary natural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by drought and excessive heat....More
A prolonged drought across a wide swath of rural America has left farmers and ranchers in an increasingly precarious financial situation. And the need to ease pressure on bottom lines is providing lawmakers with the impetus to loudly call for the full House to debate a new farm bill....More
The USDA has notified Mississippi officials that four Mississippi counties -- DeSoto, Panola, Tate and Tunica -- have been granted primary natural disaster designations, with another six listed as contiguous disaster counties: Coahoma, Lafayette, Marshall, Quitman, Tallahatchie and Yalobusha....More
The USDA has designated 39 additional counties in eight states as primary natural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by drought and excessive heat....More
As serious drought conditions continue to creep across nearly two-thirds of the lower 48 states, USDA officials are fanning out to rural communities across the country to show support to farmers and ranchers affected by a string of extreme weather in 2012....More
The USDA has announced a package of program improvements that will deliver faster and more flexible assistance to farmers and ranchers devastated by natural disasters....More
As the federal family continues to aggressively respond to the wildfires in the Western states, the U.S. Forest Service, Department of the Interior, and FEMA have announced additional resources have been deployed to support state and local partners....More
