LA-LB rail dwells show improvement, but import bump could reverse gains
Imports are likely to remain robust into January as shippers attempt to beat new tariffs expected to be imposed by the incoming Trump administration while also navigating an early Lunar New Year that begins Jan. 29.
USDA Announces Final $300 Million in Automatic Assistance for Distressed Farm Loan Borrowers
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2024 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the final approximately $300 million in assistance to distressed direct and guaranteed farm loan borrowers under Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act. Over the past two years, USDA acted swiftly to assist distressed borrowers in retaining their land and continuing their agricultural operations. Since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in August 2022, USDA has provided approximately $2.5 billion in assistance to more than 47,800 distressed borrowers.
Capacity glut drives further rate declines on India-US trade
Continuing the steady slide from a late-July peak, average spot rates from West India to the US East Coast have dropped about 20% from the end of November.
USDA Seeks Nominations for Membership on Food Safety Advisory Committee
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is soliciting nominations for membership to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF).
USDA Delivers on Promise to Expand Access to Nutrition Resources in Underserved Communities by Funding Three New Nutrition Hubs
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a $4.5 million investment to create three additional USDA Nutrition Hubs. The hubs will support effective, translatable and scalable approaches to advance food and nutrition security and reduce the burden of diet-related chronic diseases, especially in underserved, at-risk communities.
A Fresh Take on What “Healthy” Means on Food Packages
To help consumers build nutritious diets, the FDA updated the nutritional requirements a food must meet to use the claim "healthy" on the package.
USDA Announces Another Round of Historic Investments to Increase Access to Clean, Affordable Energy Across the Country
RAMSEY, Minn., Dec. 19, 2024 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced awards for more than $4.37 billion in clean energy investments through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program. Rural electric cooperatives will use the funding to support thousands of jobs, lower electricity costs for businesses and families and reduce climate pollution by millions of tons each year.
USDA Announces $300 Million in Additional Regional Agricultural Promotion Program Grants to Diversify U.S. Agricultural Export Markets
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the second round of Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) grants, which is intended to allocate $300 million to 67 partners once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied, expanding American food and agricultural exports in emerging global markets. This latest investment brings total RAPP funding to $600 million in 2024.