📉USDA Updates Tobacco Grading and Inspections Regulations
This direct final rule amends regulations that govern tobacco price support services established under the Agricultural Act of 1949. The Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004 eliminated the price support and quota system for tobacco produced in the United States. In alignment with Executive Order 14192, AMS is removing and, where appropriate, amending regulations that have expired authorizing statutes and govern non-operational programs.
Learn More🌾Revised Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act Information Collection
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act requirement, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision of a currently approved information collection request associated with the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA). This revised form is the basis for the development of a streamlined process for electronic submission and retention of AFIDA disclosures, which is required by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Foreign persons, as defined by AFIDA, who are making amendments to existing filings, or filing land or leasehold dispositions, will continue to use the existing form as those filings are on paper.
Learn More🍽️Agency Notice
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This collection is an extension, with change, of a currently approved collection. This information collection is associated with waiver request and reporting by State agencies to operate a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) to temporarily provide food assistance to households following a disaster.
Learn More📋USDA Notice to Renew Medical Examination Certification Collection
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to renew an approved information collection regarding certificates of medical examination. The approval for this information collection will expire on November 30, 2025. FSIS is making no changes to the existing information collection.
Learn More🌱USDA Withdraws Natural Grass Sod Promotion Program Proposal
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is withdrawing the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2024, that proposed a new grass sod research and promotion program under the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996. The proposed Order was submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by Turfgrass Producers International (TPI), a group of natural grass sod producers. AMS conducted a referendum among eligible producers to determine whether they favor establishing a national promotion, research, and information program (Program). After reviewing the results of the producer referendum, a simple majority of industry producers who voted in the referendum are not in favor of establishing a Program, and therefore, the proposed rule is being withdrawn.
Learn More🐄Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for 2023 and 2024
The Secretary of Agriculture is issuing this rule to implement the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) 2023 and 2024, which provides payments to eligible livestock producers for losses due to qualifying drought and qualifying wildfire occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024. This rule specifies the administrative provisions, eligibility requirements, and payment calculation for ELRP 2023 and 2024. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will calculate payments using data already submitted to FSA by Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) participants; therefore, producers are not required to file an additional application to receive ELRP 2023 and 2024 payments.
Learn More🍏Proposed USDA Information Collection for Nutrition Education
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other interested parties to comment on a proposed information collection. This collection is an extension of a currently approved collection. This information collection will conduct research in support of FNS' goal of delivering science-based nutrition education to targeted audiences. This information collection will also conduct research that will assist FNS in identifying effective design and implementation approaches to use to develop and assess grants. From development through testing of materials and tools with the target audience, FNS plans to conduct data collections that involve formative research including focus groups, interviews (dyad, triad, telephone, etc.), surveys and Web-based collection tools.
Learn More🍗Renewal of Industry Responses to Noncompliance Records Notice
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to renew an approved information collection regarding industry responses to noncompliance records. The approval for this information collection will expire on November 30, 2025. FSIS is making no changes to the existing information collection.
Learn More🌱Rescinding Natural Grass Sod Promotion Order
This direct final rule rescinds the referendum procedures for the proposed Natural Grass Sod Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Sod Proposed Order), issued on December 10, 2024. The referendum failed and the Sod Proposed Order was not approved, therefore it is being withdrawn through a Notice which will also be published in the Federal Register. Therefore, the referendum procedures for the Sod Proposed Order are no longer necessary and AMS is rescinding the part in its entirety.
Learn More🍍Notice Authorizing Importation of Fresh Pineapple from Indonesia
We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation of fresh pineapple fruit (Ananas comosus) for consumption from Indonesia into the United States. Based on findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh pineapple fruit (Ananas comosus) for consumption from Indonesia into the United States.
Learn More