🌾USDA Submission for OMB Review
The Department of Agriculture is submitting an information collection requirement for OMB review under the Paperwork Reduction Act. This involves gathering data on fruit, nuts, and specialty crops, which supports essential agricultural statistics for growers and processors, ensuring accurate assessments for crop production and marketing decisions.
Learn More🌾Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) Overview
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this notice announcing the funding for ECAP, which will provide economic assistance payments to eligible producers of eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year. ECAP is a new FSA program authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025. This notice also announces the eligibility (commodities, acres, producers, and losses), payment calculations, payment limitations, and how to apply (pre-filled application and any required adjustments) for ECAP.
Learn More🍗USDA Extends Comment Period on Poultry Standards Regulations
This document extends the comment period of the January 16, 2025, notice and request for comments on revisions to the United States Classes, Standards, and Grades for Poultry (the Poultry Standards). The last minor revision to the Poultry Standards occurred in 2018, but the last substantial revision prior to that occurred in 1998. Since then, poultry production and quality assessment methods have changed significantly, as have consumer preferences.
Learn More🦆USDA Reopens Comment Period on Indemnity Payments for Avian Influenza
We are reopening the comment period for our interim rule that would amend the regulations pertaining to conditions for payment of indemnity for highly pathogenic avian influenza. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.
Learn More🥗Income Eligibility Guidelines for Child Nutrition Programs 2025 Update
This notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced-price meals and free milk and Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits for the period from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. These guidelines are used by schools, institutions, and facilities participating in the National School Lunch Program (and Commodity School Program), School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program as well as States and Indian Tribal Organizations that administer the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children Program. The annual adjustments are required by section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The guidelines are intended to direct benefits to those children most in need and are revised annually to account for changes in the Consumer Price Index.
Learn More🏠Energy Efficiency Standards Compliance Dates Extended by HUD
On April 26, 2024, HUD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture published the "Final Determination: Adoption of Energy Efficiency Standards for New Construction of HUD- and USDA-Financed Housing" Notice (Final Determination) in the Federal Register. The Final Determination provides compliance dates for HUD programs covered by the Final Determination. This notice delays compliance dates by six months over the published compliance dates for covered projects in the following programs: Federal Housing Administration-Insured (FHA- Insured) Multifamily, FHA-Insured Single Family, Public Housing Capital Fund, and Competitive Grants (Choice Neighborhoods, Section 202, Section 811). This notice delays the compliance date for Section 8 Project Based Vouchers (PBV) until April, 2026.
Learn More🌾Notice on Information Collection for Emerging Markets Program
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Foreign Agricultural Service to request an extension from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of a currently approved information collection for the Emerging Markets Program.
Learn More📈USDA Comment Request on Agricultural Prices Information Collection
The Department of Agriculture is seeking comments on its information collection regarding agricultural prices, essential for computing various economic indicators and assisting farmers by providing price estimates that impact production value and financial assessments. The goal is to enhance efficiency in data collection methods to better support stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
Learn More🏠Regulatory Update
The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), published a final rule on January 3, 2025, to amend the current regulations for the Single Family Housing (SFH) Direct Loan Program and the SFH Guaranteed Loan Program. The March 4, 2025, effective date of that final rule is deferred to May 5, 2025.
Learn More🐖US Swine Health Improvement Plan Comment Period Reopened
We are reopening the comment period for our proposed rule that would create the regulations governing the US Swine Health Improvement Plan, a voluntary livestock improvement program aimed at improving biosecurity, traceability, and disease surveillance for swine health. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.
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