📦Delayed Effective Date for Paper Packaging Regulation Changes
This document delays the effective date of the January 21, 2025, final rule revising the regulations related to the Paper and Paper-Based Packaging Promotion, Research and Information Order (Order). The amendments included an added definition for partnership; clarification of the nominations process; clarification about in person and electronic voting for any Board meetings; an update of the timing of financial reporting; and a revision of requirements for when exemptions can be requested.
Learn More🌾USDA Notice on Local Food Marketing Practices Information Collection
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to seek approval to reinstate an information collection to gather data related to the production and marketing of foods directly from farm producers to consumers or retailers. In addition, NASS will collect some whole-farm data to be used to classify and group operations for summarizing and publication of results.
Learn More🌱USDA Notice on Annual Organic Survey
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Annual Organic Survey. USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) typically funds an organic production and practices survey in years where the Census of Agriculture Special Study for Organics is not conducted. The next Special Study is planned for 2025 (enumerated in early 2026). With the completion of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, NASS will conduct the Special Study again, return it to its' original scope of questions and the mandatory reporting requirement. This request will also include the 2026 and 2027 voluntary surveys that are funded by USDA-RMA. A minor revision to burden hours will be needed to account for the anticipated data collection plan for the upcoming surveys along with adding some cognitive interviews to test requested changes to the annual surveys.
Learn More📊Delay of Inspection Fees Regulations Impacting Agricultural Imports
This document delays the effective date of the December 30, 2024, final rule revising the regulations governing the inspection and certification for fresh fruits, vegetables, and other products by amending certain fees charged for Section 8e import inspections. These revisions recover, as nearly as practicable, the costs of performing inspection services on imported commodities in accordance with the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937.
Learn More🏡USDA Delays Multifamily Housing Credit Report Process Changes
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 December 31, 2024, to update its regulation on how credit reports are obtained for the purposes of determining eligibility and feasibility for Multifamily Housing (MFH) Programs. The effective date of that final rule was January 30, 2025. This document delays the effective date of the final rule by 60 days.
Learn More🌱USDA Notice
This notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget, for extension of a currently approved collection titled: Agritourism Directory, from the Office of Management and Budget 0581- 0332. Under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended, AMS is responsible for conducting research to enhance market access for small and medium sized farmers. The role of the Local and Regional Foods Division of AMS is to facilitate the fair and efficient marketing of U.S. agricultural products. This information is used to populate the USDA's National Local Food Directories that assists customers looking to buy fresh local foods for their families to wholesale food buyers.
Learn More📜Clarifying Changes to Paper Packaging Promotion Regulation
This final rule implements clarifying amendments to the Paper and Paper-Based Packaging Promotion, Research and Information Order (Order). The amendments include an added definition for partnership; clarification of the nominations process; clarification about in person and electronic voting for any Board meetings; an update of the timing of financial reporting; and a revision of requirements for when exemptions can be requested. This final rule brings language in the Order up to date with current industry practices.
Learn More🌾Analysis of Supplemental Agricultural Assistance Programs Regulations
This rule makes discretionary changes to simplify and streamline deadlines for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). It also makes changes to clarify ELAP provisions for assistance for transportation of livestock feed.
Learn More🍗New FSIS Guidelines for Retained Water in Meat and Poultry Products
FSIS is announcing updates to and responding to comments on its guideline to assist meat (including Siluriformes fish and fish products) and poultry establishments in meeting the regulatory requirements for calculating the correct retained water percentage in raw livestock, poultry, and Siluriformes fish carcasses and parts resulting from post-evisceration processing. FSIS is providing clarification based on arithmetic errors commonly encountered in protocol reviews.
Learn More🌱Guidelines for Climate-Smart Ag Practices in Biofuel Production
This interim rule with request for comment establishes technical guidelines for quantifying, reporting, and verifying the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with agricultural production of biofuel feedstock commodity crops grown in the United States in the context of environmental service markets. Specifically, the rule establishes guidelines for the reporting and verification of practices and technologies used in the production of certain commodity crops that result in lower greenhouse gas emissions or increases in carbon storage. These practices are referred to in the context of this rule as climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices. The guidelines established through this rule articulate an approach for farm producers to quantify the GHG emissions associated with crops produced using one or more CSA practices. The guidelines also articulate a framework for how information regarding GHG emissions, resulting from the production of biofuel feedstock commodity crops, could be reported and tracked throughout the supply chain.
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