🌾2025/2026 AMS Services Fee Increases and Business Impacts
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the 2025/2026 rates it will charge for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing, and laboratory services for a variety of agricultural commodities including meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy products, rice, and cotton and tobacco. The 2025/2026 regular, overtime, holiday, and laboratory services rates will be applied at the beginning of the crop year, fiscal year or as required by law depending on the commodity. Other starting dates are added to this notice based on cotton industry practices. This action establishes the rates for user-funded programs based on costs incurred by AMS. This year, cost-based analyses indicated the need to increase certain user fee rates when current rates are insufficient to cover the costs of providing the service. While cost-saving measures have and will continue to be implemented, user fee rate increases are necessary to offset rising operational costs. In cases where current rates are sufficient to cover the costs of providing the service, user fee rates remain unchanged. Furthermore, AMS is announcing the fees it will charge warehouse operators for voluntary services associated with the administration of the United States Warehouse Act, including the license action fees, service license fees, inspection fees, and annual user fees for warehouse services for fiscal year 2026, which begins October 1, 2025. This year, AMS will minimize the impact on industry by limiting any increases to cover inflationary costs only.
Learn More🧀Notice on Dairy Product Reporting Program Extension
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request an extension and revision of a currently approved information collection under the Dairy Product Mandatory Reporting Program. The information collected supports the marketing of dairy products and is used to verify compliance with Federal milk marketing regulations.
Learn More🥕Emergency Food Assistance Program Food Availability for FY 2025
This notice announces the surplus and purchased foods that the Department expects to make available for donation to States for use in providing nutrition assistance to the needy under The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The foods made available under this notice must, at the discretion of the State, be distributed to eligible recipient agencies (ERAs) for use in preparing meals and/or for distribution to households for home consumption.
Learn More🥕USDA Notice on Farmers Market Application Information Collection
The USDA Department of Agriculture announces a request for comments regarding the information collection needs tied to the USDA Farmers Market Application. The notice outlines the type of data required from applicants and emphasizes the importance of compliance for successful market participation, ensuring clarity and efficiency in the application process.
Learn More🌾Certification of State Agencies for Agricultural Services
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the certification of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to provide official services pursuant to a delegation of authority under the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA or Act), as amended. AMS is also announcing the designation of official agencies to provide official services (at other than export port locations) in the geographic areas listed in Table 2, below.
Learn More🌾USDA Information Collection for Agricultural Supply Chain Management
The Department of Agriculture announces an information collection for the USDA Web Based Supply Chain Management System. The collection aims to support procurement for various nutrition assistance programs, including the National School Lunch Program and commodity purchases, requiring registration for businesses wishing to submit electronic bids.
Learn More🌾USDA Information Collection Requirements for Farmers and Businesses
The Department of Agriculture announces an information collection request concerning USDA Farmers Market applications and other agricultural programs. The notice outlines necessary data submissions, emphasizing how these collections assist in selecting market participants and monitoring operations in the agricultural sector. The request invites public comments to enhance the quality and efficiency of the data collection process.
Learn More🍗USDA Withdraws Salmonella Framework for Poultry Products
FSIS is withdrawing the proposed rule and proposed determination titled "Salmonella Framework for Raw Poultry Products."
Learn More🥛Reauthorization of Dairy Forward Pricing Program Overview
This final rule reauthorizes the Dairy Forward Pricing Program (DFPP) in accordance with the American Relief Act, 2025 (Relief Act). Establishing new contracts under the DFPP was prohibited between the expiration of the program on September 30, 2024, and publication of this final rule. The Relief Act reauthorizes the DFPP program to allow handlers to enter into new contracts until September 30, 2025. Any forward contract entered prior to the September 30, 2025, deadline is subject to a September 30, 2028, expiration date.
Learn More🐎Removal of Horse Inspection Regulations by USDA
FSIS is amending the Federal meat inspection regulations to remove the regulation that established a voluntary fee-for-service program for ante-mortem inspection of horses. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated the voluntary fee-for-service program on March 28, 2007. FSIS is removing the regulation to ensure the Agency's regulations accurately reflect current requirements.
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