North American Meat Institute: Meat and Poultry Industry is Resilient

The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) today released the following statement in response to a U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service report on Agricultural Competition and the first in a series of rules changes the Administration is proposing under the Packers and Stockyards Act:

APHIS Seeks Comment on Draft Pest Risk Assessment for the Importation of Finger Lime from Italy

May 18, 2022 USDA APHIS

The Government of Italy has asked USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to authorize the importation of fresh Finger Lime (Citrus australasica) for consumption into the United States. APHIS has drafted a pest risk assessment that describes potential pests associated with the commodity.

USDA to Conduct Vote on South Texas Onion Marketing Order

May 4, 2022 USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will conduct another referendum among South Texas onion producers to determine their level of support for continuing their federal marketing order.

USDA Announces $9.98M in Grants Awarded to Strengthen the Specialty Crop Industry

April 18, 2022 USDA AMS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it has awarded $9.98 million to 14 collaborative, multi-state projects impacting 28 states to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops. The funding is made possible through the Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP), reauthorized by the 2018 Farm Bill.

USDA Study Aims to Facilitate Traceability During Foodborne Outbreak Investigations

April 8, 2022 USDA ARS

Scientists with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) aim to enhance the capacity of regulatory agencies to trace Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 back to its source during a foodborne outbreak investigation by studying how the DNA of a specific population of this bacterium gradually evolves within its natural environment.