USDA Establishes Handler Registration Requirement for Florida Citrus

September 11, 2020 USDA AMS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a final rule requiring citrus handlers in Florida to register with the Citrus Administrative Committee in order to ship regulated citrus outside the production area beginning in the 2019 – 2020 fiscal year. The final rule applies to the federal marketing order for oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and pummelos grown in Florida.

How You Pay Influences the Share of Healthy Food You Buy

September 8, 2020 USDA Economic Research Service

A downside of paying with cards, rather than cash, is that consumers tend to spend more and make more unplanned and impulse purchases. The use of cards may nudge shoppers toward impulsive purchases of less healthy foods and beverages than when paying with cash.

USDA and HeroX Launch Challenge to Protect the Natural Flavor of Catfish

August 20, 2020 HeroX

HeroX, the social network for innovation and the world’s leading platform for crowdsourced solutions, today launched the crowdsourcing competition “Protecting the Natural Flavor of Catfish” that calls on the global community of solvers to offer cost-effective and innovative methods that prevent blue-green pond algae from delaying catfish harvesting.

USDA Announces More Specialty Crops, Nursery Crops, Cut Flowers Eligible for CFAP Payments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that additional specialty crops, including nursery crops and cut flowers, are covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and that the deadline to apply for the program is extended to September 11th.

USDA to Buy $ 30M in Shrimp to Aid Gulf Seafood Industry

August 11, 2020 Associated Press

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will buy $ 30 million worth of shrimp from Gulf Coast fishermen in an effort to stabilize the industry.