Latest News


China: Five National Food Safety Standards Issued for Domestic Comments

On May 10, 2023, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Food Safety Standards Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the National Health Commission (NHC)


China: Dairy and Products Semi-annual

Improved production efficiency and a larger cattle inventory are expected to increase China’s raw milk production by four percent, to over 42 million metric tons (MMT), in 2023.


Vietnam: Coffee Annual

Post revised its Vietnam marketing year 2022/2023 (MY 2022/23) coffee production estimate down to 29.750 million bags, green bean equivalent (GBE), based on lower yields, high production costs, and a drop in cultivation area.


El Salvador: Coffee Annual

El Salvador's coffee production is expected to reach 650,000 sixty-kg bags in marketing year (MY) 2022/23.


Mexico: Corrected Mexico Amends the National List of Permitted Substances for Organic Agriculture

The version of this report issued on May 9, 2023, with the title “Mexico Amends the National List of Permitted Substances for Organic Agriculture,


Tanzania: Coffee Annual

Tanzania: Coffee Annual MY 2023/24 coffee production is forecast to increase 21 percent to 1.35 million bags due to a recovery from drought conditions and trees entering the most productive period of their three-year yield cycle. Post estimates MY 2023/24 exports will increase 13 percent to 1.27 million bags due to higher exportable supplies.


Bangladesh Removes Fumigation On-Arrival Requirement for US Cotton

On May 17, 2023 the Bangladesh Ministry of Agriculture published a special regulatory order amending the Plant Quarantine Rules 2018, thereby allowing the importation of U.S. cotton into Bangladesh without fumigation on-arrival.


USDA Under Secretary Taylor to Lead Agri-Trade Mission to Japan

U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor will lead the upcoming agricultural trade mission to Japan, June 5-8.


USDA Settles a Packers and Stockyards Case with Derek W. Crites, dba DC Farms

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) entered into a stipulation agreement with Derek W. Crites (Crites), doing business as DC Farms, Moorefield, W. Va., on April 16, 2023, for alleged violations of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act. Under the terms of the stipulation agreement, Crites waived his rights to a hearing and paid a civil penalty of $2,220.


USDA Settles a Packers and Stockyards Case with Mark Colgan

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) entered into a stipulation agreement with Mark Colgan (Colgan) of Laura, Ill., on May 13, 2023, for alleged violations of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act.


USDA Restricts PACA Violators in California and Texas from Operating in the Produce Industry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on four produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).


USDA Seeks Information to Expand Kosher and Halal Food Options for Its Nutrition Assistance Programs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is conducting market research to expand its Kosher and Halal food options in USDA nutrition assistance programs.


USDA to Conduct Vote on Cranberry Marketing Order

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it will conduct a referendum among cranberry producers June 9-30, 2023, to determine their level of support for continuing the federal marketing order regulating the handling of cranberries grown in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Long Island, New York.


Chase City Community Gardens Flourish

The following is reprinted by permission from Virginia State University and first appeared on the VSU Extension website.


NIFA Honors Veterans and Military Service Members on Memorial Day and Every Day

In May, NIFA honors Memorial Day and Mental Health Awareness Month by offering several webinars and through veteran-centric grant programs.


Growing Hawaii’s New Farmers

The University of Hawaii (UH) recognized the need to develop new farmers focused on commercial production and aid existing farms to increase yield and profitability.


State of Success: National Wyoming Day

Wyoming remains the least populated state in the nation—in terms of human residents, at least. With a population of less than 600,000 spread out across more than 97,000 square miles, the state is home to far more cattle than people.


USDA NIFA Invests $26.7M to Further Research into Pests and Beneficial Species (AFRI A1112)

The Pests and Beneficial Species in Agricultural Production Systems program area priority within the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative aims to advance knowledge of invasive or established plant pests and associated beneficial species leading to innovative and biologically-based strategies to manage pests.


Commodity Board Co-funding Topics (AFRI A1811)

USDA NIFA and various commodity boards seek to co-fund research projects that will improve crop production efficiency and advance solutions to critically important problems in U.S. agriculture to increase farmer profitability and sustainability.


A1103 AFRI Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products FY23

The AFRI Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products (A1103) program supports projects to study the synthesis of plant-derived, high-value chemicals and ingredients for use in foods, pharmaceuticals, and other natural products.