USDA Offers Additional Assistance for Certain Producers Through Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide additional assistance through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), expanding eligibility for some agricultural producers and commodities as well as updating payments to accurately compensate some producers who already applied for the program. Producers who are now eligible and those who need to modify existing applications due to these updates can contact USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) between Jan. 19 and Feb. 26. Some of these changes are being made to align with the recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 while others are discretionary changes being made in response to ongoing evaluation of CFAP.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has left a deep impact on the farm economy, and we are utilizing the tools and monies available to ease some of the financial burdens on American producers to ensure...

Urner Barry Releases January Soy and Wheat Protein Report

Following initially dismal reports on wheat consumption, the USDA recently lifted global wheat consumption estimations by 5.1 million tons to 757.8 million tons based on higher demand for feed in China. Driven by a recovering pork market, China poses a strong demand side pull on...

Urner Barry Releases January Pulse Protein Report

Demand for further processed pulse ingredients continues to steadily increase in parallel to improved protein innovation technologies with meat and dairy analogue products. Fava beans, a type of broad bean pulse crop, have garnered recent increased interest as the versatility and functionality of the protein as well as...

USDA Provides More than $70 Million in 2021 to Protect Agriculture from Plant Pests and Diseases

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating more than $70 million to support 383 projects under the Plant Protection Act’s Section 7721 program to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, threat mitigation, to safeguard the nursery production system and to respond to plant pest emergencies. Universities, states, federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, nonprofits, and Tribal organizations will carry out selected projects in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

“State governments, academic institutions, and other essential cooperators across the country use these USDA funds to protect American crops and natural resources and...

Urner Barry Releases First Emerging Plant Protein Report

Plant-based firms remain committed to finding alternative sources of protein and functional ingredient components. While soy, wheat, and pea proteins are the most utilized ingredients to date, numerous other innovative and unique options emerge to fulfill growing demand for sustainable, cheap, functional, and nutritious food items. Currently, consumers have increasingly expressed...

Urner Barry Releases First Soy and Wheat Protein Report

Demand for Vital Wheat Gluten (VWG), a primarily functional ingredient used to strengthen bakery items, hamburger and hotdog buns, and as a key component in vegetarian seitan, has remained relatively stable. Primarily a byproduct of ethanol production in the generation of European energy, VWG has minimal effect on price and demand dynamics of raw wheat....

Cargill to Advance Regenerative Farming Practices 

Cargill is supporting farmer-led efforts to adopt practices and systems foundational to regenerative agriculture practices across 10 million acres of North American farmland over the next 10 years.

The initiative will focus primarily on row crop rotations that include corn, wheat, canola and soybeans and other staple crops. Cargill expects these regenerative agriculture practices to benefit the long-term profitability and resiliency of farmers while simultaneously advancing the company's progress against its science-based climate commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its global supply chains by 30 percent per ton of product by 2030. The initiative will also...

PODCAST: Go With the Grain – Glenn Smith on Feed Ingredients

Glenn Smith, Director of Feed Ingredient Procurement at Wayne Farms, returns this week to Market Digest! Laura and Glenn discuss the increased demand for protein items as...