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HomePosts Tagged "USDA"
Company News, Live Stock, Poultry, World

The state-of-the-art Proteus production plant will have an initial capacity to produce enough functional protein to treat more than a billion pounds of meat, poultry and protein-based applications

Kemin Industries, a global ingredient manufacturer, has opened a new manufacturing facility in Verona, Missouri, to produce its Proteus line of clean-label functional proteins that are used to increase yield and enhance the quality of meat and poultry products within the food industry.  

Kemin broke ground on the new building in November 2021, the company hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the 38,000-square-foot facility. The operation is a $70 million investment that employs nearly 30 full-time workers in the Verona community.

The facility, which will run under FSSC 22000 Certification and completed its first run under United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection on July 25, 2023, will manufacture Kemin Food Technologies – North America’s patented Proteus line of clean-label, functional protein ingredients for a variety of meat and poultry applications. The Proteus portfolio of muscle-based protein ingredients can help food processors naturally retain moisture typically lost in processing, which translates to processing efficiencies with improved quality.

The state-of-the-art Proteus production plant will have an initial capacity to produce enough functional protein to treat more than a billion pounds of meat, poultry and protein-based applications.

“Since acquiring Proteus in April 2021, we’ve been eager to open this site and serve customers, who continue to demand sustainably sourced, technologically advanced solutions,” said Marc Scantlin, President of Kemin Food Technologies – North America. “Opening our first-ever Proteus dry production plant provides the opportunity to partner with more meat and poultry manufacturers, positively impacting the quality of our global food supply.”

Prior to the construction of its Food Technologies site, Kemin established a presence in Southwest Missouri in 2011, with a manufacturing location for Kemin Nutrisurance, the company’s pet food and rendering technologies business unit. Kemin has three locations in Missouri: Kemin Nutrisurance facilities in Verona and Sarcoxie and the new Proteus production plant.

“We’ve found a great pipeline of talent in Verona and the surrounding area that has successfully grown our manufacturing capabilities for our pet food business, and we believe this community will offer the same support for our Proteus production plant to meet the high interest of our customers,” said Dr Chris Nelson, President and CEO, Kemin Industries. “I’ve been impressed with all our team members in Southwest Missouri, and I know even more potential employees are here to help us bring better meals to families around the world.”

The state-of-the-art Proteus production plant will have

Company News, Foodgrains, Seeds, World

Approval is a major milestone on the path to the commercialisation of crops that give off optical signals – detectible from as far away as space – when under attack from pathogens or short of water or nutrients

InnerPlant, the company creating a new category of seed technology that unlocks data and makes global farming more efficient and sustainable, announces the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) approved multiple Regulatory Status Review (RSR) requests.

The RSR approvals include:

InnerPlant’s first commercial product, a soybean fungal sensor currently undergoing field testing with farmer trials scheduled for 2024 and on track for commercial launch in 2025

An always-on soybean that emits a constant signal is used in the crop development process to calibrate and refine detection capabilities

“USDA approval confirms our due diligence around the safety of our technology and reduces the time and complexity of our commercial development cycle,” explains Randy Shultz, PhD, InnerPlant’s Senior Vice President of R&D, Commercialisation. “And it’s an encouraging proof point as we continue working toward global regulatory approvals.”

InnerPlant engineers crops to produce safe and long-studied proteins when under attack from pathogens or when short of water or specific nutrients. The proteins emit optical signals – detectable from as far away as space – that show farmers exactly what kind of help plants need within 48 hours of stress onset, which is as much as two weeks before stress is visible in the field.

Historically, farmers lacked early actionable data and broadly apply agrochemicals as a preventative measure. However, studies show that farmers lose as much as 40 per cent of yields or $220 billion worldwide due to pathogens in spite of overapplication that sees as much as 30 per cent or $250 billion of pesticides wasted – negatively impacting air, water and soil.

InnerPlant’s new category of seed technology delivers traits that tap directly into plants’ physiology and provide farmers with actionable data that is both early and specific to particular stresses in a scalable and economical way.

Approval is a major milestone on the

Biofuel industry, Company News, Sustainability, World

The initiative will harness leading-edge data and analytics to support the development of camelina as a sustainable renewable fuel feedstock

EarthDaily Agro, a division of geospatial analytics company EarthDaily Analytics, has been selected by leading renewable fuel developer Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiary Sustainable Oils, Inc. to support the work to increase the adoption of camelina in the renewable fuels marketplace through their Climate-Smart Camelina Project.

The multi-year contract is made possible by a $30 million U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Climate-Smart Commodities Grant, which was awarded to Global Clean Energy for the purposes of developing camelina as an ultra-low carbon renewable fuel feedstock and building associated climate-smart renewable fuels markets. The initial project will focus on the Western U.S., with plans to expand to other regions of the world deemed suitable for camelina production. Because camelina has not historically been a widely cultivated crop, EarthDaily Agro will produce the first full-cycle economic viability and production yield dataset to serve as the basis for mainstream cultivation and renewable fuel production.

“Global Clean Energy and Sustainable Oils are recognised leaders in the expanding renewable fuels industry, and EarthDaily Agro is proud to partner with their innovative mission to bring new solutions to the industry,” said Dave Gebhardt, General Manager of EarthDaily Agro. “By collaborating with EarthDaily Agro, Global Clean Energy and Sustainable Oils join a growing roster of agribusiness leaders harnessing the power of Earth Observation and geospatial analytics to cultivate leading-edge business intelligence.”

“As the renewable fuels industry continues to expand, optimizing the efficiency of our production is critical for meeting growing camelina demand,” said Kevin Monk, Sustainable Oils’ Vice President of Ag Technology. “Geospatial analytics and data processing from EarthDaily Agro equip our company to make informed cultivation and commercialisation decisions to continue advancing camelina as a high-potential, low-carbon renewable fuel feedstock.”

EarthDaily Agro’s satellite-derived, scientific-grade geospatial data provides Global Clean Energy and Sustainable Oils with leading-edge change detection, yield trend modelling, carbon indexing and crop cycle detection. Through the technology, EarthDaily Agro supplies informed guidance to help current camelina growers maximise yields, as well as economic and agronomic feasibility information to increase camelina adoption among additional growers. In 2024, EarthDaily will launch a new Constellation providing enhanced data for vegetation, water, atmosphere and soil to its ag customers such as Global Clean Energy.

“With the ability to grow on otherwise idle acres, camelina can produce renewable fuel feedstock without causing land use change — and worldwide, more than 100 million camelina opportunity acres exist,” Monk said. “This climate-smart fuel alternative has the potential to energize the growing renewable fuels sector, simplify global supply lines for critical commodities like renewable diesel, reinforce domestic energy supply chains, and provide additional revenue for farmers.”

The initiative will harness leading-edge data and

Biostimulants, Company News, World

Utrisha N/BlueN is the first biostimulant to be included in the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Process Verified Program

Corteva Agriscience announced that Utrisha N, a microbe-based nitrogen fixation product, has been verified as a USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) by the United States Department of Agriculture.

The USDA Process Verified shield assures farmers that the USDA validated quality management systems and specific process points Corteva established to indicate the quality of Utrisha N, which is also branded as BlueN in some markets. Utrisha N/BlueN is the first biostimulant to be included in the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Process Verified Program.

“Corteva sought the USDA PVP to elevate farmer and industry expectations for biostimulant knowledge and transparency. Programs such as the USDA PVP provide innovative tools for building farmer confidence in our biostimulants,” said Frederic Beudot, General Manager, Biologicals Business, Corteva Agriscience. “We are committed to being a leader in the biologicals market and providing farmers with sustainable solutions that bring value and productivity to their operations.”

To receive the verification, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service conducted a rigorous audit of Corteva’s adherence to the exacting International Organisation for Standardisation 9000 Quality Management Standards. It also audited criteria set by Corteva. The robust standards encompass Symborg production and manufacturing at its facilities in Spain, as well as efficacy in fields in the United States.

Utrisha N/BlueN is the first biostimulant to

World

USDA increases total funding available for Tribes, gives current cooperators more time to enact programs, non-participants more time to apply

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently announced that it has signed a cooperative agreement with the Chickahominy Indian Tribe Eastern division under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA) programme.

LFPA empowers states, tribes, and territories through cooperative agreements to provide for their communities with the purchase of domestic local foods in support of local, regional, and underserved and tribal farmers and ranchers. In September, Secretary Vilsack announced that USDA is providing an additional nearly $500 million of Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds for this program, bringing the total funds for this program to nearly $900 million.

USDA further announces a series of new flexibilities to support our states, tribes, and territories. States, territories and tribes not currently participating in this program will be able to apply, and current recipients will be allowed to extend their programs an extra year. In addition, in response to tribal needs and input, USDA will use a nationwide funding allocation of $100 million to better support tribal applicants and better consider the needs across Indian Country. Twenty-five tribes participated in the first funding round, and with this new opportunity, AMS will be seeking additional proposals from other tribes.  State and territory agencies will continue to receive funds consistent with initial LFPA allocations.

Under Secretary Moffitt and USDA Office of Tribal Relations Director Heather Dawn Thompson announce the funding for the first tribe in the Mid-Atlantic region during a visit with the Chickahominy Indian Tribe Eastern Division, in Providence Forge, Va. The Tribe recently signed a cooperative agreement with USDA and will receive more than $446,000 to support food sovereignty efforts by purchasing and distributing locally grown, produced, and processed food from underserved and tribal producers. With the LFPA funds, the Tribe will purchase local meats and produce from farms in their area which will improve their local agricultural community and raise awareness about the benefits of purchasing local. 

“USDA is thrilled to partner with the Chickahominy Indian Tribe Eastern Division to promote economic opportunities for farmers and producers. The LFPA program is an exciting new tool for Tribal nations looking to support their indigenous food sovereignty initiatives and local producers,” Director Thompson said.

USDA increases total funding available for Tribes,

North America

Investment to support and encourage families and individuals to eat more healthfully

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces an investment of $59.4 million to support the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Programme’s (GusNIP) Produce Prescription and Nutrition Incentive programmes designed to encourage families and individuals to eat more healthfully by increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

GusNIP programmes strive to improve dietary health through increased consumption of fresh produce, improve individual and household food security, and reduce health care use and associated costs. GusNIP Nutrition Incentive programmes provide incentives at the point of purchase among income-eligible consumers participating in USDA’s SNAP and income-eligible consumers participating in other USDA nutrition assistance programs. 

“Since its creation in 2019, GusNIP projects have increased access to healthy foods, and this investment serves to ensure that even more consumers can provide fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables for their families,” said Dr. Dionne Toombs, Acting Director of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

“In fact, as a result of additional funding provided through the American Rescue Plan Act, NIFA is expanding our reach to many first-time program applicants from underrepresented communities nationwide,” he adds.

Investment to support and encourage families and

Agro chems – Fertilizers, North America

USDA will make available $250 million through a new grant programme this summer to support independent, innovative and sustainable American fertiliser production to supply American farmers

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing it will support additional fertiliser production for American farmers to address rising costs, including the impact of Putin’s price hike on farmers, and spur competition.

USDA will make available $250 million through a new grant programme this summer to support independent, innovative and sustainable American fertiliser production to supply American farmers. Additionally, to address growing competition concerns in the agricultural supply chain, USDA will launch a public inquiry seeking information regarding seeds and agricultural inputs, fertiliser, and retail markets.

“Recent supply chain disruptions from the global pandemic to Putin’s unprovoked war against Ukraine have shown just how important it is to invest in this crucial link in the agricultural supply chain here at home,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Fertiliser prices have more than doubled since last year due to many factors including Putin’s price hike, a limited supply of the relevant minerals and high energy costs, high global demand and agricultural commodity prices, reliance on fertiliser imports, and lack of competition in the fertiliser industry.

The new programme will support fertiliser production that is:

  • Independent;
  • Made in America;
  • Innovative;
  • Sustainable;
  • Farmer-focused

Secretary Vilsack said, “As I talk to farmers, ranchers and agriculture and food companies about the recent market challenges, I hear significant concerns about whether large companies along the supply chain are taking advantage of the situation by increasing profits—not just responding to supply and demand or passing along the costs.”

USDA will make available $250 million through

Agro Universities, Finance

This investment will ensure that all students are prepared and have a fair opportunity to compete for professional jobs in science and agricultural fields

The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced a $16 million investment in agricultural education and workforce development for undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds.  This investment will ensure that all students, including underrepresented and underserved students, are prepared and have a fair opportunity to compete for professional jobs in science and agricultural fields.

“Our nation is increasingly facing the challenge of meeting the demand for qualified graduates in the agricultural, food and renewable resources sectors of the US economy,” said NIFA Director Dr Carrie Castille. “USDA’s investments in students today through programmess like this will expand opportunities for tomorrow’s workforce to develop the skills and training necessary to meet the needs of the agricultural sector, while ensuring that all voices across the fabric of our society are heard and included.”

These investments are part of the Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU) programme, which promotes research and extension learning experiences for undergraduates such that upon graduation they can enter the agricultural workforce with exceptional knowledge and skills. This initiative helps colleges and universities provide opportunities for undergraduate students, including those from underrepresented and historically undeserved groups, minority-serving institutions, community colleges, and universities. The programme is funded by NIFA’s Agriculture Food and Research Initiative Education and Workforce Development Programme.  

USDA is committed to equity and inclusion in all of its programs and services. Investments like this opens doors, creates opportunities and helps build a future workforce that mirrors America.

This investment will ensure that all students

R&D

The study has demonstrated that the crop water use model MOPECO can be adapted to many different scenarios

In a collaborative work between the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Soil and Water Management Research, the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) in Spain, West Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M AgriLife, researchers have adapted a crop model for use in the Texas High Plains to simulate crop water use and corn yield to help producers adjust center-pivot irrigation strategies and maximise profitability with limited water.

Crop producers in this semi-arid region of the Texas High Plains largely depend on groundwater irrigation. Each season, crop producers in the region evaluate how much land area could be irrigated under the pivot with limited water. Addressing this is not straightforward because producers must consider reducing irrigated areas, which influences grain yield, input costs, and the timing of the irrigation applications.

To help producers with these decisions, researchers completed a study that uses 25 years of climatic data to simulate corn production using a range of irrigation capacities, the maximum amount of water that can be delivered to an irrigated acre in a day, to evaluate water allocation strategies that could increase profitability and improve the efficient use of water. 

The model showed that for irrigation capacities representative of the region and a growing season with average rainfall, maximum profitability was achieved by irrigating about 75 per cent of entire pivot area with the remaining area in fallow or dryland cotton. Concentrating water generated greater net returns because of lower seed and fertiliser costs and greater corn yields that compensated for lack of production in fallow areas. In years with seasonal drought, the irrigated area would need to be further constrained to avoid crop failure and maximise profits.

“This study has demonstrated that the crop water use model MOPECO can be adapted to many different scenarios and is a useful tool for improving the environmental and economic sustainability of agricultural systems where water is limiting,” said Alfonso DomĂ­nguez researcher of the Centro Regional de Estudios del Agua (CREA) of UCLM.

The study has demonstrated that the crop

Agro Universities, Interaction

The webinar series aims to broaden the scope of training, education, and connectivity within the hemp community.

The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Cornell University have recently announced the launch of a webinar series on hemp research that aims to broaden the scope of training, education, and connectivity within the hemp community.

“ARS solves agricultural challenges that affect all Americans,” said Zachary Stansell, USDA-ARS geneticist and acting hemp curator. “Hemp is rapidly emerging as a critical multi-use and economically significant crop, so this hemp seminar series is designed to increase the diversity, equity, and inclusivity of ARS’ mission while providing hemp-specific education, training, and networking opportunities to historically undeserved communities.”

The research team believes that by broadening the scope of training, education, and connectivity within the developing hemp community, they can create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for new hemp and empower hemp research by bringing diverse voices into the larger conversation.

“Training and educating new scientists from many different backgrounds is critical in order to achieve the most cutting-edge solutions to an array of issues producers face — from climate change to economic viability,” said Cornell University Crop Specialist Daniela Vergara.

Starting January 26, the webinars will occur every other Wednesday from 2 pm – 3 pm EST and include an interactive Q&A session. 

The webinar series aims to broaden the

Environment, Finance

This investment is part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)

The US Department of Agriculture has announced a $9 million investment in new Cooperative Extension and USDA Climate Hubs partnerships to bolster climate research and connect and share climate-smart solutions directly with the agricultural community.
 
“The Cooperative Extension system and the USDA Climate Hubs have unmatched capacity to reach agricultural, Tribal and undeserved communities, as well as educators and students, and our nation’s farmers directly,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
 
This investment is part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the nation’s leading competitive grants programme for agricultural sciences. This new AFRI program area provides effective, translatable and scalable approaches to address climate change through regional partnerships, including the USDA Climate Hubs, and further extends outreach through organisations such as the Cooperative Extension Service.
 
“These new NIFA-funded projects will work toward net-zero emissions in agriculture, working lands and communities adapted to climate change, training a diverse workforce that can communicate and incorporate climate considerations into management and climate justice that is appropriate for unique US agronomic conditions,” said NIFA Director Dr Carrie Castille.

The initial six funded projects include:

  • University of California (Davis) 
  • Pennsylvania State University 
  • Montana State University 
  • Ohio State University 
  • The Desert Research Institute Native Climate 
  • The USDA Caribbean Climate Hub 

This investment is part of the National

AgroPolicy, Logistics, Trade

The USDA approval would pave the way for exports from traditional mango production belts such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh,Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

The Central Government has secured the approval of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the export of Indian mangoes to the US in the new season. Consumers in the US will now have access to excellent quality mangoes from India.

The export of Indian mangoes has been restricted by the US since 2020 as USDA inspectors were unable to visit India for inspection of irradiation facility due to restrictions imposed on international travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently, according to the 12th India – USA Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meeting held on November 23, 2021, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have signed a framework agreement for implementing the 2 Vs 2 Agri market access issues.

Under the agreement, India and the US would follow joint protocol on irradiation for India’s mango exports and pomegranate exports to the US and import of cherries and Alfalfa hay from the US. 

A revised work plan has been worked out, including phase-wise transfer of oversight of preclearance of Irradiation treatment to India as agreed upon between both countries.

As part of the mutual agreement, India will be able to export mangoes to the US in the mango season commencing with the Alphonso variety of mangoes from March onwards. Notably, there is a huge acceptance and consumer preference of Indian mangoes in the US as India had exported 800 Metric Tonnes (MTs) of mangoes to the US in 2017-18 and the export value of the fruit was $ 2.75 million.

Similarly, in 2018-19, 951 MT mangoes of $3.63 million were exported to the US and 1,095 MT of $4.35 million of mangoes were exported to the US in 2019-20. As per estimates received from the exporters, the export of mangoes in 2022, may surpass the figures of 2019-20.

The USDA approval would pave the way for exports from traditional mango production belts such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. 

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) said that this would also provide an opportunity for the export of other delicious varieties of mangoes from North and East India such as Langra, Chausa, Dushehri, Fazli, etc from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. 

The pomegranate exports from April 2022. Exports of Alfalfa hay and cherries from the US will begin in April 2022.

The USDA approval would pave the way

Organic

GrowPods allow growers to easily and affordably grow produce that is ultra clean, nutritious, and is better than organic.

The leading distributor of GrowPods, Advanced Container Technologies, Inc (ACTX) has recently announced that, GrowPods can help eliminate pesticides that are commonly found in many food products – including organic foods.

GrowPods are portable self-contained indoor farms that can be located virtually anywhere and offer farmers a way to grow fruits, vegetables and herbs that and free of pesticides, harmful chemicals and pathogen contamination.

Since, most people want the cleanest produce possible, and many opt for food labelled ‘organic’. However, most consumers don’t realise that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) allows many dangerous substances in organic farming.

GrowPods allow growers to easily and affordably grow produce that is ultra clean, nutritious, and is better than organic.

GrowPods allow growers to easily and affordably grow