Tag Archives: USDA
A true story, but ever so fishy…
You may have heard of Chevron, the huge oil and gas company and probably one of the biggest oil producers in the world. But you may not have heard of the “Chevron deference” justified by congressional agencies. This became an unspoken government policy some 40 years ago. Here is the unspoken protocol. Congress would legislate a new, ambiguous bill to “fix” an issue. The enacted law was then passed to one of the agencies such as the FDA, EPA, USDA, or if there wasn’t a specific agency, a new one was formed. The purpose was to formulate government policy using the new law. An example is when President Jimmy Carter formed the Department of Energy in 1977. Reportedly it was to plan strategies to conserve energy and develop alternative energy sources. I will let readers form their own opinions in this time of shifting energy strategies. Yet 40 some years later, it almost all falls back on using fossil fuels. Let’s face it. Windmills and solar panels aren’t the long-term solution. more, >>CLICK TO EAD<< 07:03
Kennedy welcomes USDA purchase of $36 million of shrimp to feed Louisiana families
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) welcomed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to purchase $36 million of shrimp to help alleviate food insecurity. The USDA made the purchase under the Agriculture Act of 1935, which provides for national food assistance during emergencies. “High inflation is hindering Americans’ ability to put food on the table, and many families are relying on national food assistance programs to get by. I’m thankful for the USDA’s purchase of $36 million of gulf shrimp, which will not only benefit Louisiana shrimpers, but will also help those in need during this holiday season,” said Kennedy. Link 09:43
USDA approves $25 million wild caught shrimp-buy program to help distressed seafood industry
The USDA announced the purchase of Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic wild-caught shrimp through its Section 32 Program for distribution to food banks and other nonprofit nutrition programs. The Gulf Coast is a leading source of the shrimp caught for domestic consumption. The $25 million shrimp purchase is authorized under Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935. Section 32 purchases support a broad variety of U.S. agriculture producers and provide USDA Food and Nutrition Service nutrition assistance programs with commodities for distribution. >click to read< 11:03
Seafood Trade Relief Program: Fishermen impacted by retaliatory tariffs can apply for help from the USDA
Fishermen and those in the U.S. seafood industry can start applying for help from the Department of Agriculture if they were impacted by retaliatory tariffs from foreign governments. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced Wednesday the USDA will provide approximately $527 million in relief to those impacted. “The Seafood Trade Relief Program ensures fishermen and other U.S. producers will not stand alone in facing unjustified retaliatory tariffs while President Trump continues working to solidify better and stronger trade deals around the globe.” >click to read< 17:16
Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Palazzo Announce $30M in Aid for U.S. Shrimp Industry
The announcement comes after the Mississippi lawmakers sent a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting that he use his authority to purchase and distribute Gulf seafood to those in need during the coronavirus pandemic. Recently-enacted legislation, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, includes additional support for USDA programs that provide food to distressed communities. “Mississippi’s shrimp industry has been hit hard by COVID19, with many vessels having to stay tied to the dock due to collapsing markets. We are glad to hear the USDA is stepping up purchases of Gulf shrimp and applaud the hard work of our Congressional delegation to make it happen,” >click to read< 09:17
Fighting for fishermen on a bi-partisan, bi-coastal basis during Coronavirus crisis – Senator Ed Markey
Restaurants have shuttered and large export markets have been disrupted. Fishermen have lost access to critical points of sale and sources of income. With a decreased demand for fresh seafood, many boats sit idle in port. Meanwhile, boat payments are due and families need to be fed. In the U.S. Senate, I have been fighting on a bipartisan basis alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Alaska senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan to secure dedicated economic assistance for the fishing and seafood industries in COVID-19 economic relief packages. Thankfully, this bi-coastal effort got results. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enacted into law on March 27, included $300 million in assistance for fishery participants and $9.5 billion for affected agricultural producers. >click to read< 12:22
Federal grant giving ice-making equipment to Marshfield, Newburyport and Chatham fishing fleets
The USDA recently awarded $480,000 to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, which will use the grant, in part, to purchase ice making equipment for three hand-selected communities, including Marshfield. Harbormaster Mike Dimeo said the GMRI reached out to him last year to check the town’s interest, which he had an easy answer for. “This is something Marshfield has been talking about for a few years now with the fishermen,” he said. “It’s a great thing.” Newburyport and Chatham will also benefit from new equipment. Currently, commercial fishermen truck in ice,.. >click to read< 12:38
USDA Rolls Out Trade Aid – Trump Administration Details One-Time Aid Programs to Help Farmers Facing Tariff Pains
Under a plan announced Tuesday by the Trump administration, farmers growing soybeans, corn, sorghum, wheat, cotton, milk and hogs will be able to apply for tariff aid payments sometime this fall to offset the impact of lost trade markets. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, stressing that President Donald Trump continues to support U.S. farmers, announced an aid package of up to $12 billion for agriculture, which will be available through three separate programs. Perdue called the trade response “a short-term solution” that would give President Trump time to work on long-term trade deals that would end the retaliatory tariffs. Perdue said the $12 billion figure “is directly in line with the estimated $11 billion impact of illegal tariffs on agriculture.” >click to read<21:43
USDA invites offers to sell canned sockeye
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now soliciting offers to sell canned sockeye salmon in its plan to purchase $30-million dollars worth. The USDA announced this plan last month after Senator Lisa Murkowski wrote a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asking him to approve the purchase, which she said would alleviate a surplus inventory and put a nutritious product in food programs around the country. The canned salmon will be distributed to school lunch programs and food banks around the country. Link 11:50
USDA Pick Up $13M More in Alaska Pink Salmon for Food Banks
ANCHORAGE – Sen. Lisa Murkowski is hailing this year’s second large-scale federal purchase of Alaska pink salmon for food banks saying it helps both the state’s fishermen and those in need across the nation. Read the good news here 14:59
Starkist CEO hits back at Bumble Bee ‘buy American’ comments
Frank Pogue, vice president of marketing and corporate affairs for Starkist, hit back at comments from Bumble Bee Foods CEO, Chris Lischewski, over rules on who can supply US government food contracts. Starkist — which defended its “Made in America” claim to Undercurrent News last year — and Tri Marine International are clashing with Bumble Bee Foods and Chicken of the Sea over the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) strict “buy American” standards for where tuna is cleaned, canned and shipped, reported the The Hill, on Jan. 8. Read more@undercurrent 07:59
USDA To Purchase $20M of Alaska Pink Salmon for Food Banks
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The U.S. Department of Agriculture will purchase $20 million in canned Alaska pink salmon for nationwide distribution to hungry Americans, with a suggestion from Sen. Lisa Murkowski playing a part in the decision. Read more@ktuu 17:44
