The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today released the United States Warehouse Act (USWA) Fiscal Year 2020 Annual Report detailing USWA operations, financial information, stakeholder partnerships, and efficiencies and cost savings gained throughout the year. AMS’ goal is to provide efficient, effective, and customer-focused services in support of the USWA. A copy of the report is available on the Agency’s Web site at https://www.ams.usda.gov/reports/united-states-warehouse-act-annual-reports.
The coronavirus impacted worldwide agricultural trade and affected delivery of some USWA programs and services. The commodity warehouse industry modified operations to address evolving local and state health and safety guidelines. AMS worked closely with industry to adjust operations during this time and quickly resumed onsite examinations during the spring and summer of 2020.
While there was a decrease in the number of warehouse examinations during FY 2020 due to the pandemic, issuance of USWA warehouse receipts and licensing of inspectors, weighers, classifiers, and graders were not affected.
AMS will continue to work closely with industry partners to innovate, adapt, and provide effective and efficient services to commodity warehouses.
The USWA was enacted in 1916 to stabilize and standardize the agricultural commodity warehouse system. The Act provides for the licensing of public warehouse operators in the business of storing agricultural products, examination of such federally licensed warehouses, and collection of fees to sustain the operation and administration of such efforts. Participation in the USWA program is voluntary. Participants may choose to obtain licensing under USWA to meet State or other industry requirements.
The Warehouse and Commodity Management Division (WCMD) provides examination and oversight services for several programs, including the USWA and Commodity Credit Corporation storage agreements with agricultural commodity warehouses.
For more information, contact WCMD at 816-926-6474 or warehousing@usda.gov .
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