The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is warning vendors who wish to participate in USDA food purchase programs of a possible phishing scheme using fraudulent email messages. The fake emails look like they are solicitations for bids sent by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), which manages USDA’s food purchase programs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that producers voting in a referendum on the federal marketing order for cranberries did not show enough support to continue the program.

The marketing order requires that USDA conduct the referendum on the marketing order every four years. The marketing order was favored by 26.5% of cranberry growers voting in the referendum and by 20.1% of the production volume voted in the referendum.

Docket Number: AMS-CN-23-0004
Dates: This direct final rule is effective October 16, 2023, without further action or notice, unless significant adverse comment is received by September 14, 2023. If significant adverse comment is received, AMS will publish a timely withdrawal of the amendment in the Federal Register.

Summary

Docket Number: AMS-DA-22-0064
Comments Due: October 16, 2023

Summary

Docket Number: AMS-FGIS-23-0035
Dates: AMS will consider nominations received by September 22, 2023

Summary

Background:

Under the 2015 reauthorization of the US Grain Standards Act, two actions were required of the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to fees for official inspection and weighing.  One action is that all fees related to official inspection and weighing services must be adjusted at least annually to maintain a 3-to-6-month operating reserve, with adjustments being made based on a target operating reserve of 4.5 months[1].  The other is that the export tonnage fees for official inspection and weighing must be based on the rolling 5-year a