Tag: Department of Agriculture

Senate Ag Committee Examines USDA Reorganization Proposal

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by LICA-National

The Senate Agriculture Committee held a quickly scheduled hearing last week to examine the Trump Administration’s proposal to reorganize the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The plan calls for USDA to relocate thousands of staff from Washington, D.C., to five regional hubs: Raleigh, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Fort Collins, and Salt Lake City. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden defended the move as a cost-saving measure aimed at bringing USDA employees closer to rural communities and reducing reliance on underused federal buildings. He cited potential savings of up to $4 billion and emphasized that many USDA employees already work remotely. However, senators expressed frustration over the lack of prior consultation with Congress, prompting Committee Chair Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) to call the hearing on short notice.


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USDA Provides More Broadband Funding

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by LICA-National

The Department of Agriculture is providing a fresh $1.15 billion in ReConnect program funding to expand broadband availability in rural communities. The new funding will be available for projects in areas where 90% of households lack service with download speeds of 100 megabits per second download speeds and upload speeds of 20 Mbps.


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Trade Key to Strong Ag Economy

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by LICA-National
As the Biden Administration assesses the world markets and gets their international team, agriculture continues to look at China to support exports. The Department of Agriculture expects U.S. farm exports to hit a record $157 billion for fiscal 2021, an increase of $21 billion over the year before, as the global economy recovers and China increases its already strong demand for U.S. corn, soybeans and meat.