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U.S. Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Disaster Assistance

Posted Tue, 04/27/2010 - 23:00

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several permanently authorized programs to help farmers recover financially from a natural disaster, including federal crop insurance, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), and emergency disaster loans. The federal crop insurance program is designed to protect crop producers from unavoidable risks associated with adverse weather, and weather-related plant diseases and insect infestations. Producers who grow a crop that is currently ineligible for crop insurance may be eligible for a direct payment under NAP.

Estimates of Carbon Mitigation Potential from Agricultural and Forestry Activities

Posted Sat, 07/11/2009 - 23:00

In the United States, the agriculture and forestry sectors account for less than 10% of current estimated total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually. Combined, these sectors are estimated to emit nearly 600 million metric tons CO2 equivalent (MMT CO2-Eq.) each year, most of which is emitted from the agriculture sector.
Current estimates of the combined amount of carbon sequestered by the agriculture and forestry sectors is reported at about 800 MMT CO2-Eq. per year, most of which is attributable to carbon stocks and uptake by trees in the forestry sector.

Potential Farm Sector Effects of 2009 H1N1 Swine Flu: Questions and Answers

Posted Tue, 06/23/2009 - 23:00

In March 2009, a number of cases of an influenza-like illness and severe respiratory infections in humans were reported in parts of Mexico. These cases were later confirmed to be a strain of influenza A(H1N1), commonly referred to as swine flu and later called 2009 H1N1. By the end of April 2009, confirmed human cases of 2009 H1N1 infection were reported throughout Mexico, in parts of the United States, and in several countries worldwide. Reports of the outbreakcoupled with the use of the initial moniker swine fluinitially caused a downturn in domestic and international pork markets.

Water Infrastructure Funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Posted Sat, 03/07/2009 - 00:00

On January 28, 2009, the House passed H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. On February 10, the Senate passed an amended version of H.R. 1 (S.Amdt. 570). On February 13, the House and Senate adopted a conference report (H.Rept. 111-16) that reconciled differences between the two bills. The President is expected to sign the bill into law on February 17. This report identifies funding for water infrastructure programs and projects contained in the legislation, including amounts in the House- and Senate-passed versions that preceded the conference agreement.