January 9, 2018 Washington – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced a critical step forward in making egg products safer for Americans to eat. FSIS is proposing to amend the egg products inspection regulations by requiring official plants that process egg products to develop Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (Sanitation SOPs) and to meet other sanitation requirements consistent with the meat and poultry regulations.

November 21, 2017 Washington — More than 45 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving Day, with a never-ending list of side dishes and desserts. The Thanksgiving meal is by far the largest and most stressful meal many consumers prepare all year, leaving room for mistakes that can make guests sick. But never fear, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is available with tips and resources to make this Thanksgiving safe and stress-free.

November 13, 2017 - In order to comply with FSA program eligibility requirements, all producers are encouraged to visit the Nacogdoches USDA Service Center to file an accurate crop certification report by the applicable deadline. 

Reporting deadlines vary by crop.The deadline to report pasture and hay acreage for 2018 is November 15, 2017. Timely reporting of your grass acreages will prevent you from incurring late file fees.

The following exceptions apply to the above acreage reporting date: 

September 11, 2017 - Hurricane Harvey made an impact on the lives of many in Texas, including our farmers and ranchers. As producers move into recovery mode, and assess damages and losses resulting from the hurricane and subsequent flooding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has programs available to assist in disaster recovery.