Around Washington

NRCS Likely to Get Full $4.4 Billion Budget Requested Agri-Pulse

NRCS Chief Jason Weller said his main priorities include modernizing and strengthening the agency through staff reorganization and system upgrades and enhancing the agency's "scientific and technical capabilities."

Around the Country

Beyond the Grain Canadian Restaurant News

In a move intended to see more rice from south of the border end up in Canadian meals, the USA Rice Federation hosted foodservice industry representatives in the growing regions of Arkansas during this year's harvest.

Central California Farmers Face Another Year Without Federal Water Wall Street Journal

Farmers say they will have to continue to fallow fields and take other cost-cutting measures as they try to wait out a drought they say has been worsened by federal regulatory restrictions on how water is allocated. Many get water from alternate sources, including wells or by buying it on the private market, but often at a much higher price than the federal supplies.

Farm Program Sign-Up Extended 30 Days Delta Farm Press

The USDA has announced a deadline extension of 30 days -- to March 31 -- for farmers to update yields, reallocate base acres, and choose between the ARC and PLC programs.

Tariffs and Trade

Back to El Futuro My New Orleans

The Cuba Hoy (Cuba Today) Conference in Havana is scheduled March 14-21 to bring business and civic leaders together in a networking event that examines Cuban laws and policy and how they might affect expanded trade.

U.S. Agriculture Delegation Visits Cuba, Protest Embargo Reuters

The most important U.S. agricultural delegation to visit Cuba in more than a decade began three days of meetings on Monday, hoping to find potential business partners and urge the U.S. Congress to lift the trade embargo against the Caribbean nation.