USDA's $2.3 billion investment strengthens US dairy and global food aid

Nov 27, 2023

The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) have lauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) announcement to invest $2.3 billion in agricultural export promotion and global food aid.

This initiative, funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation, is a response to requests by Senate Agriculture Committee leaders, including Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, and Ranking Member Sen. John Boozman, R-AR.

The USDA plans to dedicate $1.3 billion to the Regional Agricultural Trade Promotion Program and $1 billion to enhance commodity-based international food aid. This significant investment is set to open new opportunities for the U.S. agricultural sector, particularly benefiting dairy farmers and cooperatives.

Jim Mulhern, NMPF's president and CEO, praised the USDA's decision, recognizing it as a crucial step towards cultivating better international market opportunities for America's dairy sector. He called for additional funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program in the next Farm Bill.

Echoing these sentiments, Krysta Harden, USDEC's president and CEO, acknowledged the positive impact of this funding on the entire dairy supply chain. She emphasized the need for expanded trade opportunities to support the industry's growth in the global economy.

This USDA investment marks a pivotal moment for the U.S. dairy industry, offering a pathway to enhanced global competitiveness. It also signifies a commitment to global food security, with the funding poised to support communities in need around the world.

Source : wisconsinagconnection

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.