Effective immediately through June 18, 2018, the existing waiver from the ELD requirements for all transporters of agricultural commodities, including livestock, will remain in effect.

Livestock (as defined in 49 CFR 395.2) and insect haulers are not required to comply with the ELD rule for the duration of the FY 2018 appropriations bill (September 30, 2018), and any subsequent continuing resolutions.

Further guidance will be provided as we near the June 18, 2018 expiration for the existing waiver, and upon the publication of any new continuing resolutions or appropriations.

Current guidance for enforcing the ELD rule should continue to be followed.  If you have any questions, please contact agricultural@dot.gov.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue is encouraging dairy producers to consider enrolling in the new and improved Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy), which will provide better protections for dairy producers from shifting milk and feed prices. With changes authorized under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has set the enrollment period to run from April 9, 2018 to June 1, 2018.

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The House passed H.R. 1625, the fiscal year 2018 omnibus spending bill by a vote of 256-167. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 65-32. The president signed the bill into law after threatening to veto the bill earlier in the day.

The bill includes all 12 appropriations bills and increases domestic program funding by $63 billion over previous budget limits. The full text can be viewed here. The House Appropriations Committee bill-by-bill summaries can be found here. The Senate Appropriations Committee bill-by-bill summaries can be found here.

Key provisions included in the omnibus follow: Continue reading →

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is administering the produce safety law in Virginia. The law is designed to emphasize prevention of disease outbreaks caused by fresh produce through a few basic principles such as sanitation, water quality, and worker training.

VDACS staff have begun contacting producers by phone to assist them in determining whether they will be affected by the law and to gather additional information. Any VDACS employee who calls you will identify himself or herself as such. For more information or to be included among the affected farms, call 804-786-4003 or visit vaproducesafety.com.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced additional steps to address the unique needs of the country’s agriculture industries and provided further guidance to assist in the effective implementation of the Congressionally-mandated electronic logging device (ELD) rule without impeding commerce or safety.

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The Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule (OLR) allows for animal welfare standards and metrics to become part of the organic label. AFBF opposed this on the basis that the original intent of the Organic Food Production Act was never intended to include standards on animal welfare issues. The OLR also contradicts recommendations for biosecurity, as it would create environmental compliance issues and does not follow recommended protocols for food safety.  The economic burden of compliance is significant enough to force many organic livestock producers out of organic production or out of business entirely.

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