The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a referendum among eligible Vidalia onion producers in Georgia Jan. 12-Feb. 3, 2026, to determine their level of support for continuing their federal marketing order.  

The order requires USDA to conduct a continuance referendum every six years. To be eligible to vote, producers must have produced Vidalia onions within the designated production area during the period of Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2024.

Live Animal Requirements - 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced plans to purchase Fresh Citrus products for distribution to various food nutrition assistance programs. Purchases will be made under the authority of Section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 (Section 32).

Potential materials may include: 

Notifications

• CCC Storage Deficit Areas for Cotton MAL _ 2025 Announcement (pdf)

United States Standards for Rice AMS-FGIS-25-0155

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced that first handlers and importers of mangos voted to continue the National Mango Board’s research and promotion program. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is amending the U.S. Standards for Grades of Orange Juice by changing the limits for Grade B Brix allowances in Pasteurized Orange Juice.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing a rule to establish the free and restricted percentages of tart cherries grown in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin that handlers may purchase from, or handle on behalf of, tart cherry growers during the 2024-25 crop year.

Summary

After consideration of public comments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will be terminating its master scale testing program and closing the master scale depot in Chicago, Ill. This action aligns with AMS’s Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) mission to streamline official service delivery and return to its core functions and services mandated by the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA).