Potato Research and Promotion Plan: Changes to Board Membership and Administrative Committee
Docket Number: AMS-SC-22-0041
Effective Date: February 7, 2024
Summary
Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.: Local Meat Capacity Grant Program, Finding of No Significant Impact
Docket Number: AMS-TM-23-0066
Summary
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the AMS Local Meat Capacity Grant Program.
Contact
Betsy Rakola, Associate Deputy Administrator, Transportation and Marketing Program; Telephone: (202) 690–1300; Email: LocalMCap@usda.gov.
Supporting Document
Remote Beef Grading Events
Thursday, January 25, 2024 @ 3PM ET RGP Pilot Informational Webinar
Recording: Remote Grading Pilot for Beef
National Peanut Board Federal Register History
Peanuts 64 FR 20105: Peanut Promotion, Research, and Information Order: 07/29/1999
Domestic Origin of Meat Produced for Federal Nutrition Assistance Programs
On November 8, 2023, USDA announced its intent to clarify that meat products must be from animals that are born, raised, and slaughtered in the U.S. to meet the domestic origin requirements for purposes of USDA purchasing. AMS procures food products of domestic origin for use in nutrition assistance programs and regularly evaluates the effectiveness of its food purchase programs. Upon review, the guidelines for procuring beef, pork, lamb, and bison products were not as clear as other commodities.
Getting Started
For more information on USDA Meat Grading Service eligibility, participation requirements for the Remote Grading Program for Beef (RGP), and how to get started, refer to the RGP Guide to Getting Started (pdf)
For the purposes of the RGP, the following document serves to guide the roles and responsibilities of the Applicant and USDA.
Understanding Meat Grading
Before contacting the AMS Livestock and Poultry Program (AMS-LP) about the Remote Grading Program for Beef (RGP), it is important to understand what official quality grading and certification is and consider whether these voluntary fee-based services are applicable to your meat packing operation and how they may benefit your marketing objectives. The following resources may assist with these considerations:
USDA Remote Grading Program for Beef
Matching imaging technology with robust data management and program oversight, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) developed a process for determining the official quality grading and certification of carcass beef from a remote location.