Mississippi Business Journal » USDA

Economists receive grant

MBJ Staff — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 05:25:09 +0000

A team of Mississippi State University agricultural economists recently received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study policies impacting biofuel supply chains. Keith Coble, a W.L. Giles Distinguished Professor at MSU, is the principal investigator for a project to develop a policy evaluation model to assess how state or federal policies might impact [...]

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Global warming? Half of all U.S. counties now considered disaster areas because of drought

Associated Press — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:44:41 +0000

ST. LOUIS — Nearly 220 counties in a dozen drought-stricken states were added Wednesday to the U.S. government’s list of natural disaster areas as the nation’s agriculture chief unveiled new help for frustrated, cash-strapped farmers and ranchers grappling with extreme dryness and heat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s addition of the 218 counties means that [...]

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Clarksdale’s Easley retiring from USDA

MBJ Staff — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 06:01:05 +0000

Oby Easley of Clarksdale is retiring after 27 years of service as county director of USDA-FSA in Coahoma County. Stovall is retiring after serving as location coordinator of the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville.

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Under the microscope

Wally Northway — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 06:00:17 +0000

The latest round in the three-year heavyweight political battle that involves U.S. farm-raised catfish, food safety, government spending and international diplomacy is in the books. Who won, who lost and where the domestic catfish industry goes from here is yet to be determined. The last week of May, two public comment hearings were held — [...]

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Enerkem raises $60 million for Pontotoc plant

MBJ Staff — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:38:17 +0000

From staff reports CHICAGO — Enerkem Inc., a leading waste-to-biofuels and chemicals company based in Canada, announced today an additional $60 million in financing for its Pontotoc, Mississippi plant, on which the company expects to break ground later this year. The plant will be located within the Three Rivers Landfill and convert trash to methanol [...]

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Cochran wants nominee’s commitment to catfish inspections

Wally Northway — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:20:13 +0000

Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) has indicated that he wants the Obama Administration’s nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service to support implementation of a federal law to begin inspections of catfish. Cochran serves on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee that conducted a confirmation hearing on the nomination [...]

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Vilsack: Pigford settlement funding needs ‘vehicle’

Wally Northway — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:06:29 +0000

On Feb. 18, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement agreement to resolve longstanding civil rights claims against the USDA. While the settlement agreement includes a March 31 “opt-out” provision for the plaintiffs, the two departments say they remain committed to resolving this issue in the weeks [...]

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USDA offers TAA program to farmers

Wally Northway — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:21:24 +0000

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Farmers Program to help American agricultural producers adjust to the current, challenging economic environment. In August, USDA requested public comments on a proposed rule for establishing the procedures and eligibility criteria for receiving assistance. Comments focused on payment limitations and adjusted [...]

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Cochran questions USDA budget

Wally Northway — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:35:32 +0000

WASHINGTON — Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is questioning how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects to use its budget to address farming and agriculture issues in Mississippi, including pending catfish inspection regulations and settling longstanding discrimination claims by African American farmers. Cochran serves on the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee that March 2 received testimony [...]

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Tacker found guilty of bilking USDA

Associated Press — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:50:56 +0000

ABERDEEN — William T. “Tommy” Tacker has been convicted of defrauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of $2.8 million in bioenergy subsidy money for a plant in Mississippi. Tacker was convicted Wednesday in federal court in Aberdeen and faces up to 50 years in prison. Testimony began Monday in the case of the 56-year-old [...]

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