Federal

On March 27, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration issued a draft revised guidance for industry (GFI) #120, “Veterinary Feed Directive Regulation Questions & Answers.” FDA said the guidance is intended to aid industry in complying with the requirements of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) final rule published in June 2015 and serves as a "Small Entity Compliance Guide."The document is organized to help address the needs of all parties involved with a VFD order: veterinarians, VFD feed distributors (e.g., feed mills) and clients (owners or other caretakers of the animals).  [node:read-more:link]

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) launched an investigation into syndicated conservation easements, the tax-advantaged land deals that have already drawn scrutiny from the IRS and the Justice Department. [node:read-more:link]

From the air, Lewis and Clark Lake along the Nebraska-South Dakota border appears immense as it stretches some 25 miles behind Gavins Point Dam.It would be logical to think of the sprawling lake — formed by damming the Missouri River — as a big deal in flood protection.It is formed by one of six massive dams on the Missouri River, all operated by the U.S. [node:read-more:link]

Three-quarters of a million people would likely lose their food stamps later this year under a new proposal by the Trump administration. The goal is to encourage able-bodied adults to go to work and get off government aid. But opponents predict people would go hungry instead, if the rule goes into effect. A public comment period has so far drawn more than 28,000 comments overwhelmingly against the proposed rule.Those affected by the proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are known as able-bodied adults without dependents, or ABAWDs. [node:read-more:link]

House Ag Committee Chair Collin Peterson, Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania, along with more than 70 Democratic and Republican colleagues wrote a letter last week to Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue. They’re asking the secretary to make implementing the dairy provisions in the new farm bill a high priority. The lawmakers are concerned about the continuing loss of dairy farms, as well as just how deficient previous dairy programs were in slowing those farm losses. Peterson and Thompson note that the 2018 Farm Bill can provide much-needed assistance to the nation’s struggling dairy farmers. [node:read-more:link]

The U.S. [node:read-more:link]

Meat and dairy are piling up across the U.S. It has cold storage places packed to the rafters, and the federal government, which subsidizes the agriculture industry, looking for ways to alleviate the problem, at least in the short-term. A combination of factors have led to this: increased production, flat demand despite near-record consumption of milk and cheese and trade issues. And in the long run, it’s unclear whether market forces will get production in line with demand. [node:read-more:link]

States fear the EPA is preparing to override state-level pesticide regulations aimed at curbing crop damage and environmental fallout, after the agency quietly announced last week it’s considering a new way to handle state requests to impose stricter pesticide rules or training requirements.States can seek additional restrictions from the EPA for various reasons, such as accounting for local pests or environmental concerns. [node:read-more:link]

The federal government provided additional food-stamp aid to Puerto Rico after the hurricane, but Congress missed the deadline for reauthorization in March as it focused on other issues before leaving for a week-long recess. Federal lawmakers have also been stalled by the Trump administration, which has derided the extra aid as unnecessary. [node:read-more:link]

The Trump administration is allowing states to enact new Medicaid rules that will curtail benefits and reduce, rather than expand, the number of people eligible for the federal-state health program for the poor. New work requirements have received most of the attention. This year, the administration has granted permission to Arizona and Ohio to impose work requirements of 80 hours a month for most able-bodied adults.Since 2017, at least 15 states have either applied for or received permission to impose work requirements. [node:read-more:link]