Leaders from 34 US agribusinesses and organizations will join USDA representatives on a  trade mission to Peru and Chile, March 14-18.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced it will conduct a series of educational meetings regarding the new final rule.

New coverage lowers risk for producers and strengthens farm safety net.

USDA proposed a new rule this week designed to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants increased access to healthy foods.

The new standards are projected to help prevent an estimated 50,000 illnesses each year.

The grants are made possible through USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).

USDA will lead a trade mission in March to Chile and Peru in order to expand export opportunities for US agricultural products.

Ten bird flocks in Indiana tested positive for avian influenza, though the virus confirmed in these birds is a different strain than the one that decimated the US poultry industry last year, wiping out some 48 million turkeys and chickens.

FSIS says it is standardizing the approach it takes when livestock or poultry sampling reveals chemicals that aren’t covered in federal regulations.