FruitsUS pear crop forecast at 660,000 tons, the third-smallest in over 50 years
USDA's September fruit outlook also sees apples down 6% and winegrapes lower, while cranberries rise 5%.
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Fruits
AgribusinessUSDA speeds up farm loans, but only a farm bill can lift borrowing limits
USDA is making its fast-track direct-loan process permanent and cutting paperwork for guaranteed loans, while Farm Bureau says the loan caps themselves need Congress to act.
AgrotechUSDA's SHAPE soil-health tool needs farmers' fields for a nationwide upgrade
A USDA-funded project is collecting more than 13,000 soil samples from about 6,000 fields to rebuild the free SHAPE online tool so it gives farmers local soil-health benchmarks and practice recommendations.
Market ManagementUSDA funds residue research and Codex work to open markets for specialty crops
New Assisting Specialty Crop Exports awards include $10 million for the IR-4 Project, $3 million for the Codex Alimentarius Commission and $500,000 for a biopesticide rules study.
LivestockUS hog herd stands at 74.3 million head, down 2% from a year ago
USDA's Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report counts 74.3 million hogs and pigs on US farms on 1 September, 2% fewer than a year earlier but 2% more than on 1 June.
Livestock
US milk output rises 1.7% in August as the dairy herd grows while yields stay flat
NASS puts national August production at 19.9 billion pounds, with the herd up 167,000 cows from a year earlier; Kansas led the 24 major states with a 13.9% gain.
Agrotech
USDA's NASS nears voice and text search so farmers can ask for statistics from the cab
NASS administrator Joe Parsons says farmers will soon be able to type or speak a question to get official data, as most reports move to the interactive Ag Insights platform.
LivestockUSDA trims US beef output forecasts as cattle slaughter stays historically low
USDA's Economic Research Service cut its 2026 beef production forecast by 90 million pounds and its 2027 forecast by 145 million pounds on weak slaughter and a tight herd.
LivestockTexas lifts more screwworm infested zones as US case count stands at 49 and a billion sterile flies have been released
USDA and the Texas Animal Health Commission released another New World screwworm zone on 21 September; the Santa Teresa port reopens to Mexican cattle on 24 September.
CropsUS corn harvest at 13 percent and soybeans at 12 as combines run ahead of average; winter wheat sowing lags
USDA's 25th Crop Progress report of the season puts 57 percent of corn and 58 percent of soybeans in good-to-excellent condition, both below last year, with winter wheat 17 percent planted against a 21 percent average.
AgribusinessUSDA adds 30 million base acres, the first expansion in 20 years, and opens ARC/PLC enrollment for 2026 until 11 December
Eligible acres exceeded the national cap, so FSA is trimming every new allocation by 3.69 percent; producers may change their election, sign multi-year contracts to 2031, and now add SCO coverage whatever they choose.
LivestockPhilippine chicken output forecast to rise 5.8 percent to 1.92 million tonnes in 2027 as commercial farms expand
A USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report says integrators' expansion, better genetics and automation drive the growth, with hog production still recovering from African swine fever and a strong El Niño the main risk.
AgrotechCornell-led centre gets $7.5m from USDA to build robots for apple and cherry orchards
The Center of Excellence for Orchard Robotics brings seven universities, Fresh Fruit Robotics and Washington Fruit and Produce Co together on machines for apple and cherry orchards, where labour has climbed from 45 to over 60 percent of costs.