The USDA Commodity Credit Corporation, which helps stabilize, support and protect farm income and prices, released interest rates for March 2012. The borrowing rate-based charge is 0.125, which is unchanged from February 2012, while the 1996 and subsequent crop year commodity and marketing assistance loans dispersed during March is 1.125, unchanged from last month. Interest rates for Farm Storage Facility Loans and discount rates for the Tobacco Transition Payment Program also are available. Read more.

Equine operations that breed, raise and sell certain types of horses are now eligible for loan assistance under FSA’s emergency loan program. “This policy modification will help certain equine operations when they face losses due to drought, flooding, other natural disasters or quarantine,” said Farm Service Agency Administrator Bruce Nelson. “A strong farm safety net, including emergency credit, is critical to sustain the success of American agriculture.” Emergency loans can be made to farmers and ranchers who own and operate lands in a county or contiguous county to a county declared by the President or designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as a disaster area. Learn more.

FSA’s new strategic plan, which covers fiscal years (FY) 2012-2016, recently received departmental approval and is now available online.

The strategic plan supports accomplishment of the USDA mission and is directly linked to USDA goals and related objectives found in the USDA FY 2010-2015 Strategic Plan.

“This strategic plan represents a dynamic process within FSA to ensure the best results for America. Through this process the agency is able to continually assess the quality of its services to the public,” said FSA Administrator Bruce Nelson. “This close attention to performance outcomes and results will allow FSA to better support its customers.”

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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan will unveil the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass via a live webinar on Wed., Feb. 29 at 2 p.m. EST. The compass is a Web-based document and map highlighting USDA support for local and regional food projects and successful producer, business and community case studies. The Secretaries will also discuss how local and regional food systems across the country offer economic opportunities for local farmers, ranchers and food entrepreneurs while growing the number of farmers, expanding healthy food access and building strong infrastructure systems. View the webinar Feb. 29 at 2 p.m. EST.

Beginning farmers in Idaho are praising the Farm Service Agency for helping them get started. With the high cost of land and low capital, young farmers are finding it difficult to obtain loans to get into the business. To help this new generation of farmers, FSA will guarantee 90 percent to a land owner or older farmer who sells their land to someone buying their first farm. View the video (Localnews8.com).

Within 90 days, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he plans to approve the consolidation of 131 Farm Service Agency offices with other USDA service centers in an effort to provide stronger service to U.S. farmers and ranchers. As part of the Blueprint for Stronger Service announced Jan. 9, Vilsack said the closing are based on a department-wide review of operations that in the future will create optimal use of USDA employees, deliver better results for USDA customers and provide greater efficiencies for American taxpayers. Learn more.

Despite slower growth, 2012 is expected to be another good year for agricultural exports, according to USDA Chief Economist Joe Glauber. In a presentation during the annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, Glauber said U.S. agricultural exports for fiscal year 2012 are expected to reach $131 billion, down $1 billion from the November forecast, but still the second highest on record. With the slow economic recovery, Glauber said to expect U.S. agricultural products to remain competitively priced in global markets over the next few years. Read more or view the presentation.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off the commemoration of the department’s 150th anniversary today at USDA’s 2012 Agricultural Outlook Forum in Arlington, Va. To commemorate USDA’s rich history as well as its potential, Vilsack moderated a panel discussion with former Secretaries of Agriculture Ed Schafer, Mike Johanns, Ann Veneman, Dan Glickman, Mike Espy, Clayton Yeutter, John Block, and Bob Bergland. Learn more.