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Agricultural Marketing Service
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) was established by the Secretary of Agriculture on April 2, 1972, under the authority of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953 (5 U.S.C. app.) and other authorities. The Service administers standardization, grading, certification, market news, marketing orders, research and promotion, and regulatory programs.
The Agricultural Marketing Service includes five commodity programs--Dairy, Fruit and Vegetable, Livestock and Seed, Poultry, and Cotton and Tobacco. The programs provide standardization, grading and market news services for those commodities. They enforce such Federal Laws as the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act and the Federal Seed Act. AMS commodity programs also oversee marketing agreements and orders, administer research and promotion programs, and purchase commodities for Federal food programs.
The AMS National Organic Program (NOP) develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products. The NOP also accredits the certifying agents (foreign and domestic) who inspect organic production and handling operations to certify that they meet USDA standards.
The AMS Science and Technology Program lends centralized scientific support to AMS programs, including laboratory analyses, laboratory quality assurance, coordination of scientific research conducted by other agencies for AMS, and statistical and mathematical consulting services.
The AMS Transportation and Marketing Program brings together a unique combination of traffic managers, engineers, rural policy analysts, international trade specialists, and agricultural marketing specialists to help solve problems of U.S. and world agricultural transportation., provides better quality products to the consumer at reasonable cost, improves market access for growers with small-to medium sized farms, and promotes regional economic development.
AMS is part of the Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) mission area. MRP agencies facilitate the domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and ensure the health and care of animals and plants. MRP agencies are active participants in setting national and international standards.
- Agency URL:
- http://www.ams.usda.gov
- Parent Agency
- Agriculture Department
- Sub-agency:
- Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration
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National Organic Program; Strengthening Organic Enforcement
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes amending the USDA organic regulations to strengthen oversight and enforcement of the production, handling, and sale of organic agricultural products. The proposed amendments are intended to protect integrity in the organic supply chain and build...
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National Organic Program; Origin of Livestock
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is reopening the comment period on our April 28, 2015, proposed rule to amend the origin of livestock requirements for dairy animals under the USDA organic regulations. We are reopening the proposed rule's comment period for 60 days to give all interested parties an...
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National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard
This rule establishes the new national mandatory bioengineered (BE) food disclosure standard (NBFDS or Standard). The new Standard requires food manufacturers, importers, and other entities that label foods for retail sale to disclose information about BE food and BE food ingredients. This rule is intended to provide a mandatory uniform national...
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National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard; Correction
This document contains corrections to the proposed rule published on May 4, 2018, regarding a new national mandatory bioengineered food disclosure standard. Corrections are made to the notice of proposed rule making's (NPRM) Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis to clarify that the proposed rule, if finalized, is not expected to have a...
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National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard
A recent amendment to the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 requires the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to establish the national mandatory bioengineered (BE) food disclosure standard. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing a new rule that would require food manufacturers and other entities that label foods for retail sale...
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Mango Promotion, Research and Information Order; Continuance Referendum
This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible first handlers and importers of mangos to determine whether they favor continuance of the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) regulations regarding a national mango research and promotion program and whether frozen mangos continue to be covered under the program.
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Designation for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Area
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the designation of Mid-Iowa Grain Inspection, Inc. (Mid-Iowa), to provide official services under the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA), as amended.
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Softwood Lumber Research, Promotion, Consumer Education and Industry Information Order; Assessment Rate Increase
This proposal invites comments on amending the Softwood Lumber Research, Promotion, Consumer Education and Industry Information Order (Order) to increase the assessment rate from $0.35 to $0.41 per thousand board feet (mbf). The Order is administered by the Softwood Lumber Board (Board) with oversight by the U.S. Department of Agriculture...
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National Dairy Promotion and Research Program; National Dairy Promotion and Research Board Importer Representation
This document maintains the number of National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (Dairy Board) importer members at one member, as is stated in the Dairy Promotion and Research Order (Dairy Order). The Dairy Order requires that at least once every three years, after the initial appointment of importer members on the Dairy Board, the Secretary...
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Walnuts Grown in California; Recommended Decision and Opportunity To File Written Exceptions
This recommended decision proposes amendments to Marketing Order No. 984 (Order), which regulates the handling of walnuts grown in California. The proposed amendments are based on the record of a public hearing held via videoconference technology on April 20 and 21, 2020. The California Walnut Board (Board), which locally administers the Order,...
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National Organic Program; Strengthening Organic Enforcement
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes amending the USDA organic regulations to strengthen oversight and enforcement of the production, handling, and sale of organic agricultural products. The proposed amendments are intended to protect integrity in the organic supply chain and build...
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Administrative Procedures Governing Formulation of a Research and Promotion Order
This rule establishes procedures to govern the formulation of new research and promotion programs--or orders--under the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 (Act). Research and promotion programs are administered by boards or councils with oversight by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This rule specifies...
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Softwood Lumber Research, Promotion, Consumer Education and Industry Information Order; Change to the Board Membership Eligibility Requirements
This rule changes the eligibility requirements for nominees representing domestic manufacturers on the Softwood Lumber Board (Board) under the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) regulations regarding a national research and promotion program for softwood lumber. This change will help facilitate program operations.
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Tart Cherries Grown in the States of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin; Changes to Subcommittee Size and Addition of Term Limits
This proposed rule invites comments on a recommendation from the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (Board) to change subcommittee size and add term limits under the marketing order for tart cherries grown in the States of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
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National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard; Updates to the List of Bioengineered Foods
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting comments and feedback on recommendations to update the List of Bioengineered Foods (List) as it pertains to the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (Standard).