WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture rolled out a rapid series of initiatives this past week aimed at lifting transparency on federal lending, protecting U.S. farmland and livestock, and preparing rural communities for threats ranging from foreign land ownership to invasive pests and severe winter storms.
At the center of the effort is the launch of Lender Lens, a new public dashboard within the Rural Data Gateway that opens USDA Rural Development’s entire commercial guaranteed loan portfolio to public view. Unveiled January 19 by Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, the tool allows lenders, borrowers, and communities to track where federal capital is flowing across rural America, down to the individual loan level, with data refreshed monthly at https://www.rd.usda.gov/rural-data-gateway.
USDA officials said the dashboard provides real-time insight into total loan volume, average loan size, sector distribution, geographic reach, and delinquency rates, offering what Vaden described as a clear picture of how Rural Development funds are being used to expand health care access, create jobs, and improve water systems in rural communities.
The transparency push comes alongside a major biosecurity investment. On January 21, Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced the New World Screwworm Grand Challenge, committing up to $100 million through USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to prevent the deadly livestock pest from spreading north into the United States. The funding will support projects ranging from sterile fly production and new traps to treatments and emergency response tools, with applications due February 23, 2026. Full details are available at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/funding/new-world-screwworm-grand-challenge-funding-opportunity.
USDA is also tightening scrutiny of foreign ownership of American farmland. On January 22, the department launched a new online portal at https://afida.landmark.usda.gov/ to streamline reporting under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978. The portal, part of the National Farm Security Action Plan announced in July 2025, is designed to improve compliance and verification of foreign-held agricultural land, including land linked to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
USDA’s latest annual AFIDA report, shared with Congress, shows foreign interests held roughly 46 million acres of U.S. agricultural land as of December 31, 2024. Officials said the digital system will strengthen enforcement while reducing paperwork burdens for filers, who may still submit paper forms if they choose.
As policy changes unfolded in Washington, USDA also turned its focus to immediate weather threats. On January 23, the department urged farmers, ranchers, families, and small businesses in the path of Winter Storm Fern to prepare for severe conditions and take advantage of disaster assistance programs. USDA highlighted food safety guidance during power outages, steps to protect pets and livestock, and a wide range of recovery tools, from crop insurance and livestock indemnity programs to emergency loans and conservation assistance.
Producers were encouraged to document losses promptly and contact local USDA Service Centers, while households were directed to the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool at https://www.farmers.gov/node/28989 and related resources on farmers.gov.
Taken together, the announcements signal an aggressive early-2026 posture from USDA: opening federal data to public scrutiny, pouring resources into agricultural biosecurity, clamping down on foreign land interests, and mobilizing aid as winter storms threaten rural America.
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