USDA Foreign Agricultural Service,ΑΓΡΟΤΙΚΗ ΕΝΗΜΕΡΩΣΗ..

 

The following GAIN reports were released on May 21, 2026. _______   European Union: European Commission Opens Call for Evidence on Biotech Act II The European Commission has opened a call for evidence on Biotech Act II, the second part of the European Biotech Act package, which will focus on industrial biotechnology and biomanufacturing. It follows the health-focused Biotech Act I, proposed on December 16, 2025, and is expected as a legislative proposal in the third/fourth quarter of 2026. The call invites a broad range of stakeholders to contribute across the industrial biotechnology and biomanufacturing value chain, with potential implications for agricultural inputs and food and feed ingredients.   Indonesia: Indonesia Adds Import Licensing Requirements for Feed Ingredients of Plant Origin Effective May 8, 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture changed its import licensing scheme for 57 plant-based feed ingredients, including soybean meal and corn-derivative products via Ministry of Agriculture Regulation 11/2026. This regulation establishes two separate pathways for the Ministry’s import licensing-related approvals: one for soybean meal and wheat for feed and the other for 55 other feed ingredients. These changes threaten U.S. agricultural exports by using import licensing to enforce strict import timelines, control import volumes, designate import channels, and prohibit corn and broken rice imports for feed. The regulation aligns with Ministry of Trade Regulation 11/2026, which requires the Ministry of Trade to also issue import licenses for six commodities, including soybean meal and wheat for feed. For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/. Stakeholder Notice: USDA Publishes FY 2026 Notices of Funding Opportunity for Food for Progress  Contact: press-fas@usda.gov Washington, D.C., May 22, 2026 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service is now accepting applications for the fiscal year 2026 Food for Progress Program. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will ensure international assistance delivers a measurable return on investment for the American people, especially American farmers, ranchers, and producers, through the purchase of U.S. agricultural commodities. For FY 2026 Food for Progress projects, USDA anticipates awarding up to $226 million in new cooperative agreements for up to five-year projects ranging from $28 to $35 million each. Priority countries for Food for Progress include Bangladesh, Bolivia, Ecuador, Morocco, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The Food for Progress NOFO is available at https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/362536. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Monday, July 6, 2026. Please see the NOFO for full details on how to apply.  ### USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.