Nominations are now being accepted for farmers and ranchers to serve on local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees. These committees make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2024 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2024.
Read MoreThe deadline is approaching to sign up for the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (Grassland CRP) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Agricultural producers and private landowners can sign up for the program until June 28. Managed by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), Grassland CRP encourages the conservation of grasslands while allowing for continued grazing and haying practices.
Read MoreCorn Belt farmland prices remain strong, but Southeast farmland values are running at a stout pace, too.
In a recent Southern Ag Today article, Kevin Kim, an economist with the Mississippi State University Extension, broke down farmland trends across the country, including the Southeast.
Read MoreThe “dead zone” forms in the Gulf of Mexico every summer. It’s caused by nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, largely from farm fertilizer and municipal runoff, which are carried down the Mississippi River and into the gulf. Algae feeds on those nutrients and when it dies, bacteria deplete oxygen in the water, causing marine life to die or avoid the area.
Read MoreWild hogs have taken over areas in Florida and North Carolina this spring, exploding to nearly three dozen states as part of a troubling decades-long uptick federal officials warn could ignite a dreaded “feral swine bomb,” sparking concerns a growing population can spread diseases to humans, and destroy critical agricultural land and forests.
Read MoreThe 2024/25 U.S. corn outlook is unchanged relative to last month. The season average price received by producers remains at $4.40 per bushel. USDA will release its Acreage report on June 28, which will provide survey-based indications of planted and harvested area.
The 2024/25 outlook for U.S. soybeans includes higher beginning and ending stocks. Higher beginning stocks reflect reduced crush for 2023/24, down 10 million bushels on lower soybean meal domestic use that is partly offset by higher exports.
Read MoreNominate an outstanding consultant for the Rice Consultant of the Year Award. It is helpful to include background information about the consultant and support letters from people who know him or her.
Read MoreThe U.S. rice industry’s “Grown in the USA” mark has been around for decades. It signified to consumers that the rice contents of the package bearing the mark was 100 percent U.S.-grown. While it has been the dominant Country of Origin mark for U.S. rice, it is not the only one. Some rice packages bear different red, white, and blue themed designs or words “Product of Texas,” “California Grown,” “Certified Louisiana,” or similar.
Read MoreAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding $50 million to 141 awardees in 40 states and Puerto Rico, through the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program (FLSP Program), reaching 177 unique agricultural operations and over 11,000 workers.
Read MoreU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden today announced that USDA is seeking applications for grants to repair or rehabilitate homes, rental properties or cooperatives for people in rural areas with low or very low incomes.
Read MoreClick below for the market report from the latest Red River Livestock Auction.
Read MoreThe Cotton Consultant of the Year (CCOY) Award recognizes a consultant who has made great contributions to the cotton industry through outstanding customer relations, leadership and innovation.
Read MoreLouisiana experienced unprecedented hot weather last summer, which carried into the fall and winter months, this being known as drought.
Read MoreEvery five years, Congress takes up the sprawling farm bill, a laden piece of legislation that impacts millions of Americans nationwide and has broad ramifications for agricultural and other policy.
Many Louisianans are anxiously awaiting congressional action.
The state's more than 400 sugar farmers are at the top of the list. Since 1981, the bill has provided a number of supports to Louisiana's two-century-old sugar industry through subsidies, price-floors and loans that protect local farmers from inexpensive imported sugar.
Read MoreThe United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service has announced a product recall from Bonneval Foods, LLC based in Gonzales, Louisiana.
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