USA Rice recently held its inaugural Breeder Workshop at the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey (HRC) Rice Research Station, fostering a unique exchange between U.S.-based rice researchers and Central American industry professionals. The workshop aimed to identify U.S. rice varieties that align with Latin American consumer preferences, a crucial step in enhancing product appeal and regaining market share in the region.
Read MoreAccording to the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Louisiana, there were 1.5 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sunday, July 28, 2024. Topsoil moisture supplies were 0 percent very short, 18 percent short, 57 percent adequate, and 25 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were 0 percent very short, 17 percent short, 67 percent adequate, and 16 percent surplus.
Read MoreA glimmer of hope, and hopefully the beginning of what we promised. Yet, there will be several, several days of pulling teeth, some without Novocain. It is not going to be easy. Too, recall our caution that growers will have to wait at least until May 2025 becomes the nearby contract to price their 2024 production.
Read MoreIn the 11 coastal parishes we consult in, lack of rainfall has not been a problem. Many areas have already exceeded the mean annual rainfall accumulation, and it’s not even August. We have already in some areas received in excess of 65 inches, so we are certainly experiencing the opposite of what we dealt with last year.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced changes to the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) beginning with the 2025 crop year. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding coverage options to additional crops as well as increasing premium support to make the policy more affordable for producers.
“The Risk Management Agency is continually responding to producer needs and adapting our insurance coverage options to give producers more choices when it comes to managing their risks,” said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger. “This expansion is part of RMA’s larger effort to provide more options for specialty crop producers.”
Read MoreMidwestern states are spending millions every year to prevent a giant, goggle-eyed fish from invading rivers and lakes. But the Asian carp has firmly established a home in the Mississippi River basin, and experts say they are here to stay.
Now, researchers are hoping that creating new markets for the invasive fish could be part of the solution.
Read MoreUSDA-FSA recently announced a final deadline for application to the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) for 2022. This program’s implementation was paused due to pending litigation over the agency’s decisions on how to implement this ad hoc disaster assistance. If you have already applied, previous applications should still be held with FSA waiting final authority to process. However, if you experienced losses for 2022 due to qualifying natural disasters and have not applied, your time to apply will end August 14, 2024.
Read MoreLast week, USA Rice staff participated in the Model Farm Field Day at Armstrong Farms here. This event, hosted in collaboration with the National Black Growers Council and the Morehouse Black Farmers & Landowners Association, provided a unique opportunity for farmers, industry professionals, and community members to come together and learn from one another.
The festivities began the evening before with a welcome dinner where participants gathered to share a meal, enjoy each other's company, and dance the night away, which set the tone for a field day filled with camaraderie and shared learning.
Read MoreFriday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is making $190 million available to help private forest landowners adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change and retain working forestlands.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees and urban county committees are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA and allow grassroots input and local administration of federal farm programs.
Read MoreProperty insurance costs for farmers and ranchers have been increasing, driven by several factors, including climate change, market conditions, and rising production expenses.
Read MoreGloomy weather forced the LSU AgCenter Northeast Research Station to move its July 23 cotton and grain field day indoors — but there were few complaints from station staff and farmers who attended the event. Their fields received a much-needed rain amid a dry spell in the area.
Read MoreThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing its updated occupational exposure assessments for handling and treating seeds with clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam, which belong to a class of pesticides called “neonicotinoids.” Neonicotinoids are systemic insecticides that work by disrupting the central nervous system of insects. If humans are exposed to very high amounts of neonicotinoids, they could also experience harmful effects such as neurotoxicity (e.g., tremors and decreased motor activity), reproductive, or developmental effects.
Read MoreThe very real and damaging consequences of Congress’ failure to pass a modernized farm bill are brought to light in a new analysis by American Farm Bureau Federation economists. It provides a clearer picture of major impacts of relying on the antiquated 2018 farm bill, including the likely loss of more family farms in the U.S., all of which impact the country’s ability to produce the food, fuel and fiber America’s families rely on.
Read MorePinnacle Asset Management, L.P., a New York-based alternative asset management firm focused on global commodities markets, today announced that its portfolio company Viserion Grain, LLC, a subsidiary of global agricultural merchant Viserion International Holdco, LLC, has acquired four grain elevator assets from Greenfield Grain, LLC. The assets are located in Parkdale, Arkansas, and Dunn, Crowville, and Lake Providence, Louisiana. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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