Agri View: Value of Bugs Pollinating Crops

Everett Griner talks about bugs of value to farmers for pollinating crops in today’s Agri View. Value of Bugs Pollinating Crops A lot has been said about the decline of the honeybee. We can be comforted in the fact that they are nowhere close to extension. They do need help pollinating plants of this world. I think I have already …

Secretary Perdue Comments on USMCA

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement regarding the announcement of a United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA): “The great news of a new USMCA deal is important for our economy as a whole, including the agricultural sector, which counts Canada and Mexico in our top three trading partners. I have long said that I believe our country is …

Hurricane Hammers Hope for Wiregrass Cotton

Hurricane Michael hammered the Southeast corner of Alabama Oct. 10, ripping apart what some farmers predicted was the area’s best cotton crop in years. The Category 4 hurricane sustained winds of 155 mph as it landed in Mexico Beach, Florida, and packed a punch when it rolled through Fred Helms’ Rehobeth farm about 70 miles from the coast. “This year …

Commissioner Adam H. Putnam Briefs Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Initial Agricultural Damage

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.–Hurricane Michael devastated the Florida Panhandle, and today Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam briefed Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on the initial agricultural damage assessment. Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black joined Commissioner Putnam for the briefing. Commissioner Putnam’s statement is below: “Hurricane Michael devastated the Florida Panhandle, and the safety …

Florida Farm Bureau Employees Make Major Donation to Local Food Bank

Gainesville, Fla. – Florida Farm Bureau is participating in a growing social media initiative to buy and donate 10 gallons of milk to a local food pantry. The challenge supports dairy farmers and also provides nutrition for food insecure families. Florida Farm Bureau Federation President John L. Hoblick and Florida Farm Bureau Insurance President Steve Murray challenged employees at the …

Assessing Agricultural Damage in Georgia

Farmers and others involved in agriculture in Georgia have been busy assessing the damage to their crops and buildings after Hurricane Michael worked its way through the state. Some growers saw the wrath of Hurricane Michael, while others experienced Tropical Storm Michael. Staff with the Georgia Department of Agriculture toured some of the areas hit by the storm. Many acres …

Slight Increase in U.S. Cotton Production Forecast

USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) released their October crop reports today, and they show good numbers for the overall cotton crop. But obviously those numbers were put together before Hurricane Michael blew through the Southeast affecting many cotton fields. But according to Travis Thorson, with NASS in Washington D.C., the new numbers indicate cotton production in the U.S. this …

Peanut Production Sees Slight Increase, Still Down From Last Year

When USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service released their October crop reports today, they indicated that U.S. peanut production is now forecast at 5.77 billion pounds, up slightly from the September forecast, but still down 19 percent from last year’s 7.12 billion pounds. The harvested area this year is expected to total 1.38 million acres, down slightly from the September forecast …