NCBA Region 2 VP on Issues of Importance to Southeast Producers

Various issues continue to keep cattle producers concerned, and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is very involved in each and every one of them. But a few of those are specific to producers here in the Southeast, something that Fred Smith from Clayton, North Carolina is very aware of. Smith serves on the NCBA Executive Committee as Policy Vice President for …

Fewer Cotton and Peanut Acres, More Corn and Soybeans

While the June 30 acreage report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) shows cotton and peanut acreage is down slightly, it indicates corn and soybean acreage is up slightly. The USDA-NASS report notes cotton growers planted 11.7 million acres this year, down 3 percent from 2020, while peanut growers planted 1.63 million acres in 2021, down two …

Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Practices Program is Part of EQIP

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced $10 million has been earmarked to support climate-smart agriculture and forestry through voluntary conservation practices in 10 states, including Florida and Georgia. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Deputy Chief of Programs, Jimmy Bramblett, says this pilot program is associated with a NRCS program many producers may already be familiar with, EQIP. Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program …

U.S. Cotton Acreage is Down Three Percent

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released their 2021 planted acreage reports, and Becky Sommer with NASS in Washington D.C. says cotton acreage across the country is down three percent from last year. Cotton growers planted 11.7 million acres in 2021, down 3 percent from last year. Upland planted area is estimated at 11.6 million acres, down 3 percent from 2020. American Pima …

U.S. Peanut Acreage is Down Two Percent

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released their 2021 planted acreage reports, and the numbers indicate planted area for peanuts is estimated at 1.63 million acres, down two percent from the 1.66 million acres last year. The area to be harvested, at 1.59 million acres, is down one percent from last year’s 1.61 million acres. In Georgia, the largest peanut-producing state, planted acreage …

Challenges of Building New Local Meat Processing Facilities

Adding more meat processing capacity, as some would like to do, is a more complex undertaking than you might think. Gary Crawford has the details. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune 19, 2026Verdant Robotics Offers Growers Targeted Application of Herbicides or Beneficials through SharpShooter™June 16, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Resources To Researchers For …

New Beef Processing Facility Announced in Iowa

Cattlemen’s Heritage plans to build a $325 million beef processing plant in southwest Iowa. The facility will employ 750 people with a target to begin operations in late 2023, according to the Des Moines Register. Cattlemen’s Heritage, a newly formed company, plans to build the facility near Council Bluffs to process 400,000 head of cattle annually. Investor Chad Tentinger told …

Strong Demand and Competitive Bidding Pushes Land Prices Higher

Interest in purchasing agricultural land has grown since a coronavirus pandemic-induced slowdown blanketed the land market last spring. Farmers are feeling more financially secure as strong commodity prices arrived on top of large government payments in 2020. This is propelling farmers to bid more aggressively for additional land than has been the case during the past six years, according to …