(NSF) – With a budget remaining unfinished Tuesday night, the annual Florida legislative session is headed to overtime. Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, issued a memo shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday that said budget talks would continue Wednesday. Cooling Off Period State law requires a 72-hour “cooling off” period before lawmakers can vote …
New Organization for Women in Meat Industry
The Women’s Meat Industry Network (WMIN) was launched in January this year to address under-representation of women in the meat industry and provide mentoring support. One of the co-founders of the organization is U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Senior Director of Export Services Cheyenne McEndaffer. She explains there is a good pipeline of talent for technical roles like hers, due to …
Farm Bureau Asks for Increased Domestic Energy Production
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall sent a letter to the Biden Administration asking them to take the necessary steps to address the high energy costs impacting all Americans. Over the past 15 months, oil prices have increased by 130% to more than $120 per barrel. Duvall says, “As Russia’s harmful actions in Ukraine continue and further sanctions get imposed …
FDA Approves Food Products from Gene-Edited Animals
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it made a low-risk determination for the marketing of products, including food, from two genome-edited beef cattle and their offspring. The IGA results in the equivalent genotype, or genetic make-up, and the short-hair coat trait seen in some conventionally-bred cattle, known as a “slick coat.” The agency says the decision underscores its …
GPC Partnering with Front Row Motorsports
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) is once again in the driver’s seat of promoting peanuts to the world. Justin Odom, project coordinator for farm and field services, discusses the impact of GPC’s partnership with Front Row Motorsports again. “We’re very excited to be working with Front Row Motorsports again this year. We’re sponsoring the No. 38 Ford …
GCC, UGA Extension Invite Cotton Growers to Precision Ag Workshops
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) and University of Georgia (UGA) Extension remind cotton producers about two upcoming UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences precision ag workshops. The workshops are slated for the Kennedy Conference Center of Ogeechee Technical College in Statesboro (March 29) and the Merry Acres Inn and Event Center in Albany (March 31). They …
USTR Ambassador Tai Discusses Trade Relationship with China
By Clint Thompson United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai discussed trade with various countries during her time as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Outlook Forum. A focal part of her discussion with Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack centered on China. The U.S.’s trade relationship with China is “profoundly consequential” and “increasingly complex,” she said. “In terms …
No Rotations for Some Georgia Peanuts? It Could Happen to Avoid Paying High Fertilizer Costs
By Clint Thompson Crop rotations are essential for peanut production in Georgia. Peanuts need to be rotated every year to avoid the buildup of nematodes and disease pressure. But that may not matter to some growers this year, who may not rotate their crop to avoid paying high fertilizer costs. Bob Kemerait, University of Georgia Extension plant pathologist, has concerns …
Ag Exports Projected for $183.5 Billion for FY ’22
By Clint Thompson U.S. agricultural exports produced record results in 2021. The fiscal year (FY) 2022 forecast is projected to even eclipse that $177 billion number. Daniel B. Whitley, administrator in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service, said projections are forecast for $183.5 billion for FY 2022. “This is unprecedented. This is unheard of,” Whitley said during the …
Alabama Peanut Acreage Could Eclipse Last Year’s Total
By Clint Thompson Alabama’s peanut producers farmed an estimated 186,000 acres last year. Jacob Davis, executive director of the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, is fearful this year’s crop may exceed those totals. “We’ve been 180,000-plus the last two years. We’re expecting to at least stay flat if not increase a little bit this year,” Davis said. “The biggest cost increase …