The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking a major step toward restoring livestock trade with Mexico. USDA announced a phased reopening of southern ports of entry beginning with the Douglas, Arizona, cattle crossing on August 24. The move comes after nearly a year of restrictions designed to protect the U.S. livestock industry from the threat of New World Screwworm, a …
The American Peanut Research and Education Society has elected new officers for the coming year. They have just completed their convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The new officers include Dr. Greg McDonald. He is with the University of Florida. The president-elect is Shelly Nutt. She is with the Texas Peanut Producers Board. And the last president last year, the …
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve was established in 1975 to protect the U.S. from oil supply disruptions. The current supply in the reserve is the lowest in over 40 years. Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell another 5 million barrels last week. This is the 17th week in a row of a weekly drawdown, and it leaves total reserves at just 311 million …
The Invention That Changed Cattle Pest Control For cattle producers, controlling pests has always been essential to maintaining herd health and productivity. One of the most important innovations in livestock management came with the development of insecticide ear tags in the early 1970s—a breakthrough that dramatically reduced the impact of destructive pests that had plagued the cattle industry for decades. …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced $35 million available in response to the growing threat that feral swine have on American agriculture landscapes and human and livestock health. According to a press release by the USDA, quote, this partnership opportunity is part of a broader $105 million investment for the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program, where USDA’s …
Specialty crops in Georgia and Florida are being under attack with imports from Mexico and it’s causing a major problem. Tyler Harper, the Commissioner of Agriculture for Georgia, said as produce imports from Mexico continue to rise, American farmers face strong competition pressure all the time. He said in a letter he sent to the negotiator that it raises significant …
Land Grants: An Early Incentive That Strengthened a Young Nation During the American Revolutionary War, the newly forming United States faced enormous challenges, including building an effective military to fight for independence. According to Mark Oppold’s American Agriculture History Minute, one unique solution connected military service directly to the nation’s agricultural future. Rather than offering a traditional cash enlistment bonus, …
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended July 24, 2026, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions, for the week ended July 24, 2026, receipts at 16 markets totaled 8,454 head compared to 9,843 last week and 10,226 last …
The battle against the new world screwworm isn’t being fought with insecticides or fences. Instead, USDA is deploying an unusual weapon, millions of sterile flies. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s a proven strategy called the sterile insect technique or SIT. The idea is simple. Scientists raise screwworm flies in specialized facilities and expose them to gamma radiation, making …
The American Farm Bureau and other agricultural organizations have sent a letter to Washington urging them to help farmers currently. They said a combination of poor commodity prices, record high production costs, and shrinking margins have left many farm families with substantial uncovered losses and little working capital to fall back on for the next year. Farmers are still contending …
