In our weekly “Around the State with Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture Rick Pate”, last week the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) held their annual meeting in Wyoming. Commissioner, I understand you were there so can you tell us a bit about this event? NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries, and directors of …
APHIS Finalizes Changes to Import Regulations for Horses
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is finalizing amendments to its import regulations for horses. These amendments will better align our regulations with international standards and allow more flexibility for permitted imports, while continuing to mitigate the risk of bringing equine diseases into the United States. The regulations also provide APHIS with …
Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 09-15-2023
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended September 15, 2023, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions, for the week ended- September 15, 2023, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 18,009 head compared to 14,371 last week and …
More Numbers from USDA Forecast for 2023 Peanut Crop
Tyron Spearman runs through even more numbers from USDA’s September forecast for the 2023 peanut crop. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida 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, 2026
Pasture and Rangeland Poor Conditions Continue to Expand
Continued dryness over much of the country is behind the growing very poor to poor pasture and rangeland condition ratings for the nation as a whole. Rod Bain has the story. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey has more information about pasture and rangeland in the very-poor to poor condition category by state. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement …
September is National Chicken Month
September is National Chicken Month, celebrating the most-consumed meat in the U.S. Two-thirds of all chickens in America are raised in Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Texas. Chicken is also one of the top agricultural exports for the U.S. Foreign markets are increasingly important, accounting for $4.4 billion and 16 percent of world production in 2022. The U.S. …
Few US Adults Rate Their Diet Good or Excellent
How good is your diet? Few of us would say it’s excellent. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. New data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) show Americans don’t have high ratings for their diets. In the period covering January 2017 to March 2020, just under three in ten adults, or 29 percent, reported the healthfulness of their …
USDA Announces Projects to Boost Access to Green Space for Millions
Historic funding from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act will increase urban tree cover, boost equitable access to nature, and improve climate resilience in communities covered by the Justice40 Initiative (USDA/WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2023) — Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service is awarding more than $1 billion in competitive grants to plant and maintain …
Kildee’s Request for Farm Bill Sugar Policy
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. That’s the resounding message from Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee (D-MI-08) when it comes to the nation’s sugar policy. “We have a system right now that ensures that domestically grown sugar is sold into the markets before we allow for competition to come from offshore. This kind of protection allows American sugar growers to …
U.S. Peanut Production Forecast Up 14 Percent
USDA released their September crop production estimates Tuesday, and in that report they note the U.S. peanut crop is now expected to be two percent higher than last month’s projection. According to Tyron Spearman, that’s up fourteen percent from last year’s crop. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher …