The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) showed its “The Original Wellness Drink” videos about Florida orange juice (OJ) within major airports during the holiday season. These 15- and 30-second videos played throughout multiple markets via airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, New York, Orlando, Tampa/Sarasota and Washington, D.C. The ads ran from Thanksgiving week through New Year’s Eve, targeting at least six …
USDA Funding Projects to Protect against Invasive Pests and Diseases
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced they are allocating more than $70 million to support 372 projects under the Plant Protection Act’s Section 7721 program to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, and threat mitigation; to safeguard the nursery production system; and to respond to plant pest emergencies. Universities, states, federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, nonprofits, …
Flowering Shrubs that are Excellent Attractors of Pollinators
Some of the best flowering shrubs for pollinators. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Bluebeard is a late-season bloomer with powder-puff blue, pink, or purple flowers on compact plants with gray-green foliage. Selections offering variegated or chartreuse foliage are also available. Its flowers are very very attractive to butterflies. Weigela, popular with hummingbirds, Weigela’s red or pink trumpet-shape flowers …
American Agricultural Exports Shattered Records in 2021
According to the final 2021 trade data published this morning by the U.S. Department of Commerce, exports of U.S. farm and food products to the world totaled $177 billion, topping the 2020 total by 18 percent and eclipsing the previous record set in 2014 by 14.6 percent. “These record-breaking trade numbers demonstrate that U.S. agriculture is incredibly resilient as it …
New Data Confirms Peanuts are More Water Efficient than Ever
The water footprint of peanuts has been relatively small for decades, but updated data shows the industry has improved water efficiency by nearly a third. According to the National Peanut Board (NPB), newly released data shows 3.2 gallons of water is used to produce one ounce of shelled peanuts. Water usage for major tree nuts has also improved but remains higher than …
Georgia Cattlemen’s Convention is Next Week
Georgia cattle producers are being reminded the 2022 Georgia Cattlemen’s Association Convention is coming up next week. The 60th Annual Convention will be held on Feb. 16-18 in Savannah. Dale Sandlin, executive vice president of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association (GCA), says this convention will be a significant change from the past few years. Sandlin said with the convention being held in Savannah instead of Perry, …
ACA Promoting Beef Checkoff News
Alabama was well represented last week during the Cattle Industry Convention in Houston. That includes Alabama Cattlemen’s Association’s (ACA) Director of Education and Outreach, Ali Cantrell. She told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman a couple of big stories concerning the Beef Checkoff were discussed last week. To learn more about Beef Checkoff funded activities in Alabama, contact the ACA office in Montgomery, or …
USDA to Invest $1 Billion in Climate Smart Commodities
Monday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will deliver on its promise to expand markets by investing $1 billion in partnerships to support America’s climate-smart farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. The new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity will finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, …
Record-Large Beef Exports Fuel Optimism
U.S. beef exports were near $10 billion in November, already shattering previous records, as we await the final numbers from December. Thus, international trade and the returns exports deliver for the U.S. industry were major topics of discussion during last week’s Cattle Industry Convention. Joe Schuele, with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), has more details. Through November, beef exports …
USDA-NASS Reports 2 Percent Drop in Sheep Inventory
Increased slaughter of mature sheep in 2021, thanks to drought and high mature ewe slaughter prices, played a role in a 2 percent decrease in the American sheep inventory as reported by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). As of Jan. 1, the American sheep and lamb inventory totaled 5.07 million head. Breeding sheep inventory was 3.71 million head, down 2 …