New Cotton Crop Could Bring Strong Prices

Dan Cotton, Economy

Across the Southeast, planting of the 2022 cotton crop continues to move along like normal. And while some cotton growers in other areas of the country have been struggling to plant the new crop, Gary Crawford reports this year’s cotton crop has a pretty good outlook when it comes to price. Sponsored ContentWhat Sets Provysol® Fungicide ApartJuly 8, 2025CIR Agriculture …

Record Fuel Prices in Florida

Dan Economy, Florida

(TALLAHASSEE/NSF/May 13, 2022) — Gas prices in Florida are at an all-time high, up seven cents per gallon since yesterday, and 28 cents higher than one week ago. According to Triple A Auto Club, the average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded fuel in Florida is now four dollars and 47 cents per gallon, which is four cents higher …

Peanut Market Remains Quiet

Dan Economy, Peanuts

With the 2022 peanut crop being planted, the market remains quiet. Tyron Spearman reports some farmers are planting without contracts. Sponsored ContentWhat Sets Provysol® Fungicide ApartJuly 8, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024

AEM Releases April 2022 Equipment Sales Numbers

Dan Economy

Tractor and combine sales declined in April for the second month in a row, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). U.S. total farm tractor sales fell 22.3 percent in April compared to 2021, while combine sales for the month declined 5.6 percent. Total farm tractor sales are now down 13.7 percent year-to-date, while combines are down 14.5 percent. …

Vilsack: ‘Don’t Lose Sight of Farm Families’

Dan Agri-Business, Economy, Legislative

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made a plea to the Senate Ag Appropriations Committee in an effort to get help for the nation’s farmers and ranchers who are struggling. The committee met this week to review President Biden’s budget proposal for the Department of Agriculture. “I represented farmers during the 1980s as a small-town lawyer. I can tell you the pain. I can …

Beef Export Value Sets another Record

Dan Beef, Cattle, Economy, Exports/Imports

According to new data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), U.S. beef exports soared to another new value record in March. Pork exports that month were the largest so far this year, but well below the record-large totals posted in March 2021. Beef exports totaled 126,285 metric tons (mt) …

USDA Updates Livestock Insurance Options to Offer Better Protection, Flexibility

Dan Cattle, Economy, Livestock

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has updated three key crop insurance options for livestock producers: the Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP), Livestock Gross Margin (LGM), and Livestock Risk Protection (LRP). USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) revised the insurance options to reach more producers, offer greater flexibility for protecting their operations, and ultimately, better meet the needs of the country’s swine, …

USDA to Provide $50 Million in Support to U.S. Cotton and Wool Apparel Manufacturers Impacted by the Pandemic

Dan Economy, Sheep-Goats, USDA-FSA

(WASHINGTON, May 5, 2022) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a commitment of $50 million to assist eligible apparel manufacturers of worsted wool suits, sport coats, pants, or Pima cotton dress shirts; Pima cotton spinners; and wool fabric manufacturers and wool spinners. The new Cotton and Wool Apparel (CAWA) program is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative and the …

Producer Sentiment Improves Despite Inflation Worries

Dan Economy

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer improved in April, rising eight points to a reading of 121. However, that remains 32 percent below its level from the same time last year. Producer perspectives on current conditions and future expectations saw an uptick over the past month. The Index of Current Conditions improved seven points to a reading of 120, …

Vilsack Requests Higher USDA Budget

Dan Economy

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack says his department’s lost thousands of staffers in recent years, and the latest USDA budget request tries to recoup some of those losses. USDA’s fiscal year 2023 budget request of close to 24 billion dollars is up more than 2 billion or 10-percent from this year, and part of that is to make up personnel losses. …