State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Thursday requested a federal disaster declaration for 17 counties after Hurricane Ian caused widespread damage to farms and ranches. Fried sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture pointing to farm and ranch losses in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Seminole …
Senator Rubio Tours Florida Citrus Groves Damaged by Hurricane Ian
Prior to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) initial citrus forecast presented during a luncheon at Putnam Ranch in Zolfo Springs, Florida, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), joined by Congressional members Kat Cammack (R-FL) and Scott Franklin (R-FL), toured citrus groves devastated by Hurricane Ian. Sen. Rubio explained to AgNet Media what he saw during those tours. And Rubio explained what …
September Combine Sales Grew, Tractors Fell
Combine harvester sales grew in September for the U.S. market, but total tractors sales fell. According to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), total U.S. ag equipment unit sales stayed above the 5-year average for the second month since April 2022. U.S. self-propelled combine sales for the month grew 6.6 percent, slowing the previous month’s gains. The unit …
Florida Ag Producers Impacted by Hurricane Ian May be Eligible for Emergency Conservation Program Assistance
Agricultural producers who suffered severe damage from Hurricane Ian, may be eligible for assistance under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). But, to be eligible, USDA approval is required before producers can begin repair efforts. Deborah Tannebaum, State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Florida, explained to Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman what land is …
Reports Could Indicate another Interest Rate Hike
Updated reports may indicate another hike in interest rates. Mark Oppold has more details. Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares Origins of Florida Cattle Enhancement BoardNovember 14, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 8, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Plays Critical Role To Extend ResearchNovember 7, 2025
Keeping an Eye on Crude Oil
The price of fuel had been seeing a steady drop, but that has changed in the past week or so. Mark Oppold reports many folks are keeping an eye on crude oil. Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares Origins of Florida Cattle Enhancement BoardNovember 14, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 8, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Plays Critical Role To Extend ResearchNovember 7, 2025
Lauderdale County, Alabama, Designated as Primary Natural Disaster Area
This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of …
Senators Propose Funding Increase for Marketing Programs
A group of Senators recently introduced legislation to increase annual funding for USDA International Marketing Programs, the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development Program (FMD). U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom says while MAP and FMD have received steady funding from Congress and the programs have strong, bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, MAP funding has remained static since …
USDA Call Center Available to Assist Agricultural Producers with Hurricane Ian Recovery
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established a call center that is available to assist agricultural producers with Hurricane Ian recovery. Florida agricultural operations have been significantly impacted by the hurricane, so for producers located in counties where the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) local infrastructure has been impacted, the agency has established state-specific toll-free information lines where producers …
Thune Introduces Bill to Improve Livestock Disaster Assistance
Senators John Thune and Ben Ray Luján recently introduced the Livestock Disaster Assistance Improvement Act. The bipartisan legislation by the South Dakota Republican and New Mexico Democrat would improve the effectiveness and timeliness of multiple Department of Agriculture programs that assist farmers and ranchers in the aftermath of adverse weather events. The legislation would also provide USDA with direction to …