While attending the annual Cattle Industry Convention last week in New Orleans, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was asked by Southeast AgNet what message he had for farmers and ranchers affected by Hurricane Michael this past October.
Farmer Sentiment Improves in January
Farmers had more optimism about the agriculture economy in January than they had in previous months. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t have concerns. The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer says one of their biggest worries is farmland values. The January reading of 143 was a 16-point jump over December. The survey was the first opportunity to measure how …
Sign-Up Deadline Extensions for FSA Programs
Producers eligible for disaster assistance under several Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs now have more time to sign up. Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey discusses some of the extended FSA program sign-up periods.
Markets Expected to Continue Strong; Leverage Shift on the Horizon
During the first half of 2019, the United States will see a shift away from El Niño conditions as equatorial ocean currents begin to cool into the summer, Art Douglas, Ph. D., professor emeritus at Creighton University, told the audience during the popular 2019 CattleFax Outlook Seminar today. The session, held as part of the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and …
Market Facilitation Program Sign-Up Deadline Extended
Eligible producers now have more time to sign-up for the latest round of a USDA assistance program created due to trade disruptions. Rod Bain has more. Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey discusses what has transpired over the last two months regarding sign-up for the latest round of a USDA program assisting producers affected by trade disruptions.
Senators Perdue, Isakson Continue Fight For Agriculture Disaster Relief
Introduce Package To Assist Farmers Recovering From Hurricane, Wildfire Damage U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-GA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) introduced a supplemental disaster relief package to provide critical funding for Georgia and other states recovering from recent hurricane and wildfire damage. “Farmers in Georgia and other states across the country are hurting from historic hurricanes and devastating wildfires,” said Senator Perdue, …
Commissioner Nikki Fried and Dignitaries Discuss Hurricane Damage and Recovery
On Monday, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried, State Senator George Gainer (R-Panama City), State Representative Brad Drake (R-DeFuniak Springs) and Florida Forest Service Director Jim Karels toured Hurricane Michael-damaged Jackson County and surrounding areas and discussed hurricane damage and ongoing recovery efforts and needs. The group toured several agricultural operations including timber, cotton and soybean farms in Jackson and Calhoun counties, and met with state forest …
Land and Water Money Considered in Storm Recovery
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried indicated Monday she could back a legislative proposal to use money voters designated for land and water projects to help recovery efforts from Hurricane Michael. After reviewing agricultural damages Monday, Fried said at Chipola College in Marianna that her office was looking into a proposal (SB 376) by Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, that would designate at …
USDA Employees Back at Work
The partial government shutdown is over, at least until February 15th. In a story from Tyron Spearman, USDA employees are back at work today.
Tariff Mitigation Payments May Not Be What Was Expected
A senior USDA official says the amount of money sent to farmers to help mitigate the financial damage from the trade war may not be as much as expected. An Agriculture Dot Com article quotes USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey as saying up to two-thirds of the Trump trade aid payments were made by early January. Northey says, “up to …