High demand for meat is translating into mostly higher prices. Stephanie Ho has more details. 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
Crops Sector Received 65% of PPP Loans for Agriculture in 2020
Information updated by USDA’s Economic Research Service Wednesday shows 65 percent of Paycheck Protection Program 2020 agriculture funds went crop farms, with the rest for livestock. Last year, farmers and ranchers could use forgivable loans from the program to help keep employees on payroll and offset some of their operating costs. The maximum PPP loan amount was 2.5 times the …
Citrus Industry Seeks to Maintain Funding, Eyes Research
Despite a predicted drop in citrus production across Florida, orange juice sales are tracking up. And according to the News Service of Florida, the industry wants lawmakers to maintain current amounts of state marketing and research funding next fiscal year. Meanwhile, efforts to combat citrus greening disease could soon lead to a new University of Florida-backed variety of citrus on …
Larger Livestock Loans Boost Farm Lending
Demand for livestock loans grew in the third quarter, boosting agricultural lending activity. However, demand for operating loans was more subdued, and total non-real estate lending remained near its average of the past decade. The Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Wednesday said the average size of loans for some livestock categories reached an all-time high and contributed to the increased …
Legislation Introduced to Provide Pricing Leverage for Cattle Producers
Wednesday, Ranking Member of the Livestock & Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Dusty Johnson (R-S.D) and Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) introduced the bipartisan Cattle Contract Library Act of 2021 (H.R. 5609), which would create a library for cattle contracts within the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service. Currently, USDA maintains a pork contract library, and following significant volatility in the cattle market and the release of the …
Commissioner Nikki Fried on TS Elsa Secretarial Disaster Designation for Three Florida Counties
(Tallahassee, FL/October 20, 2021) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has informed Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) that it has granted a Secretarial disaster designation in several counties in Georgia and Florida due to losses caused by Tropical Storm Elsa, excessive wind, and excessive rainfall that occurred on July 7, 2021. With this designation, impacted producers …
Growth in Tractor Sales Continues to Outpace 2020
Overall sales of tractors continue their growth above an already-hot pace set in 2020, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. U.S. total farm tractor sales climbed 2.5 percent in September compared to 2020. The sub-40 horsepower category stayed moderately positive, growing 0.4 percent, while the mid-size 41-100 horsepower segment was up 2.4 percent. Heavy-duty units saw another big month, …
Strong Cotton Demand and Lower Production Leads to Strong Prices
A strong demand for cotton, coupled with lower production, is leading to stronger forecast prices. Stephanie Ho has more details. 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, …
House Ag Committee Dems Want Ag Spending Preserved
House Ag Committee Chair David Scott and fellow Democrats sent a letter to House and Senate leadership asking them to preserve the ag spending provisions in the Build Back Better Act. They point out that the provisions included in the agriculture portion of the Build Back Better Act will make transformative investments that will benefit agricultural producers and rural communities …
Higher Loan Limit Now Available for USDA Guaranteed Farm Loans
This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced higher loan limits will be available for borrowers seeking a guaranteed farm loan. The loan limit, as of October 1, 2021, went from $1.776 million to $1.825 million. FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said “Farm loans are critical for our customers’ annual operating and family living expenses, emergency needs, and cash flow.” …