Disease Issues in Alabama Corn and Soybeans

Dan Alabama, Corn, Soybeans

A combination of the rain, heat and humidity has been a recipe for diseases in the many row crop fields. Alabama Cooperative Extension System Plant Pathologist, Edward Sikora, recently said foliar diseases have become more prevalent on soybeans during the last several weeks. Sikora said the weather is mostly responsible for the higher levels of foliar disease pressure. He said approximately 80 …

Vilsack and Tai to Meet with USDA Ag Policy Committee

Dan Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Corn, Cotton, Dairy, Equine, Field Crops, Fruits, Grapefruit, Hemp, Lemons, Livestock, Marketing, Orange Juice, Peanuts, Pork, Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep-Goats, Soybeans, Specialty Crops, Trade, Tree Nuts, Vegetables, Wheat

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai will meet with the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee Friday. Topics include current and new trade deals, trade agreement implementation and concerns within the agreements. The committee, managed by the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, offers advice on U.S. trade policy. The committee consists of six technical …

Corn, Soybean Producers Benefit from U.S. Red Meat Exports

Dan Beef, Cattle, Corn, Exports/Imports, Soybeans

There is a new study out which shows how corn and soybean producers are benefiting from U.S. red meat exports. Both U.S. beef and pork exports brought critical returns to the corn and soybean industries in 2020. The independent study, conducted by World Perspectives, Inc., was released by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). And it shows U.S. beef and pork …

AFB President Disputes Administration Claims on New Capital Gains Tax

Dan Corn, Field Crops, Legislative, Regulation, Soybeans

American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duval pushed back against the Biden administration’s stance that most small family farmers will escape a proposed capital gains tax to replace the so-called “stepped-up basis.” Duval disputed the claim that a $2 million per couple exclusion on the gain on farm assets and that passed onto children, will let most off the hook on …

Fewer Cotton and Peanut Acres, More Corn and Soybeans

Dan Corn, Cotton, Field Crops, Peanuts, Soybeans, USDA-NASS

While the June 30 acreage report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) shows cotton and peanut acreage is down slightly, it indicates corn and soybean acreage is up slightly. The USDA-NASS report notes cotton growers planted 11.7 million acres this year, down 3 percent from 2020, while peanut growers planted 1.63 million acres in 2021, down two …

Supreme Court Delivers Blow to Ethanol Industry

Clint Thompson Corn

A Supreme Court ruling Friday left the biofuels industry disappointed. The Court overturned a 2020 appellate court ruling that struck down three small refinery exemptions granted by previous Environmental Protection Agency administrators. However, because certain elements of the appellate court ruling were left unchallenged and were not reviewed by the Supreme Court, the groups remain optimistic that the Biden administration …

Recognizing the Importance of the Beef Cattle Industry to Corn

Dan Beef, Cattle, Corn

May is National Beef Month, and according to the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) there’s no better way to celebrate than to recognize their largest animal ag customer and throw a sirloin on the grill this holiday weekend. According to NCGA, one out of four bushels of added corn demand is due to beef and pork exports. With such demand, NCGA recognizes the …

Safely Fumigating Grain Bins

Dan Corn, Field Crops, Peanuts, Soybeans, Wheat

While recent rains have slowed planting progress once again across the Southeast, storage of those grain crops being planted is something to think about. According to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), grain bin fumigation is a crucial but dangerous aspect of any grain farmer’s operation. They note the process of fumigating for pests begins well before grain enters the …

Expanded Use of E15 Benefits Farmers and Consumers Alike

Clint Thompson Corn

By Ashley Robinson Expanded availability and use of E15 will benefit farmers, consumers and the environment, says Kim Reddin, director of development for the Colorado Corn Administration. On March 12, the United States Environmental Protection Agency announced its approval of a change in fuel requirements that will allow E15 to be sold year-round in the Kansas City metro area, one …