Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 08-14-2020

Clint Thompson Alabama, Cattle, Florida, Georgia, Livestock

Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended August 14, 2020, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report:  At Alabama Livestock Auctions receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 12,600 head compared to 13,268 last week and 11,315 year ago. Compared to one week …

Farmers, Ranchers and Landowners Doing Their Part to Improve Water Quality

Clint Thompson Florida, USDA-NRCS

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Aug. 14, 2020 – Drive across Florida and you will see evidence of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) work on the landscape. Conservation practices such as riparian forest buffers, restored wetlands, contour strips and fields planted with protective cover are just a few visible signs of the agency’s work in our state. NRCS conservationists in Florida work …

July Equipment Sales Numbers Climb High Despite Uncertainty

Clint Thompson Alabama, Florida, Georgia

July was the fourth-consecutive positive month in the U.S. for overall unit sales of agricultural tractors and self-propelled combines. July numbers in Canada were also positive for the second-straight month. The latest information from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers says U.S. total farm tractor sales rose 34% in July when compared to July 2019. June’s self-propelled combine sales grew 33.6%. …

Cotton Farmers Need to Monitor for Stink Bug Populations

Clint Thompson Alabama, Cotton, Florida, Georgia

The time is now for cotton farmers to monitor stink bug populations. But University of Georgia Extension cotton entomologist Phillip Roberts pleads with growers not to apply insecticides if you do not have to. Let beneficial insects do their job, which could also help with the current whitefly outbreak. “If you use an insecticide to kill stink bugs, you’re going …

2020 State Officer Team Elected

Clint Thompson Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida FFA Association is pleased to announce the election of the 2020-2021 State FFA Officers. Each year, the delegates at the annual state FFA convention elect a team of student officers to lead the organization for the coming year. Serving as a state officer is a distinguished honor held by only eight students each year. State …

USDA Has Programs to Help Small-Scale Meat Processors

Clint Thompson Alabama, Beef, Florida, Georgia

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, many across the country have looked at what it would take to get meat supplies from those closer to home. According to a story from Stephanie Ho, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) actually has programs that can help small-scale meat processors. USDA’s Undersecretary for Food Safety, Mindy Brashears, says the pandemic has underscored the …

Cotton Board Recommends $80 Million Cotton Incorporated Budget to Ag Secretary

Clint Thompson Alabama, Cotton, Florida, Georgia

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) – The Cotton Board recently held its 2020 annual meeting. During this virtual meeting, board members serving the Cotton Research and Promotion Program reviewed, analyzed and voted to recommend Cotton Incorporated’s 2021 budget of $80 million to the Secretary of Agriculture. This budget recommendation reflects a decrease of over $8 million from 2020. Even with decreased funding, the …

Rising Crop Production Estimates for Corn and Beans

Clint Thompson Alabama, Corn, Florida, Georgia, Soybeans

It was not a question of if but how much corn and soybean crop production estimates increased from the previous year. Rod Bain has the latest corn, soybean and winter wheat numbers from USDA’s August Crop Production reports. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Plays Critical Role To Extend ResearchNovember 7, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Funded …

U.S. Peanut Production Forecast Up 13%

Clint Thompson Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Peanuts

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its 2020 crop production estimates today. Tyron Spearman reports the new forecast shows a 13% increase from last year’s peanut crop. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Plays Critical Role To Extend ResearchNovember 7, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Funded Research Impactful for the Future of the Florida Cattle IndustryOctober …

U.S. Cotton Production Down from Last Year

Clint Thompson Alabama, Cotton, Florida, Georgia

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released its August crop reports today and Chris Hawthorn, field crops section head with NASS in Washington D.C., says the U.S. cotton production estimate is down 9% from last year’s crop. All cotton production is forecast at 18.1 million 480-pound bales, down 9% from 2019. All cotton planted area totaled 12.2 million acres, unchanged from …