Enrollment Expected to Begin this Summer The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced this week that the January 2019 income over feed cost margin was $7.99 per hundredweight, triggering the first payment for eligible dairy producers who purchase the appropriate level of coverage under the new but yet-to-be established Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program. DMC, which replaces …
Livestock Haulers’ Hours of Service Petition Comment Period Closes March 8
The public comment period closes March 8, 2019 for a joint petition requesting a temporary modification of hours of service (HOS) requirements for livestock, fish, and bee haulers. The petition was filed on Oct. 15 by the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA), National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), American Beekeeping Federation, American Honey Producers Association, and the …
USDA Strengthens Partnerships and Protections to Keep ASF Out of the Country
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced additional steps to keep African swine fever (ASF) from entering the United States, even as the disease spreads internationally. These steps strengthen the protections announced last fall after the deadly swine disease reached China. The goal remains to protect our nation’s swine industry from this disease. ASF does not affect people, nor …
Georgia Natural Resources Conservation Workshop Scholarships
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia wants high school students to know that over $17,000 in college scholarships will be on the line for those attending this year’s Natural Resources Conservation Workshop (NRCW), June 9-13 at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) in Tifton. In a release, NRCW Interim Director, Kip Hall, said “The workshop provides an excellent opportunity …
Farm Groups Demand Justice for North Carolina Hog Farmers
A judgment stemming from a $50 million verdict must be overturned, farm groups told a federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia. Earlier last year, juries in three separate trials in Raleigh, North Carolina, awarded punitive damages of more than $500 million to neighbors of North Carolina hog farms. Plaintiffs claimed the odor and truck noise related to the farms should …
Survey: Producers Less Optimistic Regarding Farm Economy
The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer weakened in February as producers became less optimistic about current economic conditions and the commodity price outlook. The barometer, which is based on a survey of 400 U.S. agricultural producers, declined seven points to a reading of 136, down from 143 in January. A rating below 100 is negative, while a rating above …
Year-round E15 Rulemaking Moves Forward
The Environmental Protection Agency this week sent a draft rule to allow for year-round sales of E15 to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. This is the next step in the regulatory process and meeting expectations that the rulemaking can be completed when the summer driving season begins June first. In a statement, National Corn Growers …
It Could Be Lights Out for Some Diseases and Pests in Strawberries
Natalia Peres envisions a day when light from a machine that resembles a spacecraft helps prevent powdery mildew from causing much damage to strawberries. Peres, a professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, works with a global group of scientists studying how to use ultraviolet light to suppress plant pathogens. Powdery mildew …
DeSantis Could Come Up Short on Environment Money
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ request for $625 million next year for environmental projects, including Everglades restoration, may be “pushing” the limits of a budget expected to be taxed because of the response to Hurricane Michael. Senate President Bill Galvano said Tuesday he supports environmental efforts that include combating a potential return of red tide and helping communities shift from septic tanks …
Auburn Opens New Addition to Research Complex
One of the nation’s largest food industries will soon find its innovation hub in Alabama, thanks to Auburn University’s new Charles C. Miller Poultry Research and Education Center. The 30-acre, multi-facility complex will celebrate the opening of its newest facility, an administration and classroom building, April 10 at 3 p.m. Current and planned Miller Center facilities and technologies reflect every …