outlook forum

2018 USDA Ag Outlook Forum Offers Pre-Forum Field Trips on Farming and Research

Dan Industry News Release, USDA-NRCS

Experience farming and ag research first hand with two Pre-Forum Field Trips prior to the 2018 Agricultural Outlook Forum. Early arrivals may take part in two tour options on Wednesday, Feb. 21; the Forum takes place on Feb. 22-23 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Crystal City, Virginia. Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro, Md. will host a farm conservation tour …

seeds

Syngenta Acquires Satellite Imagery Innovator

Dan Industry News Release, Technology

Syngenta has acquired FarmShots, Inc., a North Carolina-based innovator of high-resolution satellite imagery that detects plant health by analyzing absorbed light from field images. In a company news release (see below), Syngenta says FarmShots was developed to help farmers, agronomists and retailers quickly and accurately spot field issues caused by planter skips, emergence, insect feeding, poor plant nutrition, crop diseases, …

southern plains

Southern Plains Drought Becoming “Rapidly Dire”

Dan Drought, Industry News Release, Weather

The latest Drought Monitor released Thursday suggests the situation in the Southern Plains is becoming “rapidly dire.” February 14th marked the 124th consecutive day without rain in Amarillo, Texas, and the 98th consecutive day without measurable precipitation for Lubbock, Texas. The western half of Oklahoma and northern Texas are classified in an extreme drought, with nearly all of both states …

nafta

NAFTA Exit Would Trigger 15 cent Mexican Sugar Tariff

Dan Industry News Release, Trade

Withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would revert the U.S. tariff on sugar imports from Mexico to 15 cents per-pound, the level in place before NAFTA went into effect. A trade adviser to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told a meeting of the sweetener industry this week that NAFTA eliminated the U.S. tariff on sugar, but Mexican sugar …

epa

Growth Energy: More Biofuels Vital to Improving U.S. Energy Outlook

Dan Energy, Industry News Release

Federal forecasts in the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) newly released Annual Energy Outlook 2018 (AEO2018) demonstrate a clear and growing need for U.S. biofuels says Chris Bliley, vice president of regulatory affairs at Growth Energy. The EIA “reference” case, which contains projections through 2050 based on current trends and regulations, predicts an 18 percent increase in miles traveled by …

grains

Study Of U.S. Grains Council ROI

Dan Industry News Release, Wheat

$20 In Tax Revenue For Every $1 In Farm Bill Spending On Export Market Development Spending on overseas market development for U.S. feed grains and related products increased the value of those exports by an average of $1.71 billion per year from 2010 to 2014 and increased U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by an average of $5 billion per year, …

Ron Craft to Lead the National Cotton Council in 2018

Dan Cotton, Industry News Release

Ron Craft, a cotton producer and fifth-generation ginner from Plains, Texas, was elected National Cotton Council chairman for 2018. Named during the NCC’s 2018 annual meeting held in Fort Worth, Texas on February 9-11, Craft moves up from NCC vice chairman to succeed Ronnie Lee, a cotton producer from Bronwood, Georgia. Active in many state and national farm and gin …

predators

Farm Thefts Could Draw Heftier Penalties

Dan Cattle, Industry News Release, Specialty Crops

Getting caught stealing a registered beehive would have a deeper sting under a measure advancing in the Senate. The Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday unanimously approved a proposal (SB 776) that would boost the criminal fine for theft of a commercially farmed animal or a bee colony from $5,000 to $10,000. Committee Chairwoman Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, said increased fines are …

decisions

Seed Cotton Program Good for Georgia Agriculture

Dan Cotton, Industry News Release

In the wee hours of February 9, 2018, both houses of congress passed the Bi-Partisan Budget Agreement of 2018, which the President signed later that morning.  Within this legislation, a safety net program for seed cotton, the unginned cotton that producers harvest, was established.  This makes cotton a covered commodity under Title 1 of the Farm Bill, of which cotton …