The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced its investment of more than $75 million to state and national projects regarding agriculture and natural resources. More than $5 million will be dedicated to the state of Florida and more than $70 million will be utilized towards protecting the United States from invasive plants and species. FLORIDA FUNDING  The USDA’s Animal …
Final Payments to be Issued to Producers Impacted by 2020 and 2021 Natural Disasters
(USDA-FSA/WASHINGTON/Feb. 6, 2024) — The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing final Emergency Relief Program (ERP) payments totaling approximately $306 million to eligible commodity and specialty crop producers who incurred losses due to natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will begin issuing these additional payments to eligible producers this week. “In the natural disaster recovery …
UGA Extension Peanut Agronomist: Focus on Seed Quality, Weather Ahead of Planting Season
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Peanut Commission and University of Georgia (UGA) Peanut Team advise Georgia peanut producers planning for the 2024 season not to base their decision making on what happened in 2023. Scott Monfort, UGA Extension peanut agronomist, believes last season was an anomaly, a confluence of events that’s not likely to happen again. “Last year, it seemed …
GCC Executive Director: Cotton is Still King in Textile Space
The Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) remains committed to being an advocate for its farmers and the cotton industry in 2024. AgNet Media’s Randall Weiseman talked with Taylor Sills, executive director of the GCC, at last week’s annual meeting in Tifton, Georgia. Sills highlighted the issue the commission is tackling with planting season just around the corner. “The No. 1 priority …
USDA Rule Amends Certain FMMOs
The USDA published a final rule that amends the transportation credit balancing fund provisions in the Appalachian and Southeast Federal Milk Marketing Orders. It also establishes distributing plant delivery credits in the Appalachian, Florida, and Southeast FMMOs. The final rule is a result of a hearing held February 28-March 2, 2023, in Tennessee. The hearing highlighted a long-standing milk deficit …
NCBA Promoting Trailblazers Program
Driving the demand for beef starts at the grassroots with a strong network of advocates willing to share beef’s positive message. That’s why the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, developed the Trailblazers program. Chandler Mulvaney, director of grassroots advocacy & spokesperson development at NCBA, talked with Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman at the 2024 Cattle Industry Convention and …
GCC Hosts Annual Meeting
The Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) held its annual winter meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at the University of Georgia (UGA) Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. Topics like the farm bill and Cotton Trust Protocol were on the agenda, as were strategies presented by UGA specialists for growers trying to manage pests, diseases and other challenges related to cotton …
USDA Investing in Food Waste Reduction Projects
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced it is investing approximately $11.5 million in agreements that support innovative, scalable waste management plans to reduce and divert food waste from landfills. The Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) cooperative agreements, which are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, are part of USDA’s broad support for urban agriculture. The program is jointly …
Boddiford Elected Chairman of GPC
Joe Boddiford, peanut farmer from Sylvania, Georgia, was elected chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) during the January monthly board meeting. This is Boddiford’s third consecutive term serving as chairman. “I look forward to working with Georgia peanut farmers and our industry partners to help enhance the peanut industry and the profitability of farmers,” Boddiford says. “Farmers can contact …
USDA Releases 2022 Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the 2022 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary, which shows that over 99% of the samples tested had pesticide residues below benchmark levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The tests were conducted on 10,665 samples from 23 commodities including fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, dairy, nuts and grains. The PDP …