In our weekly “Around the State with Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture Rick Pate”, there’s a new program that will help with the start-up and expansion of small and medium sized meat and poultry slaughter and processing plants in Alabama. Commissioner, can you tell us about it? Click here to learn more about the Alabama Meat Processing Program. That’s our weekly Around the …
Florida Lawmakers Wrap Up 2023 Legislative Session
Florida lawmakers wrapped up the 2023 legislative session Friday morning, a bit earlier in the day than normal. Florida Cattlemen’s Association (FCA) Director of Governmental Affairs, Sam Ard, told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman agriculture had a very good year in the session. To learn more, contact the FCA office in Kissimmee. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Track Record Well Received By …
USDA Opens Full-Time, Entry-Level Soil Conservationist Positions across U.S. as Part of Broader Effort to Implement the Inflation Reduction Act
(USDA-NRCS/WASHINGTON/May 5, 2023) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is quickly ramping up hiring of new team members to help implement $19.5 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for conservation programs, which is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. For example, NRCS opened job announcements this week for soil conservationists. This batch of job openings is part of a broader effort …
Latest Steps in Input for Cattle Contracts Library Pilot
In March of 2022, cattle producers across the country welcomed the new Contract Library Pilot Program. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) called the pilot program a critical tool, saying it marked a win for the U.S. cattle industry. The program is designed to equip producers with the market data needed to make informed business decisions and work to capture more value for producing the …
Farm Sector Real Estate Debt Hits Record High
New data from USDA’s Economic Research Service shows farm sector debt tied to real estate is expected to be at a record high of $375.9 billion in 2023. Farm sector real estate debt has been increasing continuously since 2009 and is expected to reach an amount that is 87.5 percent higher in 2023 compared with 2009 in inflation-adjusted dollars. Real …
Planting Factors to Consider for Peanut Producers
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Peanut Commission and University of Georgia (UGA) Peanut Team remind growers to be cautious about seed germination, make sure to use Thimet insecticide and ensure their plants have adequate moisture as planting season continues across the region. Scott Monfort, UGA Extension peanut agronomist, highlights the various factors when discussing the current planting season. “The biggest …
Forest Management and Water Yield Tool Development and Synthesis of Outcomes for Embedded Wetlands
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) continues to promote wetlands and the importance they provide, including a suite of ecosystem services. This involves everything from fish and wildlife habitat, microclimate regulation, nutrient and sediment capture and storage, water storage to reduce flooding, and carbon storage with resulting benefits for climate change mitigation. The scope of these services may be significantly affected …
International Trade: Why It’s Important to U.S. Pork Producers
May is World Trade Month, and in honor of that, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is highlighting the important role international trade plays for U.S. pork farmers and the U.S. economy. “U.S. pork farmers have built a global reputation for providing domestic and foreign markets with high-quality, safe, and affordable pork products,” said Lori Stevermer, NPPC’s President-elect and pork producer from …
Federal Recommendations on Nutrients Differ from Consumer Intake
A look into the nutrients we’re taking in, and how they compare to federal recommendations. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. U.S. consumers’ intakes of several key nutrients differ from Federal recommendations, and those differences are associated with where they obtain food. Researchers from USDA’s Economic Research Service examined diet patterns based on density—amounts of nutrients consumed per …
Strong Rebound in Demand for U.S. Beef in Mexico
U.S. beef exports to Mexico are off to a strong start in 2023, with shipments through February climbing 15% from a year ago in volume at just over 33,000 metric tons, and 13% higher in value at $186.3 million. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO, Dan Halstrom, says this is partly driven by the post-COVID recovery in Mexico’s restaurant and …