Leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees say the just-passed tax bill delivers lower taxes for farmers and ranchers. House Ag Chair Mike Conaway says: “From lower marginal rates to the treatment of pass-through income to improved small business expensing, this bill delivers for farmers, ranchers and all rural America.” Meanwhile, Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts says the legislation …
Sweet Orange Scab Affecting Citrus Fruit Detected in Baldwin County
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) officials have confirmed the first detection of sweet orange scab (SOS) in Alabama. The fruit sample was collected in Baldwin County by Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries’ (ADAI) plant protection inspectors during a delimiting survey for citrus greening disease. The Auburn University Plant Diagnostic Clinic provided the initial diagnosis of SOS, and USDA Animal …
Agriculture Groups Respond to Tax Reform Package
American Farm Bureau Tax Reform Package to Benefit Farmers, Ranchers The following may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “The tax reform package passed by Congress this week will result in lower taxes for the vast majority of farmers and ranchers. This tax overhaul includes many changes to the tax code, most notably lower individual tax …
Solutions to Citrus Greening Top 10 2017 UF/IFAS Stories
From lobsters to oranges, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences embraced stories of resilience and change during 2017. The top 10 stories for UF/IFAS during 2017 include finding ways to manage a disease that is crippling the citrus industry to helping lobstermen find damaged traps after Hurricane Irma to researchers discovering a new ant species in …
Ag, Business Community, Share Trade Concerns
A meeting with lawmakers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last week focused on trade. Hosted by Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson and others, the forum specifically focused on the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Business leaders, along with the agriculture industry, were included in the meeting. Wisconsin Farm Bureau President Jim Holte says the message was clear: trade is important. …
Turn Agronomics Into Economics
Syngenta is proud to offer AgriEdge Excelsior®, a proven whole-farm management program designed to help farmers navigate the markets and not just survive, but thrive. Ashley Green is an AgriEdge® Specialist for central and southern Minnesota. She says an important component of the program is the best-in-class farm management software, Land.db®. Software At a time when data is readily available through …
USDA Expands Flexibility, Encourages Program Integration in SNAP Administration
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) issued national program guidance that gives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) state operators new flexibility to make their operations more efficient while improving customer service. SNAP is unique among federal programs in that the law requires state civil servants (“merit system personnel”) to certify applicant households for benefits. The …
Improvements to Crop Insurance continue in 2018
USDA Strengthens Crop Insurance Program to keep Rural Economy Viable Changes to the Federal crop insurance program initiated in 2017 will continue into 2018. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) continues to improve the program, increasing its availability and effectiveness as a risk management tool while safeguarding the integrity of the program. In 2017, RMA had …
21 Counties in Florida as Primary Natural Disaster Areas with Assistance to Producers in Georgia
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 21 counties in Florida as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by Hurricane Irma that occurred from Sept. 9, 2017, through Sept. 12, 2017. Those counties are: Baker Hamilton Polk Citrus Hernando Putnam Clay Lafayette St. Johns Columbia Levy Seminole Dixie Manatee Suwannee Duval Nassau Union Flagler Pasco …
UF Studies Shows What Some Bugs Do for Love, Like Sacrificing a Leg
Males of many species must compete for mates, often using body parts scientists call “weapons” to defeat their opponent, survive and in some cases, produce more offspring, University of Florida researchers say. As an example, deer develop antlers, which help them compete with other male deer for female attention and to survive battles with predators in the wild kingdom. Now, …