USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist for Alabama, Ben Malone, announced that eligible producers interested in the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program’s Wetlands Reserve Easements (WRE) and Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) components should apply for program funds by January 19, 2018 at their local NRCS service center. Under the Wetlands Reserve Easements component, financial assistance is available for landowners …
Optimism for a 2018 Farm Bill is Fading
A Senior GOP Ag Senator says his optimism for a 2018 farm bill is fading, after months of delay in starting to write a bill in committee. Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s less hopeful now than a few months ago, that the Senate will pass a 2018 farm bill soon. Farm Bill But, that was before the Senate got mired …
Monsanto Offering Incentive for XtendiMax with VaporGrip Herbicide
Monsanto is offering an incentive for U.S. farmers who buy a dicamba-based herbicide. The incentive to use XtendiMax with VaporGrip could refund farmers over half the sticker price of the product in 2018 if they spray the herbicide on soybeans Monsanto engineered to resist the weed killer, according to Reuters. However, further restriction on dicamba-based herbicides are in place for …
USDA Predicts Less Corn in Storage in Latest WASDE
The latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report released Tuesday by the Department of Agriculture predicts lower corn stocks. USDA predicts that about 2.43 billion bushels of corn will be in storage at the end of the 2018 marketing year, down from a previous estimate of 2.48 billion. USDA expects 50 more million bushels of corn will be …
Senate Ag Committee Approves Vaden as USDA General Counsel
Despite concerns, the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the nomination of Stephen Vaden as the Department of Agriculture’s general counsel this week. The nomination moves on to the full Senate for a vote. The committee approved the nomination on a 14 to 7 vote, Senate Agriculture ranking Democrat Debbie Stabenow, along with fellow Democrats Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Donnelly, joined all …
USDA Ends Prevented Planting +10 Percent Option
The Department of Agriculture has ended a ten percent higher crop insurance coverage option for prevented planting claims. In a memo sent out to insurers and USDA’s Risk Management Agency field offices, USDA eliminated the Prevented Planting +10 Percent Option for the 2018 crop year and future crop years. USDA kept the five percent option for farmers, though analysis shows …
Chairman Roberts: “Trade Is More Than a Product Crossing a Border”
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts says “trade is more than a product crossing a border,” in a speech while outlining all facets of seed planted in the U.S. may lead to during its export journey, including the combine, processing facilities and employees along the way. The comments come as worry remains that the U.S. may withdraw from the North …
McKinney: Farmers Need NAFTA Backup Plan
Farmers need a backup plan if the U.S. exits the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), according to a top Department of Agriculture official. Ted McKinney, USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, told Agriculture.com that he “would advise anybody to be prepared with contingencies,” despite the administration knowing “very well where the farm and ag industries stand.” The …
American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture Building Ag Literacy
Celebrating 50 years, the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, among other things, is creating educational resources to address ag literacy. Foundation board of directors member Hilary Maricle says the Foundation works to build bonds of trust between consumers and farmers and ranchers Foundation This year, the Foundation gave away 50 teacher resource grants, created a free ag careers curriculum …
Citrus Forecast Drop Spurs More Calls for Relief
Florida agriculture leaders say the latest projected decline in citrus production underscores a dire need for federal disaster relief after Hurricane Irma. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated Tuesday that Florida will grow enough oranges to fill a decades-low 46 million 90-pound boxes, 8 percent less than in a November estimate. Meanwhile, grapefruit production held at 4.65 million boxes in …