According to information released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in January 2021 U.S. beef and pork exports opened the year below the large volumes posted in 2020. The data, compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), shows beef exports totaled 105,047 metric tons (mt) in January, down 2% from a year ago, while value slipped 3% …
Native Legume for Improving Pastures in the Southern U.S.
Legumes are plants within the bean family capable of fixing nitrogen. Legumes can enhance conservation tillage systems, improve soil quality, reduce nitrogen requirements on row crops and pasture lands, enhance wildlife habitat, enhance pasture and hay land quality, and reduce soil erosion in cropland and critical areas. Warm and cool-season legume species produce high-quality forage and seed throughout the year …
Farmers Gain Improved Access to Small Business Support as PPP Reopens
(NMPF) — The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) is pleased that farmers who run their operations as sole proprietors, independent contractors, or otherwise self-employed individuals will have newly expanded access as soon as today to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under changes made in the COVID stimulus package Congress approved last month. Producers who were denied PPP loans or whose …
Sheep Producers Continue to Deal with Predator Control
Predator control is an important aspect of sheep production across the U.S. Of course there have been a number of challenges when using lethal control, but many producers still rely on these methods to remove problem predators. This was a topic discussed this month in the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) Research Update. Michael Bodenchuck, with Wildlife Services, has many …
Confirmation of COVID-19 in Snow Leopard at a Kentucky Zoo
(USDA/APHIS) — The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) announced the first confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) infection in a snow leopard at the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky. This is the first snow leopard in the United States to test positive for SARS-CoV-2. Confirmatory testing is ongoing for two other snow …
Treatment Introduced by Researchers to Prevent Parasites in Sheep
(USDA/ARS) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service (ARS) announced a groundbreaking treatment that prevents anemia, weight loss, poor wool and meat production, and even death in sheep. ARS researchers partnered with Virginia Tech and the University of Massachusetts’ Medical School to solve H. contortus parasite infection, which also happens to be the number one health problem in the U.S. sheep industry. …
Registration Open for 2021 ASI Annual Convention
Mountains of Opportunity await producers at the 2021 American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) Annual Convention, but sheep producers won’t have to leave the comfort of their own farms or ranches to attend the first-ever virtual convention on Jan. 28-29. Attendees this year will be able to take part in council and committee meetings, vote for ASI officers and set policy …
Cost of 2020 Thanksgiving Dinner
Thanksgiving is a bit different this year because of COVID-19. But, did consumers pay more or less this year for the items that make up the traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner? Rod Bain has a story that answers that question. American Farm Bureau Federation Chief Economist John Newton shares the cost of some of this year’s Thanksgiving Day dinner items, per the 2020 …
U.S. Meat Production Poised for More Growth
Producers of every commodity in the meat sector will likely boost production in 2021. But according to a story from Gary Crawford, the U.S. beef industry is likely to post only a modest increase in production. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024
USDA Announces Deadline to Submit Wildfire, Hurricane Disaster Assistance Applications
Final Opportunity for 2018 and 2019 Disaster Recovery Assistance (USDA/FSA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, as the deadline to submit applications for the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program – Plus (WHIP+) for 2018 and 2019 losses. USDA did not originally specify a deadline when the program was announced. “The physical and financial loss experienced …