The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567), also known as Farm Bill 2.0, and agricultural groups are reacting to the passage. Agricultural Retailers Association President and CEO Daren Coppock said, “ARA applauds the House for advancing the Farm Bill, which delivers certainty for farmers, strengthens rural economies, and helps …
Drought and Wildfires Impacting Southeastern States
Drought impacts have escalated in recent weeks across the southeast impacting crop planting and pasture availability. Now, wildfires have become a threat in both Georgia and Florida, with disaster declarations and burn bans put in place. Earlier this month, USDA designated 30 Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas and 12 contiguous disaster counties due to drought impacts and this …
USDA Finalizes National Environmental Policy Act Rule
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced last week that USDA has finalized a rule to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. According to the Department, the changes outlined in the rule “consolidated seven agency-specific NEPA regulations into a single, department wide framework, reducing the overall volume of regulations by 66 percent.” Secretary Rollins said, “Since last July, agencies …
USDA Shares Corn and Cotton Planting Progress for the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released details on the planting progress for both corn and cotton so far this season. USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey provides an overview on the planting progress for cotton, “In a lot of years, we only see planting progress this early in a couple of states, and Arizona is one of those. They lead the nation, …
New Pesticide Product To Address New World Screwworm Received by the EPA
Last week, the Federal Register included a notice from the Environmental Protection Agency that they have received a request to register a new pesticide product for the treatment of New World Screwworm. The notice states that the request is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for “NovoFly male-only genetically engineered (GE) New World screwworm (NWS) in USDA’s Sterile Insect Technique …
Georgia Cotton Commission Approves 2027 Research
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Cotton Commission Board of Directors has approved $725,875 in research for the 2027 crop year. The approval was made during the March board meeting. The money will finance 17 projects conducted by University of Georgia researchers and Extension specialists. Taylor Sills, executive director of the Georgia Cotton Commission, discussed the research and its importance on …
United Dairy Farmers of Florida Director Encouraged About the Future
On a recent episode of the Grazing the Facts podcast, we learned why Ray Hodge with the United Dairy Farmers of Florida is encouraged about the future of the Florida dairy industry. Hodge said, “I think in Florida, we are unique in many ways. You know, as I said earlier, I’m a seventh generation Floridian. We’ve seen a lot of change. The …
USDA Under Secretary Provides Update on New World Screwworm Efforts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been working to eradicate the New World Screwworm through a five-pronged plan and Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins provided an update on their efforts so far. Under Secretary Hoskins said, “One of those key pillars under that five-pronged plan was enhancing our capability and infrastructure and enhancing the sterile fly production that …
NCBA Reacts to passage of Farm Bill 2.0
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is reacting to passage of Farm Bill 2.0 by the House Agriculture Committee. The bill, formally known as the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, was supported by NCBA and other commodity groups and according to NCBA the bill would “finish the Farm Bill process and strengthen provisions that provide certainty to farmers …
Commissioner Simpson Announces Hurricane Disaster Relief Applications Now Open
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson has announced that agricultural producers can now apply for hurricane disaster relief for 2023 and 2024. The Florida Block Grant Disaster Relief Program will provide over $600 million in grant funding in which the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says can, “assist with infrastructure damage, market loss, citrus loss, and timber damage …








