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Articles by Efficiency Improvements
Plenty Of Stormy Weather To Come With Water Issues
When it rains it pours. At the beginning of this year the relentless drought that plagued California and the American West was considered the worst dry spell in 1,200 years. Measuring historical moisture patterns by looking at thousands of tree rings, scientists concluded that the West was in a “megadrought” from 2001 to 2022. Such perennial dryness has not been seen in the region since the Vikings sailed the North Atlantic and Mayans built temples in Mexico and Central America.
Georgia Peanut Commission Approves Funding For FY 2023-2024 Research Projects
TIFTON, Ga. (April 13, 2023) – The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) board of directors has approved $706,139 in research project funding for the 2023-24 research budget year. This action was taken during the commission’s March board meeting. The research projects approved include 35 project proposals submitted from the University of Georgia, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
Large Explosion and Fire Breaks Out at South Fork Dairy in Dimmitt, Texas Monday Night
A possible explosion and fire at a Dimmitt, Tex. dairy on Monday night sent one woman to the hospital. The cause is still unknown, but reports say the explosion engulfed multiple structures, and the smoke cloud could be seen from as much as 80 miles away. The reported explosion occurred at South Fork Dairy, which is located just southeast of Dimmitt. According to Castro County Sheriff Sal Rivera, the explosion occurred around 7:20 p.m. on Monday.
USDA: Weekly National Posted Prices for Peanuts
Harvested peanuts. Photo: Madison Cartwright, Texas AgriLife Extension The following prices are effective from Wednesday 04/12/2023 at 12:01 am Eastern Time until midnight Tuesday 04/18/2023. The next announcement is scheduled for Tuesday 04/18/2023 at 3:00 pm Eastern Time.
Saving Landfill Space: Researchers Develop Washable Antimicrobial Wipes
Antimicrobial wipes are in high demand, experiencing a remarkable increase since the pandemic’s increased awareness around personal health protection. Most wipes are discarded after a single use and end up in landfills where they can stay for hundreds of years and become a source of environmental microplastic fiber pollution.
USDA: Weekly National Rice Summary
Rice irrigated with poly pipe. ©Debra L Ferguson In the south, long and medium grain milled rice steady. Parboiled prices steady. Second heads and Brewers steady. Rice by-products: Rice Bran, Millfeed and Rice Hulls steady. In California, medium grain milled rice steady to firm. Second heads and Brewers steady to firm. Rice by-products: Rice Bran and rice hulls steady.
USDA Announces $75 Million To Assist Producers Transitioning To Organic
Organic rice plots at Texas A&M. WASHINGTON, – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced details around its $75 million investment in conservation assistance for producers transitioning to organic production.
USDA Releases Map Showing Where Beginning Farm Operations Are Located
(USDA) Beginning farms tend to be more concentrated in Southern and Western States than in other areas of the United States. In some counties in California and Texas, for instance, the proportion of beginning farms is more than one-third of the total farms. As of 2017, there were about 340,000 farms–with almost 900,000 operators–on which all operators were beginning farmers with 10 or fewer years of farm management experience.
Are Crop Insurance Net Indemnities and Commodity Program Payments Countercyclical?
The analysis discussed in the April 5 farmdoc daily found that payments to farmers by programs other than commodity programs and crop insurance have been countercyclical to US net cash income. This finding prompted a question, “Are crop insurance indemnities net of farm-paid premiums and commodity program payments countercyclical to net return to production?” This analysis finds that net crop insurance indemnities are not countercyclical to net return.
USDA Releases Report Showing Manure’s Use By Crop
(USDA) Manure has long been used as a source of primary plant nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. However, the proportions available in manure are unlikely to match a crop’s nutrient needs perfectly. For instance, while manure could be used to satisfy many crops’ nitrogen requirements, this would result in more phosphorus being applied than what most crops need.
Dust Bowl 2.0? How the Drought is Washing Out Hopes of Texas Cotton Production This Year
Drought continues to tighten its grip across the Plains, and it’s forcing farmers in west Texas to make some very difficult decisions this growing season. Depleted soils, along with bleak forecasts showing little chances for rain anytime soon, is a tough reality for farmers who struggled through a drought ravaged crop season in 2022. It’s hard to forget the scenes from February. A dust storm tore through the southern plains, unlike anything most area farmers had ever seen.
After “Price Shocks,” Grain Prices Fall Back to Pre-War Levels, Food Inflation Concerns Persist
In its April Market Monitor report, the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) indicated that, “Over the past 10 months, world prices of most grains and oilseeds have fallen back to levels prior to the war in Ukraine. Likewise, volatility in prices has also declined considerably from recent highs. With the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, there is hope that the world is recovering from the price shocks of the past year.
9 Charts to Analyze from the 2023 FAPRI Baseline
This year looks to be a transitional one. “What goes up, generally comes back down in agricultural markets,” shares FAPRI-MU director Pat Westhoff. “Projected prices for most crops, poultry and dairy products all retreat in 2023 from recent peaks, and so do some production expenses.” If weather conditions allow crop yields to return to trend-line levels in 2023, prices for corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton and many other crops are likely to fall.
“Big Shift in American Farm Policy” - Farming as a Low-Carbon Energy Producer
Keith Schneider reported in today’s New York Times that, “Despite federal and state programs to convert corn into ethanol and soybeans into biodiesel to fuel cars and trucks, the United States has never before regarded farming as a primary energy producer.
Weekly National Posted Prices for Peanuts
Photo: Nick McMichen The following prices are effective from Wednesday 04/05/2023 at 12:01 am Eastern Time until midnight Tuesday 04/11/2023. The next announcement is scheduled for Tuesday 04/11/2023 at 3:00 pm Eastern Time. $424.68 per ton for Runner peanuts $413.41 per ton for Spanish peanuts $428.31 per ton for Valencia peanuts $428.31 per ton for Virginia peanuts These NPP are based on the loan rates for 2022-crop peanuts announced on July 6, 2022.
Farmland Partners Sells 862-Acre Arkansas Farm
DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Farmland Partners Inc. (NYSE: FPI) (the “Company” or “FPI”) today announced that it sold 862 acres of farmland in White County, Arkansas, for $3.7 million – an approximate gain of 24% over net book value. “The farmland real estate sector is still open for business. We continue to hunt for prime land to acquire, and we are always willing to entertain strong offers for existing properties in our portfolio,” explained Luca Fabbri, FPI’s President and CEO.
Inflation and Agricultural Interest Rates
Interest rates on agricultural loans have increased as the Federal Reserve Bank (FED) has raised rates to combat increased inflation. Given different inflation rate scenarios, we present scenarios of possible interest rates on agricultural loans. If the FED achieves its 2% inflation goal, interest rates on agricultural operating loans could be between 6% and 8.2%, roughly at current levels. Higher interest rates are likely if high inflation rates continue to persist.
Farm Credit Mid-America Completes Merger With Farm Credit Midsouth
Louisville, KY — Farm Credit Mid-America and Farm Credit Midsouth officially merged on April 1, 2023 to become Farm Credit Mid-America. The merged association now serves more than 137,000 customers in 391 counties in Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee. “This is an exciting time for Farm Credit Mid-America as we bring our customer-owners and team members together to form an even stronger cooperative,” says Andrew Wilson, chair of Farm Credit Mid-America’s Board of Directors.
USDA Releases Fruit And Tree Nuts Outlook
Almond trees in bloom. Photo: Scott Jungling, Flickr Creative Commons This report covers basic supply, demand, price, and trade analysis for fruit and tree nuts. Commodities discussed include oranges, berries, avocados, melons, pecans, and pistachios. A special article about raisins is included. To read the report, Click Here
Thompson on Cotton: Gift To Those Still Holding Current Crop Cotton
Upon posting losses six out of the past eight weeks, the market was clearly in an oversold position and poised for a retracement. So last week’s market rebound wasn’t totally unexpected, it was the extent of it that took everyone by surprise. After losing almost eleven cents in a two-month period, falling to a low of 76.54, May futures with the help of two limit-up trading days recaptured over half of these losses closing Friday at 82.78.
USDA Announces $1 Billion to Ag, Small Businesses for Renewable Energy and Efficiency Improvements
Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, announced Friday the department will be offering $1 billion in grants to ag and rural small businesses for renewable energy upgrades through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). According to USDA, this funding was made available to help struggling rural communities “recover economically” and offer more market opportunities, improve infrastructure and protect farmland.
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