By Justin Walker Communications Specialist U.S. agricultural equipment sales from January 2019 showed improvement on the previous year’s numbers, according to the latest information from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). Sales of self-propelled combines and 4-wheel drive tractors increased during the first month of 2019. Data on U.S. 4-wheel drive tractor sales show gains [...]
By Jessica Domel Multimedia Reporter Texans, now is the time to weigh in on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to clarify what land areas and water features do and do not fall under federal jurisdiction. EPA’s revised Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) proposal was published in the Federal Register Thursday, kicking off a 60-day [...]
By Justin Walker Communications Specialist Advancements in agricultural technology continue to progress with an opportunity to improve food quality and sustainability in the coming years. The market for “smart agriculture” is projected to reach $13.5 billion by 2023, meaning more technology on the farm, Tony Franklin, general manager for the Internet of Things (IoT) at [...]
By Justin Walker Communications Specialist Cotton is expected to see an increase in planted acres in 2019, according to a survey released by the National Cotton Council (NCC). The NCC’s 38th Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey showed U.S. cotton growers anticipate planting 14.5 million acres of cotton this spring, an increase of 2.9 percent [...]
Farmers and ranchers have until Thursday, Feb. 14, to sign up for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Market Facilitation Program (MFP), which was launched last year to help producers suffering from damages due to unjustified trade retaliation. Farmers and ranchers can apply without proof of yield but must certify 2018 production by May 1, [...]
By Justin Walker Communications Specialist The 2018 Farm Bill was signed by President Donald Trump on Dec. 20, 2018, but implementation of the bill was delayed when the government shutdown began Dec. 22. Speaking at a special Farm Foundation Forum in Washington, D.C., Deputy Agriculture Secretary Steve Censky said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) [...]
As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) moves forward with Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation regulations, the department must ensure its new interim rule balances the benefits for both farmland and wetland, as Congress intended, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). As it was written, the interim rule makes program participation much [...]
By Jennifer Dorsett Field Editor Farmers will need an additional round of auxin training this year if they plan to use dicamba products, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist. Late last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would extend the registration of dicamba for two years for over-the-top weed [...]
By Julie Tomascik Editor The relationship between Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service was recognized last month. TFB was one of five organizations that received a Partnership Award from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The award recognizes organizations, individuals, agencies and others outside the Texas A&M University System whose [...]
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched a new toolkit to help support the deployment of high-speed broadband e-Connectivity in rural communities. “High-speed broadband e-Connectivity is becoming more and more essential to doing business, delivering health care and, for schoolchildren, doing homework in rural communities,” Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne [...]