…be converted from row crops to almonds. “Tomatoes require a good crop rotation to maintain yields,” said Williams, who also has corn, sunflowers, wheat, alfalfa and beans. “We have to…
Hurricanes Devastate Puerto Rico Agriculture
Hurricanes Irma and Maria combined destroyed about 80 percent of crops in Puerto Rico. The damage is so heavy that one farmer told the Seattle Times there is “no more…
Farm Policy Facts Study Addresses Heritage Foundation Suggestions
…it is time to change farm policy. The blueprint would eliminate revenue-based crop insurance and the Renewable Fuel Standard, eliminate the Waters of the United States Rule and eliminate bioenergy…
Higher Supplies Keeping Consumer Meat Prices Lower
…level since 2008, according to meat industry publication Meatingplace. Lower beef prices are adding pressure to lower pork prices, along with an anticipated 4.9 percent increase in pork production this…
Heat-Tolerant Broccoli for the Future
In an ARS research plot in South Carolina, geneticist Mark Farnham collects broccoli for heat-tolerance evaluations. Photo by USDA-ARS U.S. Vegetable Laboratory. Traditionally, broccoli is a cool-weather crop. Agricultural Research…
FMD Language Included in Defense Authorization Act
…Joni Ernst includes a provision “recognizing the risk of FMD, or other foreign animal diseases, to U.S. food production, the economy, and national security,” according to the Senator. The provision…
U.S. Yet to Propose NAFTA Dairy Fix
…been in place since the 1970s and allows Canada to set production quotas and the price of milk. President Trump has blamed Canada’s dairy import restrictions for the economic woes…
Broomrape Concerns California Tomato Industry
…four months ago which resulted in a quarantine and decontamination of the field with a crop duster. “Our broomrape problem appears to be very isolated and limited. We hope to…
New Zealand Triples U.S. DDGS Purchases
Record milk production in New Zealand has led the nation to triple the amount of imported U.S. distiller’s dried grains with solubles. The U.S. Grains Council reports that the 2017…
Margin Protection Crop Insurance Decision Due
Farmers have until the end of this month to decide if they’d like to take USDA’s new Margin Protection Crop Insurance plan. Known as M-P, the program most closely aligns…
California Receives Funding to Boost Small Business Exports
…markets for California’s exports include Mexico, Canada, and China. “On average, more than 25 percent of California’s agricultural production is exported,” said California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary…
Entomologist Frank Zalom Delivers 2017 ARS B. Y. Morrison Memorial Lecture at ASHS Conference
2017 ARS B. Y. Morrison Memorial Lecturer Frank G. Zalom “Significance of Integrated Pest Management to Sustainable Horticultural Production—Observations and Experiences” is the title of entomologist Frank G. Zalom’s 2017…
EPA Mulling Options on Dicamba
…Reuters this week the agency had not yet determined what steps it would take to mitigate problems associated with dicamba. The herbicide was linked to widespread crop damage this summer….
Milk Processing Expansion Needed
A report by CoBank shows U.S. milk production growth is outpacing processing capacity growth, leaving dairy processors struggling to keep pace. Every year, U.S. dairy farmers produce three billion more…