Changes in the physiology of the cotton plant could make future fiber easier to clean in the ginning process, says Rick Byler, research leader at the USDA Cotton Ginning Laboratory at Stoneville, Miss....More
Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran has expressed strong concerns about funding recommendations for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and their “lack of emphasis on the Gulf of Mexico.”...More
The Trend-Adjusted Actual Production History (TA-APH) allows farmers to increase yields used in calculating guarantees for plans within the COMBO product. For the same guarantee level, farmer-paid premiums will almost always be the same or lower using the TA-APH yield endorsement than without the endorsement....More
In the aftermath of a string of natural disasters during the 2011 cropping season, the USDA has announced $308 million will be provided in aid to 33 states and Puerto Rico. The funds will come in addition to crop insurance and disaster payments previously promised under SURE and the Livestock Indemnity Program....More
The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has announced that around $13.5 million in grant money will be provided to educate farmers about available crop insurance and risk management tools....More
Shortcomings in a federal agriculture disaster assistance program have led Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran to advocate for reforms to ensure timely benefits for farmers who lose crops to flooding or other disasters....More
The USDA has designated the entire state of Louisiana, which includes 64 parishes, as natural disaster areas due the combined effects of severe storms, tornadoes, severe spring flooding, Tropical Storm Lee, widespread drought and excessive heat that began in January and continues....More
A USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service project designed to alleviate crop losses from flooding and restore wetlands along the Arkansas and Petit Jean Rivers is also protecting a significant archeological site in Yell County, Ark....More
The USDA has designated the entire state of Arkansas, which includes 75 counties, as a primary natural disaster area due to losses caused by the combined effects of hail, high winds, flooding, widespread drought and excessive heat....More
Six Louisiana parishes -- Concordia, East Carroll, Madison, Tensas, East Feliciana and West Feliciana -- have been declared disaster areas due to the flooding of the Mississippi River....More
The office of Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran is pointing Mid-South farmers to a USDA letter regarding agricultural disaster designations in Mississippi....More
A Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday afternoon assessed disaster response and recovery efforts from the aftermath of the 2011 spring storms, tornadoes and floods....More
During a Thursday morning Senate Agriculture Committee hearing leaders of USDA agencies pledged to combat fraud, onerous red tape and duplication of efforts....More
Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran has asked the Army Corps of Engineers how it will set priorities for maintaining Mississippi river shipping lanes and harbors in light of reduced federal funding....More
A reliable food supply is “integral to peace and liberty,” says Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan, and she told students at Mississippi State University "it is important that your generation understand how complex our food system actually is.”...More
It turns out there can be bipartisanship in Congress – just call a House Agriculture Committee hearing, put the EPA on a pedestal and hand out tomatoes....More
To provide easier access to geospatial satellite products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has announced the launch of CropScape, a new cropland exploring service....More
USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) has published a proposed rule in the Federal Register that would reward farmers participating in the federal crop insurance program for good performance....More
Chairman-elect Frank Lucas of Oklahoma has named six members to serve as Subcommittee Chairmen of the House Agriculture Committee and also released the complete Republican roster for the 112th Congress. Additionally, Rep. Lucas announced that Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia will serve as Vice Chairman of the full committee....More
The USDA is seeking proposals for projects that will bring partners together to help farmers, ranchers and private nonindustrial forest landowners implement beneficial water and land conservation practices....More
USDA has established an online tool that can link retiring farmers who have expiring Conservation Reserve Program contracts with beginning farmers or ranchers who are interested in bringing the land into production. The new online resource, TIP Net, is a website provided by the Farm Service Agency (FSA)....More
