Fresno County is declaring a local emergency that will allow the county’s AgriculturalCommissioner to determine which commercial growers will be able to use neonicotinoid pesticideson an emergency basis to combat the Beet Leafhopper insect. According to a department news release, state laws apply to such authorized uses, and the operator of the property where these…… MORE
Category Archives: Agriculture News
USDA Workshops on a New Insurance Option
The USDA’s Risk Management Agency has expanded the Nursery Value Select crop insurance program to all counties in all states and will host two virtual information workshops on Thursday, April 18th. These sessions will be valuable for producers in the newly expanded areas and especially for the Nursery Field Grown and Container crop insurance program,…… MORE
New Report on Fertilizer Industry Sustainability
The Fertilizer Institute released new data highlighting industry improvement in sustainability performance of workforce safety, energy and the environment, fertilizer use, and industry innovation. TFI has collected data since 2013 on metrics that provide insight into the industry’s sustainability efforts. The data announced was gathered in 2023 and reflects industry operations in 2022. Participating members…… MORE
Large Tractor Sales Increase Again
For the second straight month, unit sales of 100-plus horsepower ag tractors increased in the U.S. New data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers says March sales jumped 3.2% compared to last year. This follows February’s increase of 2.8% compared to 2023. Total year-to-date sales of ag tractors and combines are below 2023’s pace. Tractors…… MORE
Survey on Farmers and Sustainable Practices
McKinsey and Company research reveals that a vast majority of American farmers have an understanding of sustainable farming. While 90% of farmers understand the practices, the uptake remains low. Even where farmers are adopting sustainable practices, they are only implementing them on a small share of their acreage, typically under 30%. The survey shows a…… MORE
House Farm Bill is Expected to Soon Move Ahead
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn GT Thompson says “without a doubt,” the farm bill will be out of his committee by Memorial Day. Speaking exclusively to Agri-Pulse, The Pennsylvania Republican says he found a way to fund commodity program changes, adding, “it’s going to allow us to do what we know needs to be done…… MORE
USDA Discontinues Cattle and Other Reports
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is canceling the July Cattle report and discontinuing the Cotton Objective Yield Survey and all County Estimates for Crops and Livestock beginning with the 2024 production year. The decision to discontinue these surveys and reports was not made lightly but was necessary, given the appropriated budget levels, according to the…… MORE
Crop Protection Tools Coalition
Grower and industry groups from across the country have joined together to support a new coalition, the Modern Ag Alliance. The coalition seeks to protect farmers’ access to critical crop protection tools to ensure a robust and affordable food supply. Working alongside federal and state policymakers, more than 60 diverse agriculture organizations, led by Bayer,…… MORE
U.S. Trade Gap Expands
America’s trade deficit reached $68.9 billion in February, the highest disparity in almost a year. The Hill says import values exceeded exports by more than analysts were expecting. The total value of imports hit $331.9 billion, while exports were $263 billion, and the overall deficit rose 1.9% during the month. Republicans on Capitol Hill have…… MORE
Covering Up Valley Irrigation Canals Has Added Benefits
Congressman Jim Costa and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation are announcing 15 million dollars in funding to install solar panels over the Delta Mendota Canal. This is part of an effort to study how much water can be saved by shielding it from the sun and the amount of energy produced. Congressman Costa says it’s…… MORE
