Category Archives: Agriculture and Natural Resources
TAHC issues African swine fever animal health alert
In July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed African swine fever (ASF) was found in samples collected from pigs in the Dominican Republic. Just a hop from the Dominican Republic to Cuba, a skip from Cuba to Florida and ASF could jump into the U.S. pork supply chain—with no vaccine or cure in sight. But USDA and the Department of Homeland Security are committed to working closely together to protect U.S. swine from ASF. And the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) is committed to protecting the health and marketability of… Read More →
May Cattle on Feed Report Shows Inventory Up, Placements Higher Than Expected
USDA’s latest Cattle on Feed report, released May 21, shows the number of animals on feed as of May 1 is 4.7% above year-ago levels. The report provides monthly estimates of the number of cattle being fed for slaughter. For the report, USDA surveys feedlots of 1,000 head or more, as this represents 85% of all fed cattle. Cattle feeders provide data on inventory, placements, marketing and other disappearance. It is important to remember that due to COVID-19 disruptions last year, typical year-over-year comparisons need to be contextualized. Cited… Read More →
DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends Anhydrous Price Hits $700 Per Ton for First Time Since 2015
OMAHA (DTN) — The upward momentum in fertilizer prices appeared to level off this week. The average retail price of all eight major fertilizers increased; however, none were up a significant amount, which DTN considers a price move of 5% or more. This is the first week since the beginning of February that no fertilizer’s price was up by double-digit percentage points. For the second week of April 2021, the average retail prices of anhydrous, UAN28 and UAN32 increased by 4%. Anhydrous had an average price of $700/ton,… Read More →
Steady heifer retention to slow cattle inventory contraction
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its semiannual Cattle report on Jan. 29. The total number of cattle and calves on Jan. 1, 2021, was estimated at 93.6 million head, nearly 200,000 head lower than the previous year. This marks a second year of contraction for cattle producers. Despite the number of beef cows declining for a second year, beef cattle producers are indicating their intentions to retain slightly more heifers for beef cow replacement, and the number of those heifers expected to calve during the… Read More →
November Cattle on Feed Report Shows Sharp Decline in Placements, Inventory Up
USDA’s latest Cattle on Feed report, released November 20, shows the number of animals on feed as of November 1 is higher than it was this time last year. The report provides monthly estimates of the number of cattle being fed for slaughter. For the report, USDA surveys feedlots of 1,000 head or more, as this represents 85% of all fed cattle. Cattle feeders provide data on inventory, placements, marketings and other disappearance. Cited From and for more information click on the link below. https://www.fb.org/market-intel/november-cattle-on-feed-report-shows-sharp-decline-in-placements-inventory mailto:greg.baker@ag.tamu.edu
Corn Conversations: Driving Demand for Meat – A mutual benefit for farmers
Texas Corn Producers (TCP) held its fourth installment of “Corn Conversations” for farmers and anyone else interested in gaining insight into driving demand for corn in the U.S. red meat market. On Oct. 29, TCP partnered with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Vice President Industrial Relations John Hinners who highlighted the value of meat exports, the current state of global trade, and the mutually beneficial relationship between meat exports and corn production. Wesley Spurlock, president of the Texas Corn Producers Association (TCPA), kicked off “Corn Conversations” by… Read More →
Beef industry task force releases long-range plan
To ensure its goal of increasing demand for U.S. beef is met, the Beef Industry Long-Range Task Force recently unveiled its plan for 2021 through 2025. The long-range plan establishes a common set of objectives and priorities to ensure the long-term prosperity of the beef industry. “We want beef to be the protein of choice, and we want the entire U.S. beef industry to be trusted and respected for its commitment to quality, safety and sustainability,” Kim Brackett, leader of the task force and a rancher from Idaho,… Read More →
Sept. 30 deadline to update farm safety net crop yields
Farm owners have a one-time opportunity to update Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program yields for covered commodities on the farm. The deadline is Sept. 30, 2020, to update yields, which are used to calculate the PLC payments for 2020 through 2023. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials also encourage farmers who elected Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) to consider updating their yields. Cited from and for more information click on the link below. https://texasfarmbureau.org/deadline-approaches-to-update-safety-net-program-crop-yields/ mailto:greg.baker@ag.tamu.edu
Asian Giant Hornet About the ‘murder hornet’ or Vespa mandarinia
The Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia, or AGH, is a large, predaceous hornet native to Asia, most commonly found in Japan and South Korea. The AGH is the world’s largest hornet, slightly larger than the cicada killer wasp common in Texas. It was discovered for the first time in North America in August 2019 in British Columbia, Canada, and was located and eradicated in September 2019. Two specimens were also collected near Blaine, Washington, in the northwest corner of the state. Efforts are underway this spring to trap… Read More →
African horse sickness on Texas A&M, industry radar
African horse sickness is not in the U.S., and it is important it stays that way. Texas A&M AgriLife faculty, various state and federal agencies and the U.S. horse industry are already monitoring the situation, ensuring surveillance and determining practices to prevent the deadly horse disease from crossing our borders. African horse sickness comes out of Africa and is common from Morocco down to the middle of the continent. But it has escaped the African continent several times, most recently into Thailand, where it is believed to have… Read More →
