On Monday, May 10th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas farmers continue to plant when weather permits, but ongoing rains and heavy soil moisture
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On Wednesday, May 12, the USDA issued an updated World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report. The report showed support for a continuation of strong price support levels for corn and soybean due to strong global demand and reduced product
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On Tuesday, May 11th, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) immediately closed the Interstate 40 bridge from West Memphis to Memphis after a discovery of significant structural injury during a routine bridge inspection. The bridge is closed in
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Acting Administrator for USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA), Richard Flournoy, recently made an official blog post highlighting the agency's 2020 decision to offer federal crop insurance for rice farmers who adopt newer methods of irrigating rice, includin
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On Thursday, May 6th, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled against Monsanto in regards to its claims related to Plant Board Regulation 7, which relates to additional research that may be necessary for registration of pesticides in Arkansas and additional rest
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On Monday, May 3rd, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report Arkansas farmers have been able to catch up and get ahead of the state's 5yr average with soybean &
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On Thursday, May 6th, the Biden administration outlined ideas for achieving a nationwide conservation goal to conserve 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. The report and announcement did not inlcude many details, but they did indicate a plan of incorpor
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On Friday, May 7th, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the White River Irrigation District hosted a groundbreaking ceremony west of DeValls Bluff for the first phase of construction for water the distribution network of the Grand
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On Thursday, May 6th, the Arkansas Supreme Court issued a ruling in the matter of a case questioning the constitutionality of the Arkansas State Plant Board. The plaintiffs in the case, a group of Arkansas farmers, claimed that the provision in the Arkans
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On April 29th, the Agricultural Council of Arkansas submitted comments to USDA per the agency's request for public comment on the Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The letter laid out key principles that the organization f
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On Monday, May 3rd, the Arkansas State Plant Board held a public hearing on its proposed rule for dicamba use during the 2021 crop year. Following its review of public comments in both written and oral form, the Plant Board voted to adopt an emergency rul
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April 30th Legislative Update: The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly finally reached the end of the legislative session, and they've entered an extended recess until the fall when they will reconvene to consider new district maps for congressional seats and
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On Wednesday, President Biden held his first Joint Session of Congress for his first State of the Union address. The speech highlighted various achievements of the first 100 days of his administration with a focus on the response and recovery to the COVID
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On Monday, April 26, the University of Arkansas announced that it has entered into an agreement to conduct collaborative research in vertical farming. The partnership is with vertical farming business 80 Acres Farms and aimed at advancing the science of v
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New lawsuits have recently been filed against USDA claiming that new loan forgiveness programs established by the agency discriminate against white farmers and ranchers. The loan forgiveness programs in question were recently put in place by USDA to help
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The 9th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals recently made another controversial ruling related to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for crop protection products. This time, it's chlorpyrifos, a widely used group of insecticides. According to the
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On Thursday, April 29, USDA issued a press release highlighting what they view as achievements reached in the Biden administration's first 100 days. The release focuses on COVID-19 relief, conservation, racial equity initiatives, rural development, and cl
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On Wednesday, April 27th, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan appeared before the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee to discuss funding needs for the agency. During the hearing Regan highlighted various
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An effort is officially underway to raise funds for a new museum in the heart of the Delta to commemorate one of the greatest maritime disasters in U.S. history, the tragic explosion of the Mississippi River steamship, the Sultana. The Sultana exploded an
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The National Agricultural Law Center will host its eighth annual Mid-South Ag Law Conference on June 10-11. The gathering is typically held in Memphis each year, but the event will be in a virtual setting this year due to COVID-19. The event will offer sp
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On Wednesday, the Arkansas House and Senate finished its work on identical budget measures (SB702 and HB1949) known as the Revenue Stabilization Act (RSA), which sets spending levels for the upcoming 2022 fiscal year. Final approval of the measures was co
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On Monday, April 26, USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas farmers had 70 percent of corn acres planted, 44 percent of rice acres planted, 26 percent of
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On Monday, April 26th, the U.S. Census Bureau issued some of the baseline findings collected during the 2020 Census. The data showed the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2020, was 331,449,281, which was an increase of 7.4% from 2010. F
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On Monday, April 26th, the USDA announced had awarded $330 million in 85 locally driven, public-private partnerships to address climate change, improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect a
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/26/2021 Contact: Amy Lyman, (501) 410-4616 amy.lyman@agriculture.arkansas.gov Reminder: 2021 Arkansas Century Farm Applications Due May 31 LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture (Department) is currently accept
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On Tuesday, April 27th, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee held a hearing titled, “Climate Challenges: The Tax Code’s Role in Creating American Jobs, Achieving Energy Independence, and Providing Consumers with Affordable, Clean Energy.” The committee discu
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On Monday, April 26, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture announced the hiring of Dr. Aaron Shew to head the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) and to hold joint appointments in two colleges and a research and extension p
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On Monday, April 26th, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed into law HB1314, the Water Conservation and Development Tax Credit Enhancement Act. The measure (now Act 875), sponsored by Representative David Hillman and Senator Ricky Hill, was approved by
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On April 22, Tyson Foods announced plans to invest $48 million in its poultry operation in Pine Bluff. The investment is anticipated to create 70 jobs and increase the plant's ability to produce fully cooked frozen chicken food products. More below: http
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The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff recently announced that it was awarded a $3 million USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grant to evaluate the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE) program
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On Thursday, April 22, U.S. Senate Republicans unveiled an $568 billion infrastructure plan designed to serve as a counterproposal to the plans provided by Democrats and the Biden Administration, which are estimated to cost $2 trillion. The proposal outli
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April 23th Legislative Update: The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly has reached the final days of the legislative session. With the Revenue Stabilization Act approved by the Joint Budget Committee, the House and Senate are expected to wrap up its work early
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On Thursday, April 22, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture held a hearing to consider President Biden's nominee to serve as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Jewel Bronaugh is the first African-American woman nominated to serve as deputy secretary of
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Arkansas Fourth District Congressman Bruce Westerman, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, announced the reintroduction of the Trillion Trees Act. The bill proposes to support a global effort for the world to plant a trillion tr
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On April 22nd, Earth Day, President Joe Biden held a White House World Leaders Summit on Climate meeting in which he announced specific greenhouse gas emission reduction goals for the United States. According to President Biden, the new target for the Uni
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On Wednesday, April 21, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new open enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) with higher payment rates, new incentives, and a more targeted focus on the program's role in climate change mitigation and a goal o
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Dr. Bob Stark, a top agricultural economist in Arkansas, recently announced his plans to retire from his post on June 30. For nearly 25 years he's been teaching agriculture business and policy at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM). At UAM, his
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Nutrien, the world's largest provider of crop inputs and services, announced on April 18th that Mayo Schmidt would immediately succeed Chuck Magro as the company's President and Chief Executive Officer. The company also announced a new Chair of the Nutrie
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A new, bipartisan climate bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, April 20th. The bill, known as the Growing Climate Solutions Act is targeted towards the agriculture industry and aims to establish a working group to partner with the U.S. Depar
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On Monday, April 19th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas farmers have planted 43 percent of corn acres, 23 percent of rice and 12 percent of soy
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On Friday, April 16th, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture announced that it would be ther recipient of a $2 million gift from Greenway Equipment to aid in the development of the new Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center in Po
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On April 13th, the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) announced the launch of the Delta Broadband Mapping Project, an initiative aimed at strengthening broadband infrastructure that supports telehealth, distance learning, and remote work throughout the 252 co
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USDA’s Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program is a commodity support program that makes deficiency payments when the marketing year average price for a covered commodity falls below a statutory reference price. PLC payments are made on a farm’s historic averag
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The University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture continues its grower outreach efforts through its Arkansas-Crops blog for the 2021 growing season. The blog offers regular updates on issues facing farmers in Arkansas and provides updates on res
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A new report commissioned by national food and agriculture industry groups reveals new data showing the impact of the U.S. food and agriculture sector to the U.S. economy. The report, titled the "Feeding the Economy," found the food and agriculture sector
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As the conversation related to new federal government spending intitiatives of the Biden Administration continue to expand, the concern is growing for certain tax proposals that may be used to generate new revenue to pay for the spending priorities. Inclu
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Walmart, the world's largest retailer headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, recently announced a series of environmental commitments and inititiatives including efforts to drive "pollinator-friendly" practices throughout its supply chain. Included in th
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On Wednesday, April 14th, Julia Letlow (R-LA) was sworn in as U.S. Representative for Louisiana’s Fifth Congressional District, a district with significant agricultural production that borders much of Southeast Arkansas. It was also announced that she wil
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Arkansas First District Congressman Rick Crawford recently sat down for a video interview with Agri-Pulse to discuss his views on activities in Washington in Congress and by President Biden to address issues related to infrastructure, climate policy, taxe
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USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack testified before the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture to discuss the year ahead for the agency. Vilsack addressed a wide range of issues and outlined priorities and plans for the agency in the upcoming years
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Scientists with the LSU AgCenter and the LSU Department of Chemistry appear to be making continued progress towards delivering a commercial bait and delivery system to help reduce the population of feral hogs. Researchers at LSU AgCenter have worked for m
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On Tuesday, April 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of more than $330 million to help agricultural producers and organizations in the food supply chain recover from the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The
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April 16th Legislative Update: The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly is beginning its approach to the conclusion of the legislative session, which is expected within the next two weeks. General legislative activity has slowed, and much of the focus has now a
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Since the first Arkansas marijuana dispensary opened in May of 2019, more than 40,000 pounds of medical marijuana have been sold in the state according to the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission (AMMC). The value of the quantity sold is estimated by the
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President Joe Biden has nominated Robert Bonnie to serve as USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation. If confirmed by the Senate for the post, Bonnie will oversee the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Risk Management Agency (RMA), and the Nat
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The University of Arkansas Foundation has announced a date for its 21st Annual Delta Classic Scholarship Golf Event. The event, which raises funds for students in the Department of Crop, Soil, & Environmental Sciences, will be held at The Ridges at Vi
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On Monday, May 3rd, beginning at 9:30am, the Arkansas State Plant Board will hold a formal public hearing to consider comments on proposed rules for dicamba use in 2021. The meeting will be held in a zoom format. Citizens wishing to provide public comment
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On Monday, April 11th, President Biden held a meeting at the White House with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to discuss his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan and how to pay for the measure known as the American Jobs Plan. Following a two hour meeting, th
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On Monday, April 12, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new Crop Progress & Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas farmers have accelerated their plantings in recent days, and that trend looks to accelerate furt
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On Monday, a national coalition representing rural and agricultural interests recently issued a statement related to President Biden's infrastructure proposal. The group, which is known as the Rebuild Rural Coalition, is led by Farm Credit and comprised o
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April 9th Legislative Update: The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly continues its march towards the conclusion of the legislative session, which is expected within two to three weeks. In the coming days much of the attention will begin to pivot from general
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Agri-Pulse has made its 2021 Ag & Food Policy Summit held March 22-24 available for review online. The multi-day event focused on “Climate Risks, Rewards and Opportunities.” Videos from each session are still available for review on the Agri-Pulse we
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Viserion Grain, LLC (“Viserion”), a newly formed subsidiary of Viserion International Holdco, LLC backed by Pinnacle Asset Management, L.P. (“Pinnacle”), today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 11 grain elevator faciliti
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From USA Rice: The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), a D.C.-based think tank, announced members of the Farm and Forest Carbon Solutions Task Force, including leaders across agriculture and forestry who work for trade associations and environmental nonprofit
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Corteva Agriscience recently made it known that it would discontinue its efforts to register a new dicamba herbicide at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The move to discontinue registration efforts puts an end to the company's efforts to sell di
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On Friday, April 9th, the USDA released an updated World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report. The report estimates supply and demand for most major agricultural commodities. This month's report did not offer much adjustments from the Ma
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On Monday, April 5th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. The report indicated continued progress in corn planting with 8 percent estimated to be planted, and it also indicated soy
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On Friday, April 9th, President Joe Biden submitted his first budget request to Congress in the form of a discretionary spending request. The request was made to aid Congress as it begins its budgeting and appropriations processes for fiscal year 2022, wh
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On March 31, USDA announced Marketing Assistance Loan Rates for 2021. Marketing Assistance Loans provide interim financing to producers so that commodities can be stored after harvest when market prices are typically low and sold later when market conditi
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Arkansas Ag Hall of Fame sets Aug. 20 induction ceremony For immediate release April 5, 2021 LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame has announced Friday, Aug. 20 as a target date for the induction ceremony for its next class of inductees. The
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On Tuesday, March 31st, President Joe Biden signed the “PPP Extension Act of 2021” into law. The measure extends the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program loan application until May 31. Many Arkansas farms and agricultural businesses
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April 3rd Legislative Update: The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly has officially entered its final month of the legislative session. The legislature is on track to conclude work by the end of April. This week the House and Senate are expected to begin disc
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On March 31, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Agricultural Prices Report. The report indicated increases in prices received by farmers for most crops and also increases in prices paid by farmers for inputs. More belo
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The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) this week reported that March net available general revenue was $372.9 million, $16.3 million above March 2020 and $20.8 million — or 5.9% — above forecast. Year-to-date net available general rev
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USDA Seeks Public Input to Help Create a New Rural Renewable Energy Pilot Program Agency to Host Public Listening Session on April 22, 2021 Release & Contact Info Press Release Release No. 0063.21 Contact: USDA Press Email: press@usda.gov WASHINGTON,
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American Farm Bureau Federation Chief Economist, Dr. John Newton, will join Senator Boozman's Committee Staff on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Boozman, who is the senior Senator from Arkansas, is the lead Republican on
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On Tuesday, March 30th, U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton and Arkansas First District Congressman French Hill visited with agricultural industry leaders across all segments at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. Most of the discussion revolved
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On Thursday, April 1, USDA announced loan interest rates for April 2021. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage stru
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Beginning April 1, U.S. cotton growers can enroll their 2021 cotton crop in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, which aims to set a new standard in more sustainably grown cotton. Existing members will also need to re-enroll their operations in order to receiv
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The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is opening up its Arkansas Grown and Arkansas Made branding effort to all grower and producer members, the state announced this week. Logos of Arkansas Grown and Arkansas Made are now available at no charge in member
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On Wednesday, March 31st, USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) released updated grain and rice stocks reports. According to the reports, corn stocks in all positions on March 1, 2021 totaled 7.70 billion bushels, down 3 percent from March 1
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On Wednesday, March 31st, President Joe Biden announced a new infrastructure plan known as the American Jobs Plan. The proposal calls for $2 trillion in infrastructure investments over the next eight years. The proposal is also expected to include measure
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FieldWatch, a nonprofit formed nearly a decade ago to alert applicators to specialty crops, organic crops and eventually beehives, is anticipating continued expansion in the 2021 crop year as they continue to meet their goal of helping row-crop farmers ma
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On Monday, March 29th, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, 4 percent of corn is planted in Arkansas and 2 percent of wheat is headed. The state average for rainf
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On Wednesday, March 31st, USDA issued its 2021 Prospective Plantings Report. According to the report, USDA estimates for Arkansas the following for 2021: Soybean 3M acres; Rice 1.13M acres; Corn 700K acres; Cotton 490K acres; Peanuts 45K acres; Winter Whe
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Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday, March 30th, announced that vaccinations would be made available to all Arkansans aged 16 and older. In addition, with over 1.1 million vaccines administered in Arkansas and the number of active cases significan
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For Immediate Release: Monday, March 22, 2021 Media Contact: Lauren Waldrip, 870.295.8454, lauren@campbellward.com Arkansas Rice Now Accepting Applications for Scholarship Program "Rice Reps" to Award Over $15,000 in 2021 Little Rock - Current high schoo
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President Biden is expected to make an effort to tackle infrastructure in his next major legislative initiative following enactment of his American Rescue Plan, which provided $1.9 trillion in COVID relief and economic stimulus spending. The president is
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Canadian Pacific Railway announced a joint agreement with Kansas City Southern for Canadian Pacific Railway to aqcuire Kansas City Southern in a $25 billion stock and cash deal. The combination, if approved by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB),
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WASHINGTON -- Washington (March 8, 2021) - The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will conduct a series of listening sessions to collect input and recommendations on development of im
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This week, Agri-Pulse held its most recent annual Agriculture and Food Policy Summit online. The three day event featured a broad group of policy experts, and much of the discussion revolved around climate policy and ideas of agriculture's role in address
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On Thursday, March 25th, Governor Asa Hutchinson visited Delta Peanut in Jonesboro to proclaim March as Peanut Month in Arkansas. Delta Peanut, a 100 percent farmer owned peanut shelling company based in Jonesboro, just finished its first year of operatio
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On Monday, March 22nd, USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. This was the second report issued in 2021. According to the report, 2 percent of Arkansas's corn crop was planted and winter w
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On Wednesday, March 24th, USDA announced that it would release billions of dollars in crop and livestock aid through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The also announced an additional $6 billion aid package for additional priorities of the d
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March 19th Legislative Update: The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly had a short and light week only meeting Monday and Tuesday before adjourning for a Spring Break that coincided with public schools across the state. According to leadership in the House and
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This week was recognized as National Ag Day and Ag Week across the country as an opportunity for all citizens to celebrate and give thanks to agriculture. The annual event is aimed at reminding citizens of the importance of agriculture and food production
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On Thursday, March 25th, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition held a hearing on the State of Black Farmers in America. The hearing focused on concerns regarding racial discrimination at the USDA and various ch
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From Arkansas Deparrment of Agriculture FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3/22/2021 Contact: Amy Lyman, (501) 410-4616 amy.lyman@agriculture.arkansas.gov Public Comment Period Set for Proposed Dicamba Rule LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A 30-day public comment period has been
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The United States and China recently concluded a multi-day bilateral meeting with China. The meeting was held in Alaska and included high ranking officials from both nations. It was the first of such meetings since Biden was sworn into office. The discuss
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The Judd Hill Foundation is making a $2.4 million gift to the Arkansas State University (ASU) farmers' market, which will double the size of the current open air market. The market will soon be named the Judd Hill Farmer’s Market, and there are additional
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The USDA is seeking public input on policy ideas to develop a climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy aimed at reducing carbon emissions. The notice seeks information on four topics: climate-smart agriculture and forestry; biofuels, bioproducts, a
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What’s New: March 13 - March 19, 2021 (as of 3:30pm ET) Appendix III M-13 Handbook - 2022 Comment 2020 RMA Crops' Indemnities Map (As of 03/15/2021) 2020 RMA Crops' Indemnities Table (As of 03/15/2021) Loss Adjustment Manual (LAM) Standards Handbook
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A provision included in the recent COVID-19 aid and economic stimulus package approved by Congress placed restrictions on states' abilities to cut taxes. The provision threatened to withhold federal funding from states that chose to cut taxes while receiv
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Don't Miss March 31 Trust Protocol Enrollment Deadline March 31 is the deadline for producers who have not completed their U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol enrollment. Email growers@trustuscotton.org to access a help desk, where producers can have their quest
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Ag Council of Arkansas members Perry Galloway of Augusta and Matt Miles (Board Member) of McGehee are featured in a new television show called The Podfather, which is part of a continuous made for television series put on by CornWarriorsTV that is aired o
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On Wednesday, March 17th, the U.S. Senate voted 98-0 to confirm Katherine Tai to be U.S. Trade Representative, a cabinet level position and the lead negotiator for U.S. trade policy. President Biden has now attained Senate confirmation for 20 of his 23 ca
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On Thursday, March 18th, the U.S. House of Representatives took up and approved two immigration bills, including the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, an H-2A farm labor reform bill. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 1603), which was approved 247
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Governor Asa Hutchinson announced on Tuesday, March 16th, plans to further expand eligibility to receive COVID-19 vaccines. In addition to agriculture and food workers from priority group 1-B, Arkansans in group 1-C are now considered eligible. These incl
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The Arkansas State Plant Board will collect public comments on its two proposed rules governing dicamba use for 2021. The initial proposed rule approved in December was made available for public comment on March 6th and will close on April 4th. The second
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On Monday, March 15th, USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued its first Crop Progress and Condition Report for the 2021 crop year. The report indicated that Arkansas was beginning planting season with 1 percent of corn planted. The rep
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Michal Freedhoff, the new acting assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, recently made news when she wrote an email (shown below) on March 10 to EPA employees in her division calling for changes within the
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Janie Hipp, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation who has spent considerable time in Arkansas with the Universtiy of Arkansas School of Law in various roles, was nominated to serve as Chief Counsel to USDA. She currently serves as CEO of the Native American A
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March 19th Legislative Update: The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly just wrapped up its 10th week. So far, over 800 bills have been introduced in the House and 570 in the Senate with over 400 bills signed into law. Still yet to be resolved are a final tax c
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Arkansas based startup, AcreTrader, an online farmland investing platform that removes barriers to farmland investing and ownership, announced it recently raised $12 million in a new Series A funding round. The new funding brings the total amount of funds
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On March 11th, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) of the Department of Commerce determined that the U.S. fertilizer industry is materially injured by reason of illegal government subsidized imports of phosphate fertilizers from Moroc
Read MoreMichael Regan was officially confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 10th to serve as the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Regan, the first African American to hold the post, is the former secretary of the North Carolina Depa
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Earlier this month, the Office of the United States Trade Representative delivered President Biden’s 2021 Trade Agenda and 2020 Annual Report to Congress. The report details a comprehensive trade policy for the United States and outlines priorities and ag
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The U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee held a hearing on March 11th focused on climate policy. Featured among the witnesses was Mark Isbell, an Ag Council board of director member, who served as a witness on behalf of USA Rice. The
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March 12th Legislative Update: The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly continues to progress towards adjournment. They will take a Spring Break next week before returning to work March 29th with a target adjournment date of April 16th. Legislative work on the
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U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, led a recent effort among other senators from rice producing states to encourage American and Iraqi officials to take steps to increase U.S.
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U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, joined several of his Senate colleagues, including Arkansas's Senators, in reintroducing legislation to permanently repeal he federal estate tax. A similar, companion
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On Tuesday, March 9th, U.S. Congressman Rick Crawford introduced the Agriculture Intelligence Matters (AIM) Act (HR 1625) to create a new bureau in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to assess and address potential foreign and domestic threats in t
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The Arkansas Public Service Commission (PSC) announced this week that Producers Rice Mill could proceed with their planned solar project, which upon completion would become the largest commercial solar and storage project in Arkansas. The project will inc
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On Wednesday, March 10th, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 aid and economic recovery legislation (H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act). President Biden signed the measure into law on Thursday, March 11th. This aid
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On Tuesday, March 9th, the USDA released an updated World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report. The report provides the latest supply and demand estimates for most major agricultural commodities. This report did not leave much changed fro
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Arkansas First District Congressman Rick Crawford was recently appointed as Vice Republican Leader on the House Agriculture Committee by Republican Leader Glenn “GT” Thompson, of Pennsylvania. Representative Thompson was elected by the Republican Steering
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On Sunday, March 7th, U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) announced his plans to run for re-election for his third term. Boozman currently serves as Vice Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee and is a member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Comm
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On Monday, March 8th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new online portal to viewing soil moisture data from NASA. The new system, known as Crop Condition and Soil Moisture Analytics (Crop CASMA) provides high resolution da
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On Monday, March 8th, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced that he was immediately making all food and agriculture workers eligible for vaccinations in Arkansas. If you are an agriculture/food worker and have not registered for a vaccination, contact your ph
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On Saturday, March 6th, the U.S. Senate approved the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 aid and economic recovery legislation (H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act) returning it to the House for final consideration. The measure was approved by a party-line vote, a
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The U.S. Senate voted to move to consider the $1.9 trillion COVID aid and economic recovery legislation from the House (H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act). The Senate will consider a significant number of amendments related to the bill prior to voti
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On Friday, USDA Farm Service Administration (FSA) announced that the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) application is extended from March 5th until Friday, April 9 due to the recent winter storms and updates on program rules. This extension should offer farme
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The Arkansas Department of Agriculture recently released its annual Arkansas Grown publication highlighting agriculture in Arkansas. The latest version is available online. It features a variety of stories related to various commodities grown in Arkansas
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On Thursday, March 4th, USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new Arkansas Rice County Estimates Report. The report highlights acreage and production estimates for Arkansas counties during the 2020 crop year. It also compares those
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The University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service recently released its 2021 Rice Management Guide. The guidebook offers advise and technical assistance to Arkansas rice farmers based on research and experiments con
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March 5th Legislative Update: This week the 93rd Arkansas General Assembly steamed ahead into another month, and they're now one week closer to the end of the session. Legislative work on the floor and in committees remains very active, and bills continue
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On Tuesday, March 2nd, John Deere announced its largest-ever launch of new equipment and technology. Included in their new product launch is its first commercial application of See & Spray technology and major updates to its two largest tractors, incl
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The world famous and renowned Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna, Arkansas suffered extensive fire damage the morning of Sunday, February 28. According to reports, the fire occured while Mr. Jones was cooking in his fire pit, which unexpectedly caught fire a
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At its quarterly meeting on March 3rd, the Arkansas State Plant Board moved to adopt new rules regulating dicamba use for the 2021 crop year. The new proposed rule would dispose of the previous proposed rule, which contained a May 25th stop use date and o
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On Tuesday, March 2nd, the Senate Agriculture Committee adopted a substitute amendment to HB1210, which would amend the composition of the Arkansas State Plant Board. The substitute amendment proposes to make several modifications to the current compositi
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ANNOUNCEMENT FROM DELTA PLASTICS: 25-Feb-2021 Delta Plastics Launches Suite of Upgraded Tech Tools for Farmers The leader in polytube irrigation announces new and improved Pipe Planner irrigation software as well as a new mobile app for polytube collectio
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On Wednesday, Senator John Boozman (R-AR), who is Vice-Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, issued a statement warning of potential budget consequences with the $1.9 trillion emergency spending bill (for COVID-19 aid and econ
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On Tuesday, March 2nd, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) reported to the General Assembly that gross revenue for fiscal year-to-date (July 2020 to February 2021) is $4.913 billion, up 8.4% compared with the same period in 2019-20
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On Tuesday, March 2nd, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announced that he was expanding the groups eligible to receive vaccines in Arkansas to include certain workers in food and agriculture (see graphic below). The Governor has indicated that all of 1-B,
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The Southern Cotton Ginners Association (SCGA) recognized two Arkansans at its annual meeting in Memphis on February 25th. Dr. Fred Bourland, a cotton breeder with the University of Arkansas, was awarded the A. L. Vandergriff Cotton Pioneer Award from the
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The Mid-South Farm and Gin Show, which was held in a virtual setting February 26-27, recorded each of its presentations so they may be viewed at your convenience. In order to view the presentations, attendees must register to receive a badge ID. A link to
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On Monday, March 1st, Secretary Tom Vilsack announced plans to assign a commission at USDA to study issues of equity in agriculture. He also announced names of key advisers for racial issues and market reform, including Arkansan Dewayne Goldmon who will s
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The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued new country crop production data for the 2020 corn and soybean crops in Arkansas. Arkansas harvested 605,000 acres of corn at an average of 184 bushels per acre and 2,780,000 acres of soybean
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On Thursday, February 25th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a crop value reports for Arkansas and the United States. According to the reports, the value of production for field crops in Arkansas during 2020 totaled $4.12 bi
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The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) held its annual winter policy meetings February 23-25 in a virtual setting. The meeting, which incorporates state departments of agriculture, is a venue for leaders of such departments t
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The U.S. House of Representatives is soon expected to take up and vote on H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The legislation, which aims to provide resources to combat COVID-19 and stimulate economic activity, is expected to be approved by t
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The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture held a hearing on February 25th focused on climate change and climate policy. The hearing was the first hearing of the committee in the 117th Congress under new committee chairman David Scott (D-G
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On Thursday, February 25th, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee held a nomination hearing for Katherine Tai, the nominee to serve as Trade Representative for the United States. The position represents the chief trade negotiator for the United States. Tai, b
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While Arkansas's proposed rules governing use of dicamba in 2021 are yet to be finalized, new federal rules are established, and training will be a mandatory component for applicators. Currently, Arkansas has proposed rules governing use that are very sim
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The Arkansas General Assembly has approved a significant tax relief measure for farmers and agriculture businesses that now goes to the Governor for his signature, which is expected according to statements made by Governor Hutchinson. House bill 1361 by R
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February 26th Legislative Update: The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly returned this week following a full week off due to severe winter weather that brought record low temperatures and significant snowfall across most of Arkansas. This week was busy and in
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Sessions Now Available to Watch On-Demand Post-Conference Attendee Survey Now Available Thanks to everyone who participated in the virtual 2021 A-State Agribusiness Conference on February 10. The session recordings and post-conference survey are now avai
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This week Governor Asa Hutchinson made several announcements regarding the state's plan in responding to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With regard to vaccinations, the governor expanded the 1-B category of eligible for vaccines to all people age 65-70 an
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In cooperation with the Soil Health Institute and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, three Arkansas farmers participated in a webinar on February 19th to discuss experiences with cover crops and share ideas with farmers interested
Read MoreOn Tuesday, February 23rd, Tom Vilsack was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as Secretary of Agriculture under President Biden. He was confirmed with a vote of 92-7 and was sworn into office on Wednesday, February 24th. He is expected to be very busy
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The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently named Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian economist and former finance minister, to serve as Director General of the WTO. She will be the 7th Director General and the first woman and first African to lead the World
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The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA), a cooperative group of agriculture and food related organizations and environmental organizations seeking federal public policy in the area of climate change, recently announced that it continues to expand
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https://www.uaex.edu/media-resources/news/2021/february2021/02-10-2021-Ark-Breeding-Enlist-E3-Soybean.aspx Feb. 10, 2021 Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Soybean Breeding Program to expand variety offerings with Enlist E3® soybean trait By Nick Ko
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https://www.uaex.edu/media-resources/news/2021/february2021/02-12-2021-Ark-soil-health-cotton.asp Feb. 12, 2021 Arkansas cotton farmers, extension specialists examine profitability of soil health By Tracy Courage U of A System Division of Agriculture Fast
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https://www.uaex.edu/media-resources/news/2021/february2021/02-04-2021-Ark-Robert-Bacon-retires.aspx Feb. 4, 2021 Robert Bacon, wheat breeder, professor and department head, retires after 37 years with Division of Agriculture, Bumpers College By Fred Mill
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The National Cotton Council (NCC) held its Annual Meeting via Zoom throughout the months of January and February. Senator John Boozman of Arkansas who is now serving as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee provided the keynote speech at t
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A new report issued by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) criticized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) for its Special Local Needs (SLN) program, which allows states a pathway to pursue and receive excepti
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On February 10th, President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping had their first meeting since Biden took office. The meeting, which took place lasted roughly two hours. The discussion covered a wide range of issues that included points of contention, d
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At its Annual Convention, held virtually on February 11th, the National Cotton Council released its 40th Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey, which showed that U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 11.5 million cotton acres this spring, down 5.
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Fertilizer prices are on the rise due to tight supply and firm demand. According to market reports, farmers can expect high prices for fertilizer inputs in 2021 as most all common fertilizer inputs have seen price increases climb in recent weeks. In addit
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The Arkansas Department of Agriculture (Department) is now accepting applications for the 2021 Arkansas Century Farm program. This program recognizes Arkansas families who have owned and farmed the same land for at least 100 years. Online and printable ap
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On February 11th, USDA issued an updated Farm Labor report. According to the report farm labor wages increased in 2020 over 2019 levels, however the number of workers declined from the previous year with the most likely cause being challenges related to t
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While it is still very early into the 117th Congress, it's not too early to consider what legislative matters may emerge in the new political environment of Congress. Included in the areas of interest for agriculture is tax policy. The 2020 elections brou
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On Wednesday, February 17th, the National Ag Law Center will host a webinar to discuss updates and developments related to federal crop insurance. The webinar will examine the latest issues and policies related to crop insurance and will provide updates r
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February 12th Legislative Update: The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly is entering the 6th week of its legislative session next week. The legislature is now in peak season as it begins to consider a larger number of bills and policy matters. Weather disrupt
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Farmers seeking to apply for the new Quality Loss Adjustment Program have until March 5th to submit applications. Funded by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, this new program provides assistance to producers who suffered eligible crop q
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Farmers have until March 15th to make enrollment decisions for Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs under the 2018 farm bill for the 2021 crop year. For more information on ARC and PLC, including two online decision tool
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On February 9th, USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Cotton Ginnings Report. According to the report, Arkansas ginned 1,340,600 running bales from the 2020 crop, which was a slight decrease from the 2019 crop, but above
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A new $1.9 trillion Coronavirus aid and economic stimulus bill is beginning to take shape in Congress following the passage of a congressional budget resolution that makes room for a new spending bill that can be approved with a simple majority. This week
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On Monday, February 8th, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued a Catfish Production Report. According to the report, catfish growers in the United States had sales of 371 million dollars during 2020, down 2 percent from 380 millio
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On Tuesday, February 9th, the USDA released a new World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report. The report showed strong demand and low stocks for most major commodities further justifying recent increases in market prices. More below: http
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The U.S. Senate approved a House budget measure with Senate amendments that will unlock new $1.9 trillion in new spending for Coronavirus aid and econcomic stimulus programs. Once the House approves the budget reconciliation resolution as amended by the S
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Land O'Lakes' Truterra initiative recently announced a significant sale of carbon credits to Microsoft Corporation in a transaction that will provide new revenues to farmers who are selling carbon credits through Truterra. According to news reports, the t
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The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released new monthly reports the week of February 1. The reports show supply and demand estimates for the processing of major commodities. More below: Cotton System Consumption and Stocks Report Fat
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Cotton Incorporated recently finalized its 2020 Year-End Report to the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA). The annual report provides an update on various program activities supporting the U.S. cotton industry. Cotton Incorporated is a not-for-profit compa
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February 5th Legislative Update: The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly is entering the 5th week of its legislative session next week. While the session is still young, new bills are being filed each day, and the number of legislative items impacting agricult
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According to the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), net farm income is expected to decline in 2021 from 2020 levels. The decline is expected despite increased prices for many agricultural commodities largely due to a significant reduction in federal ai
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According to USDA, $26.4 billion of agricultural goods from the United States were delivered to China in 2020. This number set a new record for U.S. agriculture exports to China. However, the total value still is less than China's import commitments under
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The revenue picture for the State of Arkansas appears to be in good condition despite the economic struggles related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. According to reporting from the State Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), revenue collection
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This week, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition formalized its membership for the 117th Congress. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) will serve as Ranking Member while Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) will serve as Chair of the committee. New m
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Former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is poised to be approved by the U.S. Senate to again serve as Secretary of Agriculture in the Biden Administratrion. On Wednesday, February 2nd, Vilsack was interviewed by Senator Boozman (R-AR) and members of t
Read MoreOn February 3rd, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a nomination hearing for Michael Regan to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Regan previously served as the Secretary of the Department of Envir
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USDA Announces February 2021 Lending Rates for Agricultural Producers Contact: FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced loan interest rates for February 2021, which are effective February 1. Ope
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Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition, recently indicated that budget reconciliation could serve as a vehicle to enact new climate legislation that would offer farmers new payments for certai
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On Thursday, January 28th, the U.S. Department of State issued a statement regarding H-2A labor as it relates to the recently announced travel bans to limit the risk of spread of new variants of COVID-19. According to the statement, H-2A workers will be a
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The NCC's 2021 Annual Meeting will be conducted in a virtual format to minimize risks to industry members due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Committee meetings will begin Tuesday, January 19, and end with the convention’s final event, the General Session, on T
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January 29th Legislative Update: The 93rd Arkansas General Assembly is entering the 4th week of its legislative session next week. While the session is still young, new bills are being filed each day, and the number of legislative items touching agricultu
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The Ag Council of Arkansas continues to press for timely delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to Arkansas's agriculture industry and members of the Ag Council of Arkansas. While those in food production are considered essential workers and are placed in a priori
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On Wednesday, January 27th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued new estimates for peanut stocks and processing. According to the report, shelled edible grade season to date utilization was up 8 percent from last year while pean
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Conference honors extension’s Daniels for conservation work By Ryan McGeeney U of A System Division of Agriculture Fast Facts: Division of Agriculture’s Daniels honored at conference Award recognizes Daniels’ work in water, soil conservation (417 wor
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Division of Agriculture releases 2021 versions of weed, pest and disease management guides By Tracy Courage U of A System Division of Agriculture Fast Facts: Three new publications available: MP44 - Recommended Chemicals for Weed and Brush Control; MP14
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Mid-South Farm & Gin Show moves to all-virtual format... DETAILS AND REGISTRATION LINK: https://www.midsouthfarmandginshow.com www.farmandginshow.com January 25, 2021 in Breaking News Organizers of the 2021 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show in Memphis, Te
Read MoreOn Wednesday, President Biden held a press conference focused on sharing his priorities and goals related to climate policy. Featured speakers included his environmental policy advisors, former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and former U.S. Senator and S
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The USDA announced plans to suspend past-due debt collections and foreclosures on USDA farm loans as a result of the COVId-19 pandemic. USDA is also extending deadlines for borrowers to respond to local servicing actions, including loan deferral considera
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The USDA continues to build out its staff under the Biden administration. Former USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, who is Biden's nominee for USDA Secretary, is expected to have his nomination hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee Tuesday, February 2n
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Late Wednesday, the USDA announced that $2.3 billion in supplemental Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments will be temporarily frozen. The action was made in accordance with the White House memo, Regulatory Freeze Pending Review. The USDA in
Read MorePresident Biden signed several Executive Orders in his first days in office, and many of them were aimed at overturning actions taken by his predecessor. Included were orders aimed at freezing certain regulations for additional review and potential redire
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On his first day in office, President Joe Biden took action to bring the United States back into the Paris Climate Agreement. The 2015 agreement is an international treaty on climate change that was adopted by 196 parties with each nation presenting goals
Read MoreOn Wednesday, January 20th, Joseph R. Biden was sworn into office as the 46th President of the United States. In his speech he delivered a message and pledge of unity. Former United States Senator Kamala Harris of California was sworn in as Vice President
Read MorePresident Biden announced Sunday, January 24th, that he was reinstating and expanding travel bans from certain countries, including South Africa, in an effort to slow the spread of new variants of COVID-19. Several agriculture groups from across the count
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President-elect Biden has wrapped up the bulk of his cabinet selections ahead of his inauguration on January 20th. Many of his picks will require confirmation from the U.S. Senate. Several cabinet leaders will play a direct role in affecting policy that i
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On Friday, January 15th, the U.S. Department of Labor finalized a series of rule changes aimed at easing some rules for employers under the H-2A visa program. The new rules provide for new electronic filing of job orders and applications, allowance of far
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On Tuesday, January 12th, USDA released an updated Cotton Ginnings Report. According to the report, Arkansas ginned 1.3 million bales from the 2020 crop, ranking the state 4th in the nation in cotton production. More below: https://downloads.usda.library.
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On Tuesday, January 12th, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued new crop production estimates for the 2020 crop year. The report compares 2020 production numbers with previous years and includes estimated acres planted and yield p
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On January 12th, USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new Quarterly Stocks Report outlining supply estimates for most major commodities. Most commodities are currently with lower stocks from this time in 2019 with the exception of
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The Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans established by Congress in pandemic relief acts has provided important relief to a host of U.S. businesses including farm operations. The program remains open for those intere
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The 93rd General Assembly began work on its legislative session on January 11th. The first week was largely ceremonial with the formalization of leadership roles and committee assignments along with a state of the state address by Governor Hutchinson. Beg
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The efforts to deploy COVID-19 vaccines as quickly as possible to Americans continues in all states including Arkansas. In accordance with CDC and FDA recommendations, Arkansas is providing vaccines to vulnerable populations first before moving to individ
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On Tuesday, January 12th, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report. The report provides an overview of global supply and demand estimates for primary commodities.
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The Arkansas Crop Management Conference will kick off Tuesday, January 19, at 1:00 offered virtually through two platforms: a ZOOM meeting on January 19 (register here) with questions answer session and individual sessions on ACPA website beginning at 8:0
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The Arkansas Rice Farmers and Arkansas Rice Council will hold their annual meeting virtually on Monday, February 8 at 1:00 pm. The meeting will feature U.S. Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member Senator John Boozman, Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward,
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The National Cotton Council (NCC) annual meeting will be held in a virtual format this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting will be held February 9-11. Additional information regarding the meeting will be forthcoming. More below: http://
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The University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture will host its winter production meetings online this year. Their meetings began this month. The meeting schedule is posted and registration is now open. The schedule will feature sessions dedicat
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 13, 2021 Governor Releases State Broadband Map That Pinpoints Location of High-Speed Internet Providers in Arkansas LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas State Broadband Map will allow Arkansans to pinpoint broadband providers in the s
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The 69th Annual Mid-South Farm & Gin Show will be held February 26 & 27, 2021 at the Renasant Convention Center, 255 North Main Street, Memphis, Tennessee. This year's event will be offered in two formats to accomodate those wishing to participate
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Scott Stiles, economist with the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture, has updated his estimates for payment rates for the Price Loss Coverage (PLC). According to his estimates, payment rates will be significantly lower for the 2020 cro
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On Friday, January 15th, USDA announced the final rule regulating the production of hemp in the United States. The final rule incorporates modifications to regulations established under the interim final rule (IFR) published in October 2019. Modifications
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The National Cotton Council (NCC) has compiled a final summary of the 2020 election cycle as it relates to federal seats. The document shows the changes in leadership and committee assignments in the House and Senate, and it provides an update of cabinet
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The U.S. State Department on Monday, January 11th, added Cuba to the United States' list of state sponsors of terrorism. The designation places new restrictions on Cuba and makes more difficult any future efforts of the United States to expand commercial
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Farmers have until March 5th to apply for financial assistance from USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) for quality losses to crops from the 2018 and 2019 crop year. This is a new program established by Congress in an appropriation act approved in late 2020. F
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The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup period runs from January 4, 2021 through February 12, 2021. This signup includes increased opportunities for enrollment of wildlife habitat through the State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initi
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The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame announced plans to induct six new inductees in its 2021 class (its 34th class). The mission of the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame is to build public awareness of agriculture and to formally recognize and honor indi
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The 2021 Arkansas State University’s annual Agribusiness Conference will be held live virtually via WebEx Wednesday, Feb. 10. The 27th annual conference will focus on the outlook for the economy and agribusiness, commodity markets, and the impact of the 2
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A deal was reached between the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House to provide a spending bill for fiscal year 2021 and to provide another aid package related to the ongoing pandemic. The measure contains significant funding for
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The primary Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advisory group on vaccines has recommended that frontline essential workers, including farmers and others in the food and agriculture industry, should be in the second group to receive COVID-19 vaccines. The r
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 12/15/2020 CONTACT: Amy Lyman, (501) 219-6323, amy.lyman@agriculture.arkansas.gov 694,387 Pounds of Pesticides Collected Through 2020 Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program Over 5.1 Million Pounds of Pesticides Collected Since 20
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 12/14/20 Contact: Amy Lyman, (501) 219-6323, amy.lyman@agriculture.arkansas.gov Arkansas Century Farm Program Honors 30 Farms from 23 Counties LITTLE ROCK, AR – Governor Asa Hutchinson joined Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Wa
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2020 USA Rice Sustainability Award Dr. Michele Reba Dec 15, 2020 JONESBORO, AR – Dr. Michele Reba, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture Research Service (ARS), is the 2020 recipient of the USA Rice Sustai
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Scott Stiles, economist with the University of Arkansas, has issued updated projections for 2020 PLC payments for Arkansas crops. For the 2021 crop year, farmers have until March 15th for elections and enrollment in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and
Read MorePresident-elect Biden recently announced additional cabinet appointments related to climate issues, including Secretary of Energy, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Secretary of the Interior. He also tapped former EPA Adminis
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Researchers at the University of Arkansas are studying microwave technology to determine if it may provide a faster and more efficient drying system for rice than conventional heated-air drying systems currently utilized at rice mills and storage faciliti
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For more information, contact: NRD, (501) 682-1611; Allen Brown, Allen.Brown@arkansas.gov or FTN Associates, (501) 831-1135; Terry Horton, twh@ftn-assoc.com Virtual Public Information Meetings on January 19, 2021, to Discuss a Voluntary Watershed-Based M
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On Wednesday, December 16th, the Board of Directors for the Ag Council of Arkansas held its annual meeting to make preparations for the upcoming year. This year's board of directors meeting was different than most due to the ongoing pandemic. The meeting
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The December 10th Crop Production Reports issued by USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) provided cotton production estimates for the 2020 crop year. According to the reports, USDA estimates 1,200 lbs per acre in Arkansas on 520,000 acres
Read MoreOn Thursday, December 10th, USDA issued an updated World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report. The report provides a comprehensive overview of global supply and demand estimates for most major commodities. The December report did not offe
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Congress is now likely to pass a one-week extension of a continuing resolution to make room for additional ongoing negotiations on pandemic assistance. The House and Senate continue to haggle over top priorities for both sides and whether or not to fund t
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Well known and well respected agriculture journalists Owen Taylor and Debra Ferguson (his wife) both passed away unexpectedly due to an automobile accident. The two were owners of AgFax Media, a popular source for agricultural news throughout the Mid-Sout
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Brad Doyle of Weiner, Ar, was elected as Vice President for the American Soybean Association (ASA) for the upcoming year. His move to Vice President places him in line to serve as the association’s president in 2022. Doyle previously served as ASA secreta
Read MorePresident-elect Joe Biden is reported to have a selection for U.S. Trade Representative. According to multiple reports, his choice to serve as chief trade negotiator is Katherine Tai, who currently serves as chief counsel for the House Ways and Means Comm
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2021 winter production meeting replays Jan. 12 — Corn production meeting — SEE IT HERE: https://youtu.be/UsIfzt6bBL0 Corn and Grain Sorghum Hybrid Recommendations/Production Practices – Jason Kelley Weed Control in Corn and Grain Sorghum – Tom Bar
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting public comments on its new proposed regulations for the popular herbicide paraquat dichloride until December 22.* The newly proposed interim decision (PID) for paraquat, if finalized and adopted, woul
Read MoreFormer U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack is reported to be President-elect Joe Biden's choice to serve as Secretary of Agriculture. Vilsack served as Secretary of Agriculture under president Obama for both presidential terms. Vil
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Senator John Boozman (R-AR) has hired Senate veteran Martha Scott Poindexter to serve as republican staff director for Senate Agriculture Committee. Poindexter, brings a wealth of experience to her new job having served in similar roles on the Senate Inte
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Governor Asa Hutchinson appointed Bennie Westphal to the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission to replace Joe Morgan who passed away November 21st after serving as commissioner for 5 years. Westphal lives in Fort Smith and is an avid deer and duck hunte
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Arkansas Farm Bureau held its 86th annual convention on Thursday, Dec. 3rd in a virtual setting. During the meetings, the organization elected its president and vice president. Rich Hillman of Carlisle was re-elected as president and Mike Freeze of Keo wa
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The House and Senate have officially completed work on the U.S. Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2020. The measure now awaits signature by President Trump. The measure authorizes the United States' inspections efforts provided by the Federal Grain I
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The University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture and the University of Arkansas at Monticello jointly announced the establishment of a new Research and Education Center for Forestry and Wildlife named the Five Oaks Ag Research and Education Cen
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On Wednesday, December 2nd, the Arkansas House of Representatives held its organizational meeting to establish seniority and committee assignments. The Senate finalized its committee selections in November. The upcoming legislative session is scheduled to
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Leadership in the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture leadership for the top posts on the committee in the upcoming 117th Congress are nearly fully settled with the expectation of David Scott (D-GA) chairing the committee and Glenn Thompson (R-PA) serving
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Arkansas's Fourth District Congressman Bruce Westerman is expected to serve as the top Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee in the upcoming 117th Congress. Westerman, an engineer and forester by trade, has shown himself to be a knowledgeabl
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The Arkansas State Plant Board held its final quarterly meeting for the year 2020 on December 2nd. As part of their meeting, the board took actions to establish dicamba use regulations for the upcoming crop year. The board decided to maintain the May 25th
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The USDA announced that it would correct a recently announced final rule issued by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) that would require all commodity program recipients to meet certain eligibility requirements for being "actively engaged" in farming. The retr
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According to this week's report from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Arkansas continued to exceed forecasted revenue estimates through the month of November. The monthly revenue report exceeded agency forecasts by 12.5% with year-to
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With a looming fiscal cliff scheduled to be reached December 11th with the expiration of the continuing resolution (CR) for fiscal year 2021 funding of the federal government, the race is on to reach an agreement on spending. In addition to the normal fis
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The Annual Beltwide Cotton Conferences will be held virtually January 5-7. Registration costs are reduced, but the informational content will remain at normal levels. The sessions will be live streamed with the final program posted on December 3rd, but a
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On Monday, November 30th the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. This week's USDA reports were the final report for the 2020 crop year as harvest has essentially concluded. More below:
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Update on Arkansas USDA Service Centers Opening Status Due to COVID-19 LITTLE ROCK, AR November 30, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is temporarily restricting in-person visits for numerous Service Centers in Arkansas because of elevated r
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Dr. Terry Siebenmorgen, a well-known rice researcher and educator with the University of Arkansas System, recently passed away at age 63 after a battle with cancer. Siebenmorgan's work at the University of Arkansas and for the rice industry was primarily
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Rock Town Distillery, based in Little Rock, announced that it has produced a limited edition bourbon whiskey containing Arkansas grown rice. The single batch of whiskey was made in partnership with the Arkansas Rice Federation. The bourbon whiskey is comp
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler visited Arkansas in late November and announed new grant funding for mitigating non-point source pollution to waters. As part of his visit to Arkansas, Administrator Wheeler toured the far
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The Arkansas Rice Council recently announced scholarship awards for its Rice Reps program, which is designed to engage youth to the Arkansas rice industry. The scholarship initiative offers a friendly competition that encourages participants to utilize so
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On Monday, November 23rd, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas farmers have all but wrapped up the 2020 crop. Most of the winter wheat acres are als
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On Tuesday, November 17th, a group of national farm groups, including American Farm Bureau, paired with environmental groups to release a set of policy recommendations aimed at helping farmers benefit economically from their efforts to reduce greenhouse g
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According to a new report from Field to Market, the prolonged period of low commodity prices in recent years has created significant financial pressures for U.S. agriculture, jeopardizing many farming operations and challenging the ability of supply chain
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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) issued a new Conservation Concerns Tool to learn help farmers and landowners about conservation issues that might impact their agricultural operation. The tool program helps farmers and landowners work be
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Arkansas Crop Protection Conference moves online Dec. 1-2 Nov. 13, 2020 By Mary Hightower U of A System Division of Agriculture Fast facts Annual crop protection conference moves online Conference offers continuing education units Register: https://ua
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On Monday, November 16th, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, 95% of Arkansas cotton is harvested, 86% of peanuts are harvested, and 90% of soybeans are har
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Reece Langley, Vice President of Washington Operations for the National Cotton Council, recently joined Cotton Grower Editors Frank Giles and Jim Steadman to examine what may be next for cotton and agriculture following the November election. In the conve
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On Friday, November 20th, at 9:30am, the Arkansas State Plant Board will hold a Pesticide Committee meeting via Zoom to discuss the new federal re-registration of dicamba herbicide. The committee is expected to review new additive products required under
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The University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture is co-hosting with USDA NRCS a "virtual field trip" webinar on agriculture sustainability on Tuesday, November 17th. The free one-hour, interactive program will start a five-part series on agricu
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With the elections mostly in the rear view, Congress is returning to complete work before the end of the year and the start of the next (117th) Congress. Included on the list of must do is extend fiscal year 2021 funding beyond the current end date of Dec
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On Tuesday, November 10, USDA released an updated Cotton Ginnings Report. According to the report, USDA estimates that total ginnings as of November 1 were 3.99 million running bales, roughly 36.2% lower than on the comparable date in the 2019-20 marketin
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Senator John Boozman is expected to become Chairman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee if Republicans hold onto its majority in the Senate. As it stands now, Georgia's two Republican Senators are on course to run-offs in their respectiv
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On Tuesday, November 10th, the USDA released an updated World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report. The report offered estimates for supply and demand of most major commodities. Generally speaking, for most commodities, the latest report
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On Tuesday, November 10, USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) released an updated Crop Production Report for the U.S. and Arkansas. For the U.S., corn and soybean production estimates were reduced slightly from October estimates while cotto
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On Monday, November 9th, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, harvest is near completion in Arkansas and remains slightly behind its five year average for mo
Read MoreJoseph R. Biden, Jr., on Saturday reached the key threshold of 270 electoral votes after it was determined he'd won Pennsylvania. He was later awarded Nevada and Arizona once their vote count was considered complete. Another key state, Georgia remains un-
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On Monday, November 9th, the drug company Pfizer announced that its COVID-19 vaccine candidate is more than 90 percent effective at preventing infection. said Monday that early analysis showed its vaccine candidate for Covid-19 is more than 90 percent eff
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During a recent budget hearing before the Arkansas General Assembly, legislators pressed to understand what budget savings were made available through the recent government transformation effort that consolidated 42 government agencies into 15 departments
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On Tuesday, November 10th, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson released his budget proposal to the General Assembly. The budget proposal showed a budget surplus for Arkansas of $240 million, and offered a plan to set aside $100 million in a cash reserve for
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USA Rice CEO Betsy Ward sat down for a interview recently with Agri-Pulse for their "Open Mic" podcast. In the interview she discussed the impact of the recent election on farm policies and future priorities for the industry. More below: https://www.agri-
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On October 27th, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced that the agency finalized important improvements to requirements for the pesticide application exclusion zone (AEZ)—the area surrounding pesticide applicati
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The Arkansas General Assembly met on Friday November 6th to discuss committee and seat selections as well as certain leadership posts. The House Speaker, Matthew Shepherd announced that the House would meet next week to discuss committee selections and ot
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A new lawsuit was recently filed by the American Soybean Association and the Plains Cotton Growers Association against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the recent re-registration of dicamba for over the top use. The suit claims that the
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The National Ag Law Center will host a webinar on November 18th at noon to discuss the top new developments related to agricultural law in the year 2020. The webinar will summarize the top legal issues in agriculture from the impacts of COVID-19 on the ag
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The University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture has released the 2021 Crop Enterprise Budget update. Budgets are available in pdf and excel formats, allowing users to change inputs and prices to fit each producer’s unique situation. Returns are begin
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On November 3rd, Americans went to the polls to vote on a wide range of candidates and issues ranging from the president of the United States to local offices and issues. While most results are determined, there are still some that remain unresolved as vo
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Arkansas cotton producers and ginners are encouraged to participate in a Political Action Committee (PAC) fundraiser and information session on Zoom November 18th from 3pm until 4pm. To participate, the NCC is encouraging contributions to the Committee fo
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Jarral Neeper, president of TruCott Commodities, will lead the Ag Market Network’s Cotton Market Roundtable on Tuesday, November 10 at 1:30 pm CST. Joining Neeper to discuss just how high cotton prices can go will be: ADVERTISEMENT Dr. John Robinson, pr
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GOVERNOR PROCLAIMS NOVEMBER ARKANSAS SOYBEAN MONTH, COMMENDING THE WORK OF ARKANSAS SOYBEAN PRODUCERS Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward (right) and Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board Administrator Mark Lambert (left) pose for a photo during a pro
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According to the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS), Arkansas farmers are at the tail end of harvest with corn finished, 95 percent of rice harvested, 75 percent of cotton harvested, 67 percent of soybeans harvested and 61 percent of pean
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On Monday, November 2, USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued new reports on consumption for various agricultural commodities. The reports outline stocks and use within the processing sectors for each commodity. Much of the reports ide
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USDA recently announced appointments to the Cotton Board. Included in the list of appointments were Pace Hindsley of Marvell and Rafe Banks of Clarkedale who were re-appointed to represent Arkansas. Hindsley and Banks were recommended for reappointment to
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The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) recently announced that the Trump Administration signed a new proclamation removing rice from the list of commodities afforded duty-free access under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Program. T
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The Ag Council of Arkansas is working with other Mid-South producer interest organizations and the National Cotton Council (NCC) to encourage area cotton producers to join the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. Producers in Arkansas are encouraged to participate
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Friday, October 30th, is the final deadline to apply for assistance under the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) to help agricultural producers affected by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. This includes hurricanes Michael, Florence,
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Lost Forty Brewery of Little Rock was recently awarded the "Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year" Award at the Great American Beer Festival, the largest commercial beer competition in the world. The company recently par
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Dr. Robert "Bob" Nichols, the recently retired Senior Director of Agricultural and Environmental Research at Cotton Incorporated passed away earlier this month following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), aka Lou Gehring's disease. Accordi
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Northeast Arkansas has become an area of significant concern for the ongoing spread of COVID-19 in recent days. The area's most populous county, Craighead County is considered the epicenter of concern as it recently reported the most new cases of any coun
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The Southern Crop Production Association (SCPA), an industry trade organization representing the crop protection industry in the Southern United States, announced that it was transitioning leadership with the future retirement of Jeff Cassady who has held
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FieldWatch, Inc., a non-profit company that promotes improved communication and stewardship among crop producers, beekeepers and pesticide applicators, announced that effective Oct. 1, 2020, Bob Walters begin in the role of Chief Executive Officer for the
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Syngenta Group announced that it would soon acquire Italian biotech company Valagro. The primary products of Valagro are considered biostimulants and specialty nutrients that are used in agriculture, gardening and manufacturing. The company also makes spe
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The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications from producers for reimbursement under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Certification Cost Share Program. Organic certification fees paid between the d
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The Arkansas General Assembly had to pause its ongoing budgetary hearings, which just began in mid-October following a recent outbreak of COVID-19 cases among legislators. According to news reports, at least 7 members of the General Assembly and a handful
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According to news report, barge traffic along the Arkansas River is performing strong, and some of that is due to greater movement of agricultural commodities. It also is due to improved mobility from the previous year where the river experienced high wat
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On Tuesday, October 27th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its registration decision for in-crop use of dicamba herbicides in the upcoming crop year. The decision follows a federal court order last Summer that forced the EPA to vac
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On Monday, after being confirmed by the United States Senate, Justice Amy Coney Barrett was sworn in as Supreme Court Justice at a ceremony at the White House. Justice Barrett was nominated by President Trump to fill a vacancy to the court, which became a
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Congress appears to be deadlocked on an additional aid package to assist individuals, industries, and small businesses struggling as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While the White House and the U.S. House were negotiating an aid package and se
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The University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture announced that it was awarded a $324,000 USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant to examine new weed management tactics in furrow irrigated and conventional rice production.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released an updated final rule for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The rule updates the program as directed under the 2018 farm bill and incorporates additional public feedback receiv
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On Friday, October 23rd, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)issued an interim report highlighting the progress made to date in implementing the agricultural provisions in the U.S.-China Phase On
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The EPA recently announced that new interim registration decisions for 13 pyrethroid insecticides and one herbicide, paraquat. While the decisions are interim, they are considered to represent a signficant step forward in establishing future access to the
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USDA announced on Monday, October 26th that it has passed the estimated halfway point of delivering financial aid to farmers under the second Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP2). Farmers were able to enroll in the program beginning September 21st.
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On Monday, October 26th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas continues to progress towards the finish line of harvest, but rainfall events have ca
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On Tuesday, October 13th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas farmers have harvested 94 percent of corn, 30 percent of cotton, 83 percent of rice, and 38 p
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The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released new federal budget figures on Thursday, October 8th, showing the United States running a $3.1 trillion deficit for the 2020 fiscal year, which came to a close at the end of September. The number reflected a n
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Tense and often confusing negotiations on additional COVID-19 aid are still ongoing in Washington, but the various participants in the negotiations have yet to break the impasse. The House, Senate and White House are all in agreement that an aid package i
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Several national commodity and ag industry groups joined together recently to provide a policy white paper to candidates running for President of the United States in an effort to assist the policy directions of both campaigns regardless of the potential
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On October 5th, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture announced the recipients of the $5 million in funding provided by the Arkansas CARES Act Steering Committee and the Arkansas Legislative Council for the Arkansas Meat Processing Grant Program. The pur
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President Trump, who was recently infected with COVID-19 along with the First Lady, several White House and administration staff as well as White House employees and campaign aides, recently returned to the White House following a brief stay at Walter Ree
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On Friday, October 9th, the USDA released a new World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) Report. The report offers supply and demand estimates for primary commodities grown in the United States. Once again, the report offered bullish estimate
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On Friday, October 9th, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Production Report. The report issues estimates for crop production for a range of commodities and compares this year's production to 2019. The report pr
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On October 5th, the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) issued its annual Cotton Varieties Planted Report, which estimates acreage planted by seed. According to the report, Deltapine brand of Upland cottonseed was the most popular planted in the U.S.
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On October 5th, the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture announced that it has hired Christian De Guzman to serve as an assistant professor and rice breeder at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart. Dr. Guzman was previous
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On October 8th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released the final rule for its Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The rule makes updates to the popular conservation program as directed by the 2
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This election year, Arkansas voters will have the opportunity to vote for a ballot initiative that would continue the half cent sales tax committed to funding state, county and local roads. The Ag Council supports Issue 1 and strongly encourages its membe
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As Arkansas farmers continue with peak harvest of the 2020 crop, they're once again dealing with the threat of an impending storm out of the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Delta is expected to make landfall along the Louisiana coast Friday and move through Ark
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Revolution, the parent company of Delta Plastics, announced on October 7th that it will expand its 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the Little Rock Port by an additional 36,000 square feet and add at least 60 jobs within the next two years. T
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On Thursday, October 8th, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson held a meeting with his cabinet secretaries. A significant part of the discussion centered around the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the state's efforts to battle the virus while keeping the econom
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The Ag Council of Arkansas Board of Directors will hold its annual meeting on December 16th from 9:00am until 12:30pm. The meeting will be held via zoom and will be for members of the board of directors only. The primary purpose of the meeting is to condu
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On October 7th, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture announced the release of a newly created Arkansas Feral Hog Handbook, which is designed to serve as a guide to resources available in Arkansas to assist with feral hog control and eradication. The han
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On Monday, October 5th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas farmers are entering peak harvest with 86 percent of corn harvested, 70 percent of rice harvest
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On Thursday, October 1, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued new reports on the demand and use side for cotton, fats and oils, and grain crushing. The report compares current usage to 2019. More below: Cotton Systems Fats & Oils
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Late Thursday evening, President Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19. The tests were initially out of an abundance of caution after another White House staffer who was near the president in recent days tes
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On Thursday, October 1, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) named 379 priority watersheds to help agricultural producers improve water quality across the country. Producers in these targeted watersheds will receive focused financial and tec
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On Thursday, October 1, the House took up and approved another COVID-19 aid spending bill that is primarily aimed at helping state and local governments, businesses and families struggling as a result of the pandemic and policies to mitigate the spread of
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On Wednesday, USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued Grain Stocks Estimates that led to quick upward motion for futures markets for corn and soybeans. The report indicated corn stocks down 10 percent from 2019 and soybean stocks down
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The University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture released an updated Economic Contribution Report for Arkansas agriculture. The report offers an overview of agriculture's economic impact to the state and compares Arkansas's state ranking by com
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During a recent media interview, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler stated that the agency was expecting to deliver a registration decision for dicamba by the middle of October. In making the statement, he noted that the Oc
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Nominations for 2020 USA Rice Sustainability Award Now Open By Lydia Holmes MEMPHIS, TN -- While this year may look very different in many ways, the sustainability efforts of the U.S. rice industry continue with renewed commitment. Take time to recogni
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On Monday, September 28th, the European Union notified Bayer that it would approve for import soybeans containing the XtendFlex genetics. This announcement marks a final milestone before Bayer looks to begin full commercialization of the seed in the Unite
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AgLaunch, a Memphis-based organization, established to support innovation and entrepreneuership in agriculture and food in the Mid-South, is holding an all-day seminar on October 7th. The event, which is described as a "virtual field day," will cover a ra
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On Monday, September 28th, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture sent our a reminder notice to farmers encouraging participation in the Voluntary Smoke Management Guidelines managed by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture in partnership with agricultur
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On Monday, September 28th, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued a Crop Progress and Condition Report providing an update on the 2020 crops. According to the report, Arkansas remains behind its five year average on harvesting but
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Delta Plastics, the leading polypipe provider for irrigation in the Mid-South, announced that it would only collect used plastic pipe from those who call to request a pick up. To order a pick up, call (800) 277-9172. The used pipe is recycled and repurpos
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A recent letter sent by several members of the U.S. House and Senate to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer offered support for USA Rice's petition to the Agency requesting that rice be removed from the list of duty-free commoditie
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The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame is currently accepting nominations through November 1st for its 34th class. The Agriculture Hall of Fame recognizes Arkansans who have contributed significantly to the state’s largest industry, while spotlighting thei
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Joe Fox, the state forester of Arkansas, was elected to serve as president of the National Association of State Foresters in 2021. As the director of the Forestry Division of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Fox is responsible for the statewide del
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As Arkansas farmers continue into and through the harvest season, they are also reminded to conduct crop residue burning in a manner consistent with the Arkansas Voluntary Smoke Management Guidelines led by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. The guid
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On Monday, September 21st, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued a Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas crops continue to be in solid condition, especially relative to some other states more signif
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House democrats and the White House reached a deal on the short-term fiscal year 2021 appropriations that would keep the government open and provide funds to replenish the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), which is being used to directly pay for
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All U.S. cotton growers now can join the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a new standard for verifying the sustainability progress of U.S. cotton and aiding in the marketability of U.S. grown cotton to consumers worldwide. The platform is designed to aid the U
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The week of September 20-26 marks National Farm Safety and Health Week, the annual weeklong event led by the National Safety Council since 1944, is a public promotion campaign aimed at reminding those engaged in agriculture of the various dangers related
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Congress appears set to approve a continuing resolution that will keep the government open beyond the end of the current fiscal year, which ends October 1. However, the package is not likely to include funding to replenish the USDA Commodity Credit Corpor
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Arkansas First District Congressman Rick Crawford introduced a new bill known as the Agricultural Intelligence Measures, or AIM Act, to establish an intelligence office within USDA to monitor and address potential foreign threats related to agriculture. S
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Several agricultural groups across the country, including the Agricultural Council of Arkansas, joined a letter to members of the U.S. House and Senate expressing opposition to a recently introduced bill known as the Protect America’s Children from Toxic
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On Monday, September 21, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas crops are in pretty good condition with a majority of most commodities in good to exc
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On Friday, September 18th, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced that EPA had established an interim decision supporting the continued use of atrazine, propazine and simazine (triazines). The EPA did implement s
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9.22.20 MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Waldrip, 870.295.8454, lauren@campbellward.com Arkansas Rice Industry Donates Over 153,000 Pounds of Rice in Honor of Rice Month Little Rock, AR - The Arkansas rice industry donated 153,500 pounds of
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On Friday, September 18th, USDA announced the launch of the second Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP2), which is designed to provide additional aid to farmers impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and trade disputes. USDA will accept CFAP2 app
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Steve Censky, the USDA Deputy Secretary, announced that he will soon leave USDA and return to lead the American Soybean Association (ASA). Censkey served the ASA for 21 years prior to accepting the job at USDA in 2017. More below: https://www.agri-pulse.c
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On Thursday, September 17th, Riceland Foods, a farmer owned cooperative headquartered in Stuttgart, Arkansas, announced a new sustainability goal in the form of reducing water use. The initiative, known as "Ingrain Good," will establish a goal of reducing
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On Thursday, September 17th, U.S. Senator John Boozman sat down with Agri-Pulse to discuss ongoing Congressional activity as it relates to agriculture spending and aid for U.S. farmers. Boozman is expected to be the highest ranking Republican member of th
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A plan by the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture to sell a non-agricultural research section of land at its Pine Tree Research Station near Colt, Arkansas, is under scrutiny by a state lawmaker and facing opposition from area hunters
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Due to many unforeseen and drastic challenges and obstacles that have faced farmers in recent years, federal aid has grown to levels never seen before to ease the pain on the agriculture sector. And while more aid is expected from USDA with an additional
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Any day now, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue is expected to announce a second round of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments, using $14 billion Congress provided through the CARES Act, a coronavirus relief package enacted in March. In addition,
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The U.S. House and Senate recently returned to Washington, D.C., from Labor Day recess with a significant amount of work to complete before the end of the 2020 fiscal year, which closes at the end of September. Congress must approve spending bills that ca
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A recently released report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examining recent aid funding for farmers is now being used by some to express frustration, criticism and opposition to Secretary Perdue's aid programs already offered and any future
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U.S. Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, announced that he will depart his post in early October. Branstad has played a major role in negotiating with China since he took on the role in 2017, and he brought significant expertise in agriculture trade. In
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A World Trade Organization (WTO) panel on Tuesday, September 15th, ruled that the United States' $200 billion tariffs on certain Chinese imports was against WTO Rules. The United States expressed that it strongly disagreed with the ruling, which is expect
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A new deal between the United States and Brazil is expected to delay for an additional 90 days a tariff rate quota (TRQ) that was supposed to lead to a 20% tariff on U.S. exports to Brazil that were in excess of the 198 million gallon import quota. Brazil
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On Friday, September 11, the USDA released an updated World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) Report. The report offers supply and demand estimates for primary commodities. Much of the September report offered information that was bullish to
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On Monday, September 14th, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. The report provides the latest estimates for supply and demand of most major U.S. commodities. According to the report
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On Friday, September 11, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its monthly Crop Production Report which estimated crop production yield by state for primary commodities grown in the U.S. According to the report, Arkansas crop p
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a new proposed rule to limit federal regulations on biotech crops that are genetically engineered to incorporate toxins to certain insects and other plant pests. The newly proposed rule, whi
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At the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) annual meeting held recently, Secretary Sonny Perdue spoke about agency priorities including additional coronavirus aid for farmers and aid for farmers dealing with natural disasters.
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On Monday, September 8th, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) released an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. The report offers an update on crop conditions for most major commodities. According to the report, crop conditions h
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The Central Arkansas Angel Network recently announced a name change to the Ark Angel Alliance in an effort to expand upon its efforts to source and invest capital into companies throughout Arkansas that are looking to grow. The primary investment interest
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Once again, soybean rust has been discovered in Arkansas in recent days. According to the University of Arkansas, the disease was confirmed in Ashley, Chicot, Lincoln and Phillips counties the week of August 30th. Soybean rust is typically found in Arkans
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At the Arkansas State Plant Board held its latest quarterly meeting on September 2nd. At the meeting the board considered a range of business items including the election of officers. The board elected Terry Fuller of Poplar Grove to continue serving as c
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would not provide "gap year" waivers for ethanol production required of the renewable fuel standard (RFS). The decision, which is made in partnership with the Department of Energy, was prais
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President Trump recently announced that he would approve an order to allow for the use of 15% ethanol blends in 10% blend pumps and filling stations. The announcement was well received by the ethanol and corn industry that has struggled recently and has s
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On Monday, August 31st, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) released an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas appears to have experienced a modest deterioration of crop condition primarily due to
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On Friday, August 29th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an update on Cash Rents data, which estimates cash rental rates per acre for each county in each state. More below: https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/results/E0F5EB36-3
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On August 29th, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new Peanut Stocks and Processing Report. The report showed reduced peanut stocks in commercial storage from 2019 with over half of the stock considered actual farmer stock. T
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On Monday, September 1, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) released an updated Cotton Systems Consumption and Stocks Report. This is a monthly report that is part of the Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR) program. The repo
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On Monday, September 1, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) released an updated Fats and Oils Report. This monthly release is part of the Current Agricultural Industrial Report (CAIR) program, and covers the crush of oilseeds and produ
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On Monday, September 1, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service released an updated Grain Crushings Report. This monthly report is part of the Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR) program, with data for the previous calendar month colle
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Indigo Ag, a relatively new agriculture start up company that promised to significantly disrupt the current agriculture economy, recently announced a major shift in leadership with the departure of founder and CEO David Perry. It was announced that his de
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On Thursday, August 27th, USDA published in the federal register a final rule on Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended (the 1985 Farm Bill). USDA published an interim rule, with request for c
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Arkansas once again exceeded revenue expectations during the month of August according to state tax officials. The ongoing pandemic has had effects on many points of revenue collection, but the slowdown in the economy due to the pandemic clearly has been
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Deere & Co., maker of John Deere agricultural machinery, recently reported earnings that significantly surpased most analysts' projections. The company also increased its sales outlook for the year citing strong demand for farm-equipment despite weak
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The U.S. Senate and U.S. House have yet to reach an agreement on a COVID-19 aid package that would include funding for additional aid to U.S. farmers for impacts of trade, the pandemic, and significant weather events. The House and Senate have both drafte
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U.S. trade negotiators are indicating positive progress with the implementation of the "Phase 1" trade deal with China following a call early this week with their counterparts in China. Exports of U.S. corn and soybean to China continue to progress as wel
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Hurricane Laura, which struck the Louisiana coast as a powerful category 4 hurricane, rolled into and through Arkansas Thursday afternoon and into Friday. Upon entering Arkansas, the storm remained at hurricane strength before weakening. The storm brought
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The University of Missouri Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) released a new agricultre market economic report, which provides a comprehensive view of economic conditions facing the agriculture sector. The report has key data and infor
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Rabobank AgriFinance recently released economic analysis documents providing an overview of their projections of the agriculture market with specific looks into each commodity. The report provides insight and analysis for all major agricultural commodity
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On Monday, August 24th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. The report shows the latest estimates from primary commodities grown in the U.S. Nationally, the report indicated only
Read MoreA new 100 megawatt solar farm is coming to East Arkansas thanks to Entergy Arkansas, the state’s largest electric utility. The plant, known as Walnut Bend Solar, is located in Lee County near Brinkley. The construction of the roughly 900 acre project is e
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On Friday, August 21st, USDA announced changes to eligibility rules for commodity program payments that could make it more challenging for certain family members in operations to qualify for payments. The rule, which went into effect August 20th, amends
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A new cover crop survey by the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, the Conservation Technology Innovation Center (CTIC), and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) provided new data and information touting potential ben
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The University of Arkansas System's Cooperative Extension Service recently provided a virtual Soil and Water Conservation Field Trip to highlight various on-farm conservation practices related to soil health and water use efficiency. The field trip was re
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The University of Arkansas (UofA) Division of Agriculture has made its annual Rice Field Day available online. The field day was first held in a virtual setting on August 20th. The field day includes an overview of research activities of the University as
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On Monday, August 17th, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order denying requests to conduct a rehearing of the court's June 3rd ruling that ordered the Enivronmental Protection Agency (EPA) to vacate registrations of Xtendimax, FeXapan and E
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On Monday, August 17th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new Crop Progress and Condition Report. The report provides estimates for the condition of primary crops grown in Arkansas and throughout the nation. For Arkansas, c
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A recent loan of $450 million from the U.S. Export-Import Bank to Iraq is expected to provide a significant boost to U.S. rice exports to Iraq. Iraq has long been a significant importer of U.S. rice, and the financing provided by the U.S. Ex-Im Bank is ex
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On Wednesday, August 12th, the USDA released an updated World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) Report. The report estimated a bumper crop for much of the United States with record soybean and corn production. However, the report did not acco
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According to news reports, Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced this week plans to fully phase out the use of glyphosate herbicide in Mexico by the year 2024. He stated that the government would immediately stop using glyphosate on its
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The U.S. and China decided to postpone the planned virtual meeting previously scheduled to take place this weekend. The meeting was intended to be an opportunity for both nations to meet up and discuss compliance with commitments under the Phase 1 agreeme
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The Arkansas Catfish industry joined state officials this week at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture to celebrate Catfish Month under a proclamation made by Governor Hutchinson. Arkansas ranks third among U.S. catfish producing states, and the industr
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The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) August newsletter is now available. The newsletter offers updated information from the FSA related to various programs important to Arkansas producers. Included in this newsletter are instructions for establishing an onl
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University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture economists have made available Price Loss Coverage (PLC) estimated payment rates for 2019 and 2020 crops. The PLC program under Title I of the 2018 farm bill provides price support for several commod
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A major weather system that moved across much of the Midwest wreaked havoc on farmers throughout the corn belt by flattening corn fields and knocking out grain bins. The full effect is yet to be determined, but straight line winds ripped across the landsc
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As farmers have dealt with multiple crises in recent years, the need for aid to producers has grown beyond the amounts provided under the 2018 farm bill. With Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments and Commodity Food Assistance Program (CFAP) assistan
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Rice Conservation Program Renewed for $7M By Emily Woodall LITTLE ROCK, AR -- It's been a rough 2020 so far, but area rice farmers finally got some good news with the recent announcement that the Mid-South Graduated Water Stewardship Regional Conservatio
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On Wednesday, August 12th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued Crop Production Reports. The reports provided estimates for the 2020 crop in relation to production numbers from the 2019 crop year. For the U.S., corn production i
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Cotton Incorporated’s 2020 Year-End Report to the Secretary (USDA) on program activities was recently completed and submitted to Secretary Perdue. The report highlights various research and development investments aimed to support the U.S. cotton industry
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On Friday, August 7th, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determined that it should conduct a countervailing duty investigation into Moroccan and Russian fertilizers on behalf of domestic fertilizer company Mosaic. Mosaic claims that imports of
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On Monday, August 10th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. For Arkansas, crop conditions declined slightly from the previous week primarily due to excess dryness due to lack of ra
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A new bill introduced in the U.S. House and Senate aims to severely limit farmer access to crop protection products. While the legislation is unlikely to gain traction in this Congress, the measure intends to create a narrative towards reforming regulatio
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According to AgFunder, two large agriculture start ups recently announced major fundraising hauls as they look to maintain their presence and expand their businesses. Indigo Ag and Farmers Business Network (FBN) both announced that they were concluding se
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On Thursday, August 6th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Farm Land Values Report. The report compares states average land values based on transactions. The report includes, by state and region, average value per
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USDA to Invest up to $360 Million in Partner-Driven Conservation Application period has opened for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program WASHINGTON, August 6, 2020 – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) today invited potential cons
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While discussions continue between the House and Senate and the White House on the next round of COVID-19 aid, which includes sigificant assistance to farmers, it appears the differences are far from being worked out. The ongoing pandemic is entering a ne
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On Friday, August 7th, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new peanut price report. The report estimates price and marketing information from first buyers of farmer stock peanuts. More below: https://release.nass.usda.gov/rep
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The steering committee established by Governor Asa Hutchinson to recommend best uses of federal COVID-19 aid has recommended allocating $100 million of the state's $1.25 billion towards rural broadband infrastructure through the Arkansas Rural Connect pro
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U.S. trade negotiators are scheduled to meet with Chinese representatives by video conference August 15th to discuss the status of the Phase 1 agreement reached between the Trump and Xi administrations. So far to date China is not meeting their commitment
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On Tuesday, August 4th, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration reported that Arkansas's revenue collections continue to outperform previous estimates made in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The estimated negative effect of the economic down
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On August 6th, the University of Arkansas announced that it successfully concluded its capital campaign, Campaign Arkansas, by raising a record $1,449,703,813 for student, faculty, program and capital support. The gifts and pledges made during the eight-y
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On August 4th, Valley Irrigation, a leading agricultural irrigation systems, announced that it had acquired PrecisionKing, a Mississippi-based ag tech company founded in 2014 that offers products focused on moisture monitoring, pump control and remote sen
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The University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture's economists continue to analyze the impact of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in addition to other economic factors affecting row crop agriculture in Arkansas. Since the start of the
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For Immediate Release: 8.4.20 Contact: Lauren Waldrip, 870.295.8454, lauren@campbellward.com Kelly Robbins Named Executive Director of Arkansas Rice Federation Little Rock, AR - The Arkansas Rice Federation Board has announced that Kelly Robbins has bee
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On Monday, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new Cotton Systems Consumption and Stocks Report. More below: https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/cact0820.pdf
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On Monday, August 3rd, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new Fats and Oils Report. The report highlights production, supply and demand for various oils derivced from plants and animals. More below: https://release.nass.usda
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On Monday, August 3rd, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new Flour Milling Products Report. More below: https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/cafl0820.pdf
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On Monday, August 3rd, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production Report. More below: https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/cagc0820.pdf
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On Monday, August 3rd, Tyson Foods Inc., announced the naming of a new CEO. Current president Dean Banks will succeed current CEO Noel White effective October 3rd. According to the announcement, White will remain with the meat processor in a new role. Mor
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Dr. Bob Scott, the new Extension Service Director for the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture, sat down with Roby Brock of Talk Business. Scott provided an overview of the services offered by the Cooperative Extension Service and look
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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Matt Lohr announced that he planned to depart the agency later this month to head back to his family farm in Virginia. Lohr joined the agency in December 2018. During his service Lohr did visit Arka
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On Monday, August 3rd, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, crop conditions in Arkansas continue to improve, and crops are progressing well towards the harv
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On Monday, August 3rd, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new Honey Bee Colony Report. The report estimates honey bee colonies in terms of number of colonies, maximum, lost, percent lost, added, renovated, and percent renova
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On July 31st, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released an updated Agricultural Prices Report. The report estimates revenues on farms for the various commodities grown and compares them to previous years. The report reflects the ef
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Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service continues to hold its annual field days in a virtual setting online. These events focus on specific commodities, and offer Ar
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Andy Vangilder, a peanut specialist with the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service, recently sat down with Arkansas Farm Bureau to provide an update on the peanut industry in Arkansas, which continues to g
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Weed scientists have officially confirmed the presence of dicamba resistant pigweed in the Mid-South region. The finding is concerning to farmers in the region since many have utilized the dicamba-tolerant Xtend seed technology in recent years to gain bet
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According to a recent article from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture's State Plant Board has issued over $1 million in fine settlement offers to suspected violators of state laws and regulations governing use of dicamba
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On Friday, July 31st, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released an updated Farm Production Expenditure Report, which estimates various production expenses for American farms. According to the report, 2019 total farm production expe
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On Friday, July 31st, an Arkansas cotton farm and gin in Lake City held a "flip the switch" ceremony to celebrate the completion of a large solar array system. The project is managed by Craighead Electric Cooperative and Today's Power, Inc. The two megawa
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service are seeking to amend the definition of "critical habitat" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by further defining the word "habitat," as "the physical places that individual
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On Wednesday, July 29th, major grain trading companies Bunge and ADM both reported positive financial results that beat many analysts estimates. The reports showed that these businesses were now showing some renewed strength due to increased grain trading
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On Wednesday, July 29th, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the 2020 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which authorizes funding for water infrastructure projects overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The bill now goes to the U.S. Sen
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On Wednesday, China officially rejected the claims of the United States that China has failed to comply with a 2019 World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling on China’s price supports for its wheat and rice farmers. The U.S. has requested that the WTO allow t
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On Wednesday, July 29th, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the World Trade Organization (WTO). Most of the discussion was on the pros and cons of the international trade commission and its dispute resolution service. It also covered idea
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On Monday, July 27th, Republican leaders in the US Senate unveiled their COVID-19 relief package. The $1 trilllion plan includes $20 billion in additional funding for the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) for supplemental direct farm aid. The package wil
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Federal and State Government officials in the United States have issued warnings to citizens who may receive unsolicited packages of seeds shipped from China to addresses in the United States. The mysterious shipments of seed have appeared in many states,
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On Monday, July 27th, the USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the addition of new features on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers.gov website designed to help facilitate the employment of H-2A workers. The new features aim to help farmers navig
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A new lawsuit was filed by a coalition challenging USDA food labeling rules related to foods containing genetically enhanced ingredients. The primary objection relates to the USDA's allowance of food makers to utilize QR codes in disclosing relevant ingre
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On Monday, July 27th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, crop conditions nationwide have improved in recent weeks with the addition of moisture in areas
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On Wednesday, July 22nd, American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall posted an update on his experience with COVID-19 after falling ill shortly after the 4th of July. In his message, he noted that he expressed several common symptoms and that the virus ex
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Moldenhauer named interim head of rice station at Stuttgart Fast facts: Moldenhauer puts retirement on pause for interim directorship Moldenhauer has been rice breeder since 1982 (684 words) (Newsrooms: with additional art of Moldenhauer at https://ww
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Senate Republicans are expected to soon unveil a $1 trillion COVID-19 aid package in the coming days. While full details are not yet available, it is expected that the legislation will include additional funding for USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation (CC
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On Friday, July 24th, the U.S. House approved a package of fiscal year spending bills for the 2021 fiscal year, which will begin October 1. The spending measure included four appropriation measures including funding for the Agriculture Department, Food an
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On July 21, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Catfish Production report. According to the report, U.S. catfish production continues to contract. Nationally, water surface acres were down 5 percent year over year in
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Arkansas State University recently announced new grants aimed at studying crop residue burning. One grant is focused on considering the potential health effects of the practice on populations and the other is to consider better management techniques for b
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The USDA reported significant export purchases from China this week. Sales announcements from USDA included a Wednesday announcement of sales of 715,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans to China, 649,000 tons of which are scheduled for delivery in the 2020-21
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On Wednesday, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals denied a petition to vacate the registration of Corteva Agriscience's Enlist Duo herbicide, a 2,4-D-choline and glyphosate premix designed for use over 2,4-D-tolerant Enlist crops. The challenge agains
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On Tuesday, July 21st, Bayer Crop Science announced a new initiative and plan to provide incentives to growers who adopt certain activities to sequester carbon. The program will begin this fall and incentives will be made available for no-till practices a
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On Monday, July 20th, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. The report provides the latest estimates for the 2020 crops at this stage in the growing season. According to the report, crop
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ArkansasReady, the Arkansas Economic Recovery Task Force, was formed to provide information to help Arkansans confidently and safely return to life and work. This industry-specific platform provides a single source for information and recommendations on h
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On Wednesday, July 15th, Arkansas Capital Corporation announced that is received an additional $35 million in federal New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) allocations. These credits will be deployed this fall for use in various economic and business development
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Senate Republicans are expected to introduce their COVID-19 aid package next week with what is said to be a roughly $1 trillion package. Ultimately, Senate Republicans will have to negotiate with a Democratic House plan that called for $3 trillion in aid.
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President Trump recently stated that he remains disappointed in China and is not interested in engaging with China to explore a second phase to the deal reached in January. Primary among President Trump's concerns were the ongoing pandemic, which originat
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On Wednesday, July 15th, the Trump Administration released a new rule to ease the regulatory burdens associated with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The move was touted by the President as an effective way of slashing a web of needless burea
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The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, the U.S. cotton industry's sustainability initiative, recently announced that it was expanding its services to include brands and retailers after a successful launch of its pilot phase focused on growers. The Trust Protocol
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A recent report from Rabobank highlighting fertilizer market conditions showed fertilizer prices to be down significantly across the board. According to the report global price indicators find nitrogen, phosphate, and potash to be at or near ten-year lows
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On Thursday, July 16th, Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson announced that he would issue an executive order for a statewide mandate the use of face coverings in public. The order is aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. He plans to sign the order Monday.
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On Tuesday, July 14th, AgLaunch and Farm Journal announced that they've opened applications for its 2nd Row Crop Challenge, which is designed to identify prospective startup companies and provide them with critical technical and potentially financial supp
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Arkansas-based AgTech startup, SolaRid, announced that it was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to continue developing its pest management product. The SolaRid system is designed to operate on solar power in and around agricultural fields
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According to a recent interview between USDA undersecretary for farm production and conservation, Bill Northey, and Agri-Pulse, farmers can soon expect additional Commodity Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments in August. The payment will be on the othe
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On Tuesday, July 14, USDA announced more record breaking purchases of U.S. corn from China. According to USDA, China booked its biggest single-day U.S. corn purchase on record on Tuesday with 1.762 million tons of corn. It is the second major purchase in
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A new national federation was recently established to represent the various segmenets of the U.S. peanut industry, including growers, shellers, and buying points. The United States Peanut Federation (USPF) will serve as a unified voice in Washington D.C.
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Anheuser-Busch Foundation to donate $130,000 to Arkansas Discovery Farms Project By the U of A System Division of Agriculture Fast Facts: $130,000 gift part of a larger package supporting research at several institutions Other recipients include Unive
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On July 14th, the University of Arkansas announced that it will receive a $194.7 million grant from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation to support and strengthen the research capabilities of the University of Arkansas. The five-year grant will
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On Monday, July 13th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas's crops continue to be in pretty good condition generally, despite lagging behind the
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This week, USDA announced that it was making the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) available to several other commodities. Most of the new commodities included are specialty crops. The new commodities include: alfalfa sprouts, anise, arugula, bas
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U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) recently joined Agri-Pulse to discuss ongoing efforts in the U.S. Senate to develop additional farm aid as part of the larger effort to provide COVID-19 pandemic aid. Hoeven is Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriati
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Weather forecasts for the remainder of July and into early August are pointing towards significant increases in hot and dry air over important U.S. row crop production areas. Particular concern for drought include areas of Texas and areas of the Mid-West.
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On Friday, July 10th, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced new investments in ongoing regional surface water irrigation projects in Arkansas. The announcement includes $35.6 million for the Grand Prairie Demonstration Project a
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Arkansas's U.S. Senators (John Boozman and Tom Cotton) both signed a joint letter with other colleagues to Senate leadership calling for additional farm aid. In their request the Senators, primarily from cotton belt states specifically cited a need to ass
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Conservis, a sponsor member of the Ag Council of Arkansas and a global leader in enterprise farm management software, recently announced enhanced financial management capabilities to its already robust platform. The enhancements were developed in collabor
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On Friday, July 10th, the USDA released a new World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report. The report provides the latest supply and demand estimates for primary agriculture commodities. More below: https://www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde
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On Friday, July 10th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released a new Crop Production Report. According to the report, winter wheat production is forecast at 1.22 billion bushels, down 4 percent from the June 1 forecast and down 7
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USA Rice elected new leadership for its organization as did its affiliate organizations during its summer meeting, which was held in a virtual setting this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Bobby Hanks, CEO of Supreme Rice in Crowley, Louisiana,
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American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 following the 4th of July weekend. He reportedly cancelled a dinner celebrating the USMCA trade deal at the White House Wednesday after testing positive and experiencing s
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The Little Rock Port Authority, in partnership with federal, state and local officials, announced on June 6th, an $11 million in transportation infrastructure improvements planned for the industrial center. The Little Rock Port, which features rail, river
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Delta Solar, an Arkansas-based solar energy developer and service provider, recently announced a significant new equity investment and partnership that will help the company meet the growing demand of solar power in various market segments, including agri
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While the U.S. Senate is in a two week recess following the Fourth of July holiday, work is still underway as it relates to the development of a Senate aid package for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Likely to be included in such a package is additional fu
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The U.S. House of Representatives is making quick work of fiscal year 2021 spending bills in an attempt to keep the appropriations process on schedule to meet the start of the new fiscal year October 1. The Senate will return later in July to do its part
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USDA Improves Crop Insurance Policies with New Options WASHINGTON, July 6, 2020 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced changes to several crop insurance policies improving options for producers, including introducing a new Quality Los
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Nutrien Ag Solutions is planning to launch a new rice variety (DGL-263X) in 2021 that will be available to rice growers in 2021. The company claims that the long grain variety is high-yielding, high quality that will fall under the DynaGro brand. The comp
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On Monday, July 6th, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, most of Arkansas's crops are in good to excellent condition at the moment as they enter key growth
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This week, Congress finished work on legislation to extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for an additional 5 weeks. The PPP was established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to assist businesses affected by the on
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After a 12-year joint venture with J.G. Boswell, Corteva has announced it plans to purchase the full ownership of PhytoGen Seed Company. PhytoGen markets Upland, Pima, and Acala cotton varieties. Corteva will own PhytoGen patents, trademarks, and propriet
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Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge officially launched her candidacy for governor when she announced her plans to run for office on July 1st. Governor Hutchinson is term limited and his term will expire at the end of 2022. Rutledge is also term lim
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Entergy Arkansas, the state’s largest power company and an investor-owned utility, and a handful of other entitites including the Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge recently filed appeals to the Public Service C
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The Arkansas Waterways Commission (AWC) named Phyllis Harden as its new chairperson. She is the first female chairman of the commission, and she's the first female member of the Arkansas Waterways Commission. Harden is an employee of Pine Bluff Sand and G
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On Thursday, July 2nd, the National Agricultural Law Center issued a web post update on pending litigation against Corteva's Enlist crop system. While the case is uniquely different from the dicamba case that the Ninth Circuit recently acted on against th
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Armor Seed will add cotton to its list of seed offerings through its relatively new partnership with Winfield United. The cottonseed will be available to farmers for the 2021 crop year. Based in Jonesboro, AR, Armor has long served farmers in the Souther
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Arkansas ended its 2019-2020 fiscal year June 30th with a better than expected revenue number. The COVID-19 pandemic certainly brought significant economic injury that continues today, but the effects on Arkansas's State budget were not as bad as initiall
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On Wednesday, July 1st, Governor Hutchinson at his daily briefing on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic laid out a strong argument urging Arkansans to wear facial coverings (masks) to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In recent weeks, since Memorial Day
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On Wednesday, July 1st, the U.S., Mexico, Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA) officially went into force. The rewrIte of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was completed in 2019 and recently put into law among the three nations. The agreement
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On Tuesday, June 30th, the USDA released its annual acreage report showing estimated plantings for the 2020 crop year. The USDA also released stocks reports for grains and rice. According to the reports, corn and soybean acres are increased over 2019 leve
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On July 1, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a comprehensive infrastructure bill (233-188) that would cover transportation infrastructure for all modes, water infrastructure, healthcare infrastructure, and broadband and energy infrastructure. The
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On Monday, June 29th the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. For Arkansas, most farmers are finished planting and crops appear to be in pretty good shape with a majority of crops in go
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USDA announced it was making a $75 million Rural Development investment in Arkansas to the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas to finance the installation of over 2,000 miles of fiber optic cable to provide a backbone communications network for Smart Grid p
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Despite several conflicting statements between President Trump and several administration officials, the United State's chief agriculture trade negotiator, Gregg Doud, remains confident in the "Phase 1" trade deal with the U.S. and China, and he sees cont
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Another dicamba related decision in the ongoing Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals came on Thursday, June 25th, when a panel of judges denied a motion by BASF to stay and recall the court's June 3rd order to the EPA to vacate its registrations for Xendimax, F
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The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on Wednesday to consider a new bipartisan bill (S. 3894, The Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2020) aimed at developing ecosystem markets for farmers that could provide new revenue streams for American
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At a June 24th business meeting, the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced a bill by a voice vote to reauthorize the U.S. Grain Standards Reauthorization Act for the next five years. The bill currently enjoys wide support from agricultural groups who depe
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Another bump in the road for U.S.-China trade relations came this week when China announced that it would prohibit imports of meat products from certain production facilities in the United States where COVID-19 infections were present. The arbitrary trade
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On Friday, June 26th, Governor Hutchinson announced a new appointee to serve on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Rob Finley, 54, of Mountain Home will serve a seven year term filling the seat vacated by commissioner Ken Reeves of Harrison. More belo
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The University of Arkansas recently announced that it would receive a $10 million gift from Ed and Michelle Fryar and the Fryar Family Charitable Foundation to support agriculture learning at the Bumpers School of Agriculture and the Division of Agricultu
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Ag Council of Arkansas sponsor member INTL FCStone announced it is rebranding itself under the name The StoneX Group. The StoneX Group is a comprehensive global financial services firm headquartered in New York City. The offer a wide array of services for
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The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, "Field to Market," and the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol announced a new agreement that formalizes a partnership between the two organizations to document and accelerate sustainable outcomes for U.S. cotton productio
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On Wednesday, June 24th, Bayer announced that it had reached settlement agreements to substantially resolve major outstanding legacy Monsanto litigation, which includes agreements to bring closure to the vast majority of the current Roundup™ product liabi
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The Arkansas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation recently launched a new website that will provide information and insight into the Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation and its active programs. In addition, the site will be able to provide interactive servic
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On Monday, June 22nd, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson declared the week, "Pollinator Week," in Arkansas. The action is intended to bring attention to the important role of pollinators to agriculture and the environment. In addition to Arkansas, similar e
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On Monday, June 22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. For Arkansas, most crop plantings are complete and crop conditions have generally improved
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The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a petition from plaintiffs for an emergency motion to override the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) order that suspended the registration of three dicamba products while permitting the use of existing stocks
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On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Seeborg denied an effort by Democratic attorneys general to halt new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules defining what streams and wetlands should be regulated under the Clean Water Act. The attorneys g
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Two Virginia attorneys recently pled guilty to an extortion scheme aimed at seeking a $200 million contract with the Bayer/Monsanto in exchange for avoiding potential harm through litigation against the company and other acts against the company. The U.S.
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A federal judge has reaffirmed his earlier decision that the state of California cannot require a cancer warning label on glyphosate-based products such as Roundup under its Proposition 65 law. The State of California attempted to place the label on glyph
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Arkansas Department of Agriculture Launches New Website Existing division websites consolidated to form one streamlined experience LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – June 22, 2020 – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture has launched a new website that combines curated
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Scott selected as Arkansas extension director June 19, 2020 By Mary Hightower U of A System Division of Agriculture Fast facts Bob Scott named Arkansas extension director Scott has been with Division of Agriculture since 2002 (782 words) (Newsrooms:
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MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 18, 2020 – The Seam, a leading provider of food and agriculture software solutions, today announced its approval as a Qualified Data Management Partner with Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, completing an inte
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The National Ag Law Center will hold a webinar briefing on June 24th to provide an update on legal issues surrounding dicamba herbicide. With significant developments in various court cases and regulatory actions, the subject continues to evolve. The webi
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A U.S. District Court Judge recently ruled in favor of environmental and animal activist groups and against farm groups on a North Carolina state law intented to protect the privacy of farms and other small businesses from certain acts of trespass. A simi
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The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and other corn and ethanol advocacy groups expressed strong opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for considering additional small refinery waivers for oil companies in the United States. The U.S. et
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On Wednesday, June 24th, the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on a new bipartisan climate bill that would allow the USDA to coordinate the development of new greenhouse gas credit markets for farmers who adopt certain management pract
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Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House and Senate known as the Paycheck Protection for Producers Act (H.R. 7175, S. 3918) is designed to help more farmers and ranchers participate in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP, which was est
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The City of Forrest City announced plans to break ground on three new solar power plants in the community. The $5 million investment will power 100 percent of the city's government and municipal operations and consist of more than 7,000 panels. More bel
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On Wednesday, June 17th, U.S. Trade Represenative Robert Lighthizer addressed Congressional committees to provide updates on trade matters of the United States. Much the trade representative's time and attention was on agricultural trade and the World Tra
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Ag Council of Arkansas sponsor member, INTL FCStone Financial, Inc., is hosting a series of 90-minute webinars designed to provide a solid foundation of merchandising and price-risk management concepts and strategies. The Grain Merchandiser Education Webi
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On Tuesday, June 16th, many agricultural groups submitted a letter to President Trump urging an adherence to the "Phase 1" trade deal with China in order to maintain and expand upon trade of agricultural commodities to China. The letter praised the Presid
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On Monday, June 15th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued updated Crop Progress and Condition Reports. According to the report, most of Arkansas's crop acres were planted with soybeans up to 86
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The Governor's designated task force to determine how to utilize federal funds provided by the CARES Act made a recommendation to commit $21.6 million for broadband initiatives with $19.3 million for Gov. Asa Hutchinson's Arkansas Rural Connect program an
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The Arkansas Rice Federation is currently searching for a self motivated, high energy individual with a passion for agriculture to be the trade association's next Executive Director. The Executive Director will be responsible for the overall management of
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USDA Expands Farmers.gov Features to Help Manage Conservation Activities Contact: FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov WASHINGTON, June 9, 2020 – New self-service features on farmers.gov will help farmers and ranchers manage their conservation activities online
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This week was another interesting week in relation to the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals and dicamba as the court recently ordered the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and plaintiffs to communicate with the court in addressing an appe
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The same federal appeals court that on June 3rd sided with plaintiffs against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to immediately order the agency to vacate the registration of three new dicamba formulations is expected to consider an almost identica
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Call USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Today About 2020 Crop Year Eligibility WASHINGTON, D.C., June 11, 2020 – Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2020 must do so
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The Arkansas Public Service Commission (PSC) in July is expected to review and decide on a significant solar power project for Producers Rice Mill in Stuttgart. The $55 million project would establish a 20-megawatt solar farm that would provide almost 75
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On Monday, June 15th, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson issued three executive orders related employer liability protection for Arkansas businesses for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The orders grant business and health care workers greater immunity from C
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Arkansas First District Congressman Rick Crawford recently joined Agri-Pulse for their "Open Mic" program to discuss agricultural issues in Congress. In his segment he addressed trade issues, the ongoing pandemic, the need for economic assistance for farm
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The ongoing debate over the registration of dicamba took another turn as plaintiffs in the Ninth Circuit Court trial filed an emergency motion seeking to have the court order a stop use of dicamba following the EPA's actions to vacate the registration whi
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On June 11th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released new reports on Crop Production for 2020. According to the reports, Arkansas is expected to harvest 100,000 acres of wheat with an average yield of 56 bushels per acre. More below: https://ww
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Congressman Rick Crawford recently joined Agri-Pulse to discuss various issues facing the agriculture industry. He spoke specifically to federal aid for U.S. farmers in the midst of continued depressed commodity markets due to economic slowdown, trade dis
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Delta Peanut announced that it will soon build a new facility to supply its soon to open shelling facility in Jonesboro. The location of the site has not been publicly stated, but its expected to compliment the existing network and support an expanded acr
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This week revealed a significant purchase of U.S. soybeans by China, which offered some much needed positive signs for trade between the U.S. and China. In recent weeks, the rhetoric between the two nations intensified, and optimism had waned a little as
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The University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service recently hosted a webinar titled, "Farm to Freezer," to help address growing interest among cattle farmers and consumers to produce, process and market more locall
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On Wednesday, June 10th, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced that he was allowing the State to move towards a Phase II re-activation of the economy. The move will allow for more businesses to reopen and for open businesses to accept more customers in their
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On Thursday, June 11th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released an updated World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) Report. The report estimates supply and demand for most major agricultural commodities. More below: https://www.usda
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A new report from the University of Missouri released in early June indicated that American farmers are still in need of significant and continued aid due to economic hardships associated with the economic downturn, COVID-19, and ongoing trade disputes. T
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On Wednesday, June 10th, American Farm Bureau submitted a letter to congressional leaders urging a significant aid package for the U.S. agriculture sector to address economic injury caused by COVID-19, ongoing trade disputes, and the general global econom
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On Monday, June 8th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a new Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas farmers were able to make significant progress as better plan
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On Monday, June 8th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an order related to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' June 3rd decision to require the EPA to vacate three dicamba registrations (XtendiMax with vapor grip technology, Engenia, a
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PECO Foods, the 8th-largest poultry producer in the U.S. is expanding its Pocahontas location with plans to hire an additional 250 full time workers with hourly wages of $14-15. This continued growth is expected to provide more local demand for feed from
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A new bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate seeks to address climate issues by placing a high priority on putting USDA in the lead of supporting the development of incentives and marketplaces that support agricultural practices and land management
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The U.S. hemp industry is looking to its top advocate in Congress, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), to advance top legislative priorities in the next "must-pass" COVID-19 aid package. The hemp industry wants legislation to force the U.S. Food and D
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has indicated that an additional COVID-19 aid package would be negotiated between the Senate and the White House, and additional funding for the USDA Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) would be included to pro
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LeadAR opens applications for next leadership class By Tracy Courage U of A System Division of Agriculture Fast Facts: 22-month program includes bi-monthly seminars, week in Washington, D.C., international study, and community leadership project Applic
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Rick Cartwright, who will retire June 30th from his position as Director of Extension Services for the University of Arkansas, was recently interviewed by Delta Farm Press to get his thoughts on the future of agriculture after he exits. He spoke of the po
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The University of Arkansas's Irrigation Yield Contest, known as the "Most Crop Per Drop" competition, is designed for farmers to compete and compare notes for utilizing the least amount of water for the greatest yield. It is anticipated that the winners w
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The United States Senate on Wednesday, June 3rd, approved H.R. 7010, the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act, which provides enhancements to the Paycheck Protection Program implemented under the CARES Act to assist small businesses impacted by the ongoing
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The Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals issued a decision Wednesday, June 3rd, that would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to vacate its registrations for three dicamba herbicides - XtendiMax (Bayer), Engenia (BASF), and FeXapan (Corte
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On Monday, June 1, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) walked back its restrictions on hand sanitizer produced by ethanol plants in an effort to allow companies to continue to help provide supply for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The oil market c
Read MoreThe United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted four poultry executives for alleged anti-trust violations related to price fixing of broiler chickens. According to the DOJ, this case is the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation i
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In a 591 page order, the Arkansas Public Service Commission (PSC) issued its regulations related to "net-metering" for solar power generation. According to initial reports, the ruling is said to be favorable to Arkansans seeking to deploy solar arrays as
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Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture, Wes Ward, was elected President of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA) for 2020-2021 during its anual conference held June 1. Secretary Ward had served as Vice President prior to his elec
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Riceland Foods, a farmer owned cooperative based in Stuttgart, Arkansas, announced a new company and member wide sustainability initiative on June 1st. The new initiative, known as "Ingrain Good," is intended to create value through sustainability for the
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (June 1, 2020) - The application period for the 10th annual Arkansas Soybean Association (ASA) Grow for the Green Soybean Yield Challenge is officially open. All soybean producers in Arkansas are eligible to participate in this contest,
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On Tuesday, June 2nd, at the Arkansas State Plant Board's quarterly meeting, the board reviewed and denied proposals to extend the May 25th state-wide cut-off date for dicamba products. The first proposal was a petition from Mr. Franklin Fogleman* of Mari
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On Monday, June 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued new Crop Progress and Condition Reports. According to this week's report, Arkansas farmers are quickly approaching the finish line for plan
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On Monday, June 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a Cotton Systems Consumption and Stocks Report. The report shows a significant decline in consumption of cotton in recent months as a resul
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On Monday, June 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released an updated Fats and Oils Report as well as the Grain Crushing and Co-products Production Report. The reports show estimates for crush and
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On Monday, June 1, news sources reported that China, in retaliation to the United States, has ordered national import companies to cease purchases of U.S. grown commodities. The order was reportedly issued in response to U.S. actions related to Hong Kong.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Survey (NASS) announced that it would like producer feedback on its June Agricultural Survey to gain an accurate estimate on 2020 crops and stocks. The agency is currently conducti
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The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) issued a letter directed at U.S. Department of Treasury and the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) urging them to withdraw from a new proposed tax rule that would raise taxes on farmers and
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USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is making further adjustments to assist producers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) are authorized to extend the deadlines for payment of premiums and administrative fees, d
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Indigo Agriculture and Anheuser Busch recently announced joint accomplishments in providing sustainability improvements in rice production by meeting and exceeding various targets related to water use, nitrogen, and greenhouse gas emissions. The announcem
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On Wednesday, May 27th, Tyson Foods released its 2019 Sustainability Report, which outlines the company’s progress toward its sustainability goal. The goals are related to five focus areas that include food, animal welfare, environment, workplace and comm
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently seeking nominations of domestic cotton producers from Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas, and importers of cotton and cotton-containing products for positions on th
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The U.S. - China relationship seems to have soured significantly since the two nations announces the "Phase 1" trade deal in January. Since then, China has yet to meet its commitments under the agreement, and President Trump has largely placed blame of th
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) indicated on Tuesday, May 26th, that the Senate was planning to unveil a new COVID-19 relief bill in the coming weeks. On May 15th, the House previously passed a new COVID aid package known as the HEROES Act,
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Three months into the "Phase 1" trade deal between the United States and China, it's clear that China is not on schedule to meet their commitments of purchasing U.S. commodities and products. However, they are back to consuming from the United States, and
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As farmers continue to feel the effects of the ongoing pandemic, economic slowdown, energy market collapse, and trade debate with China, it's clear that government aid to date, while helpful, is not sufficient. And that is not just the opinion of farmers
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The Arkansas State Plant Board is seeking nearly $600,000 in fines for alleged dicamba related violations, according to a May 24th article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The fines issued in settlement decrees were recently sent from the agency to farme
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For Arkansas row-crop farmers, May 25th marked the final day for legal applications of dicamba herbicides according to state regulations from the Arkansas State Plant Board. Violations of these rules may be considered egregious* and subject to fines of $1
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Farmers can now begin the process of applying for aid under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) a new aid program funded by Congress through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability (CARES) Act. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (US
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U.S. Senator John Boozman recently joined Agri-Pulse "Open Mic" podcast. He spoke to the need to provide additional money and authority to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for purposes of providing direct aid to U.S. farmers. In addition, he spok
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On Tuesday, May 26th the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. For Arkansas, most crops remain behind the 5 year average with soybeans at 58 percent plan
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On Thursday, May 21, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the Department is making available up to $1 billion in loan guarantees to help rural businesses meet their working capital needs during the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally,
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A new initiative spearheaded by Arkansas First District Congressman Rick Crawford is seeking to fill labor shortages in agriculture through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative, known as Arkansas Farm Corps aimd to connect a ready, willing and ab
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Complete the 2020 Census in 10 minutes The Agricultural Council of Arkansas urges members to complete the 2020 Census. Taking only 10 minutes to complete, the nine-question census is available at 2020Census.gov. Once a decade, America comes together to co
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After several weeks of government restrictions on many parts of the state's economy to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the state is now relaxing many measures on businesses in an attempt to re-activate the state's economy. The state w
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On Tuesday, May 12th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued its 2020 Cotton Ginnings Report. The report highlighted ginning data for every state. Last year in Arkansas, 29 gins were in operation,
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FSA Implements Set-Aside Loan Provision for Customers USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will broaden the use of the Disaster Set-Aside (DSA) loan provision, normally used in the wake of natural disasters, to allow farmers with USDA farm loans who are affec
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Bayer Crop Science is looking to promote use and participation in their mobile app HabiTally, which is designed to improve data collection about pollinator habitats. The app was developed as a collaboration between Bayer Crop Science and The Climate Corpo
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The University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service continues to offer Arkansas growers with useful information related to crop production, crop marketing, verification research, and other pertinent issues. The blog
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After invoking the Defense Production Act (DPA) through Executive Order for meat processing facilities to keep them operating amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the administration is reportedly considering expanding the DPA to include other agriculture p
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The 7th Annual Mid-South Ag and Environmental Law Conference, which is usually held in Memphis, will now take place online June 4th and 5th from noon until 3:10pm each day. The conference will feature six hours of speakers covering an array of current leg
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On Monday, May 18th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas farmers continued to make planting progress recently, bu
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On Tuesday, May 19th, President Trump and Secretary Perdue announced the details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The $16 billion food aid program is aimed at supporting a broad range of farms and agriculture enterprises disrupted and in
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The White House Office of Management and Budget on Friday, May 15th, officially completed its review of the rule for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, and an announcement of the rule is expected this week as early as Tuesday, May 19th. The rule wil
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On Friday, May 15th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed another pandemic aid package, known as the HEROES Act. The measure, which provides roughly $3 trillion in additional aid to help cope with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the ec
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Arkansas's Delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives joined a letter with their colleagues to the House leaders urging additional COVID-19 aid for the U.S. cotton industry. The bipartisan letter was sent from 61 House Members to Speaker Nancy Pelos
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On Thursday, May 14th, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced a final rule updating and modernizing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) biotechnology regulations under the Plant Protection Act. The Sustainable, Ecological, Consistent
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The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, has opened online applications for the 2021 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. This national business competition showcases U.S. startup companies that are addressing challenges faced
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The Delta Regional Authority (DRA), an economic development authority serving an eight state region in the Mid-South established by Congress in 2000, is undergoing a new strategic plan for the agency that will establish the agency's priorities and actions
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On Tuesday, May 12th, the House Appropriations Committee announced the introduction of the HEROES Act, a new, phase four spending bill to provide aid related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation includes a broad range of funding for agricultu
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On Thursday, May 14th, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hosted a webinar to unveil the details of the $16 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The webinar provided a general overview for the program and expectations for signing up for
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Governor Hutchinson Appoints Alan McClain as Insurance Commissioner LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson today announced that he has appointed Alan McClain as the state’s new insurance commissioner. McClain, who will assume the position on April 3, repla
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has partnered with other government agencies including the Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Department of State to limit the disruption in the H-2A workforce caused by COVID-19
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently updated their website to incorporate COVID-19 information useful to those they serve. Much of the content is related to the impact of the pandemic to their ongoing activities and services. The website pro
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