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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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
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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 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, 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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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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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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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 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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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 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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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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