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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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 More
On 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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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 More
On 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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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 More
On 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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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 More
President 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
Read More
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 More
On 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 More
President 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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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,
Read More
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://
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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 More
President-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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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 More
President-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
Read More
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
Read More
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 More
Former 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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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:
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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 More
Joseph 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-
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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-
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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,
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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,
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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,
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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,
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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:
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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 More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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,
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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,
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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,
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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,
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More