USDA is now forecasting smaller corn and soybean crops for this year, compared to last month’s estimate, but still higher than last year. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) October Crop Production report, acreage updates were made in several states based on a thorough review of all available data. Corn production for grain is forecast at 14.7 billion …
Secretary Perdue Tours Hurricane Sally Damage
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue took a tour of crop damage from Hurricane Sally in Alabama and Florida on Monday. He visited the Jenkins Farm in Jay, Florida and heard from farmers in the panhandle of the state who suffered damage to cotton and peanut crops. “What I’ve seen is crops that have probably been cut in half,” said …
USDA Grant Program for Producers to Use Propane
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is encouraging farmers to apply soon for a limited-time offer from USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Grant to receive a 25 percent grant for replacing a diesel irrigation engine with a propane-powered engine. The USDA REAP recently announced Nov. 2 as its fall deadline for the Renewable Energy systems and Energy …
USDA Undersecretary Censky to Return to ASA
USDA Undersecretary Steve Censky gave one of his last addresses in his current role to the American Coalition for Ethanol virtual annual conference this week. It was announced this morning that Censky will be returning to his former job as CEO of the American Soybean Association in November as after serving with USDA since October 2017. In his prerecorded remarks …
USDA Lowers Corn and Soybean Forecasts
The August derecho that charged across the Midwest has taken its toll on the latest crop estimates in USDA’s September World Agricultural Supply and Demand report. Despite the decline, the numbers would still be records or near records for both crops this year. The 2020 corn crop would still be nine percent higher than last year and the second highest …
NASDA Honors Secretary Perdue
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) kicked off its virtual annual meeting Monday with comments from USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, and a virtual presentation of the NASDA Ambassadors Circle Award to him. NASDA President and North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Goehring hosted the conversation with Secretary Perdue, who discussed how USDA has responded to COVID-19 impacts …
EPA and USDA Announce Next Gen Fertilizer Challenge
The Environmental Protection Agency has teamed up with USDA to advance agricultural sustainability with the Next Gen Fertilizer Challenges. The competition includes two challenges that seek proposals for new and existing fertilizer technologies to maintain or improve crop yields while reducing the impacts of fertilizers on the environment. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced …
USDA Announces More Eligible Commodities for CFAP
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has added new commodities to the list covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), and is extending the deadline to apply for the program to September 11th. Additional commodities now eligible for the program include a variety of specialty crops like pumpkins, rutabagas, shallots, tangelos; all types of sheep; aquaculture such as catfish, …
Planted Acreage up for Corn and Soybeans
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is estimating 92.0 million acres of corn planted in the United States for 2020, up three percent from last year, according to the Acreage report released Tuesday. Soybean area planted is estimated at 83.8 million acres, up 10% from last year. The report also shows wheat and cotton acres are down this year. All …
THRIVE Innovation Series – USDA Innovation Imperative
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue joined SVG Ventures CEO John Hartnett today in a virtual (Zoom) fireside chat to discuss USDA’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda and the current impact of coronavirus on American agriculture. The conversation is part of the THRIVE Innovation Series. This one focuses on USDA’s new Innovation Imperative and how it will shape the future of food …