Top Agriculture News

It’s officially spring, and it sure feels like it, Commissioner!

North Carolina farmers have been able to supply over $3.6 million worth of food products to schools across the state, which is a new record for the N.C. Farm to School program. Schools have increased their purchases of North Carolina products thanks to USDA funding through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative.  In addition to […]

This is the Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at [email protected] or 843-540-4540. Grain and oilseed markets lacked any directional conviction to start the week. With no news to move the market, markets are just waiting for the USDA report that comes out this Thursday, April 11th at noon and past […]

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization’s Food Price Index was 118.3 points in March, up 1.3 points or 1.1 percent from its revised February level. The rise in prices was driven by higher price indices for vegetable oils, dairy products, and meat. That slightly more than offset decreases in those for sugar and cereals. […]

America’s trade deficit reached $68.9 billion in February, the highest disparity in almost a year. The Hill reports import values exceeded exports by more than analysts were expecting. The total value of imports hit $331.9 billion, while exports were $263 billion, and the overall deficit rose 1.9 percent during the month. February trade data shows […]

The March Grain Stocks Report from USDA showed a lot of old crop grain is in storage on farms across rural America. Joe Janzen, an agricultural economist with the University of Illinois, says farmers are holding a lot of grain. “The quarterly grain stocks numbers for both corn and soybeans came in line with expectations, […]

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has infected multiple dairy herds in several states. Chris Galen with the National Milk Producers Federation says the pasteurization process kills bugs like this so it’s safe for humans to drink the milk from cattle that may have been infected with bird flu. “You know, the fact that we are […]

Farmland is an endangered species, and that’s especially the case in the Carolinas, a fact which brought together residents, stakeholders, ag and business leaders, and others into a pilot project called Palmetto 2040 focusing specifically on the risk to farm and timberland in Lexington County, South Carolina. Billy Van Pelt is the National Director of […]

After about three years of not growing litter sizes, the recent hogs and pigs report released by the USDA showed a record number of 11.53.   Steve Meyer with Ever-dot-Ag says that was the market mover: productivity. However, with third and fourth quarter numbers getting pretty large with productivity increases plus greater than expected farrowing intentions, he […]

COLUMBIA, S.C. – U.S. Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small visited South Carolina State University (SCSU) on Thursday, April 4, to highlight the department’s ongoing support for agricultural research and education at SCSU and met with students to discuss career opportunities available for the next generation of farmers, foresters, conservationists, and entrepreneurs. The Deputy’s […]