Top Agriculture News

A recent visit to South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, an 1890 land grant institution, gave Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack opportunity to explain efforts of the past three years to improve equity and diversity within USDA. For starters, we established an Equity Commission where a number of folks gave us over 60 recommendations about how […]

North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler filed for reelection on Tuesday. Troxler was first elected to the office in 2004 and took office in February 2005. He agreed to an exclusive interview with SFN to explain why he wants to run for a sixth term. I think there are a couple of reasons. I’ve […]

The Department of Agriculture released its quarterly outlook for U.S. agricultural trade. AFBF Senior Government Affairs Director Dave Salmonsen says the data projects a decrease in exports and an increase of agricultural imports in 2024. “For this year, 2023, agricultural exports have come in at about $179 billion and imports at about 195 billion. So, […]

A group of lawmakers this week expressed concerns regarding the Department of Agriculture’s requirements for the Emergency Relief Program. In a letter to USDA, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) led the effort saying USDA’s 2022 Emergency Relief Program requirements are misguided and losing sight of the relief program’s intent outlined by […]

For the second month, farmer sentiment improved as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer climbed five points. November’s 12-point rise in the Current Conditions Index to a reading of 113 was primarily responsible for this month’s sentiment improvement as the Index of Future Expectations only improved by two points. Both sub-indices exceeded their year-ago […]

As dairy calves travel from the home farm to calf ranch, the stress of the move, contact with new animals, and a new environment can lead to respiratory disease. Dr. Joe Gillespie, DVM with Boehringer-Ingelheim, talks about how metaphylaxis can be a useful tool in controlling bovine respiratory disease or pneumonia in young calves. “Metaphylaxis […]

With Christmas approaching, ‘tis the season to be baking, and this is a peak season for sugar use in commercial bakeries and in consumers’ kitchens. But western Canada is experiencing a major shortage of granulated sugar as a strike at the Rogers Sugar refinery in Vancouver drags into its third month. The Canadian market is […]

We support our South Carolina producers by representing the state at produce trade shows throughout the year, and New York this week is always an interesting one. South Carolina’s season starts early, so we are a key supplier of produce like strawberries, blueberries and leafy greens to Northeastern retailers. As summer crops emerge, we sell […]

Retirement planning is a unique experience for farmers. Jared Nelson is an insurance agent and financial advisor with Rural Mutual Insurance. He says farmers have several things to consider depending on what they want to do with the farm and themselves when they retire. Nelson says farmers are in a unique situation compared to most […]

This is the Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at [email protected] or 843-540-4540. Wheat has continued to be the upside leader for the first time in a very long time. The funds had built pretty big short positions in wheat and the wheat market has been beat up by everything in […]