Texas Agriculture Today

*Agriculture in the Rolling Plains of Texas is enduring the summer heat.    *The U.S. will maintain anti-dumping duties on Mexican tomatoes.   *Texas agriculture lost a long-time voice.   *The northern Texas Panhandle has had a tough start for the summer growing season.   *Bollguard cotton is celebrating its 30 year anniversary.  *The FDA has not approved any medicated feed products for treatment...

*Over 2 million acres have been accepted into the 2026 Conservation Reserve Program.   *Texas enrolled 106,000 acres in the CRP.    *The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering an enhanced guaranteed loan program for business in the food production chain.   *There have been some good rains around the Texas High Plains in the last few weeks.   *The deadline for the Farm Dog of the Year conte...

*The condition of the Texas corn crop is dropping.   *Farmer sentiment fell in June.   *Texas is experiencing a surge in data center development.     *Moth trapping is a way to help farmers know when certain pests are on the rise in their fields.   *Texas pecan growers are preparing for their annual conference.   *USDA is testing a new system for acreage reporting.   *Recent changes to the Clean F...

*Winter wheat production is disappearing.   *There is a new mental health service for Texas farmers and ranchers.   *A worldwide sorghum conference is coming to Lubbock.   *Dairy farms are concentrating into five states, with Texas now the 4th largest dairy producing state in the U.S.   *An early warning system for crop pests is a valuable tool.  *The second quarter of this year was strong for rur...

*Screwworm quarantines are growing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t move livestock.   *A lack of irrigation water is affecting crop acreage in the Rio Grande Valley.     *There’s a north-south split when it comes to rainfall and drought in the Texas High Plains.   *Rural Texas land sales were strong this spring.   *USDA launched a new program to increase fertilizer production.  *Plants need more w...

*The Agriculture Department is supporting small and mid-sized beef processors.   *Texas farmers planted fewer acres of rice and peanuts this year.   *Yara International is buying an ammonia facility in Texas.   *One of the nation’s top agronomists has some interesting fertilizer advice for sorghum growers. *The heat of summer is here, and it can take a toll on livestock.   *Agricultural groups are...

*Texas corn and sorghum acreage is down, while cotton acreage is higher.    *A heat dome is bringing high temperatures to Texas.   *Governor Greg Abbott has approved an agreement with USDA to hire additional screwworm inspectors.   *Late arriving rains helped sorghum fields in the Texas High Plains.   *The annual Texas FFA Convention is next week. *President Trump is pulling the U.S. out of the US...

*The Texas corn crop doesn’t look great, but it is looking good.   *Crop growers associations are opposing a new petition calling for additional duties on imported glyphosate.   *The Livestock Marketing Association of Texas has a new CEO.   *Recent rains are helping crops in the central part of the Texas Panhandle.   *June was a wet month for much of Texas.   *New ag labor legislation is introduce...

*What’s the number one question livestock producers have about screwworms?    *A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas shows stable but depressed conditions for farmers and ranchers.   *Nominations are open for the Texas Ag Influencer of the Year contest.   *There’s a lot of repair work to be done on wildfire damaged ranches in Randall County.   *The cost of the 4th of July cookout re...

*Heavier fed cattle weights bring challenges at marketing time.   *Recent rains have helped lower drought conditions across Texas.   *The number of sterile flies available to combat New World screwworms will soon go up.   *Wildfire damaged pastures in Randall County are still recovering.  *The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is investing in youth and agriculture.   *President Trump signed an exec...

*Another case of screwworms is confirmed in Texas.   *Texas A&M AgriLife is producing screwworm kits to help identify screwworms.   *Heavy rains are taking a toll on watermelons in South Texas.     *Drought conditions are improving in the Texas Panhandle. *The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is planning to build new facilities.   *The White House is asking for money to help U.S. farmers. *Jun...

*Sorghum planting is wrapping up while sorghum harvest is beginning.    *Three more Texas screwworm cases have been confirmed by USDA.   *The U.S. dairy herd has grown to its largest size in 30 years.   *Wheat growers in the Texas High Plains are urged to try something new in the upcoming season.   *The annual Texas Pecan Growers conference is coming up.  *Two provisions in the House Farm Bill did...

*More screwworm cases are confirmed in Texas.   *Texas dairies produced more milk last month, while the dairy herd grew.   *Texas Corn Producers has a new executive director.    *Senate Ag Committee leadership released a draft of the Farm Bill. *What could a Super El Nino mean for the Texas High Plains?  *The future is bright for cotton technology.   *Bermuda grass growers in Texas have several pe...

*Wildfires have devastated some Texas Panhandle cattle operations.   *The cotton jassid is a highly destructive pest.  *Texas Farm Bureau’s Ag Mechanics grant program will award ten $2,500 grants this year.   *El Nino is here.   *The South Texas Cotton and Grain Association addressed farmers in Southeast Texas.   *Representatives from the Food and Drug Administration gave Texas lawmakers an update...

*The nation’s first bale of cotton has been harvested.   *Wheat harvest is wrapping up in Texas.   *JBS is closing two beef processing facilities.   *Feedyards in the Texas High Plains need more feeder calves.   *The upper Gulf Coast of Texas is getting major rainfall right now.   *USDA gave a recent update on the efforts to fight New World Screwworm.   *The weather was a bit cooler than usual thi...

*Feedlot inventories are larger than a year ago.   *A bill that would make Daylight Savings Time permanent is considered in Congress.   *The Texas House Committee on Agriculture and Livestock held a screwworm hearing last week.   *The meat lab at West Texas A&M University is attracting attention.  *Late spring rains are impacting Southeast Texas row crops.   *A Texas metro area has been chosen...

*Texas cotton planting is running slightly behind schedule.   *The state is offering a free online course to expand the number of certified screwworm inspectors in Texas.   *Some have a sense of relief now that the screwworm is finally here.   *Several institutions in Texas are getting funding to help fight the screwworm.   *The high value of cattle involves more than just steaks and ground beef....

*Texas wheat harvest is 75% done.   *USDA Farm Service Agency county committee nominations are now open.   *The number of screwworm cases now stands at 12.     *There’s been a slump in fed cattle prices lately.   *A beef research project from 30 years ago is paying off today.   *Representatives from the dairy industry are hoping to get more access to the Canadian market.   *More rain is falling in...

*More sterile flies are coming to fight the screwworm.   *The nation’s first bale of cotton has been harvested.   *The outlook for fall feeder cattle prices may be positive.   *How are screwworms affecting Texas High Plains feedlots? *New cuts of beef and better value have reshaped the meat case.   *New legislation would add penalties for Mexico failing to comply with the 1944 water treaty.   *Rec...

*U.S. wheat production continues to decline.   *Texas rice farmers are encouraged to scout their fields for the rice delphacid.   *Wheat harvest is 35% complete. *There is a growing interest in animal fats.   *U.S. pork exports were strong in April.   *U.S. lawmakers discussed the benefits of the U.S. Mexico Canada trade agreement.   *Screwworm cases are rising in South Texas.   *There is a lot of...

*The Secretary of Agriculture visited the site of the first screwworm case. *Construction continues on sterile screwworm fly facilities.  *Pasture mealybugs are spreading fast across Central and Southern Texas. *Herbicides are an important tool in fighting weeds.   *Rio Grande Valley farmers are in their annual fight against crop pests.   *Gastric ulcers are very common in performance horses. 

*U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins was back in Texas this week to work on the screwworm situation.   *Reporting screwworms is very important.   *Wheat growers need to book their seed now.   *President Trump has named Amarillo native John Rich as Special Envoy for American Landowners. *Texas High Plains farmers are looking at a difficult economic situation this year.   *Preventing wildfi...

*Texas is taking a whole-of-government approach to fighting the screwworm.    *Drought conditions are improving across Texas.   *Corn planting is almost finished in Texas.   *The Texas Panhandle has received some rain recently.  *Sorghum midges are active in the Rio Grande Valley.   *Work continues on the Farm Bill.   *Rain has had a big effect on Texas Coastal Bend agriculture.   *The first case...

*Texas High Plains ranchers are preparing for the possible arrival of the screwworm.   *Texas wildlife will be affected by the New World screwworm.  *Cotton planting is running a bit behind schedule in the Texas Southern Plains area.   *The Federal Trade Commission is looking into high fertilizer prices.   *Pasture mealybugs are spreading across Texas.   *Parasite resistance is a very big problem...

New World Screwworm cases are spreading.   A Texan has been appointed to help drive innovation in the search for technologies to combat New World Screwworms.   Canada has banned cattle imports from Texas.  Governor Greg Abbot is committing state resources to combat the screwworm. A major meat science event is coming to the Amarillo and Canyon area.   Specialty crop producers can now sign up for fi...