Texas Agriculture Today

*The agricultural markets are reacting to the tariff situation.   *Cattle herd rebuilding will happen slower than expected.   *Texas legislators are considering changes in agricultural economic assistance programs.   *One Texas High Plains farmer is growing a crop with two purposes in mind.   *U.S. lawmakers are expressing both support and concerns over tariffs.   *It was a challenging winter for...

*The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association supports the Trump tariffs.   *There are fewer hogs and pigs in the U.S. right now, but the numbers continue to grow in Texas.   *A federal judge has struck down a rule that would have listed the Lesser Prairie Chicken under the Endangered Species Act. *The Texas High Plains has received some very beneficial moisture.   *The Concho Valley needs rain for c...

*The Secretary of Agriculture says farmers will not be forgotten.   *There is good news and bad news for Texas crawfish lovers.    *Bayer is taking the fight over Roundup to the Supreme Court. *The Texas Animal Health Commission is urging ranchers to be vigilant when watching their herds.   *April has been good to the Texas High Plains.   *Lawmakers are working to bring whole milk back to U.S. sch...

*Consumer demand for beef is at an all time high.   *The condition of the Texas wheat crop continues to drop.   *Plains Cotton Growers held their annual meeting last week in Lubbock.   *The state’s largest farm organization is weighing in on trade and the new tariffs.   *Working as a summer field scout can be helpful for those seeking a career in agriculture.   *Helena AgriEnterprises has some ear...

*President Trump's tariffs are going into effect. *Tariffs hit the ag markets hard last week. *The Texas Senate passed a long-term water security bill.   *Texas High Plains corn has always been in demand from Texas feedlots.   *Farmers and ranchers in East Texas are enjoying ideal weather.   *Pergolide is the treatment of choice for Cushing’s Disease in horses.  

*The Texas legislature is considering financial assistance for farmers and ranchers.   *The Cotton Board is investing in cotton research projects in Texas.  *The Plains Cotton Growers annual meeting was held in Lubbock.   *Texas High Plains farmers are hoping one pest won’t make it back to their area this year.    *A U.S. Senator from Texas has introduced a bill to make a feral hog program permane...

*Corn acres expected to increase while cotton acres are expected to drop.   *This could be a big year for corn in the Texas High Plains. *The public has more time to comment on a proposal to list the Monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.   *Texas corn planting has now reached the half-way mark. *The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture is taking several international trips in...

*Sheep producers are asking for tariffs on imported lamb.    *The Texas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the Family Land Heritage program.   *The deadline to sign up for Farm Bill safety net programs is April 15th. *Ultrasound technology has helped make a lot more prime grade beef available to consumers.  *Some U.S. beef exports to China have been stopped.   *What does the A...

*Texas leads the nation in agricultural weather losses.    *Texas Panhandle topsoils are getting dry.   *The American Sheep Industry Association is asking the White House to include lamb imports in the food and agriculture tariff plans. *Extremely heavy rain caused catastrophic flooding in the Rio Grande Valley last week.   *The quality of U.S. beef is the best it’s ever been.  *A group of U.S. la...

*South Texas is getting some badly needed rainfall.   *Texas livestock producers should continue to watch out for screwworms.   *Corn planting is moving quickly across Texas.   *Right to Farm legislation cleared another hurdle in the Texas House.   *The 2025 Hemphill County Beef Conference is coming up soon.   *The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is asking the White House and Congress to mak...

*Some Texas cities are ignoring the new Right to Farm laws.   *The United States denied a water request from Mexico for the first time ever.   *The troubles for Bayer’s Roundup herbicide continue.   *Texas Panhandle farmers’ planting decisions are influenced by the needs of the Panhandle livestock industry.   *A Texas cattle feeder testified before Congress this week.   *We’re having some success...

*Higher fertilizer prices will cut into margins again this year.   *Texas drought conditions are getting worse.   *Dairy farmers have a few days left to sign up for the Dairy Margin Coverage program.   *The wheat crop in the Texas High Plains has faced nearly every kind of weather imaginable this winter.  *Texas lawmakers say they will continue to push Mexico to deliver the water owed to the Rio G...

*The fed cattle market is back in record territory.   *Plains Cotton Growers is holding its annual meeting next week in Lubbock.   *The latest Texas wheat crop ratings show a slight improvement.  *Spring planting will begin soon in the Texas High Plains.   *USDA has an update on a potential vaccine for avian influenza.   *A Southeast Texas farmer testified at the State Capitol in favor of water le...

*Feedlot inventories are dropping.    *The number of farms in Texas is holding steady.   *Cattle prices are back into record territory.  *Soil moisture levels are pretty good for spring planting in the Texas Panhandle.   *USDA is providing an update on its plan to combat avian influenza.  *The second largest continent on Earth hold a lot of potential for U.S. red meat exports.   *Farmers and ranch...

*Rio Grande Valley farmers are getting financial relief.    *The row crop economy is not looking very good right now.   *Future water availability is a top priority for the Texas legislature. *The July cattle inventory report is back.    *Texas corn planting is one-third complete, with sorghum planting is 26% done.   *Farmers markets are open in East Texas.   *There are two viral causes of liver d...

*West Texas is suffering from extreme drought.    *More wildfires are burning in the state.   *The condition of the Texas wheat crop is declining. *There are some empty pens in Texas High Plains feedlots.   *The EPA regional administrator dropped by a North Texas farm.   *Grazing conditions are good in East Texas but continue to be tough in the west.   *Farmers and ranchers on the Texas Rolling Pl...

*Plains Cotton Growers is welcoming economic aid.   *Agricultural engineering is getting a boost at Stephen F. Austin University.    *Tuesday was National Agriculture Day. *Cheaper corn continues to help Texas High Plains cattle feeders.   *A South Texas congressman is asking USDA to let eggs come in from Mexico.   *Now is the time to start your summer fly control program.   *Many older horses hav...

*Cattle futures have rallied over the last 10 days.    *The Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine is launching a new study.   *Signup starts this week for the $10 billion aid package approved by Congress.   *Fed cattle prices have been on a roller coaster ride.   *The American Farm Bureau is commending the Environmental Protection Agency for redefining the Waters of the U.S. rule.   *Spring is...

*The National Cotton Council is pushing for a new Farm Bill.   *The Drought Monitor map is getting worse across much of Texas.   *USDA continues its work to distribute 10 billion dollars in economic assistance.  *It’s a seller’s market for rural Texas land.   *One of the keys to America’s energy independence can be found in America’s farmland.  *Giving baby calves electrolytes can be critical to t...

Legislation has been filed to address foreign ownership of ag land in Texas. The House Ag Committee has hit the ground running. Bee declines can have a significant impact on agriculture. The EU and Canada threaten new retaliatory tariffs. Equine Herpes Virus is a serious cause of disease in horses. Early gardeners are getting things done in East Texas.

EPA to revise the definition of a Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS). High winds leads to an increased wildfire risk in parts of Texas.  Something is happening to the bees. Texas cotton farmers have new varieties to consider this year. There’s plenty to do and see at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. What is the most important factor that impacts the survival of new born kids and lambs?

The Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association’s first stockman’s sale is coming up.  The bird flu can impact flocks unaffected by the virus. A new report reveals disadvantages U.S. rice faces globally due to unfair trade practices. Spring is not waiting on the calendar.  Navicular disease is one of the most common cause of lameness in performance horses.   

*Cattle futures may have hit a bottom.  *Eggs are getting a lot of attention right now. A Texas High Plains egg and chicken producer discusses how they are responding to the dilemma.  *TFB board member and Valley farmer Brian Jones testifies on Mexico’s water debt and its impact on Texas farmers.  *Study examines livestock-related injuries on farm and ranch workers. *Central Texas farmers are maki...

*There are several animal health challenges at the world’s largest livestock show.   *It’s time for Texas farmers to make some important program decisions.  *President Trump has pushed the pause button on some tariffs.   *Brush control is a never-ending task.   *Tariffs on Mexico and Canada have been an on-again, off-again situation.   *You should be on the lookout for Q fever this spring.  

*The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo attracts visitors from 80 different countries.   *This is a very stressful time for Texas farmers.   *Thousands of USDA employees have their jobs back.   *The livestock brand registry system in Texas may be getting a lot simpler.   *The nation’s largest farm organization is concerned about the Trump administration’s tariff proposals.   *USDA released updated g...