Texas Agriculture Today

*The Texas corn and sorghum harvests are now three quarters done.   *USDA is providing more funding for conservation easements.   *Farm groups continue to push for a new Farm Bill. *The summer growing season is wrapping up on the Texas High Plains.   *Pork producers are in Washington D.C. this week pushing for a Farm Bill and a fix for Proposition 12.   *What’s the rural land market looking like a...

*Texas A&M researchers continue to learn more about avian influenza in dairy cattle.   *The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is accepting comments on the proposed heat illness standard.   *U.S. beef exports were higher in July.  *Pasture management is making a difference on some Texas High Plains ranches.   *Congress is back in Washington D.C. and farm groups are pushing for actio...

*Wheat planting is getting near for forage wheat.   *Texas citrus growers are forecast to produce more oranges this year.   *A vaccine manufacture is testing a vaccine for avian influenza in dairy cattle. *The weather is making things tough for Texas High Plains ranchers.   *USDA has released a new net farm income forecast.  *Much needed rain fell recently on the South Plains of Texas.   *A group...

*A Texas senator is pushing to get the Farm Bill done.    *What does it cost to rent pasture and cropland in Texas?   *The American Lamb Board is looking for sheep producers to implement climate smart practices.   *As summer winds down, the farmers market season is drawing to a close.   *USDA has approved a new drought-tolerant wheat trait.   *The Texas Concho Valley got some heavy rainfall last w...

*The number of beef-on-dairy calves is increasing in feedlots.   *USDA announced $300,000 in funding is now available to support the U.S. sheep industry.   *Farming without irrigation is becoming more likely on the Texas High Plains.   *An extension of the 2018 Farm Bill seems to be the most likely move Congress will make this year.  *The Texas fair and rodeo season is getting underway.   *It’s ti...

*Texas farmers and ranchers made the most of the congressional August recess.    *Texas grapefruit production is forecast to grow this season.   *U.S. corn and soybean exports took a big jump last week. *Groundwater capacity is declining on the Texas High Plains.   *Texas farmers and ranchers are stressing the need for a new Farm Bill.   *The U.S. is working to increase red meat trade with Columbi...

*The summer drought took a toll on the cotton crop.   *Three Texas based agricultural organizations have been selected to participate in a trade mission to Southeast Asia.   *Texas feedlot inventories are higher than a year ago. *The Ogalalla aquifer is providing less and less water for Texas High Plains farmers.   *Congress is running out of time to pass a new Farm Bill or an extension.   *We are...

*Grain prices have softened over the past several weeks.   *Texas citrus growers are expected to grow more grapefruit and oranges this year.   *The Livestock Mandatory Reporting Live Cattle Data Dashboard is now available.   *What can Texas High Plains farmers and ranchers expect from the La Nina that’s coming our way?   *An expected record agricultural trade deficit has renewed the debate over fr...

*Seed treatments are important when preparing to plant wheat.   *Farms in some parts of Texas will be filled with dove hunters over the next few days.   *University of Missouri researchers are developing the first-ever vaccine for anaplasmosis. *The recent slump in cattle prices shows the value of Livestock Risk Protection. *The U.S. ag trade deficit continues to grow.  *U.S. Senators heard from R...

*Texas cotton condition continues to decline.    *There is some exciting news for Texas wheat growers.   *The Texas corn harvest is well ahead of schedule this year.   *The month August has not been kind to crops on the Texas High Plains.   *EPA has announced the voluntary cancellation of a herbicide.  *Farmers, ranchers and agricultural organizations met with members of Congress about the water c...

*Cattle prices have been dropping lately, but there are some bright spots in the market.   *We are still a transitional weather pattern from El Nino to La Nina. *Cheaper corn is giving Texas cattle feeders an opportunity.   *U.S. lawmakers are about to head back to Washington D.C.  *Texas farmers and ranchers have been visiting with their members of Congress during the August recess.   *Coastal Be...

*The monthly Cattle on Feed report was released Friday.   *Registration is underway for the West Texas Agricultural Chemical Institute’s annual conference in Lubbock.   *The 2024 Texas Cattle Feeders Association’s Beef Showcase is set for September 12th on the West Texas A&M campus in Canyon. *Texas High Plains cotton farmers have some important things to take care of.   *Will we see a new Far...

*Texas has a better weather outlook this week.   *CattleCon2025 is coming to Texas. *Texas High Plains cotton has been under a lot of pressure from the weather this season.   *The American Farm Bureau Federation is urging Congress to work on tax reform.   *The Texas rice harvest is moving forward.   *Feeding malnourished horses can be challenging.  

*Fed cattle prices have taken a drop, but higher prices are in the future.   *Drought continues to expand across Texas.   *Drought is taking a toll on cotton in Southwest Oklahoma. *Texas A&M AgriLife is offering a unique program next month.   *EPA has finalized its draft herbicide strategy.  *A new video series is now available to help Texas cattle producers sell beef directly to consumers.  ...

*The U.S. cotton crop is feeling the heat.    *The Texas hog herd has grown over the past few months.    *The South Texas vegetable industry is suffering from a lack of water. *Prescribed burning could help avoid wildfires in the future.   *Some farmers and farm organizations have expressed concerns about the EPAs atrazine proposal.   *Dryland cotton on the southern plains of West Texas needs rain...

*Texas cotton is feeling the heat.   *National Sorghum Producers is accepting entries for the 2024 National Sorghum Yield Contest.   *The annual Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour is underway this week. *A decline in feedlot inventories in the Texas High Plains could be coming soon.   *The EPA announced a proposal that could change the way farmers use atrazine.   *Central Texas is harvesting a below ave...

*Cotton demand is suffering, bringing lower prices for farmers.   *Almost one quarter of farmers don’t have internet access.   *Certified Hereford Beef has a new CEO. *The margins have gotten tighter for Texas High Plains cattle feeders.   *Texas Congressman Pete Sessions met with Central Texas farmers and ranchers.  *Farmland values and rental rates are both moving higher.   *Planting winter past...

*The cattle futures market has been on a roller coaster ride over the past two weeks.   *Corn harvest is ahead of schedule in Texas. *Biosecurity is critical for livestock operations.   *Is there hope for a Farm Bill before the current extension expires?   *U.S. rice production is expected to go down.   *Big crops are projected in the latest USDA Crop Production and World Ag Supply and Demand Esti...

* Wheat planting is not that far away for Texas farmers, and now is the time to ensure you’re prepared for the next crop.  * The ag equipment industry has been hit by falling commodity prices. *Corn and grain sorghum harvest continue in Texas.  *Wildfire recovery is still in the early stages in the Panhandle. *Some horses hooves grow faster than others, and there are several reasons why. 

*Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening recently reiterated the organization’s commitment to national security in a hearing on foreign ownership of Texas land.  *Grazing availability and market conditions drive cattle herd capacity. *A South Texas hay producer focuses on protein quality in forage for his customers. *Members of the U.S. Senate Ag Committee are calling are USDA to fix the discl...

*Some Texas cities continue to ignore Right to Farm laws.    *The American Farm Bureau Federation has launched a new program to recognize veterans in agriculture.    *The Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association has a new slate of officers for the next year.  *A lot of Texas High Plains farmers are celebrating the rain they’ve gotten this growing season, but some have been left out. *A group of la...

*Corn acreage is going down while yield is going up.   *A pair of Texans have been named to the first-ever Cottonseed Oil Advisory Council.   *More hurricanes are in the forecast. *Texas High Plains producers will have the opportunity to see new agriculture technologies.   *USDA is extending the deadline to comment on one of the new proposed rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act.   *JBS inves...

*The cattle futures market is rocky, but higher prices may still be ahead.   *Farmer sentiment improved in July.   *The feral hog problem in Texas continues to grow. *New technology is giving Texas farmers a boost. *A new South Texas water working group has been established.  *Texas is the third largest economic platform for meat processing giant JBS.   *It’s hot and dry in Central Texas.   *Human...

*Avian influenza isn’t slowing down during the summer months.     *Drought is getting worse across parts of Texas.   *Farmers and ranchers need the certainty of a new Farm Bill. *USDA has announced changes to its farm loan programs.   *More information will be released from the latest Census of Agriculture in the coming months.  *Cotton and hay harvest are in full swing in the Texas Coastal Bend....

*The younger generation is getting involved in the cattle industry.   *Ag land values continue to rise here in Texas and around the nation.   *The condition of the Texas cotton crop is declining fast. *Winter wheat farmers in the Texas High Plains are hoping for better prices.   *EPA has issued emergency orders to prevent future sales of a herbicide.   *Rural water taps and and rainwater harvestin...