Texas Agriculture Today

*Cotton has not been a profitable crop this year, with prices below 90 cents.   *Work to fight avian influenza is underway.   *The new Speaker of the House is a fiscal conservative, but it’s uncertain how he will affect ag spending.   *The Texas Cattle Feeders Association is helping young people gain a better understanding of beef production.   *Congress is running behind on the 2023 Farm Bill, bu...

*A cold blast is on the way to Texas as harvest is winding down.   *Texas A&M AgriLife is hosting a webinar to help landowners prevent wildfires.   *Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is laying out a plan to get the Farm Bill passed before the end of the year. *Soils in the Texas High Plains may need a fertilizer boost.   *USDA has released the latest orange production forecast, including estim...

*A Farm Bill extension is very likely.   *USDA is offering additional aid to Texas farmers and ranchers affected by heat and drought.   *Dairy research in Texas is focusing on heat and drought challenges.  *Ionophores can be an economical option for cattle producers.   *Beef production is decreasing in the U.S. and that affects the beef export market.   *Cotton harvest is getting underway in West...

*Texas cotton harvest now stands at 40% complete.   *USDA is helping veterans get into agricultural production.   *Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been confirmed in the Corpus Christi area.  *If you are using ionophores, there are some guidelines you need to follow.   *USDA is providing funding to expand international markets for American farmers and ranchers.   *Cool weather, county fairs a...

*The recent Cattle on Feed Report contained a big surprise.   *Texas milk production fell last month, while national production rose slightly.   *Early voting is now underway across Texas.  *Ranchers in the Texas High Plains are encouraged to use ionophores to conserve pastures.  *Small grains are emerging across Texas.   *Extreme South Texas is planting onions and harvesting citrus.  *Prussic aci...

*Researchers are working to improve sorghum silage quality for Texas dairy farmers.    *A West Texas cowboy is being recognized for his decades of hard work.    *Texas has the worst pasture conditions in the nation. *Pasture conditions in the Texas High Plains are mixed. *The U.S. beef industry continues efforts to protect our nation from foot and mouth disease.   *The drought is not over in Centr...

*The annual Texas A&M AgriLife Southwest Dairy Day was last week in Bovina.   *An online CEU program is available for private pesticide applicators.   *Texas cotton farmers need market to move above 90 cents to break even. *The wildfire threat in the Texas High Plains is looking high.   *TAMA USA and DeltaPine announced a partnership for cotton farmers this harvest season.   *Farming activitie...

*Cotton harvest is getting started in the southern Texas Panhandle.    *A Texas university has been awarded nearly $200,000 to enhance drone use in crop farming.    *A federal lawsuit in Kansas over the Lesser Prairie Chicken has been moved to a Texas court.   *The outlook for winter wheat on the Texas High Plains is encouraging.   *The State Fair of Texas is in its final days.   *A group of Texas...

*The summer drought took a big toll on Texas cattle producers.     *We may be seeing a bottom in the wheat market soon.   *There’s one part of Texas where cotton may be losing some acres in the years to come.     *The cattle and corn markets have a very close relationship.   *The fall armyworm is a common pest in Bermuda grass and other crops in North and Central Texas.     *Sheep and goat pox is...

*The Texas sugarcane crop is struggling with a lack of water.     *The Texas sheep and goat market has seen both ups and downs this year.     *USDA is extending the application deadline for the Milk Loss Program to October 30th.   *It’s been a tough summer for row crops in the Texas High Plains.     *The cattle market looks great here in the fourth quarter of the year.     *Texas gardens and lands...

*USDA released the latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Report last week.   *Texas High Plains ranchers could be looking at an opportunity to strengthen their herds.   *Texas has a new State Veterinarian.   *A break from the summer heat has arrived in the Texas Rolling Plains.   *Treating cattle in the pasture is never ideal, but sometimes it’s the only option. *The Texas Parks and Wildlife...

*Texas researchers have received a $300,000 grant from USDA to study one of the most costly disease in the cattle industry.  *Harvest continues across Texas. *Parts of the Texas Panhandle have missed out on recent rains. *Animal rights activists are targeting the farm bill.  *Recent rains in Central Texas are improving pastures and helping early planted oats. *There’s a new rule for sanctioned hor...

*The farm bill has expired. What’s going to happen now?  *Interested in growing grapes in the Panhandle? The Randall and Potter County Extension offices will host the Panhandle Grape and Wine Tour Oct. 21.  * The Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction set another record this year.  *There are multiple reasons dystocia may occur during the calving process.  *Duck population growth mixed as season nears. ...

* There’s both good and bad cotton in the Texas South Plains and Panhandle.   *The deadline for funding from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program in fiscal year 2024 is approaching.    *Will El Niño mean more snow for the Texas High Plains this winter?   *Texas cattle feeders met in Grapevine earlier this week.   *The calf market steady to strong in East Texas.  *No singular explanation fo...

*State Rep. DeWayne Burns discusses the Right-To-Farm constitutional amendment that will be on Texas ballots in November.  *It’s time for ranchers on the Texas High Plains to start getting ready for winter.  *Drought and heat stress have impacted Texas pumpkin production.  *A new proposal from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department would give hunters three options to dispose of unused deer parts....

*BASF held their annual fall cotton field day in Lubbock last week.     *Rain has moved across many areas of Texas recently, but drought still has a hold on the state.     *Textile manufacturing executives from 15 countries were in Lubbock touring the local cotton industry.    *We are now moving into meeting season for farmers and ranchers.     *The Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo is underway in Wac...

*Texas Livestock Auction operators were in Washington D.C. recently sharing their stories with elected officials.   *The deadline to register to vote in the November 7th election is almost here.   *Fall harvest is right on schedule in Texas.   *Putting a carbon friendly label on products is a big deal for many companies these days.   *Texas pumpkin production is well below average this year.   *Ha...

The 2018 Farm Bill has expired, and there is no hurry to get a new one passed.     There is more wheat in storage in Texas this year, and less sorghum and corn.     Registration is now open for the American Sheep Industry Association’s annual convention.   Big rains on the Texas High Plains are a good weather development.     The Texas Cattle Feeders Association is getting ready for its annual con...

 *Texas wheat planting is right on schedule.     *Registration is now underway for the award-winning Ranch Management University.     *NuSeed Caranata is an option for a winter cover crop.     *Weeds are always a concern for farmers, that concern is increasing because some herbicides are working like they used to.   *Fall harvest and winter wheat planting are moving forward across Texas.     *Sept...

*Farmers in the Rio Grande Valley are facing serious water challenges.   *The number of hogs and pigs in Texas has declined over the last year.   *USDA is launching a new insurance product for weaned calves.   *Texas High Plains cotton gins are facing some tough times right now.   *October may be a wetter and cooler month for Texas.   *Texas voters will have the opportunity to vote on Proposition...

*The nation’s cattle herd continues to shrink due to the prolonged drought.   *Veterans interested in learning more about agriculture can now apply for the “Battleground to Breaking Ground” program.    *It has been a very hot and dry fall so far this year in Texas.   *A program offered by the Texas Cattle Feeders Association teaches feedyard skills to high school students.   *USDA is highlighting...

*2023 was a better year for most Texas farmers and ranchers compared to last year.   *Drought continues its grip on our state, despite recent rains.   *Cattle feeders are seeing bovine congestive heart failure more often in feedlots. *Are there any takeaways from this very tough summer growing season?   *Capturing rainfall is always a priority for farmers in the Texas Panhandle.   *It has rained i...

*The White House vetoed a bill that would rescind the recent restrictions placed on farmers and ranchers protecting the Lesser Prairie Chicken.    *Texas grapefruit is now headed to Vietnam.   *A Texas A&M ag economist says prospects are dim for a new Farm Bill anytime soon. *The combination of a very wet spring and a very dry summer has elevated the wildfire threat on the Texas High Plains.  ...

*Fall harvest continues in Texas.   *The recent Cattle on Feed Report confirms what we already knew.   *Texas rice producers will get an additional payment through the Farm Service Agency’s Rice Production Program.   *It’s been a season of ups and downs on the Texas High Plains.     *The cattle industry has been reducing greenhouse gas emissions for decades. *Coastal Bend farmers are wrapping up h...

*The monthly Cattle on Feed Report did not contain any surprises.   *Prairieview A&M University is researching the potential of industrial hemp in animal feed.   *Genetic testing is becoming more common in commercial cattle herds.   *We are currently in an El Nino weather pattern, but with this summer’s drought across much of Texas, it doesn’t feel like it.   *The beef industry is often blamed...