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ELRP applications for flood and wildfire now open
Applications are now open for the Emergency Livestock Relief Program for Flood and Wildfire, which is meant to help farmers and ranchers cover part of extra feed costs associated with these types of natural disasters. American Farm Bureau economist Danny Munch said the application for this relief differs from a previous USDA program. Munch said about 940 million dollars is available for the program. If farmers or ranchers think they are eligible, Munch said they should reach out to their local...
House acts to prevent rail strike
The House of Representatives Wednesday took action to avert a pending rail strike. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on the house floor Wednesday, stated, "A shutdown would grind our economy to a halt, and every family would feel the strain,? while adding, ?Small businesses...
Dairy Margin Coverage enrollment deadline is December 9th
As we look ahead to 2023, we start to look at making sure that we keep our operations protected for another year. We look at crop insurance options, but our nation?s milk producers are also looking at protecting the narrow income margins they get for their products as...
Cattle producers want 2023 Farm Bill to ?do no harm?
The 2023 Farm Bill is a massively important piece of legislation for the agriculture industry, so groups like the National Cattlemen?s Beef Association are listening to producers for what they want to see in the bill. Todd Wilkinson, NCBA president-elect, said there?s...
Robust weed management strategies nip weed issues in the bud
Weed management is a difficult issue to tackle every year, and this year was no exception. With late plantings and hot, dry conditions, some farmers had an especially tough time trying to keep weed populations under control. Dean Grossnickle, technical development...
Farmer’s Business Network helping farmers to secure crop inputs
Making a crop plan and purchasing inputs for next growing season can be a difficult task.Global supply chains were heavily disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic, but those supply lines are making a slow recovery. In the agriculture world there are some ag inputs that...
Former USDA-FSA Director gives his take on Congressional shift
With the Midterm elections nearly a month behind us, we know that Congress will look a little different next January. Republicans took control of the House of Representatives and Democrats took outright control of the Senate. This means bipartisanship or continued...
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More Ag News
NPPC is dedicated to improving export climate for pork industry.
When we have been talking about the pork industry lately, we have focused on things like the low market prices, and the Prop 12 issue. However, there is much more to what is going on in the industry. Obviously, when we are dealing with a global economy that is being...
Despite talk of weather pattern changes, the soil is getting dryer
Several areas in the Upper Midwest and the Corn Belt are continuing to struggle with drought. Dennis Todey, director of the USDA?s Midwest Climate Hub in Iowa, said some areas haven?t gotten away from excessively dry weather in several years.Todey said the expanding...
Combatting summer heat stress in dairy cattle
Temperatures can get very hot in rural America from April through September, and the recent weather here in Iowa has been a prime example of that. Combine those high temps with a high humidity index, and dairy cows will get heat stressed. Dr. Glenn Holub is the...
Connecting with consumers online to increase demand for beef
Marketing and promotion of the beef product has changed dramatically over the years.Social media has become a central focus of connecting with consumers.Greg Hanes, Cattlemen?s Beef Board CEO, says social media now plays a large role in marketing beef as it gives...
Midwest drought has Mississippi River level concerns coming back
Remember last summer and early fall when we were so worried about the levels of the Mississippi river? Even though those levels eventually came back up, we are still not out of the woods. Drought has gripped much of the Midwest, and the main tributaries of the Old Man...
