by MBJ Staff Published: May 10,2013
Tags: agriculture, bioenergy, biofuel, biotech, energy, farm, Farm Bill, farmer, farming, federal government, food, lawmaker, legislative, REFINERY, Senator
AROUND MISSISSIPPI — A group of Mississippi biotechnology companies and state associations have written Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), urging him to support mandatory funding for renewable energy programs in a new Farm Bill. Elevance Renewable Sciences of Natchez and DuPont Corporation, which has operations in Pass Christian and Pascagoula, sent the letter along with supporters [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: May 6,2013
Tags: agriculture, commodity, farm, farmer, farming, feed, forage, grass, hay, producer, rain, Weather, wet
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — As pastures transition from cool-season to warm-season grasses, the state’s hay and forage producers hope for sunny days that are better suited to growing and harvesting quality crops. “We’re finishing up with our cool season forages, which are annual ryegrass, wheat and oats with some clovers mixed in,” said Mark Mowdy, an [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: May 3,2013
Tags: agriculture, bank, banker, banking, cooperative, earnings, farm, farmer, farming, finance, financial institution, loan, net income
AUSTIN, Texas — Farm Credit Bank of Texas (FCBT) reports net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2013, totaled $53.8 million, a 57 percent increase from the same period of 2012. The increase was due largely to a $6.4 million increase in noninterest income, combined with a $13.7 million decrease in provision for loan [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: April 29,2013
Tags: aghriculture, commodity, crop, farm, farmer, farming, plant, planting, rain, row crop, Weather, wet
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Farmers should be nearly finished planting corn and going strong with soybeans, rice and cotton, but instead Mississippi fields are quiet as rain keeps tractors in the barn. As of late April, the state had gone more than five weeks with only an occasional day or two suitable for planting. Mississippi corn [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: April 23,2013
Tags: agriculture, Chicken, competition, farm, farmer, farming, feed, feed cost, food, input cost, market, overhead, poultry, producer
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — The impact of last year’s drought on feed costs is not the only challenge poultry growers face in 2013. Production costs, expansion issues, waste regulations, competition from other meat sources and the next grain crop are major factors impacting the poultry industry this year. “Some of the corn produced last year had [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: April 22,2013
Tags: agriculture, commodity, farm, farmer, farming, moisture, rain, row crop, Weather, wetness
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Springtime’s soggy fields are no guarantee that summer’s row crops will have the moisture they need to thrive until harvest in the fall. Jason Krutz, irrigation specialist with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said winter and spring rain helps recharge the soil profile, but moisture must be replenished during the [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: April 19,2013
Tags: agriculture, aquaculture, catfish, Congress, diplomacy, federal agency, federal government, fish, food, food inspection, food safety, international trade, legislative, public health, restaurant, Senate, Senator
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) has encouraged the head of the Food and Drug Administration to work with her federal counterparts to implement a catfish inspection program that ensures foreign imports are safe for consumers. Cochran addressed the catfish inspection issue, as well as impending menu nutrition labeling regulations, during a Senate [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: April 19,2013
Tags: agriculture, college, commodity, crop, endowment, farm, farmer, farming, grower, higher education, postsecondary education, producer, public university, research, row crop, science, Soybean, university
STARKVILLE — The Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board (MSPB) has invested in the Edgar E. Hartwig Endowed Chair in Soybean Agronomy at Mississippi State University (MSU). Named after the late Edgar E. Hartwig, a renowned soybean breeder, MSPB’s investment will help fund an endowed chair in MSU’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. MSPB’s funding leveraged [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: April 16,2013
Tags: agriculture, commodity, education, Extension Service, farm, farmer, farming, fruit, fungus, higher education, public university, rain, strawberry, Weather
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Growing strawberries in the South is especially challenging because of its variable weather, like that seen this spring. Wayne Porter, Mississippi State University Extension horticulture specialist in Lauderdale County, said the strawberries struggled because of excessive rain. “The crop started in late January and sputtered through February and March,” Porter said. “Berries [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: April 15,2013
Tags: acreage, agriculture, commodity, corn, Extension Service, farm, farmer, farming, higher education, planting, public university, rice, row crop
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Mississippi farmers expect to have more than one million acres in corn this year and about 120,000 acres in rice — the largest corn acreage in 53 years and a 36-year low for rice. A U.S. Department of Agriculture planting survey shows Mississippi farmers plan to plant 1.95 million acres of soybeans, [...] [...]