Georgia’s new law cracking down on undocumented migrant workers in the state caused eight of 10 growers of perishable fresh fruit and vegetable crops to see labor shortages this spring, a Georgia Department of Agriculture survey found. An analysis of the survey by the University of Georgia put overall losses to the agricultural industry at [...] [...]
The permanent disaster aid program in the 2008 Farm Bill was intended to spare Congress from having to scrape up extra money every time a drought, flood or hurricane struck farm country, but growers in the South claim the plan has failed them. They argue the program needs changes, and as proof they point to [...] [...]
JACKSON — A new law says Mississippi can provide up to $17 million in loan guarantees to sweet potato farmers. Gov. Haley Barbour signed the loan bill March 24, and it became law immediately. The Mississippi Development Authority can extend the loan guarantees to sweet potato farmers who had disaster-related losses in 2009. Those seeking [...] [...]
WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack yesterday said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) now has a web-based 2008 crop program payment calculator to help producers calculate the financial benefits they may receive under the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program. The calculator was designed by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to give producers a [...] [...]
STARKVILLE — Mississippi agriculture has changed a great deal in the last 25 years, and the challenges of 2009 reminded many farmers that there is still much to learn. To address the growing needs of the state’s farmers, the Mississippi State University Extension Service redesigned its 25-year-old annual cotton short course and offered a two-and-a-half [...] [...]
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Mississippi farmers are experiencing devastating crop losses due to the record rainfalls during September and October causing crop yields and quality to be severely affected. Current crop conditions show very poor quality and yield for farms which, in some cases, leave farmers only very low discounted prices or total crop loss. Dr. [...] [...]
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