Mississippi Business Journal » rancher

Report gives impact of extension service, experiment stations

MBJ Staff — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:14:51 +0000

STARKVILLE — The South’s extension service and experiment station systems are still relevant nearly a century after they were founded. This according to a new report released by an Ohio-based charitable trust. Battelle Technology Partnership Practice and BioDimensions, an independent research and development organization, released results of a study of the economic impact Extension Service [...]

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Scientist finding native grass best for livestock forage

MBJ Staff — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:14:10 +0000

STARKVILLE — Studies at Mississippi State University are finding that when it comes to providing forage for livestock, native grasses may be best. Sam Riffell, an associate professor of wildlife ecology and management in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, is examining the benefits of replacing exotic grasses, commonly used in Mississippi grazing pastures, [...]

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Cochran backs bill exempting small farms from EPA rules

MBJ Staff — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:42:18 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) has endorsed legislation that would provide relief to small farms from Environmental Protection Agency fuel storage requirements that are set to take effect in May. Cochran is an original cosponsor to the Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act (S.496) that would amend the EPA Spill Prevention, Control [...]

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A.M. Best upgrades insurance agencies rating, outlook

MBJ Staff — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:15:21 +0000

JACKSON — A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating to A- (Excellent) from B++ (Good) and issuer credit rating to “a-” from “bbb+” of Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company. The outlook for both ratings has been revised to stable from positive. A.M. Best wrote: “Mississippi Farm Bureau’s ratings reflect its solid risk-adjusted [...]

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Coast ag producers share needs, express concerns

MBJ Staff — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:29:19 +0000

BILOXI — Agricultural producers in the coastal region shared their needs and concerns during a recent Mississippi State University meeting. The sixth-annual Producer Advisory Council meeting was held at MSU’s Coastal Research and Extension Center. Eleven commodity groups made recommendations and requests for research, educational programming and support by MSU’s Extension Service and the Mississippi [...]

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Cooperative sets new record with $14M patronage payment

MBJ Staff — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:33:16 +0000

RIDGELAND — Southern AgCredit recently returned a record level of net earnings to its customer/owners in Mississippi and Louisiana. This marks the 17th consecutive year of the co-op’s patronage program. Southern AgCredit customers received a check for their portion of the $6.9-million cash patronage, plus a statement detailing their share of a $7.3-million patronage allocation [...]

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Annual ag council meeting draws hundreds

MBJ Staff — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:24:11 +0000

VERONA — When agricultural producers speak, Mississippi State University listens. About 300 commodity producers, crop consultants and MSU representatives met recently at the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona for the annual Producer Advisory Council meeting. The meeting has been held for more than half a century to give farmers the opportunity to [...]

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House passes bill exempting sales tax on power, gasoline

Associated Press — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:47:28 +0000

JACKSON — Factory operators, farmers and fishermen could stop paying sales taxes on electricity and fuel, under a state House proposal. Representatives passed House Bill 844 by a 75-43 vote yesterday to exempt those groups from a 1.5 percent sales tax on fuel used in producing those industries’ products. It now goes to the Senate [...]

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Senators push for end to Russian ban on U.S. meat

MBJ Staff — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:37:24 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), ranking member of the committee, is urging U.S. trade representative Ron Kirk to quickly address Russia’s new import ban on U.S. beef, poultry and turkey. According to release from Stabenow, the ban [...]

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Agriculture community assessing damage from Isaac

MBJ Staff — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:04:10 +0000

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Even as the remnants of Hurricane Isaac were leaving Mississippi last Friday, Mississippi State University Extension agents were assessing its impact on crops that were so close to harvest. Lodging, or laying down, can be a significant harvest challenge in wind-blown fields, especially corn. Extension corn specialist Erick Larson is cautiously optimistic [...]

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