Author: staff

A deadly outbreak of Equine Infectious Anemia has claimed the lives dozens of Quarter Horses in the Southwest United States, prompting investigations and racing suspensions across several states. All 23 horses that tested positive for the virus were connected to the barn of trainer Heath Taylor, whose operations have been heavily impacted. According to the Equine Disease Communication Center, the affected horses were traced to races held in New Mexico during August and September. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the disease likely spread through iatrogenic transmission — unintentional exposure through contaminated medical treatment or equipment. A source told…

On Tuesday, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the appointment of new Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Rural Development state directors. These follow the first slate of appointments announced at the beginning of May. “President Trump is putting farmers first, and so is the incredible team we are building at the Department of Agriculture. Our latest additions to the USDA family are personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper. I look forward to seeing the work they will do supporting farmers, ranchers, and producers across the country by implementing President Trump’s America First policies,” Secretary Rollins said. According…

“Last week’s cool and soggy conditions sidelined many farmers who were looking to finish planting or complete other field work. Despite the delays, most farmers are grateful to receive the rain as we recharge our soils and give the crops a strong early season boost,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig on Tuesday, looking back on the week ended May 25. “We expect a less active weather pattern with warmer temperatures and spotty rain in the week ahead.” Iowa State Climatologist Justin Glisan recapped the week’s weather in more detail. “Unseasonably cool and wet conditions were the headline of…

By Maximilian Heath BUENOS AIRES, May 29 (Reuters) – Wheat planting for the 2025/26 season started at a good pace in Argentina, supported by dry weather in the west and north of the country, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange (BdeC) said on Thursday. Argentina is a major world exporter of wheat and in recent weeks its farmers started sowing the cereal, with the BdeC projecting a planted area of 6.7 million hectares. “Planting activity was mainly concentrated in the north and center-west of the agricultural region, with notable progress in the Center-North of Cordoba province, which is ahead of the average pace…

AGCO announced it will be significantly expanding the availability of PTx precision agriculture products to over 50 additional Fendt and Massey Ferguson dealerships in the U.S. and Canada. AGCO is also planning to equip all of its production agriculture dealerships in North America with the PTx Trimble guidance and steering technology by the end of 2025. “Our commitment to precision agriculture has never been stronger,” said Eric Hansotia, AGCO chairman, president, and CEO. “Through the rapid expansion of PTx supported by our dedicated technology dealer strategy, we are equipping our dealers with the tools and expertise to help farmers maximize…

Variable frequency drives (VFDs) take single phase or three phase power and output a three-phase variable voltage and frequency. There are many instances where agriculture can benefit from this technology. “With a VFD, you can ramp up a motor’s speed slowly or vary the speed,” said Ben Strong, Mitsubishi Electric Automation industry marketing manager. “For instance, if you have a centrifugal pump it may consume less energy at 56 hertz instead of the 60 hertz we get from the power lines. With a VFD we can have more control over the energy we use.”  When a motor starts on AC…

AGDAILY Staff · May 29, 2025 June is National Dairy Month, and Culver’s is celebrating the nation’s hardworking dairy farmers in a way only the small-town Wisconsin-born brand can: by giving farmers free Fresh Frozen Custard. Throughout the month, Culver’s will offer dairy farmers a free scoop of Fresh Frozen Custard with their online order. Farmers redeeming the offer can use the code “DAIRYGOOD” at checkout to get their free scoop.

USDA is set to provide $1 billion in aid payments to livestock producers affected by drought or wildfire in 2023 and 2024. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will leverage existing Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) data to streamline payment calculations and issuance.  “The Department of Agriculture is stepping up to support livestock producers by expediting disaster payments when drought and wildfires strike. Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA has the backs of ranchers, and that’s why we are delivering much-needed emergency relief ahead of schedule,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, in a news release. Relief payments will be automatically…

A day after a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that President Donald Trump must halt his sweeping tariffs on top U.S. trade partners, a federal appeals court has allowed the tariffs to temporarily remain in place while legal proceedings continue. The trade court had issued a strong rebuke of the president on Wednesday, declaring that Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify a 10 percent tariff on imports from Canada, Mexico, China, and other countries was unconstitutional. The court ruled that only Congress has the authority to impose such duties, citing…

Farmers often have to defend their crops from pests. While these pests can range from microbes to insects to avians, imagine trying to prevent crop losses when the nuisance in question can tip the scales at 15,000 pounds, might be more than ten feet tall and is highly intelligent. This is a problem that’s routinely faced by the small-scale subsistence farmers who live on the borders of Ruaha National Park in Tanzania. Wild elephants have learned how to raid crop fields, erasing months’ worth of work in mere hours and imperiling the farmers’ livelihoods. A solution to this gigantic problem…