Texas Agriculture Today

*Wheat planting is running behind schedule. *The Texas Animal Health Commission has released another screwworm infested zone. *Tariff free beef imports may not make any difference in retail beef prices. *Research efforts are working to make wheat products more attractive to consumers. *A bill that protects AM radio has passed the House of Representatives. *Drought and hot weather continue in the Central Texas Blacklands. *Rabies is deadly in humans and animals.

*Another border crossing will be open soon. *Drought continues to spread across Texas. *The drought is also affecting Oklahoma farmers and ranchers. *The Texas Cattle Feeders Association website is a good source of cattle market information. *The Global Sorghum Conference is wrapping up in Lubbock. *The Farm Bill is moving ahead. *Harvest season is wrapping up in the Texas Coastal Bend. *There are three methods of pregnancy testing in cattle.

*It’s hot and dry, and the grass isn’t growing. *The Texas cotton harvest is running ahead of schedule. *Consumer demand for beef remains high. *The cost of corn presents a challenge for Texas High Plains cattle feeders. *The Global Sorghum Conference continues in Lubbock. *USDA is working to increase the number of sterile screwworm flies. *Hot, dry weather is expanding across South Texas. *Cortical steroids are commonly used in horse joints.

*Texas livestock auction markets are having a good year. *Diesel prices have hit another record high. *A company working to stop the screwworm has chosen San Antonio as the site for a major new research project. *Market fundamentals make the case for higher fed cattle prices. *The benefits of growing sorghum are highlighted this week at the Global Sorghum Conference in Lubbock. *President Trump has signed a ban on select products from Canada sold into the U.S. *It’s still hot and dry in East Texas, but deer season is getting close. *Transporting baby calves can be a very stressful event.

*This may be a good time to protect cotton prices. *Texas citrus production topped $100 million this season. *Terri Stuart Forest will receive the National Golden Spur Award. *Some Texas High Plains farmers are thinking of switching from row crops to grass. *The Global Sorghum Conference is underway in Lubbock. *Lawmakers are set to reconsider the Farm Bill and vote on a bill that supports AM radio. *September is a great month to plant a fall garden. *Shipping calves is stressful.

*It’s been a great summer in some parts of Texas. *For the second year in a row, Texas duck hunters will have a shortened teal season. *The beef industry has never seen presidential administration so focused on it. *Water challenges are bringing changes to agriculture on the Texas High Plains. *Farmers are feeding families in South Texas. *USDA is using advanced technologies to combat the spread of screwworms. *Farmers and ranchers on the Texas Rolling Plains are looking forward to fall. *Stomach ulcers are common in horses.

*One billion sterile flies have been released. *Diesel prices are at an all-time high. *Texas corn harvest is 69 percent complete. *New seed products are on the way for Texas wheat farmers. *Making changes in feed can help broilers and laying hens cope with the summer heat. *The EPA is accepting public comments on the Waters of the U.S. rule. *Drought conditions are forcing many Texas ranchers to feed hay. *A sunken flank can tell you a lot about a calf.

*More screwworm infested zones are released. *Texas pecan growers are expecting an above average crop this year. *The cattle markets have taken a big drop recently. *Texas poultry growers are keeping their birds cool in the brutal summer heat. *What’s ahead for winter wheat on the Texas High Plains? *USDA released the latest farm income projections. *Triple digit temperatures and no rain have forced Central Texas livestock producers to feed hay. *Horses are feeling the Texas heat.

The president has taken action that could lead to mandatory country of origin labeling on beef. As a new season begins, what's ahead for winter wheat in the Texas High Plains? Pasture mealy bugs have been an issue for Texas ranchers this year in their pastures. Texas livestock auction market operators welcome the release of screwworm infested zones. Most of Texas is experiencing excessive heat and this can affect our horses.

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a pair of executive orders the White House says will protect U.S. ranching. The recent run-up in commodity prices can make it tempting for farmers to delay marketing their crops. September is the peak of the Atlantic tropical season. The American Lamb Board is building demand for American lamb. Anthrax was recently found in a goat in Edwards County.

*The cotton futures market traded above 90 cents last week. *Recent rains did not make much of a difference in the Texas High Plains. *Agriculture and baseball are teaming up in Texas. *One of the two Texas members of the House Agriculture Committee has an update on the Farm Bill. *It’s been a good year for hay production in East Texas, despite the hot, dry August. *Texas A&M AgriLife has developed a New World screwworm guide for cattle producers.

*Texas livestock market operators want Washington to stay out of the cattle market. *U.S. diesel supplies have fallen to the lowest seasonal levels ever. *The condition of the Texas cotton crop continues to get worse. *Cotton harvest continues in the Rio Grande Valley. *Wildfire losses are growing. *This is a brutal year for corn in the Texas High Plains. *USDA plans to modernize its data reporting for acreage and yield estimates. *The citrus harvest is getting close in the Rio Grande Valley. *The U.S. is importing more fruits and vegetables than ever before, putting a strain on already-squeezed growers. *Laminitis is a painful disease for many horses.

*The Texas sorghum harvest is moving forward. *Farmer sentiment improved last month. *American Ag Credit is suing Double J Lamb for unpaid loans tied to the shutdown Double J processing facility in San Angelo. *Texas High Plains farmers are adapting to declining irrigation water supplies. *August was hot and dry. So what does the fall forecast look like? *There are now only two active screwworm cases in Texas. *There was no rainfall at all in August in the Lower Coastal Bend. *There are new methods of determining lameness earlier in herd bulls.

*Texas grain thieves have been caught. *Texas has reached a significant milestone in the screwworm fight. *The opening of the Mexican border for cattle imports is restoring an important supply chain for Texas feedlots. *North Central Texas wildfires have caused a lot of damage. *Landowners in the Texas High Plains have been approached by data center developers. *The Department of Labor is changing the way it calculates H2A wage rates. *A new plan from the White House to import foreign beef could deal a significant blow to U.S. cattle ranchers. *Sheep and goats are susceptible to screwworms.

*Mexican feeder cattle are fetching a good price. *NASA was in the Texas Panhandle last week. *The Texas Cattle Feeders Association’s annual meeting will be in Oklahoma City. *Texas High Plains landowners have been approached by data center developers. *Farmers and ranchers are discussing agricultural policy issues. *Cattle coming across the border from Mexico go through a stringent inspection process. *The pasture mealybug is spreading across Texas pastures. *Platelet rich plasma is commonly used in horse joints.

*New developments will help the fight against screwworms. *Many harvested farm fields will be full of dove hunters soon. *There’s a growing interest in raising sheep in the Texas High Plains. *New conservation investments will benefit working ranches in Texas. *Farm groups sent a letter to President Trump regarding his plan to import foreign ground beef. *Those imports of tariff free foreign beef will begin this week. *Dry weather is taking a toll on crops and livestock on the Texas Rolling Plains. *A researcher has developed a tool to predict Chronic Wasting Disease in deer.

*Mexican cattle are receiving a thorough inspection as they cross the border. *Ranchers and cowboys are relocating cattle as wildfires spread. *The Texas Department of Agriculture has activated the STAR fund and the Hay and Feed Hotline. *Farmers in the Dumas area will have an opportunity to learn more about water efficient crop production. *Crops in the Texas Rolling Plains need rain. *Officials broke ground this week on what will become the world’s largest ammonia plant. *The hot dry summer weather is affecting trees. *A recent study looked at the shortage of veterinarians in rural areas.

*Feedlots inventories are larger than a year ago, but placements and marketings are taking a big drop. *It is hot and dry all across the Lone Star State. *The Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour showed corn production and yields may be lower than expected. *It’s turning out to be a very bad year for Texas Panhandle crops. *East Texas cattle are holding up to the heat. *The wage rate paid to H2A employees has changed. *Corn harvest is wrapping up in Central Texas. *What’s the difference between generic and pioneer drugs?

*More beef imports are coming. *Corn harvest in Central Texas looked pretty good this year. *Screwworm cases are low across Texas. *There are more cattle in feedlots both nationwide and here in Texas. *The hot dry weather is taking a toll on the Texas Southern Plains. * EPM can cause serious problems in horses.

*The Rio Grande Valley is still struggling to eradicate the boll weevil. *Lubbock is gearing up to host one of the biggest agricultural events of the year. *Wheat silage has become an important product for wheat farmers in the Texas High Plains. *How will proposed electric transmission lines affect private property rights? *The Trump administration is working to turn our ag trade deficit into a surplus. *The dog days of summer are hitting South Texas hard. *Wet conditions and hot weather can increase the chances of foot rot in cattle.