Need to catch up on the news? Here are seven ag stories you might have missed.
1. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has extended the deadline for farmers to apply for Market Facilitation Program payments. The original deadline was Jan. 15, but it will be extended after the shutdown ends. – The Washington Post
2. Foot and mouth disease has been detected in South Africa, Reuters reported Tuesday. The disease is a highly contagious viral disease. The positive laboratory results came from cattle in the Vhembe area in Limpopo province. The area has been quarantined. – Reuters, Bloomberg
3. The December 2018 Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer came in at 127, which was virtually unchanged from December 2017. – Farm Futures
4. Bayer completed its acquisition of Monsanto at the end of August, and the teams are working on new tools and pulling together tech from both sides to aim for key global targets – mainly to boost productivity to meet a rising need for food. – Wallaces Farmer
5. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, said it’s going to be a busy two years as he wraps up his fourth term in the U.S. Senate. He has been in Congress for 40 years. – Kansas Farmer
6. Some farmers are adding cover crops to cash crops. The biological effects of multiple species of plants provides a synergy that isn’t fully understood. – American Agriculturalist
7. About $5 million of the trade aid payments will go to JBS USA, which is owned by JBS S.A., headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. JBS USA has 73,000 employees and 44 plants in the United States. – The Hill
And your bonus.
An Indiana hog farmer is seeking ways to reduce his energy costs, protect the environment and gain energy independence. He installed a solar array that will cover about 75% of the farm’s energy demand and reduce energy costs by the same amount. This equates to a reduction of 3,500 tons of carbon emissions over 25 years. – Purdue University