An "Unhinged" Set of Dietary Guidelines?

Southeast Regional Ag News
“Unhinged” is a fun, descriptive word, but also a little unsettling when used as an adjective by beef producers to describe new dietary guidelines from the U.S. government.

FL Agricultural Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

Southeast Regional Ag News
On October 23, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, alongside the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation, announced the 2025 Hall of Fame inductees: Cary and Marcia Lightsey, Madeline Mellinger, and Jim Strickland.

USDA Payments to Ag Producers and Ag Imports Increase Share

The Agribusiness Update
The USDA is issuing payments to agricultural producers impacted by natural disasters, and in the bulk of U.S. imports agricultural products account for an increasing share.

Southeast Farm Economy Hit Hard and Oregon Pig has H5N1

The Agribusiness Update
While the farm economy seems to have stabilized in the Midwest and Northern Plains, it weakened in the rest of the U.S. this fall, and a pig in Oregon is the first in the U.S. to test positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus.

First Female "Southeastern Farmer of the Year"

Southeast Regional Ag News
The Sunbelt Expo is coordinating the Southeastern Farmer of the Year awards for the 34th consecutive year. A total of $1,324,000 in cash awards and other honors have been awarded to 304 southeastern farmers since the award was initiated in 1990.

A Potential $1.6B Loss for Florida Vegetable Producers

Southeast Regional Ag News
"Vegetable production is the largest agricultural sector in those counties impacted by Hurricane Milton," says AFBF economist Danny Munch.

Hurricanes Impact on Southeast and Protect the Harvest Shuts Down

The Agribusiness Update
Hurricanes Helene and Milton had devastating impacts on the southeastern United States with many communities facing unprecedented challenges, and Protect the Harvest will cease operating on October 31, citing funding challenges that began during COVID.

Southeast Food Assistance and Frutonomia Podcast

The Agribusiness Update
Parts of the Southeast recovering from Tropical Storm Helene may be eligible for food assistance through the USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness team announced the launch of its Frutonomía podcast, co-hosted by hort and fresh produce analysts David Magaña and Gonzalo Salinas.

Georgia: Three Times the Damage of Hurricane Michael

Southeast Regional Ag News
Meanwhile, in Florida, Hurricane Milton has also caused significant damage. The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is requesting affected producers to complete the Economic Impact Analysis Program survey.

A 30-Foot Wall of Water

Southeast Regional Ag News
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack give remarks following his tour of Hurricane Helene's damage.

Vets Chase California H5N1 and Hurricane Helene Hits Every Crop

The Agribusiness Update
With cases of H5N1 in dairy cows rapidly rising in California, animal health officials continue to try to contain the spread, and floodwaters from Hurricane Helene swamped the Southern U.S., with virtually every commodity impacted.

Mercy Chefs Feed Helene Victims and Helene Impacts Every Crop

The Agribusiness Update
Mercy Chefs, a disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, is serving hot, chef-prepared meals to the victims, volunteers, and first responders of Hurricane Helene, and floodwaters from Hurricane Helene swamped the Southern U.S., with virtually every commodity impacted.

Georgia Agriculture and the FBI

Southeast Regional Ag News
In February, GDA officers assisted in the largest marijuana bust in Pierce County history. More recently, in collaboration with the DEA, they intercepted 2,500 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a shipment of celery at the Atlanta State Farmer’s Market.

Great Southeast Pollinator Census and Financial Conditions in Farm Country

The Agribusiness Update
Southeast nature enthusiasts, gardeners and residents are gearing up for the 2024 Great Southeast Pollinator Census, and the American Bankers Association offered its views on the financial conditions in farm country.

Southeast Prep for Hurricane Season and China Bans Meat from U.S. Port

The Agribusiness Update
Farmers along Southeast coastal areas need to get their emergency supply kits and first aid kits ready with a busy hurricane season in the forecast, and China bans meat exports from a West Coast cold storage facility near the Port of Oakland after traces of the feed additive ractopamine were found.

Hay Stocks Up from Last Year and China Blocks Certain U.S. Beef

The Agribusiness Update
USDA’s May Crop Production report shows that hay stocks in the U.S. are up 46% year-over-year, and meat processor JBS says China blocked shipments from the company’s Colorado plant because traces of ractopamine.

Ag Workers Hired in Southeast Region and Farm Bill Markup Moves Forward

The Agribusiness Update
29,000 workers were hired by farms in the Southeast Region of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, and almost that many in Florida, and the markup for House Ag Chair GT Thompson’s farm bill will move ahead despite scores from the Congressional Budget Office.

Injunction Over Disaster Payments and Injunction Over Disaster Relief

The Agribusiness Update
The Southeastern Legal Foundation and the Mountain States Legal Foundation filed a preliminary injunction over disaster payments, and the USDA’s Forest Service is issuing more than $232 million to the Secure Rural Schools Program.

Southeast Region Labor Report and ERS Study on AFS in China

The Agribusiness Update
There were 32,000 workers hired directly by farms in the

Southeast Region during the week of October 8-1, and an Economic Research Service report shows the full impact of African Swine Fever in China.

USDA and Specialty Crops Pt 2

Fruit Grower Report
I had a chance to catch up with USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Ag Affairs Alexis Taylor and asked her about our recently improved trade relations with India.