Texas Agriculture Today

*Drought is causing problems for spring planting.  *General CRP signup is underway.  *Texas peanut acreage is expected to drop this year.  *When beef on dairy calves go into the feedlot, they tend to be there for an extended stay.  *The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is underway.  *The Senate Ag Committee is discussing ways to drive demand for U.S. grown commodities.*The winter has been mild in most of Texas, but farmers may pay the price with a dry, windy March.  *There are studies on a new way to castrate calves.  

*Wheat prices have taken a big jump.  *The FDA is giving Texans another tool to fight screwworms.   *There could be more farm financial aid coming from Washington.   *Texas High Plains dairies are responding to the water challenge.*Easements can affect Texas rural property.  *Tensions in the Middle East continue to weigh on fertilizer prices.  *Farmers on the Texas Southern Plains are preparing for spring planting. *Vitamin E is an important vitamin for horses.  

*The Texas High Plains wheat crop needs rain.  *Farmer sentiment rebounded last month.  *The Texas Wheat Producers Board will implement a new small grain silage assessment for the 2026 harvest. *New technology is boosting sorghum silage.  *Easements can affect the value of rural Texas land.  *The conflict in Iran is having an impact on fertilizer prices.  *South Texas has a serious need for rain.  *Rabies is a viral disease that can affect sheep and goats.  

*The Iran conflict is causing serious supply disruptions.   *The review process for the U.S. Mexico Canada trade agreement is about to begin.  *USDA has announced a construction contract to build the new sterile screwworm fly production facility in the Rio Grande Valley.   *We could see more sorghum in the Texas High Plains this year.  *The Natural Resources Conservation Service outlined priorities for 2026.  *USDA is modernizing some of its systems.  *The Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association’s annual Stockman’s Sale is this weekend in San Angelo.*Does supplementing bred beef heifers increase calving difficulty? 

*Solar grazing offers an opportunity for Texas sheep producers.  *This could be a good spring for Texas turkey hunters.  *The Commodity Classic set a record attendance at the recent event in San Antonio.   *Beef on dairy calves are doing more than just filling the gaps in Texas feedyards.  *One of the newer BRD medications is called Pradalex.  *The Department of Justice is looking into U.S. fertilizer prices.  *There haven’t been many planters rolling in the lower Texas Coastal Bend.  *There are different categories of drugs for horses.  

*Some parts of Texas are getting much needed rain.  *Drought continues to spread across the state.  *Cotton state lawmakers are asking the Trump administration to convince India to drop tariffs on U.S. cotton. *The Texas dairy industry is facing tough times.  *The National Association of Conservation Districts annual meeting was held recently in San Antonio.  *The Farm Bill is moving forward.  *The American Farm Bureau Federation is asking to congress to pass a new Farm Bill.  *Electro acupuncture is being studied for treating head shaking in horses.  

*Texas will have a new Commissioner of Agriculture next year.   *Corn acreage is switching to soybeans this season.  *Texas sheep producers are in Washington this week.   *Texas High Plains farmers are responding to a bizarre winter.  *New pasture and range products are available this year.  *The House Agriculture Committee has been hard at work on the Farm Bill.  *USDA economists predict some shifting crop acres as farmers continue to face a difficult economy. *Some of the medication used in horses are approved as medical devices. 

*Spring will bring an increased threat of screwworms in Deep South Texas.  *Officials from the U.S. and Canada are meeting soon to discuss the USMCA.  *The Texas Peanut Industry Roundtable is Thursday, March 5th in Stephenville.  *The Hemphill County Beef Conference is scheduled for April 28th & 29th in Canadian. *The outlook for corn leafhoppers this year is promising on the Texas High Plains.  *La Nina has caused some volatile weather swings this winter.  *Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins rolled out five key commitments for the upcoming year.  *East Texas needs some rain in a bad way.*Ivomec has been approved for prevention of the new world screwworm in cattle.  

*The Secretary of Agriculture visited a Texas farm.   *Fed cattle prices are setting record highs.  *The International Livestock Congress is this week during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. *Texas Panhandle dairies need a lot of water to operate.  *There’s some new hay equipment coming out this year.  *The chairman of the House Agriculture Committee was in Texas last week.  *Corn planting is getting underway in Central Texas.  *There are a couple of way to give an equine herpes virus vaccine.  

*The border will not open for livestock imports anytime soon.  *JBS broke ground last week on an expansion of its beef processing plant in Cactus, Texas.   *The lesser prairie chicken is no longer an endangered species.   *The growing dairy industry in the Texas High Plains provides a lot of economic benefit.*Meteorological winter is over.  *USDA is streamlining its interactions with farmers.  *The National Association of Conservation Districts annual convention was held in Texas.  *Newborn calves are under a lot of stress.  

*Will Rio Grande Valley farmers get the water they need this year?  *Farmers are signing up fast for the Farmer Bridge Assistance program.  *There are some farm policy changes that can help cotton growers. *New trade deals are opening doors for American sorghum growers.  *Drought conditions are getting worse in the Texas High Plains.  *Pork exports neared an all-time record last year.  *It’s time to make preparation for spring gardens.  *Horseshoes can have an effect on a horses’ hoof.  

*Planters are parked in some areas of the Coastal Bend.   *U.S. beef production is expected to fall this year.   *The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is accepting donations to help those affected by wildfires in western Oklahoma.   *Choosing the right cotton variety is very important in these challenging economic times.  *Texas youth put a lot of work into preparing livestock for shows. *Failing to renew the U.S Mexico Canada trade agreement could take a toll on Texas farmers.  *The current drought situation in Texas does not bode well for spring forages.  *It’s time to get ready for lambing and kidding.  

*Spring planting is moving ahead in the Rio Grande Valley.   *The cost of producing a crop should come down this year.  *The enrollment period is open for the Farmer Bridge Assistance program. *Wildfire prevention is a big priority at this time of year.  *This has been a dry winter for the Texas Panhandle.  *The ag department’s latest price and production forecasts are out.  *Local livestock shows are wrapping up, while the Central Texas wheat crop is showing the effects of the winter freeze.  *Equine Infectious Anemia was recently found in Wichita County.  

*Cattle feedlot inventories continue to drop.  *USDA is calling for slightly more cotton acreage this year.  *A Texas feedlot is closing down. *The San Antonio Stock Show is underway.  *It has been a warm winter in the Texas High Plains.  *Markup of the Farm Bill has been delayed.  *Drought is getting worse in South Texas.  *The time of day you feed beef cows can affect when they calve.  

*The National Cotton Council had a successful annual meeting in San Antonio.*The U.S. and Taiwan have reached a trade deal that will open doors for agriculture.*Beef production is expected to grow this year.*There's an interesting upside of converting cropland to grassland.  *Conservationists from across the nation held their annual convention in Texas.*USDA is now accepting applications for the Bridge Assistance Program.*Weather, cattle markets, fruit trees and fishing are the hot topics in East Texas.*Screwworms are closer to Texas.

*Volunteer firefighters have been giving their all to put out wildfires across the Texas High Plains.  *There are thousands of livestock entries at the San Antonio Stock Show.  *Growing corn silage has become a major part of agriculture in the Texas High Plains.  *There could be congressional action on farm labor in the coming weeks.  *The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced details of the bridge assistance payment program for specialty crop growers. *Hypothermia is common in calves at this time of year.  

*Wildfires are devastating the High Plains.*Fed cattle sales have declined in the Texas Panhandle.  *Beef got a big boost in the new government dietary guidelines. *Congressional leaders are weighing in on the US Mexico Canada trade agreement.  *The latest farm bankruptcy data serves as another indicator of a struggling farm economy. *Vaccinating spring calving beef cows is very important.  

*Closing the border to livestock imports has disrupted the cattle market, but it was necessary.  *There are fewer farms in Texas.  *The executive director of Texas Corn Producers is retiring.   *There are signs of cow herd rebuilding in Texas, but there are some obstacles in the way.  *The Cattlemen’s Beef Board has a new chair.  *The Department of Agriculture and the Department of War are working together to improve farm security.  *The San Antonio Livestock Show is now underway. *Endometritis is a common cause of infertility in mares.  

*U.S. corn exports are strong.  Slaughter cattle weights are getting higher thanks to strong genetics.  *A Texan is now leading Cotton Council International. *Fed cattle prices are reaching record highs.  *The beef checkoff has accomplished a lot in the past four decades.  *A new analysis looks at the economic impact of the U.S. Mexico Canada trade agreement. *It has been a mostly warm winter for landscapes and gardens.  *Nutrition is very important for cows both prior to and after calving.  

*Beef and dairy cross calves are having a big impact on the beef industry.   *Signup is underway for the continuous Conservation Reserve Program.  *USDA has issued the final Emergency Livestock Relief program payments. *Limited water is a critical issue for Texas High Plains farmers.  *The beef checkoff is 40 years old.  *House ag committee leadership has released a draft of the next Farm Bill.  *When is the right time to fertilize warm season grasses?*Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a big concern.