INDUSTRY NEWS

U.S. ag equipment manufacturers and dealers saw a modest increase in combines and tractors in August, but they’re not ready to throw caution to the wind.

Like their farmer customers, U.S. ag equipment manufacturers and dealers are looking for ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement and an end to ongoing trade and tariff wars.

U.S. alfalfa hay and triticale producers are among those eligible for USDA payments under a program designed to offset the negative financial impacts of ongoing trade and tariff wars. Sign-up for the USDA’s Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments begins July 29 and runs through Dec. 6, 2019, at USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices.

Alfalfa researchers from across the country were the beneficiaries of funding generated by the Alfalfa Checkoff as seven new Alfalfa Checkoff research projects were recently funded. The U.S. Alfalfa Farmer Research Initiative (USAFRI), better known as the Alfalfa Checkoff, recently awarded the fifth round of funding to projects submitted by researchers from across the country. 

Fertilizer is the largest single expense for Western irrigated alfalfa producers. Even at modest rates, fertilizer can easily exceed over $200 per acre annually, with phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) contributing the largest component.

From its origins in Europe, its unlikely beginnings in the U.S., the controversy surrounding its initial release and issues with fescue toxicosis, The Wonder Grass is a fascinating examination of the history and modem uses of forage tall fescue.