INDUSTRY NEWS

A number of organizations have been warning that COVID-19 infections could not only be more common but also impact rural areas more than large metropolitan centers.

There’s still plenty of time and weather to impact 2020 cropping plans, but U.S. producers intend to increase acreage devoted to hay this year, according to the USDA’s Prospective Plantings report, released March 31.

Many contracts include a provision called “force majeure” (fancy term for superior force). Force majeure means unforeseeable circumstances that prevent a party from fulfilling its contractual obligations.

According to the Department of Homeland Security announcement, agriculture is included as one of 16 essential businesses in the U.S.

February 2020 saw mixed results in overall U.S. sales of tractors and self-propelled combines. The bright spot was four-wheel-drive and 100-plus-horsepower tractors, which showed healthy gains year over year, however, overall tractor and combine sales fell for February, according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

Farmers and ranchers may apply to enroll grasslands in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands sign-up beginning March 16. The sign-up runs through May 15.