By Sarah Fielder
New Science Showing Bee-Killing Pesticides are Unnecessary on Most Farms. Conventional corn farmers—who grow the ubiquitous grain on 90 million acres in the U.S.—are struggling. Since 2014, these farmers have been spending more to produce corn than they can earn by selling it. The economic concentration of a few large seed and pesticide companies and their expensive products have allowed them to capture more farm profit, leaving less for farmers and their communities. As some farmers begin to question these costs, a recent study has confirmed that the cost of seed coatings is rarely justified. To read the full article, click here: https://bit.ly/2GDcFWU.
Fundamentals of Nutrient Management Training Course Set for May 29-30 A two-day Fundamentals of Nutrient Management Pre-Certification Training Course will be held May 29 and May 30 at the Maryland Department of Agriculture, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis. The training provides participants with an overview of material covered by the Maryland Nutrient Management Certification Examination scheduled for August 3. For more information, click here: https://bit.ly/2Ip1tKL.
USDA Reopens MPP Enrollment This week USDA announced that Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP) would be reopened. The program was amended with the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. Enrollment will run from April 9, 2018 to June 1, 2018. To learn more about enrollment and the changes to the program, click here http://bit.ly/2Iq4x9t.
Six Arkansas Farmers Given the Right to Use Dicamba Last year, Arkansas restricted the usage of dicamba during the season. Six Arkansas farmers are currently suing the state’s Plant Board for denying requests for a May 25 cutoff date instead of the April 16th adopted by the state. The state can appeal this ruling and it only applies to the 6 farmers in the lawsuit. To learn more about the lawsuit, click here http://bit.ly/2Gw1kVj.
Bay States Lag in Planting Streamside Trees The Bay Journal this week highlights issues being faced by Bay states in meeting goals of tree plantings along streams and rivers. The article highlights that many farmers are reluctant in agreeing to tree plants for a few reasons. To read the article, click here http://bit.ly/2Is1ZYL.
China Proposes $50 Billion in Tariffs on the U.S. including on Soybeans Wednesday, the Chinese government announced proposed counter-tariffs to counter proposed tariffs the U.S. on Chinese products. On the list of possible U.S. products to face tariffs would be soybeans. Currently, soybeans are the largest U.S. export to China. To learn more about the proposed tariffs, click here https://usat.ly/2H9oMsD.
Trial Begins In Lawsuit Alleging Large Hog Farm Created a Nuisance A jury has begun to hear evidence that a North Carolina hog farm has caused a nuisance for hundreds of nearby neighbors. This first lawsuit only includes a handful of neighbors near the hog farm. The jury has heard testimony that DNA from the hogs can be found in all the plaintiffs’ homes. To read more about the trial, click here http://bit.ly/2GANK76.