Top Agriculture News

Policy considerations, natural resources, technology, value added, opportunities and innovations, all will be discussed during the 2025 South Carolina Ag Technology and Business Forum coming up next week in Columbia. Mallory Dow is extension relations coordinator at the Center for Ag technology at Clemson and one of the event organizers. “The goal is really to […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed into law legislation funding the government through the end of September. His signature Saturday ends the threat of a partial government shutdown and caps off a struggle in Congress that deeply divided Democrats. The bill largely keeps government funding at levels set during Joe Biden’s presidency, though with changes. It trims non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increases defense spending by about $6 billion. The Senate cleared the legislation on Friday in a 54-46 party line vote, with Democrats helping advance it despite problems with the bill.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A town hall held by Rep. Chuck Edwards in Asheville, North Carolina, got rowdy as attendees asked a barrage of scathing questions about policies rolled out under President Donald Trump’s administration. House Speaker Mike Johnson has advised GOP representatives not to hold town halls, but Edwards told attendees he didn’t want to “shy away” from conversations. Many questions centered on sweeping cuts in the federal government at the hands of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Nearly every answer Edwards gave during the hour-and-a-half town hall was interrupted by jeers and enraged shouting.

Some rain over the past week has helped the look on the Drought Monitor, and to take a look at that, talking with Corey Davis from the State Climate Office of North Carolina, right now, how much improvement have we seen over the last week or so, Corey? “Well, Mike, over the last 10 days, […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — American retailers say President Donald Trump’s threatened 200% tariff on European wine would harm consumers. Holly Seidewand owns First Fill Spirits in New York state and says a tariff war hurts importers, distributors and retailers but “consumers will bear the brunt of it.” Ronnie Sanders is CEO of Vine Street Imports in New Jersey and says customers aren’t prepared to pay two or three times more for their favorite wine. Trump on Thursday called the EU among “the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities.” Because of the Republican president’s threat, a previously untariffed $15 bottle of Italian Prosecco could cost $45. The European Commission says Europe wants to “negotiate to avoid tariffs.”

The Trump USDA is considering a vaccine as the next step in the battle against High Path Avian Influenza, commonly known as bird flu, but it’s a nuanced conversation. Dr. Mike Martin is the state veterinarian for North Carolina, and says a vaccine has been partially approved. “We do have an approved vaccine for USDA […]

Friday is the deadline to get a government funding bill passed through Congress and to President Trump’s desk to avoid a government shutdown. Emily Buckman, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, says the duration of a possible spending package is a big difference between Republicans and Democrats. “Over the weekend, the […]

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — New North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein told lawmakers during his first State of the State address that he wants a Hurricane Helene aid bill on his desk and seeks to help make living expenses affordable across the state. Stein delivered the biennial speech to a joint General Assembly session Wednesday night. He also emphasized finding areas where he and Republicans who control the legislature can agree and work together. The House and Senate are trying to negotiate competing bills to provide additional Helene relief. Stein said he will sign the bill that comes to his desk, saying the money was needed “yesterday.”

ATLANTA (AP) — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has pledged to start paying out tens of billions in aid to victims of Hurricane Helene later this month. But delays are already making it hard this year for some farmers to plant crops. Congress set a deadline of March 21 to hand out the money when it passed a $100 billion disaster relief package. The September 2024 storm cut a swath from Florida into North Carolina, causing more than $10 billion in estimated damages to farmers. A Georgia farmer says farmers need aid to repay 2024 debts so they can borrow anew to plant crops this spring.

The USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report shows the 2024-2025 U.S. corn outlook is unchanged relative to last month. The big news in the corn market is the major global trade changes in 2024-2025, which include reduced corn exports for Brazil and South Africa. The season-average corn price received by U.S. producers is […]