News Filed Under Agriculture
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Mississippians who want to deck their holiday halls with a locally grown Christmas tree will have no problem finding one. Although weather conditions have tested the state’s growers over the last two years, tree inventory is strong.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- For agricultural producers, careful planning in advance of each planting is critical to making a profit or breaking even, but the practice will be especially necessary going into 2025 due to a confluence of unfavorable economic conditions.
Kevin Kim, Will Maples and Brian Mills, agricultural economists with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, are part of an effort to help producers make sound business decisions as they enter what will likely be a difficult year financially across the country for agriculture.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Agriculture and forestry are Mississippi’s top industries, but their significance to the state’s economy extends beyond the revenue they generate on their own.
An analysis produced by agricultural economists with the Mississippi State University Extension Service found these sectors combined were an estimated $46.2 billion industry in 2022, accounting for 185,744 jobs and more than 14% of the state’s total economic activity.
Mississippi appears to have a decent-sized pecan crop this year, but quality may have been reduced by the dry summer.
James Callahan, president of the Mississippi Pecan Growers Association, said the organization estimates Mississippi has about 18,000 acres of pecans in production with 400 growers.
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Despite another year of dry, hot conditions during the growing season, Mississippi’s sweet potato crop looks excellent overall as producers head into the final weeks of harvest. Lorin Harvey, sweet potato specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said 85% of the crop has been harvested as of Oct. 30. He has been surprised by the yields that many producers are seeing.
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Mississippi’s peanut producers are close to wrapping up harvest for 2024. Producers planted 25,500 acres of peanuts, a 30% increase from last year. This year, growers returned between 4,000 and 5,000 acres to peanut production.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Agricultural producers and consultants are encouraged to register for the annual Mississippi State University Row Crop Short Course.
Hosted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, the 2024 Row Crop Short Course will be held Dec. 9-11 at the Mill Conference Center in Starkville.
PICAYUNE, Miss. -- History enthusiasts of all ages can try their hand at traditional skills and crafts at a festival hosted by the Crosby Arboretum.
The 22nd Annual Piney Woods Heritage Festival will take place on Nov. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Crosby Arboretum, located at 370 Ridge Road in Picayune. This yearly event celebrates traditional skills and crafts, providing a platform for artisans to show their expertise in various heritage activities.
Harvest for two of the state’s most significant row crops is well underway, with soybeans and cotton both ahead of schedule.
As of Oct. 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that cotton was 43% harvested, ahead of the five-year average of 31% complete by this date. Soybeans were 76% harvested, where typically the crop is just 60% harvested.
Corn and rice harvests wrapped up for Mississippi fields a bit ahead of schedule, helped by the ideal weather leading up to the harvest window.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated corn harvest was 96% complete by Sept. 22, 2024. This put harvest ahead of the five-year average, which typically has corn 89% harvested by that date.
Did you know there is a difference in broilers and layers? Broilers and layers both serve important roles in the poultry industry, but their roles are very different.
Knowing that the severity of a drought is more than a measure of weather data, Mississippi State University Extension Service agents across the state gather photos and data weekly to document actual conditions.
Mike Brown, MSU professor of geosciences and state climatologist, helped develop and now oversees an app that allows him to submit detailed, highly localized information to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor is a publication provided by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is the basis of much drought-relief efforts nationwide.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Hurricane Francine was reduced to a tropical storm by the time it reached Mississippi, and its rainfall and wind were not enough to cause major damage to the state’s cotton crop despite two-thirds of it having opened beforehand.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service estimated just under 70% of the cotton bolls around the state had opened as of Sept. 9, three days before Francine reached the state.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Amy Knight has seen her 13-year-old son, Cameron, make substantial strides in his speech and core strength since he began horse riding three years ago.
September is Rice Month! Did you know rice is one of Mississippi’s top ten agricultural commodities.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Those interested in learning about the use of unmanned aircraft systems as row crop application sprayers are invited to a seminar at Mississippi State University.
The MSU Spray Drone/UAS Seminar will be held at the Bost Extension Center Oct. 9 from 9 to 11 a.m. This meeting will be presented in person and available online. Topics include regulatory updates, the current Federal Aviation Administration-approved spray drone list, current and potential spray drone restrictions and ongoing spray drone research at MSU.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Farms are the most prominent symbol of agritourism, but the industry contains numerous types of enterprises and entertainment.
The agritourism sector also creates additional income streams for producers and entrepreneurs and has been a proven community development tool in Mississippi, especially in rural areas.
This summer has not just felt hot and dry; close to half the state is in moderate to severe drought, and temperatures have been mostly in the 90s through all of August.
Mike Brown is the state climatologist and Mississippi State University professor of meteorology. He said much of the northern two-thirds of the state has been fluctuating between drought and being OK.
Potatoes, known for their versatility and flavor, are a staple in kitchens around the world. Many of the dishes we eat either contain potatoes or can easily be paired with a potato side dish. However, if you’ve ever stored potatoes in your kitchen, you might have noticed they sometimes develop sprouts. Do you know why this happens?
The growing season is wrapping up on Mississippi’s 2024 rice crop, and experts anticipate a slightly higher yield but depressed prices.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that rice harvest began the first week of August. As of Aug. 11, the crop was rated 15% in excellent condition and 82% in either fair or good condition.