News Filed Under Livestock
News reports of a new, invasive hornet spotted in the Northwest has heightened people’s awareness of flying insects recently.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Food supplies in the U.S. are abundant and safe, despite some challenges in packaging and distribution related to COVID-19.
Robert Johannson, chief economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, acknowledged “widespread worries that the disease could threaten the nation’s food production and supply systems and stoke inflation” in a statement issued April 16.
Tornadoes and damaging storms that swept through the state Easter Sunday afternoon and evening, killing 11 Mississippians also caused devastating losses to growers in the poultry industry.
The strict biosecurity measures already practiced in Mississippi’s $2.7 billion poultry industry allow this “essential critical infrastructure workforce” to continue business as usual during the COVID-19 pandemic.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Necessary restrictions on travel and gatherings are affecting how the Mississippi State University Extension Service operates, but its ability to respond to the needs of its clients, the public and state agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic continues uninterrupted.
Extension’s roles during crises are many: emergency management, local level assistance, support for the state’s agricultural industry, and dissemination of public information and education.
The Mississippi State University Extension Service will host a free webinar to discuss the impact of the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, on cattle markets March 26 at 7 p.m. Central Standard Time.
Agricultural economists Josh Maples of MSU and Derrell Peel of Oklahoma State University Extension will discuss the current situation and answer questions submitted by participants.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Pets and other domestic animals are not considered at risk for contracting COVID-19, and the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine recommends that animal owners consult the American Veterinary Medical Association to get the facts.
Dr. Kent Hoblet, dean of the college, encouraged animal owners to consider AVMA guidelines as their primary resource on vaccines and animal illnesses related to COVID-19 and refrain from sharing misinformation circulating through social media and other unofficial sources.
Believe it or not, urban landscapes can provide enough plant diversity to sustain honeybee colonies, making beekeeping a suitable hobby for both city and country dwellers. Jeff Harris, beekeeping specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said both locales have their pros and cons when it comes to growing healthy honeybee hives. “Many urban landscapes contain ornamentals and other flowering plants that provide a better and more diverse diet than monoculture crops,” Harris said. “Just like humans, bees are healthier when their food comes from many different sources, not just cheeseburgers -- or in the bees’ case, 3,000 acres of corn.”
Beef cattle producers looking to improve their farms’ herd and forage production are invited to a field day March 26.
2020 marked Bill Fitts’ 27th consecutive appearance at the annual North Mississippi Producer Advisory Council meeting.
The romantic idea of owning and riding horses often does not match the costly and time-consuming reality of maintaining them, a discrepancy being addressed in workshops aimed at making horse ownership more rewarding.
Clay Cavinder, horse specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, offers a one-day workshop and a six-week program to address the tremendous amount of information that a horse owner must absorb.
Regional agriculture advisory groups will meet across the state next month to provide input on educational programing and research conducted by Mississippi State University.
In 2019, Mississippi’s agricultural industry faced the prospect of dipping below $7 billion for the first time in eight years, but federal payments pushed its value up enough to post a slight gain over 2018.
The estimated value of Mississippi agriculture in 2019 is $7.39 billion, a 0.2% gain from last year’s $7.37 billion. Included in the total is an estimated $628 million in government payments, the largest amount of federal assistance Mississippi producers have seen since 2006
Overcoming every challenge that comes its way, Mississippi’s poultry industry maintained its 25-year streak in 2019 as the state’s No. 1 agricultural commodity.
For the first 15 years of their marriage, Ted and Janet Parker lived off one income. She made the living, and nearly every penny he made as a beef cattle farmer went right back into growing their farm.
School groups and families will soon have a chance to tour a dairy farm and learn where their food comes from
National Dairy Month is a great time to consider the numerous health benefits dairy products provide and how supporting the industry indirectly helps a variety of people.
Horsemanship clinics, camps and competitions are uniting young horse enthusiasts with mature, experienced riders across the state as interest booms in the sometimes athletic and always fun equine activities.
Challenges facing new farmers and ranchers will be the focus of a field day at the Mississippi State University Beaumont Horticultural Unit.
Researchers and Extension specialists from across the Southeast will help goat and sheep producers expand their knowledge on various aspects of the industry during a workshop on small ruminant production.