News Filed Under Livestock

Agriculture advisory groups will meet across the state next month to provide input on educational programing and research conducted by Mississippi State University. The three regional meetings offer agricultural producers the opportunity to share their needs for the upcoming year with the MSU Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- People interested in beekeeping should take time to answer some important questions and develop a plan before beginning this hobby.

One of the best ways people can learn about the hobby is to join a beekeeping group, said Jeff Harris, Mississippi State University Extension Service bee specialist.

“Local beekeeping clubs often have members with many years of beekeeping experience, and they are absolutely a great way for you to learn about the hobby before you begin,” Harris said.

Strong consumer demand for chicken is one part of the equation that added up to a nearly 40% increase in production value for Mississippi’s poultry industry in 2021. The commodity held on to the No. 1 spot among all the state’s agricultural commodities, totaling an estimated value of $2.65 billion. 2021 marks the 27th consecutive year poultry has topped Mississippi’s value of production list. Final figures will be released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in April. Higher prices also influenced this year’s value of production.

A new online platform can help farmers learn about and implement management practices to improve profitability, soil health and land stewardship. Created by a multistate team of university Extension professionals and farmers, One Good Idea provides farmers across the U.S. an online classroom to learn through videos and podcasts. Topics include cover crops, conservation tillage, rotational grazing and nutrient management.

Mississippi beef producers are invited to attend the 2021 North Mississippi Beef Expo on Oct. 21 and 22. Topics include beef genetics, mineral supplementation, cattle market updates, beef cattle herd health and research updates from the MSU Prairie Research Unit.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The amount of trash along Mississippi’s roadways and waterways is distressing. Beer bottles, soda cans, soiled diapers, cardboard boxes and fast-food wrappers are routine. Tires, gas cans and household appliances are not uncommon.

Every day, people discard millions of tons of trash in recycling containers or garbage cans. Unfortunately, people also leave trash in other places where it can harm wildlife, pets and even other people.

Dairy goats make up a niche market of the Mississippi livestock industry, but their popularity is growing across the state. Interest has grown among 4-H livestock program members, people who participate in various other showmanship contests and people who want goat milk products.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi’s beef cattle herd size and farm inventory have not changed much in the last three years, but changes are taking place elsewhere in the industry.

The most recent count from the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine lists 920,000 head of cattle on 15,980 farms as of 2020. In 2018, the state had a head count of 930,000 on about the same number of farms.