Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network
Texas Ag Today is a daily look at the latest news in Texas agriculture, hosted by veteran farm broadcaster Carey Martin along with the largest and most experienced farm news team in the Lone Star State. We cover agriculture in every corner of Texas, from the piney woods of East Texas to the rocky ranges of the Trans-Pecos and from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley.
*Cattle feeders are cautiously optimistic about the border reopening. *The deadline for county Farm Service Agency committees is coming up soon. *Crops are drying out in Randall County. *Increased power demands are causing concerns for Texas landowners. *USDA is making another investment in the fight against screwworms. *There’s still an El Nino waiting out there somewhere. *Omega 3 fatty acids are beneficial for horses.
*The Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course is next week. *Speaker of the House Mike Johnson spoke to farmers in Northwest Louisiana. *It’s time for a new winter wheat season in Texas. *USDA unveiled new priorities for the department. *The Senate Ag Committee could take up the Farm Bill next week. *Congestive heart failure is a major cause of death in feedlot cattle.
*The condition of the Texas corn crop continues to decline. *The sterile screwworm fly production facility in Texas could open ahead of schedule. *The Texas Wheat Producers Board named Kristie Keys as the 2026 Texas Wheat Agent of the Year. *In the Texas High Plains, the cotton crop’s need for rain grows more each day. *Crops in the Southern Plains of Texas are also thirsty for rainfall. *USDA has released the latest farm expenditures report. *During a drought, there isn’t much you can do to increase forage growth. *Probiotics are routinely recommended for horses.
*The corn crop in the High Plains of Texas is suffering from the summer heat. *A budget package that includes additional economic assistance for farmers is moving forward. *Texas livestock producers who experienced losses in the recent flooding may get help from USDA disaster programs. *Corn harvest is underway in Central Texas. *It’s been another dry year for cotton farmers in the Texas High Plains. *Negotiations continue on the U.S. Mexico Canada trade agreement. *Beef prices and consumer demand were topics discussed at the recent Cattle Industry Summer conference in Denver. *Bulls with increased back fat may have lower fertility.
The reaction to the border opening is mostly positive. Texas dairies produced more than 1.5 billion pounds of milk last month. A federal judge has vacated endangered species protections for the dunes sagebrush lizard in West Texas. Texas A&M Agrilife can help you select wheat varieties for this fall’s planting season. Texas FFA members served the Ft. Worth community. Some global tariffs ended Friday, while new ones went into effect. Where you keep your horses can affect their chances of developing asthma.
*A sorghum basis futures contract will be available soon. *USDA tightened its beef production forecast and increased the steer price forecast. *There’s a screwworm disaster declaration in the Rio Grande Valley. *There’s good news about the nitrogen requirements of newer corn hybrids. *It’s watermelon harvest time in Northeast Texas. *Negotiations continue on the U.S. Mexico Canada trade agreement. *It’s hay and watermelon season in East Texas. *There have been some changes to laws regarding telemedicine in veterinary medicine.
The big correction in the cattle market has caught many by surprise. USDA has updated its rating of the Texas cotton crop. Research suggests corn breeders have developed new hybrids that require less nitrogen. A former Texas Farm Bureau staffer is mentioned among the stories from the portrait photographer behind American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country. Young farmers and ranchers recently visited Washington, D.C. to advocate on behalf of agriculture. Artificial intelligence is being used routinely in horses for gait analysis, but there are some concerns.
*Wheat harvest is moving north. *The U.S. is imposing a 50 percent tariffs on some products imported from Canada. *Texas farmers are feeding the hungry. *Drought is driving more cattle into feedlots. *A Texan was in Washington this week discussing New World screwworm legislation. *The American farmer is the heart of our country. *Screwworms are showing up in the Rio Grande Valley, and a tropical storm could bring more rain to South Texas. *Dealing with downer cow is a frustrating experience.
*Wheat prices have taken a big jump higher. *Bayer is no longer asking for duties on imported glyphosate. *A dairy processing facility is under construction in East Texas. *Fed cattle prices have tanked. *Keeping hogs cool in the summertime is a difficult job. *EPA is accepting comments on a proposal to eliminate DEF shutdowns. *Planting delays have turned into harvest delays in the Texas Coastal Bend. *Breakover of the hoof in horses is very important.
*Cattle prices have been in a free fall. *Cotton gins across Texas are receiving grant funds from the AgLink Continuity Grant Program. *House Republicans are pushing for a $12 billion farm aid package. *Can planting newer corn hybrids allow farmers to use less nitrogen? *The summer heat can bring a lot of challenges for hog producers. *The EPA is considering a proposal that would eliminate DEF deratements. *Landscapes in Texas have changed a lot over the past few years. *Breakover of the hoof is an important concept for horse owners to understand.
*It’s an agricultural disaster in Central and South Texas. *The nation’s premiere beef cattle educational event is just a couple of weeks away. *Time is running short in Washington D.C. *Livestock producers in the Texas Panhandle are keeping watch for screwworms. *USDA is making half a billion dollars available to support beef processing. *If you’re putting up hay this summer, remember that what happens after cutting can have a big effect on forage quality. *Texas A&M has a veterinary emergency response team built for disasters.
*Flooding is devastating Central and South Texas. *The Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting is this week in Denver. *More than half of U.S. farmers do not see any meaningful benefit in Artificial Intelligence. *There’s a new field guide to help beef cattle producers navigate a screwworm infestation. *Livestock producers in the Texas High Plains are preparing for screwworms. *A bill that would stop twice yearly time change is moving forward. *Farmers and ranchers in the Rolling Plains of Texas are still waiting on the cool wet summer that was forecasted. *Tetanus is not uncommon in large animals this time of year.
*Texas has the worst cotton crop in the nation. *There are two competing bills in Congress that would stop the twice-yearly time change. *Global wheat production is dropping. *The Texas High Plains cotton crop is facing some challenges. *Tax policy discussions are underway at the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. *USDA and the Small Business Administration are working together to provide a government-wide shield against lawfare. *The Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers annual meeting gets underway today in Fredericksburg. *The summer heat can cause heat stress in your horse.
*The Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers annual meeting is this week. *USDA is accepting comments on a proposal to update its prime beef grading standard. *Some important crop insurance deadlines for forage producers are coming up this week. *The Texas Panhandle had a dismal winter wheat crop this year. *The Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting is underway in Denver. *Congress is discussing Daylight Savings Time and the Farm Bill. *Heat stress can have a negative effect on your cattle.
*Winter wheat acreage is at a historic low. *Amarillo native John Rich of the country music duo Big and Rich is President Trump’s Special Envoy for American Landowners. *The National Cotton Council’s Producer Information Exchange tour gets underway this week. *Texas A&M AgriLife has released some important information for Texas wheat growers. *We’re still looking for a full strength El Nino to kick in across Texas. *Several members of Congress are asking questions about staffing cuts at the Farm Service Agency. *It has been hot and dry across the Central Texas Blacklands. *Equine herpes virus was found in Texas last month.
*Agriculture in the Rolling Plains of Texas is enduring the summer heat. *The U.S. will maintain anti-dumping duties on Mexican tomatoes. *Texas agriculture lost a long-time voice. *The northern Texas Panhandle has had a tough start for the summer growing season. *Bollguard cotton is celebrating its 30 year anniversary. *The FDA has not approved any medicated feed products for treatment and prevention of screwworms in deer and cattle. *The tropical season is off to a slow start. *Screwworms can infest all warm blooded animals.
*Over 2 million acres have been accepted into the 2026 Conservation Reserve Program. *Texas enrolled 106,000 acres in the CRP. *The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering an enhanced guaranteed loan program for business in the food production chain. *There have been some good rains around the Texas High Plains in the last few weeks. *The deadline for the Farm Dog of the Year contest is coming up. *Investigations into the fertilizer industry continue. *Harvest season is underway in the Texas Coastal Bend. *Aural plaque may be found in your horses ears.
*The condition of the Texas corn crop is dropping. *Farmer sentiment fell in June. *Texas is experiencing a surge in data center development. *Moth trapping is a way to help farmers know when certain pests are on the rise in their fields. *Texas pecan growers are preparing for their annual conference. *USDA is testing a new system for acreage reporting. *Recent changes to the Clean Fuels Production Tax Credit could benefit farmers and ranchers in the future. *Preparing lambs for ethnic holiday market requires some planning.
*Winter wheat production is disappearing. *There is a new mental health service for Texas farmers and ranchers. *A worldwide sorghum conference is coming to Lubbock. *Dairy farms are concentrating into five states, with Texas now the 4th largest dairy producing state in the U.S. *An early warning system for crop pests is a valuable tool. *The second quarter of this year was strong for rural Texas land sales. *New ag labor legislation could help the dairy industry. *As July gets underway, temperatures are high and rainfall is low across much of Texas. *Antibiotic resistance is becoming a problem when treating pneumonia in foals.
*Screwworm quarantines are growing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t move livestock. *A lack of irrigation water is affecting crop acreage in the Rio Grande Valley. *There’s a north-south split when it comes to rainfall and drought in the Texas High Plains. *Rural Texas land sales were strong this spring. *USDA launched a new program to increase fertilizer production. *Plants need more water during hot, windy summers. *Pneumonia is a common problem with foals.