After careful consideration and discussion, the four organizing commodity boards have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 N.C. Commodities Conference scheduled for January 14th-15th. The conference has been rescheduled to 2022 at the Sheraton Imperial RTP where we look forward to recommencing the event with good health and renewed enthusiasm. Please continue to…
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This summer a valued member of the N.C. soybean research team, Dr. Tommy Carter, retired. Dr. Tommy Carter is a soybean breeder at the USDA-ARS’s Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Unite where he has been the head of the unit since 2011 and the facility’s leading research geneticist since 1981. Dr. Carter has worked tirelessly for…
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Last week, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, announced a second round of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) that will provide an additional $14 billion to producers who have seen increased marketing costs associated with the COIVD-19 pandemic. CFAP 2 includes support for commodities that were left out of the first program, which is…
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The NC Cooperative Extension Service continues to cite crop damage from deer as one of the biggest challenges soybean producers face and North Carolina Hunters for the Hungry, Inc. (NCHFH), a 501(c)3 non-profit serving North Carolinians since 1993, can help. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) estimates that deer numbers exceed 1 million statewide with…
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Over the past two years, the US agricultural sector has been hit by a trade war with China (April 2018-present), the global disruption of African Swine Fever (August 2018-present), a series of hurricanes beginning with Florence (September 2018), and flooding in the corn belt (June 2019) all aggravated by a strong dollar that has made…
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On June 3 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District issued a ruling vacating U.S. registrations of three dicamba herbicides (XtendiMax, Engenia, FeXapan). This ruling has left much confusion across the industry and producers have heard many different things from various sources about the sale and use of these products. We hope to…
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During the recent COVID-19 pandemic virus many ag events throughout North Carolina were cancelled. One such annual event was the Onslow County Ag Days and some 800 students across the county attended the two-day session on a local farm. “Many school kids look forward to spring school tours. It is an educational way to connecting…
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This week, Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue released the details regarding the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFPA). This program is the $16 billion COVID-19 relief package for agriculture administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The application period for assistance will begin May 26th through your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office until August 28th.…
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There is a new addition to the staff at the NCSPA! Mary Kate Morgan is joining the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association as the Digital Communication Intern. In this role, she will assist with various initiatives including social media, consumer outreach, virtual grower events, and expanding educational resources for K-12 students and teachers. Mary Kate…
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On January 6th, 1995 a man named McArthur Wheeler, wearing no mask, robbed two Pittsburgh area banks in broad daylight, along with an accomplice. Images captured by bank security cameras showed the would-be robber holding a gun to the teller and in April of that year were shared on the 11 o’clock news. Tips came…
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With many soybean growers in North Carolina exploring earlier planting dates and earlier maturity groups we often get the question, “Should I be using a seed treatment?”. So to help answer that question the NC Soybean Producers Association funded research with Dr. Rachel Vann and the NC State Soybean Extension team. Over the last few…
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Last week, with sweeping majorities in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) was passed in response to COVID-19 and the toll it has taken on the U.S. economy. President Trump signed the bill over the weekend, making it ready for implementation. With $2 Trillion worth…
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