The deadline for signing up for the Livestock Forage Disaster program is approaching at the end of January. Last year’s drought-hit many Texas ranchers hard, prompting significant payments across most counties. Contact your FSA office before the January 30 deadline to use this program.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week 1/10/2024 – Livestock Forage Program Update
(Laura McKenzie/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
As we come to the end of the year, what do the fundamentals for the cotton market look like? In this post, we look at how cotton prices have moved in 2023, the current supply and demand outlook for the 2023/24 crop, and the macroeconomic picture heading into the new year.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week 11/29/2023 – Cotton Market Update
(Laura McKenzie/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
Preliminary wheat budget results showed production costs decreased by around 10% compared to last year. However, net margins are expected to decrease too. Breakeven prices are close to or higher than July 2024 wheat market prices for this region.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week 11/22/2023 – Wheat 2023 Breakeven Price Analysis
(Laura McKenzie/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
The USDA’s Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) program is a useful tool to help producers manage price risk. In this post, we will explain what LRP does and how it works, and we will discuss two important decisions that producers who wish to use this tool must make. 
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week 11/10/2023 – LRP Decision Making
(Laura McKenzie/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
When we think of cotton, we think primarily of the fiber used in producing clothing, bed sheets, towels, and other textiles. However, cottonseed, a byproduct of cotton production, has a variety of uses that make it valuable as well. In today’s post, we discuss the uses and pricing of cottonseed. [Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week 10/27/2023 – Cottonseed Markets
Continuing our fall market updates this week, we reviewed the peanuts market. We discuss this season’s recent USDA Crop Progress report data, market trends, and market challenges.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week 10/18/2023 – Peanut Market Update
The USDA’s Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance (PRF) has shown to be an essential tool that supports ranchers during these times. Today, we will review how this insurance works, with an example from Wise County.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 9/29/23 – PRF Decision Making for 2024
(Courtney Sacco/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
We continue our review of fall markets by looking at the beef cattle market. Beef cattle prices have been high this year because of tight supplies and strong demand for beef. Four factors to keep an eye on in the last part of the year are retail demand, beef production, feed costs, and weather. [Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 9/22/23 – Beef Cattle Market Update
Last couple of weeks numerous wildfire events across Texas have unfortunately developed producing many unmeasurable losses. Today we will review the USDA LIP program that supports ranchers that suffered livestock losses due to wildfires and other weather-related events. [Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 8/17/23 – Wildfires in Texas
(Laura McKenzie/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
Spring and early summer rainfall have relieved Texas drought conditions, improving pastures and forage production. Today we will review the Bid Price for Beef Cows Decision Aid. This tool will help you analyze the key variables determining how much you should pay for a beef cow. [Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 6/14/23 – How to Determine the Right Price for Replacement Cows