Pollination is everything when trying to grow crops, and it is why tree nut growers are getting picky about the bees touching their crops.
They are using Blue Orchard Bees, which are like honeybees but do not use a queen or worker bees. Orchard farmers tend to prefer them because man-made nests can be placed throughout the rows.
One grower says that while they are beneficial, they are not for everyone.
“It takes the right grower. It takes, you know, a progressive grower. The challenge for the grower as we see it right now is that it’s hard for them to attribute the bump in yield to the bee, you know, if you’re talking about a 10% bump in yiled, what you have to do is either believe the research or you don’t, is really what it comes down to,” said Jim Watts.
Nebraska cattle rancher Joe Van Newkirk joins us to discuss wildfire recovery in Nebraska’s Sandhills athe challenges ranchers face restoring basic infrastructure after the fire.
Seasonal pricing strength is lining up with crop stress, giving wheat producers another weather-driven marketing window. Shaun Haney joins us to discuss concerns from ag bankers on farm profitability.
The spending bill keeps animal health and traceability funding in place while trimming several other USDA accounts.
In an exclusive interview with RFD News correspondent Frank McCaffrey, Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX) expresses frustration with delays and increasing political divisions surrounding the bill.
Spring Fieldwork Advances As Weather Stays Uneven
Reliance on vegetable imports remains uneven, with domestic production still anchoring several major categories.