AgrotechHalf of US farmers see no benefit in AI tools; Argentine growers are far keener
Comparing two 2026 producer surveys, researchers found 52% of US farmers say AI and data tools bring no meaningful benefit, against 21% in Argentina.
Categories
United States
Agrotech
AgrotechUS tariffs on Chinese drones raise costs for farmers who spray by drone
Heavy spray drones such as DJI's Agras line face a 100% Section 232 tariff, hitting larger farms and custom applicators that already use them.
Crops
EPA agrees to decide by April 2027 on five neonicotinoid insecticides
A proposed settlement with NRDC sets a firm date for ruling on food tolerances for acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam.
LivestockUS reopens Santa Teresa port to Mexican cattle despite screwworm
The border crossing that handled about 43% of cattle imports will take 750 to 1,600 head a day under treatment rules, but experts say beef prices will not fall soon.
AgrotechSolinftec's solar field robots cut chemical use 83-89%, company says
More than 100 Solix robots now scout and spot-spray crops plant by plant in 13 US states and Puerto Rico, backed by an autonomous refill station.
Agribusiness
Maryland's first new dry-mix fertilizer plant in 15 years triples loading speed
The Mill in White Hall opened a 2,000-ton facility with a computer-run blender, but dealers and analysts warn fertilizer prices are not coming down soon.
LivestockA 200,000-head Nebraska feedyard runs its feedmill with one worker
Blackshirt Feeders' greenfield yard, presented at BeefEx 2026, uses roller-compacted concrete pens and cost about US$1,250 per head of capacity to build.
AgribusinessNebraska lifts dyed-diesel penalties and truck weight limits for harvest
Governor Jim Pillen has signed two executive orders letting Nebraska farmers and haulers use untaxed dyed diesel on the highway and run up to 25% over legal weight limits while the harvest is moving.
FruitsVirginia lets 169 frost-hit wineries buy more outside grapes while vineyards recover
After spring frost and freeze caused severe losses, Virginia's ABC authority granted automatic waivers so farm wineries can source more fruit from vineyards they do not own or lease.
AgribusinessUSDA speeds up farm loans, but only a farm bill can lift borrowing limits
USDA is making its fast-track direct-loan process permanent and cutting paperwork for guaranteed loans, while Farm Bureau says the loan caps themselves need Congress to act.
AgribusinessFive charged in Georgia over alleged exploitation of H-2A farmworkers from Mexico
US prosecutors accuse five people of charging Mexican farmworkers thousands of dollars in illegal fees and threatening them, in a case that echoes two pending H-2A cases in Washington state.
LivestockNew models and a blood test point to less antibiotic use in US beef cattle
FFAR-funded work at Kansas State and Texas Tech found group antibiotic treatment did not pay off in 72% of cattle groups studied, and that a blood test predicts liver abscesses with 80% accuracy.
LivestockWashington weighs killing a second wolf after Couse pack injures another calf
The Couse pack has attacked cattle in Asotin County at least seven times since February, and a new attack a week after one wolf was shot has the state considering another removal.