July 7, 2016
Trade Team Stops in Texas—Last week, Texas Grain Sorghum Producers (TGSP) hosted a team of leading Chinese sorghum importers and feed millers during the trade teams time in Texas. Members of the team were hand-selected by U.S. Grains Council staff in China and represent organizations that purchased 2.5 million metric tons (98 million bushels) of China’s total U.S. sorghum imports …
June 24, 2016
Triazine Comment Period Extended—On Tuesday June 21, the Environmental Protection Agency approved the request from NSP and TGSA to extend the public comment period for the recently updated Atrazine, Propazine, and Simazine risk assessments. We are pleased that the EPA was receptive to our plea to appreciate the inherent inequity of demanding that growers take time out of the busy …
June 8, 2016
Texas Sorghum to Host China Trade Team— A U.S. Grains Council (USGC) trade team of high-volume Chinese sorghum buyers will be in Texas June 27-30 as part of a tour aimed at further developing and strengthening relationships between Chinese sorghum buyers and U.S. suppliers. Members of the team were hand-selected by USGC staff in China and represent organizations that purchased …
May 27, 2016
EPA Deputy Administrator meets with Texas Group—This week, in an effort to address producers’ ongoing concerns regarding pesticide and insecticide regulation, TGSP invited officials from the EPA to visit sorghum producer Paul Freund’s farm in Needville, Texas. Deputy Administrator Jim Jones and Directory of Chemistry, Economics & Sustainable Strategies David Widawsky joined TGSP staff, Agrilife Extension agents, and representatives from …
May 11, 2016
Sugarcane Aphid Update—The sugarcane aphid has made an early arrival this season, being found early in South Texas and as far north as the lower Texas Panhandle. Entomologist say although this is concerning, it does not give us any indication of how serious sugarcane aphids may be this season across Texas. Some growers in South Texas began spraying for the …
April 26, 2016
TGSA Completes Restructure Process—On April 6, Texas Grain Sorghum Association completed its two-year process of restructuring its board of directors. The association’s governance will now incorporate a delegate body composed of due-paying members throughout the sorghum industry. “It is gratifying to watch an industry take ownership of self-help programs intended to strengthen our industry and ultimately make sorghum more profitable …
March 31, 2016
Texas Looks for Opportunity in Cuba-Today, the Texas House will host a joint hearing between the Committee on Agriculture and Livestock and the Committee on International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs regarding the opportunities Texas has to promote its agriculture products domestically and internationally. There will be specific emphasis on potential opportunities for trade with Cuba, and our legislative analyst Patrick Wade will …
March 10, 2016
USGC Introduces Conversion App—The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) recently released a grains conversion calculator app and a U.S. grains-in-all-forms exports portal to help members of the global grain trade access critical information more easily. The Council’s grains conversion app converts English units to metric units and vice versa for grains and related measures. The app is available to download for …
February 23, 2016
Charles Ray Huddleston, TGSA Director, Assumes Role of Sorghum Sector Chairman—Huddleston, from Celina, Texas will take over as chairman at the next USGC meeting in July. Retiring from the board of directors is Bill Kubecka of Palacious, Texas. Huddleston will serve as the sorghum industry’s direct link to the USGC board and will attend all regular board meetings as well …
February 11, 2016
Comments Due Today for Transform Section 18–The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened a brief comment period on a Section 18 application by the Texas Department of Agriculture for use of sulfoxaflor, which goes by the brand name Transform, on up to three million acres of sorghum this growing season to control the sugarcane aphid. The EPA issued a cancellation …
