Mississippi

Warm, Dry Spring Speeds Mississippi Planting Pace as March Freeze Forces Some Replanting

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:59:44 GMT

An unusually warm and dry spring is accelerating planting progress across parts of Mississippi, allowing farmers to move ahead of their typical schedule while also raising concerns about crop resilience and shifting acreage decisions.

On his farm in Sunflower County, Adron Belk’s planters are already running at full speed as conditions remain favorable.

“If everything goes well, the weather keeps on like it’s going, by the end of this week we should have all of our corn in the ground and probably all of our grain sorghum or milo,” Belk says.

Farmers Hit by March Freeze

Belk notes this year’s planting pace is slightly ahead of normal for his operation, though not unprecedented.

“It depends on who you ask… for us, this is about on time. Typically we’re a little bit later. I’d say maybe we’re a week earlier than normal,” he says. “A bit south of here, some guys planted a couple weeks ago and then we got an unexpected freeze.”

Corn in Mississippi hit by the freeze earlier this month.

(Chris, Mississippi )

That freeze is now creating challenges for some producers. Reports from nearby fields suggest damage to early-emerged corn, with some needing to be replanted.

“There’s a lot of talk going around right now of some of the corn looking like about 20% has got to be replanted, which was kind of a surprise,” Belk says. “Most of the time when you get freezes like that, the corn comes out of it.”

Buggy-whipping often occurs as corn recovers from freeze. This happens as new growth temporarily hangs on dead vegetation. They should soon pull free with little adverse effects.

For reference, the corn in the last photo still made over 250 bu/a despite severe hail damage. 🌽 pic.twitter.com/ptAO0nxYst
— Erick Larson (@MStateCorn) March 26, 2026

Focus on Fertilizer

Despite broader concerns about rising input costs across the U.S., Belk says his operation has avoided major supply issues so far.

“We book fertilizer early, and we’re very much in the South, and so we have not had any problems so far with getting supply,” he says.

While Belk is maintaining a relatively steady crop rotation — roughly a 50/50 split between corn and soybeans — other parts of the Mississippi Delta are seeing more dramatic changes.

Cotton Acreage Changes

Just north in Clarksdale, crop consultant Andy Graves says cotton acreage is expected to drop sharply this season.

“In this area, this is cotton country… it’s supposed to be,” Graves says. “We’re going to be about 50% off of what we planted in 2024.”

Graves says the reduction is significant, especially considering many growers typically plant thousands of acres of cotton each year.

“I’ve got guys that have been growing cotton — my average customer is going to grow three to four thousand acres of cotton every year — and a lot of these guys are going down to 500 to 1,500 acres,” he says.

He points to a combination of economic pressures behind the shift.

“The only reason they’re doing that is because they’re tied into a gin or they have a million-dollar cotton picker sitting there that they can’t park,” Graves says. “With what’s going on with fertilizer and fuel prices right now, it makes it even more unattractive to plant the stuff. The market isn’t there.”

Dry Conditions Aid Planting Progress

84% of the South is seeing dry conditions as of March 26, 2026

(U.S. Drought Monitor )

It’s not just the dry spring causing many farmers in the region to make strong progress and run slightly ahead of their typical planting window, it’s also how dry it’s been. According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, 84% of the South is seeing dry conditions as of March 26, 2026. If you look just at Mississippi, 68% of the state is seeing some level of drought.

Farmers say there’s enough topsoil moisture to plant the crop, but the drought picture this early in the year is a concern.

Industry News: Nufarm Unites Under One Brand, Bushel's Digital Wallet Adds New Integration

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:26:29 GMT

Nufarm Announces New Brand
Nufarm has announced it is uniting each of its brands under the Nufarm name, saying customers can expect what the company looks like and how it refers to itself to change over the coming months.

The seeds division, formerly known as NuSeed, the crop protection division and Richardson Seed will operate as Nufarm from this point forward.

“The logo is new, but our commitment is unwavering,” says Mark Jackson, regional general manager, North America, seeds, in a company video . “Customers can expect a stronger Nufarm, represented by the same specialized crop protection and seeds teams and business leadership that exists today.”

The company expects this branding update to more clearly demonstrate its value to customers and the markets it serves. And while employee titles may change for clarity, Nufarm says the teams will operate the same way they have been.

“As we align our seed platform and our technology platform under one brand, Nufarm’s vision and its ability to deliver on its purpose with the customer at the center becomes much more clear,” says Ken Barham, regional general manager, North America, crop protection.

The company tagline will change to “Evolving Ag” across all platforms.

Cooperative Finance Association Integrates Bushel’s Digital Wallet
Cooperative Finance Association (CFA) agribusiness members can now accept digital payments through Bushel’s customer portals and pay back their loan digitally through the Bushel platform.

“For our members, we want to provide a seamless, more convenient way to offer financing and accept payments,” said Doug Richards, COO and CTO at CFA. “

CFA agribusiness members can take advantage of Bushel’s latest round of updates to generate returns on operational float. By keeping funds in an upcoming business account offered by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. (“The Bancorp”), Member FDIC, businesses can earn competitive interest while maintaining liquidity for daily operations.

“Streamlining input financing at the point of sale makes agribusinesses more competitive and helps farmers get the products they need without hassle,” said Jake Joraanstad, CEO at Bushel. “We’re proud to work with CFA to make financial transactions easier for both retailers and farmers.”

HGS BioScience Acquires Menefee Mining Corporation & Earthgreen Products
Paine Schwartz Partners-backed HGS BioScience has acquired Earthgreen Products and Menefee Mining Corporation. The company says it now has the deepest and most versatile portfolio of patented extracted granule, powder and liquid products in the industry.

“Humates mined from New Mexico’s Menefee Formation are known to be among the world’s highest quality natural humate deposits,” said HGS BioScience CEO Mike Steffeck. “Freshwater humates from this mine and its reserve typically generate higher levels of biological activity and they consistently test high in humic and fulvic acids,”

HGS BioScience adds the Menefee Mine and Cuba, N.M., processing plants to its current footprint of six manufacturing plants and a research and development center.

In addition, HGS says new extraction and formulation technology from Earthgreen allows the company to offer new, premium products.

“With our product portfolio and our state-of-the-art R&D facility in Sardis, Miss., we can help retailers create proprietary formulations and combinations of humic plus microbials, peptides, amino acids, enzymes and nutritionals in dry or liquid form to deliver unique and powerful biostimulant combinations,” Steffeck said. “We are now a one-stop shop for any ag retailers’ humic or fulvic acid needs.”

Tyler Lown Vandenburg, president of Menefee Mining Corporation will join the HGS executive team to help lead the continued transformation of the HGS business. Brett Lown, Earthgreen head of sales, will join the HGS commercial team to help lead strategic accounts.

Industry News: AgVend Launches AI Assistant, Sipcam Expands Mississippi Plant

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 17:59:43 GMT

Sipcam Expands Mississippi Manufacturing Plant
Sipcam Agro Solutions has announced plans for the construction of a 12,000 sq. ft. fungicide and insecticide formulation and packaging plant located in Waynesboro, Mississippi.

This plant is a product of the company’s purchase of Odom Industries Inc. assets last December.

“The Sipcam Agro Solutions facilities and the expanded plant will enable Sipcam Agro to be fully integrated from synthesis through formulation and packaging to make the end-use product and allow us to provide custom tolling with our existing and new customer base,” said Bryan Grunsky, plant manager.

The state-of-the-art automated plant will include new equipment and produce soluble concentrates (SC) and emulsifiable concentrates (EC). These growth plans also include the enhancement of an existing bulk tank farm to hold and sell bulk products.

“I am very excited about this project which will increase Sipcam’s production integration in fungicides and insecticides and offer customers additional tolling capabilities,” said Brent Marek, CEO and COO of Sipcam Agro USA, and CEO of Sipcam Agro Solutions. “The new plant will have high-capacity mills capable of making the highest quality SC’s needed by the market. We are pleased to support the local community by creating jobs and supporting local businesses.”

The plant’s construction timeline has production starting this fall.

AgVend Introduces AI Co-Pilot
AgVend is launching Goose - an AI co-pilot designed specifically for ag retailers.

Goose is a free enhancement to the company’s existing platform and was created to serve as a personalized partner in the field - identifying insights and automating tedious tasks.

“AgVend’s core product philosophy is to make every interaction as simple as possible. Goose incorporates the latest advances in AI and machine learning to offer faster and more effortless interactions,” said Eli Rosenberg, chief product officer and co-founder at AgVend. “Activities that normally require twenty minutes to complete, now take several seconds. And this drastic reduction in time is the difference between tasks getting done or not.”

AgVend shares users could ask Goose to complete tasks and answer questions such as:

Who are my largest urea buyers from the past three years that haven’t booked this fall?
Draft a text message for grain prospects updating them on the recent market changes.

“Goose will help us get more done,” said KC Graner, senior VP of agronomy at Central Farm Service. “With AgVend’s AI tool at their fingertips, our team members can finally harness the full potential of our data, uncover the best sales opportunities, and automate everyday tasks to focus on what truly matters – providing service and expertise to our growers.”

While currently in beta, Goose will be made available to all AgVend Partners before the end of the year.

“As we keep advancing Goose, it will go beyond instant insights and task automation,” said Rosenberg. “It will evolve to make accurate predictions and timely recommendations to boost efficiency and profitability for our partners, ultimately helping them be successful in a changing ag landscape.”

CNH Announces New Vice President For New Holland North America
Effective immediately, Ryan Schaefer has been named the new vice president for New Holland Agriculture North America.

“Ryan has a deep passion for the agricultural industry and has demonstrated strong leadership in various roles at CNH, most recently guiding our North America Quality organization,” said Vilmar Fistarol, president of CNH North America Agriculture. “New Holland will benefit from Ryan’s leadership and commitment to put the needs of our dealers and customers first.”

Schaefer has been with CNH since 2008 and holds 20 years of experience in the agricultural equipment industry, having served in territory sales management, product marketing and regional sales leadership.

“The opportunity to lead New Holland in North America is an exciting chance to accelerate the growth of our brand’s full line of products, including cash crop, dairy, livestock, specialty, compact tractors and digital farm management solutions,” Schaefer said. “Our business has a strong foundation of dealer partners and innovative products that integrate the most advanced technology in agriculture. Our team will work harder than ever to become a highly efficient, supportive business and build on New Holland’s remarkable legacy.”

Sipcam Oxon Acquires Odom Industries' Assets

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 15:57:20 GMT

Sipcam Oxon has announced the acquisition of certain assets from Odom Industries through its U.S. affiliate, Sipcam Agro USA.

The transaction involved the industrial assets of Odom Industries’ Shubuta, Miss. logistics center and Waynesboro, Miss. production site, which is dedicated to the formulation of agrochemicals with a workforce of about 140 people.

This will give Sipcam Agro USA full integration along the value chain, with its own formulation and logistic assets.

“The acquisition of these assets from Odom Industries Inc. is an important milestone for our growth in the United States,” said Nadia Gagliardini, president of Sipcam Oxon Group. “This transaction will allow us to consolidate our presence in the U.S. agrochemicals, biostimulants and biorational markets.”

With this acquisition, Sipcam Oxon aims to continue growth in the U.S. and become a leading contract manufacturer in the agrochemical sector.