News Stories

Agricultural producers looking for more information about the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan and the Paycheck Protection Program are encouraged to participate in a webinar hosted by the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center on Thursday, May 7 at 9 a.m. The training will be led by an OKSBDC business advisor with experience in agriculture, along with business advisers from the SBA, Oklahoma State University Extension and OSU Food and Agricultural Products Center. The webinar is being offered at no cost, but participants must register at this link. The webinar will not be recorded because the information changes […]

Agricultural businesses are now eligible to apply for low-interest, long-term loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan and EIDL Advance programs. SBA’s EIDL portal will reopen today as a result of funding authorized by Congress through the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act. The legislation, signed into law by the president one week ago, provided additional funding for farmers and ranchers and certain other agricultural businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. “For more than 30 years, SBA has been prohibited by law from providing disaster assistance to agricultural businesses,” SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza said. “However, […]

The ripple effects of the current global pandemic have left their mark on nearly every sector of the U.S. economy, including agriculture. From low cattle prices to processing plant reductions or shutdowns, beef producers in Oklahoma and across the country have seen tremendous impacts. As producers grapple with the dramatic decline in cattle prices, many ideas and arguments have been discussed across agricultural circles. Dr. Bart Fischer, co-director of the Texas A&M University Agricultural and Food Policy Center, shared insight into some common conjectures during a recent Oklahoma Farm Bureau webinar. The USDA is investigating packer manipulation. Since the beef […]

In mid-March, the U.S. Census Bureau began its decennial count of the country’s population with the 2020 Census. Oklahoma historically has been undercounted in previous census counts, especially in rural areas. As of April 22, 46.7% of Oklahoma households have responded to the 2020 Census compared to the national rate of 51.8%. Top 10 Oklahoma counties for response rates, as of April 22 Canadian County: 57.9% Cleveland County: 56.9% Rogers County: 54.5% Washington County: 54.0% Tulsa County: 53.0% Wagoner County: 52.9% Oklahoma County: 52.7% Garfield County: 52.6% Kay County: 51.7% Logan County: 51.5% Bottom 10 Oklahoma counties for response rates, […]