‘Livestock Insurance’ Could Protect Predators and Farmer Profits

Mar 02, 2021

These farmers often face a difficult dilemma: protect their animals from endangered predators, or spare the threatened species at the expense of their livestock and livelihood.

A new paper that examines such circumstances faced by farmers and snow leopards in Pakistan, outlines a plan under which farmers can protect themselves from crippling financial losses while preserving and possibly benefiting from the lives of endangered predators.

“These livestock owners often have very low incomes,” says Ted Loch-Temzelides, an economist at Rice University. “The loss of even one animal can be financially devastating.

“They’re faced with the difficult task of weighing conservation efforts against economic losses due to attacks on their herds. And this situation isn’t limited to snow leopards—it applies anywhere large predators live near livestock.”

Loch-Temzelides proposes establishing community livestock insurance contracts for farmers in developing countries who don’t have access to the types of policies available in more developed nations.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.