Today’s global trend is a significant factor that twists the future of agriculture. The developments in demographics, climate change, shortage in natural resources, and food waste are reported as the top reasons for global agronomy to produce at least 70% more food by the end of 2050. While scientists, investors, and the government are working on several ways to increase crop yields, innovative agricultural technologies are now trending worldwide. The future of agriculture will no longer count on fertilizers, soil, water, and pesticides. Alternatively, farmers will now use technology to run agricultural operations such as robots, devices like temperature and moisture sensors, GPS technology, and aerial images. The advanced technology and computerized system provide a wider farm-scale to be more profitable, economical, consumer safety, and environmentally friendly.

Robotics / Drones Technology
Incorporating robotics in agricultural technology reduces the cost and time of farmers so they can focus their attention on crops that significantly need attention. A sensor-laden machine, for example, from a Swiss company, aims to automatically examine the crop’s deficiencies such as treating disease infected leaves, water withering plants, and monitoring the growth of crops without the need for human drivers or with very little human association.

Vertical / Precision Farming
In recent years, vertical / precision farming was introduced as an alternative approach to conventional farming, allowing diverse crops to grow in a controlled environment using aeroponics. By using vertical farms, crops are safe from the extremity of weather conditions and the spread of pest infections. The process also ensures constant crop yields all year round, even if crops are out of the traditional growing season. Though every crop’s performance depends on its genetics and how it responds to the environment, scientists are continuously understanding the links in between to provide a more efficient, sustainable business that improves productivity while dropping the costs.

Gene Editing
Gene editing is the splicing of DNA sections within a single gene to develop selective breeding. Through this process, scientists and farmers can select and create specific crop varieties that can produce better yields while reducing the costs and repercussions on the environment. Gene editing can produce crops that already have improved nutritional properties, thereby reducing the costs of fertilizers and pesticides.

Digitalization
Digitalization is now adopted in the agricultural technology sectors. Farming would now be lighter and quicker with driverless tractors guided by the farmer’s phone or tablet. The incorporation of artificial intelligence and advanced software can help create sustainable productivity growth even in the face of climate change.
With these innovations, experts and farmers alike expect a tremendous change in agriculture in the future or at least two decades from now. As population and income increase, and so is the global food demands. Research shows that by 2050, the population is expected to reach 9.1 billion globally, a 15% increase as of writing. Along with the population and income increase comes the food trends, which a large number of the population are more health-conscious. Hence, farmers and scientists are focusing on yields that are more plant-based proteins.

USA and Canada

US and Canada heatwave hammers crops, forcing up global grain prices

A heatwave across the United States and Canada is having a devastating effect on crops and pushing grain stocks low.It is good news for Australian farmers, though, as the price of canola is rocketing.

In the United States, temperatures in some regions have risen to 50 degrees Celsius, smashing previous records, while Canada is in the grip of its worst drought in two decades.

Temperatures have risen to record levels in the Pacific North West and parts of California.

According to the US federal government drought indicator, the country hasn’t seen such dry conditions in the West or Washington State since the late 1800s.

Read More…

Southeast Minnesota crops healing from stretch of drought conditions

Crops in Southeast Minnesota including hay are seeing improvements from a month ago due to recent precipitation.

Most drought-stressed crops in southeast Minnesota seeing the light at the end of the tunnel last month have been revived, according to area specialists.

Michael Cruse, University of Minnesota Extension educator based out of Fillmore County, said the conditions in southern Minnesota are unlike in the majority of the state.

“We’re kind of different in our region than what we’re looking at across the rest of the state,” Cruse said on July 7. “In the past two or three weeks we caught a couple of good rains.”

Read More

Looming protein shortage boosts spring wheat demand

Millers in the United States may be confronted with the double-whammy of a low-protein hard red winter wheat crop combined with severely curtailed spring wheat production, say analysts.

An estimated 38 percent of the hard red winter wheat crop has been combined. Protein levels have averaged 11.4 percent based on 266 samples, down slightly from the five-year average of 11.6 percent.

Analysts believe protein levels will be well below average by the time the entire crop is off, which means millers will need to blend in some spring wheat.

The problem is that U.S. spring wheat production is forecast to be 42 percent below last year’s levels.

Read More…

Ottawa set to move on AgriRecovery

Following an appeal from western provinces, the federal government says it is prepared to help producers impacted by ongoing drought conditions through the AgriRecovery program.

Officials are organizing meetings to discuss specifics, but the program is designed to offer disaster-specific relief “in situations where producers do not have the capacity to cover the extraordinary costs, even with the assistance available from other programs.”

Agricultural ministers from across Canada met July 15 to discuss a variety of issues, and an official readout following the meeting said they “expressed their concern for farmers and workers dealing with the current heat waves, wildfires and drought conditions.”

Read More…

Spring wheat prospects begin to fade

The first official estimate of United States spring wheat yields could be a harbinger of what’s to come in Canada, say analysts.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts an average yield of 30.7 bushels per acre, a 37 percent drop from last year.

Is a similar 37 percent decline in store for Western Canada’s crop?

“Maybe not right now but by the time we hit Aug. 1 maybe,” said MarketsFarm analyst Bruce Burnett.“It’s entirely within the realm of possibility. I don’t for a minute think we’re an exception this year.”

Read more…

New Zealand

Fonterra warns New Zealand has reached ‘peak milk’

We’ve reached “peak milk” and are entering the era of “flat milk”, Fonterra’s chief financial officer warns.

Marc Rivers said he couldn’t see the volume of milk New Zealand produces increasing again, “so, I guess we could go ahead and call that peak milk”.

Environmental restrictions were impacting how much more land the dairy industry could occupy.

“We don’t see any more land conversions going into dairy – that’s quite a change from before,” he said.

He had also seen dairying land shrink. Some farmers had converted land from dairying to forestry or horticulture, or in some cases housing or even solar farms.

Read More here…

While New Zealand agriculture is in a global sweet spot, Guy Trafford says it is wise to keep the global food security risks well in mind as we work to adapt to the changing climate forces

Compared to many parts of the world, New Zealand and a few other nations seem to be weathering the threats that are real and potential, both profitably and with minimal changes. However, it is worthwhile taking note at what ‘experts’ consider to be what the threats are, how they relate to New Zealand agriculture, and where possible, see how they may be dealt with.

Back in 2019 not long before COVID-19 started making its presence felt Time magazine was asking the question about the ability of the planet to provide enough food for the predicted 9.7 billion or so that are meant to be on the planet by 2050, especially with the impact of climate change likely to be having all sorts of (in the main part) negative impacts.

Read More here…

Groundswell protest: Farmers says ute tax a ‘real kick in the guts’ for rural communities

Farmers say the Government’s ‘ute tax’ is the “straw that’s broken the camel’s back” as frustration boils over in rural communities around the country.

Thousands of farmers are expected to take to the streets in more than 50 towns and cities on Friday in Groundswell’s Howl of Protest.

Organiser Bryce McKenzie says farmers are hoping to send a strong message to the Government they’ve had enough of a “barrage of regulations” that “aren’t fit for purpose”.

Groundswell NZ was formed last year after farmers in Southland took to their tractors to protest newly introduced freshwater regulations.

Read more here…

‘Howl of a Protest’ in photos: Tractors take over main streets across NZ

Tractors rolled into main centres and town squares across New Zealand as farmers’ protested against proposed new government regulations on Friday.

The ‘Howl of a Protest’ took place at around 50 locations throughout the country.

Here are some of the best photos from the day.

Read more here…

Allan Barber highlights a desperate job shortage of Halal butchers in the meat industry that is jeopardising a $3.3 bln trade, and contrasts the approach to this issue with ‘exceptions’ for yachties, sports teams and film makers

One of the main problems with this government is its inability to implement. Another is an apparent failure to address pressing problems.

A major gripe is a total refusal to take any action on immigration or to give any hope for future plans to enable employers to retain essential skills or bring them into the country beyond a very small list of exceptions. We all know there is a pandemic which is seriously constraining immigration of any sort. After all we don’t have enough MIQ facilities or staff to cope with returning residents or travellers caught up in the Greater Sydney lockdown.

Read More here…

Australia

Cotton futures rise on declining stocks and production concerns

THE LOWEST cotton stocks in three years have seen cotton futures rise sharply in recent weeks.

During last week cotton futures made sharp gains on Wednesday, breaking through new highs for the season.

Tobin Gorey, Commonwealth Bank commodity analyst said the New York December 2021 contract finished the day not far under US89 cents a bushel, a new high for the season.

Mr Gorey also said the May 2022 contract had hit season highs, both in US and Aussie dollar terms.

Expectations of lower production in parts and increased textile demand as world economies get back into gear post COVID-19 are driving the rally.

Read more here…

2021 season on track to be a bin burster

WITH the very large total area sown this year and good growing conditions right across the State, it is hard to see how Western Australia will not be in for a record total tonnage, with the Grain Industry Association of WA (GIWA) last week conservatively predicting 19.63 million tonnes.

Recent rainfall has consolidated the excellent start to the grain growing season and all regions have received top-up rain which has continued to drive tonnage estimates up.

The wet areas in the South West and southern coastal areas are now becoming too wet and tonnage estimates are down at least 10 to 15 per cent in the southern areas of the Albany Port zone and the coastal strip in the Esperance port zone.

Read more here…

Grain handler plans ahead for big harvest

IN response to estimates of a 19.63 million tonne harvest, CBH Group has brought forward its planning for the busy harvest period and is currently a month ahead of where it would usually be.

Key parts of that planning include the need for an additional 1mt of emergency storage and an early start to the recruitment of casual workers for the harvest period.

CBH acting chief executive officer Ben Macnamara said ultimately they’re forecasting that the 2021/22 harvest would be well above average.

“With a big crop coming at us, it’s more important than ever to get harvest estimates in and Paddock Planner is a key part of that,” Mr Macnamara said.

Read more here…

Bringing indigenous interests into bush food market

IN Australia, less than one per cent of traditional produce is commercialised for Aboriginal interests, creating a huge barrier to indigenous involvement in the native bush food supply chain.

Include the fact that Aboriginal people were excluded from having any form of commercial business rights until the 1970s and you end up with multiple generations of people who lack business and entrepreneurial skills, as well as face trying to enter an industry that has started to become oversaturated.

Australian Venture Consultants partner Russell Barnett said the native bush food industry provided a great opportunity for Aboriginal people to build businesses around products that matter to them, creating a connection to country and culture.

Read more here…

Barley eases as farmer sales lift

East Coast barley prices came under pressure as farmer selling picked up into a market as buyers eye-off another thumping harvest.

An abundance of natural pastures and the absence of export buying from China have significantly eroded demand for Australian barley in recent years.

Two years of drought through 2018 and 2019 forced farmers to feed barley to keep livestock alive. In many cases farmers were forced to buy in supplies at a crippling cost. This was reversed in 2020 as record high barley yields filled on-farm storages to the brim, offering an abundance of supplies for the domestic feeders.

The situation was further complicated in the south. An absence of export demand from China left Victorian farmers looking for new overseas buyers to absorb excess supplies from last year’s bumper crop.

Read more here…

South America

ASOEX’s Chilean Citrus Committee Gives Update on Recent Freezes

The Chilean Citrus Committee of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) has provided an update on the recent freezes that have occurred in citrus orchards and proposed some actions to be taken by its associates, which together account for 75% of Chile’s citrus exports.

During the freezes that occurred at the beginning of week 26, the registered minimum temperatures reached averages of −1.7 degrees Celsius in the Valparaíso region, −2.3 degrees Celsius in the Metropolitan and O’Higgins regions, −2.6 degrees Celsius in the Maule region, −2.7 degrees Celsius in the Biobío region and −2.8 degrees Celsius in the La Araucanía region, according to the Chilean Meteorological Directorate.

Read More here…

Is Argentina’s soy boom over?

This season, Argentina will plant the least amount of soy for a decade. Maize and wheat have begun to overshadow the oilseed, which has been grown less and less each year.

While in 2014, the ratio of hectares of soy sown compared to maize or wheat was 4:4, this year it fell to 1:4. Far from the “sea of soy” that was the Pampean plains in recent years, record maize production is expected this agricultural cycle, adding up to five percent more cultivated area.

A combination of factors including trade incentives and environmental damage has led producers to move away from the star crop of the early 2000s’ commodity boom. Greater crop diversity could also bring environmental benefits such as protection against increasingly extreme weather events and healthier soils.

Read More here

Brazil sees record soy, disappointing corn yields

The latest report from the National Supply Company of Brazil, CONAB, reveals a tale of two cities: a new record in soybean production, and a decrease in corn yields.

As we have mentioned in our last blog, the weather tampered with corn production in 2021. The first crop corn was hurt by rain delays. Even though the planted area increased by 3.3%, it was not enough to compensate for weather issues. The second crop corn (Safrinha) was hurt by drought in the main producing states and by frosts.

Paraná state, one of the top producing states, had irreversible corn losses. Besides the frost that happened last week, still 75% of the farms are likely to suffer from freezing weather.

Read more here

Food Updates

Will plant-based meat alternatives ever be as popular as meat?

The European plant-based market is expected to grow to €18.3 billon by 2023¹, representing an exciting opportunity for SMEs and large companies alike to engage in plant-based ‘meats’.

Drivers of plant-based meat product development

Today’s consumers are concerned with global warming, animal welfare and healthy eating. Meat production is a major contributor to greenhouse gases but producing an equivalent amount of isolated soy protein has a much lower carbon footprint and so it has proven as a popular protein source in alternative products.² However, increasing household income and urbanisation has caused the demand for meat and meat products to continue to grow.³

Read more here…

Lidl to increase healthy food sales 35 percent by 2026

Christian Härtnagel, CEO at Lidl GB, claims the discounter’s ‘Healthy Eating Pledge’ is its most ‘ambitious’ target yet, and aims to encourage healthier diets

Lidl GB has today announced a new healthy food commitment, which will see the discounter increase sales of healthy and healthier products to at least 85 percent of total sales, based on tonnage volume, by 2025.

Lidl says its specialist nutrition teams have developed a bespoke nutrient profiling system (NPS) based on Public Health England’s nutrient criteria for front-of-pack traffic light labelling, focusing on fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt, which ranks all products as healthy, healthier or least healthy.

Read more here…

Limit sushi intake warn scientists after samples found to contain heavy metals

Researchers have determined the right amount and combination of sushi to eat based on the study of 100 samples of different types of sushi.

Eight pieces of salmon-based maki, nigiri or sashimi or maki unagi (eel) is the safest combination of sushi for adult and adolescent populations. That is one of the findings of TecnATox (Centre for Environmental, Food and Toxicological Technology), a joint research group from the University of Rovira i Virgili in Catalonia and the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV), which has analysed the presence of arsenic and various heavy metals in sushi.

The consumption of sushi has increased significantly since the start of the 21st century, as has the number of restaurants offering it throughout the region.

Read more here…

Will craft beer overtake the traditional German beer industry?

30 percent of German consumers say curiosity is motivating them to try new beers, with craft beer gaining a stronger presence since 2019.Germany’s beer industry is being threatened by craft beer as consumers are becoming more experimental with products, claimed GlobalData, a data and analytics company.“Since 1516, German breweries have maintained focus on the German Purity Law; however, this is set to change with the entrance of the craft beer segment,” said Holly Inglis, Beverages Analyst at GlobalData. She furthered commented on how COVID-19 restrictions affected the hospitality and trade industry, with a reduction in tourism and on-premise closures hindering consumption opportunities.

Read more here…

Does coffee enhance athletic performance?

Research suggests that caffeine intake can improve an athletes muscle endurance and strength, on top of various aerobic and anaerobic sport-specific benefits.

With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games just around the corner, could a cup of coffee be the secret to success for would-be gold medallists in the Japanese capital?  A review of the latest published research by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee has highlighted the impact that coffee can have on participants’ performance in sport.

Meta-analysis of 21 studies suggests that caffeine does affect a range of exercise tasks, with a greater effect on aerobic performance compared to anaerobic exercise.

Read more here…

USA and Canada

US and Canada heatwave hammers crops, forcing up global grain prices

A heatwave across the United States and Canada is having a devastating effect on crops and pushing grain stocks low.It is good news for Australian farmers, though, as the price of canola is rocketing.

In the United States, temperatures in some regions have risen to 50 degrees Celsius, smashing previous records, while Canada is in the grip of its worst drought in two decades.

Temperatures have risen to record levels in the Pacific North West and parts of California.

According to the US federal government drought indicator, the country hasn’t seen such dry conditions in the West or Washington State since the late 1800s.

Read More…

Southeast Minnesota crops healing from stretch of drought conditions

Crops in Southeast Minnesota including hay are seeing improvements from a month ago due to recent precipitation.

Most drought-stressed crops in southeast Minnesota seeing the light at the end of the tunnel last month have been revived, according to area specialists.

Michael Cruse, University of Minnesota Extension educator based out of Fillmore County, said the conditions in southern Minnesota are unlike in the majority of the state.

“We’re kind of different in our region than what we’re looking at across the rest of the state,” Cruse said on July 7. “In the past two or three weeks we caught a couple of good rains.”

Read More

Looming protein shortage boosts spring wheat demand

Millers in the United States may be confronted with the double-whammy of a low-protein hard red winter wheat crop combined with severely curtailed spring wheat production, say analysts.

An estimated 38 percent of the hard red winter wheat crop has been combined. Protein levels have averaged 11.4 percent based on 266 samples, down slightly from the five-year average of 11.6 percent.

Analysts believe protein levels will be well below average by the time the entire crop is off, which means millers will need to blend in some spring wheat.

The problem is that U.S. spring wheat production is forecast to be 42 percent below last year’s levels.

Read More…

Ottawa set to move on AgriRecovery

Following an appeal from western provinces, the federal government says it is prepared to help producers impacted by ongoing drought conditions through the AgriRecovery program.

Officials are organizing meetings to discuss specifics, but the program is designed to offer disaster-specific relief “in situations where producers do not have the capacity to cover the extraordinary costs, even with the assistance available from other programs.”

Agricultural ministers from across Canada met July 15 to discuss a variety of issues, and an official readout following the meeting said they “expressed their concern for farmers and workers dealing with the current heat waves, wildfires and drought conditions.”

Read More…

Spring wheat prospects begin to fade

The first official estimate of United States spring wheat yields could be a harbinger of what’s to come in Canada, say analysts.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts an average yield of 30.7 bushels per acre, a 37 percent drop from last year.

Is a similar 37 percent decline in store for Western Canada’s crop?

“Maybe not right now but by the time we hit Aug. 1 maybe,” said MarketsFarm analyst Bruce Burnett.“It’s entirely within the realm of possibility. I don’t for a minute think we’re an exception this year.”

Read more…

New Zealand

Fonterra warns New Zealand has reached ‘peak milk’

We’ve reached “peak milk” and are entering the era of “flat milk”, Fonterra’s chief financial officer warns.

Marc Rivers said he couldn’t see the volume of milk New Zealand produces increasing again, “so, I guess we could go ahead and call that peak milk”.

Environmental restrictions were impacting how much more land the dairy industry could occupy.

“We don’t see any more land conversions going into dairy – that’s quite a change from before,” he said.

He had also seen dairying land shrink. Some farmers had converted land from dairying to forestry or horticulture, or in some cases housing or even solar farms.

Read More here…

While New Zealand agriculture is in a global sweet spot, Guy Trafford says it is wise to keep the global food security risks well in mind as we work to adapt to the changing climate forces

Compared to many parts of the world, New Zealand and a few other nations seem to be weathering the threats that are real and potential, both profitably and with minimal changes. However, it is worthwhile taking note at what ‘experts’ consider to be what the threats are, how they relate to New Zealand agriculture, and where possible, see how they may be dealt with.

Back in 2019 not long before COVID-19 started making its presence felt Time magazine was asking the question about the ability of the planet to provide enough food for the predicted 9.7 billion or so that are meant to be on the planet by 2050, especially with the impact of climate change likely to be having all sorts of (in the main part) negative impacts.

Read More here…

Groundswell protest: Farmers says ute tax a ‘real kick in the guts’ for rural communities

Farmers say the Government’s ‘ute tax’ is the “straw that’s broken the camel’s back” as frustration boils over in rural communities around the country.

Thousands of farmers are expected to take to the streets in more than 50 towns and cities on Friday in Groundswell’s Howl of Protest.

Organiser Bryce McKenzie says farmers are hoping to send a strong message to the Government they’ve had enough of a “barrage of regulations” that “aren’t fit for purpose”.

Groundswell NZ was formed last year after farmers in Southland took to their tractors to protest newly introduced freshwater regulations.

Read more here…

‘Howl of a Protest’ in photos: Tractors take over main streets across NZ

Tractors rolled into main centres and town squares across New Zealand as farmers’ protested against proposed new government regulations on Friday.

The ‘Howl of a Protest’ took place at around 50 locations throughout the country.

Here are some of the best photos from the day.

Read more here…

Allan Barber highlights a desperate job shortage of Halal butchers in the meat industry that is jeopardising a $3.3 bln trade, and contrasts the approach to this issue with ‘exceptions’ for yachties, sports teams and film makers

One of the main problems with this government is its inability to implement. Another is an apparent failure to address pressing problems.

A major gripe is a total refusal to take any action on immigration or to give any hope for future plans to enable employers to retain essential skills or bring them into the country beyond a very small list of exceptions. We all know there is a pandemic which is seriously constraining immigration of any sort. After all we don’t have enough MIQ facilities or staff to cope with returning residents or travellers caught up in the Greater Sydney lockdown.

Read More here…

Australia

Cotton futures rise on declining stocks and production concerns

THE LOWEST cotton stocks in three years have seen cotton futures rise sharply in recent weeks.

During last week cotton futures made sharp gains on Wednesday, breaking through new highs for the season.

Tobin Gorey, Commonwealth Bank commodity analyst said the New York December 2021 contract finished the day not far under US89 cents a bushel, a new high for the season.

Mr Gorey also said the May 2022 contract had hit season highs, both in US and Aussie dollar terms.

Expectations of lower production in parts and increased textile demand as world economies get back into gear post COVID-19 are driving the rally.

Read more here…

2021 season on track to be a bin burster

WITH the very large total area sown this year and good growing conditions right across the State, it is hard to see how Western Australia will not be in for a record total tonnage, with the Grain Industry Association of WA (GIWA) last week conservatively predicting 19.63 million tonnes.

Recent rainfall has consolidated the excellent start to the grain growing season and all regions have received top-up rain which has continued to drive tonnage estimates up.

The wet areas in the South West and southern coastal areas are now becoming too wet and tonnage estimates are down at least 10 to 15 per cent in the southern areas of the Albany Port zone and the coastal strip in the Esperance port zone.

Read more here…

Grain handler plans ahead for big harvest

IN response to estimates of a 19.63 million tonne harvest, CBH Group has brought forward its planning for the busy harvest period and is currently a month ahead of where it would usually be.

Key parts of that planning include the need for an additional 1mt of emergency storage and an early start to the recruitment of casual workers for the harvest period.

CBH acting chief executive officer Ben Macnamara said ultimately they’re forecasting that the 2021/22 harvest would be well above average.

“With a big crop coming at us, it’s more important than ever to get harvest estimates in and Paddock Planner is a key part of that,” Mr Macnamara said.

Read more here…

Bringing indigenous interests into bush food market

IN Australia, less than one per cent of traditional produce is commercialised for Aboriginal interests, creating a huge barrier to indigenous involvement in the native bush food supply chain.

Include the fact that Aboriginal people were excluded from having any form of commercial business rights until the 1970s and you end up with multiple generations of people who lack business and entrepreneurial skills, as well as face trying to enter an industry that has started to become oversaturated.

Australian Venture Consultants partner Russell Barnett said the native bush food industry provided a great opportunity for Aboriginal people to build businesses around products that matter to them, creating a connection to country and culture.

Read more here…

Barley eases as farmer sales lift

East Coast barley prices came under pressure as farmer selling picked up into a market as buyers eye-off another thumping harvest.

An abundance of natural pastures and the absence of export buying from China have significantly eroded demand for Australian barley in recent years.

Two years of drought through 2018 and 2019 forced farmers to feed barley to keep livestock alive. In many cases farmers were forced to buy in supplies at a crippling cost. This was reversed in 2020 as record high barley yields filled on-farm storages to the brim, offering an abundance of supplies for the domestic feeders.

The situation was further complicated in the south. An absence of export demand from China left Victorian farmers looking for new overseas buyers to absorb excess supplies from last year’s bumper crop.

Read more here…

South America

ASOEX’s Chilean Citrus Committee Gives Update on Recent Freezes

The Chilean Citrus Committee of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) has provided an update on the recent freezes that have occurred in citrus orchards and proposed some actions to be taken by its associates, which together account for 75% of Chile’s citrus exports.

During the freezes that occurred at the beginning of week 26, the registered minimum temperatures reached averages of −1.7 degrees Celsius in the Valparaíso region, −2.3 degrees Celsius in the Metropolitan and O’Higgins regions, −2.6 degrees Celsius in the Maule region, −2.7 degrees Celsius in the Biobío region and −2.8 degrees Celsius in the La Araucanía region, according to the Chilean Meteorological Directorate.

Read More here…

Is Argentina’s soy boom over?

This season, Argentina will plant the least amount of soy for a decade. Maize and wheat have begun to overshadow the oilseed, which has been grown less and less each year.

While in 2014, the ratio of hectares of soy sown compared to maize or wheat was 4:4, this year it fell to 1:4. Far from the “sea of soy” that was the Pampean plains in recent years, record maize production is expected this agricultural cycle, adding up to five percent more cultivated area.

A combination of factors including trade incentives and environmental damage has led producers to move away from the star crop of the early 2000s’ commodity boom. Greater crop diversity could also bring environmental benefits such as protection against increasingly extreme weather events and healthier soils.

Read More here

Brazil sees record soy, disappointing corn yields

The latest report from the National Supply Company of Brazil, CONAB, reveals a tale of two cities: a new record in soybean production, and a decrease in corn yields.

As we have mentioned in our last blog, the weather tampered with corn production in 2021. The first crop corn was hurt by rain delays. Even though the planted area increased by 3.3%, it was not enough to compensate for weather issues. The second crop corn (Safrinha) was hurt by drought in the main producing states and by frosts.

Paraná state, one of the top producing states, had irreversible corn losses. Besides the frost that happened last week, still 75% of the farms are likely to suffer from freezing weather.

Read more here

Food Updates

Will plant-based meat alternatives ever be as popular as meat?

The European plant-based market is expected to grow to €18.3 billon by 2023¹, representing an exciting opportunity for SMEs and large companies alike to engage in plant-based ‘meats’.

Drivers of plant-based meat product development

Today’s consumers are concerned with global warming, animal welfare and healthy eating. Meat production is a major contributor to greenhouse gases but producing an equivalent amount of isolated soy protein has a much lower carbon footprint and so it has proven as a popular protein source in alternative products.² However, increasing household income and urbanisation has caused the demand for meat and meat products to continue to grow.³

Read more here…

Lidl to increase healthy food sales 35 percent by 2026

Christian Härtnagel, CEO at Lidl GB, claims the discounter’s ‘Healthy Eating Pledge’ is its most ‘ambitious’ target yet, and aims to encourage healthier diets

Lidl GB has today announced a new healthy food commitment, which will see the discounter increase sales of healthy and healthier products to at least 85 percent of total sales, based on tonnage volume, by 2025.

Lidl says its specialist nutrition teams have developed a bespoke nutrient profiling system (NPS) based on Public Health England’s nutrient criteria for front-of-pack traffic light labelling, focusing on fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt, which ranks all products as healthy, healthier or least healthy.

Read more here…

Limit sushi intake warn scientists after samples found to contain heavy metals

Researchers have determined the right amount and combination of sushi to eat based on the study of 100 samples of different types of sushi.

Eight pieces of salmon-based maki, nigiri or sashimi or maki unagi (eel) is the safest combination of sushi for adult and adolescent populations. That is one of the findings of TecnATox (Centre for Environmental, Food and Toxicological Technology), a joint research group from the University of Rovira i Virgili in Catalonia and the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV), which has analysed the presence of arsenic and various heavy metals in sushi.

The consumption of sushi has increased significantly since the start of the 21st century, as has the number of restaurants offering it throughout the region.

Read more here…

Will craft beer overtake the traditional German beer industry?

30 percent of German consumers say curiosity is motivating them to try new beers, with craft beer gaining a stronger presence since 2019.

Germany’s beer industry is being threatened by craft beer as consumers are becoming more experimental with products, claimed GlobalData, a data and analytics company.

“Since 1516, German breweries have maintained focus on the German Purity Law; however, this is set to change with the entrance of the craft beer segment,” said Holly Inglis, Beverages Analyst at GlobalData. She furthered commented on how COVID-19 restrictions affected the hospitality and trade industry, with a reduction in tourism and on-premise closures hindering consumption opportunities.

Read more here…

Does coffee enhance athletic performance?

Research suggests that caffeine intake can improve an athletes muscle endurance and strength, on top of various aerobic and anaerobic sport-specific benefits.

With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games just around the corner, could a cup of coffee be the secret to success for would-be gold medallists in the Japanese capital?  A review of the latest published research by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee has highlighted the impact that coffee can have on participants’ performance in sport.

Meta-analysis of 21 studies suggests that caffeine does affect a range of exercise tasks, with a greater effect on aerobic performance compared to anaerobic exercise.

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USA and Canada

Canadian farmers face canola, wheat crop failure

Manitoba Manitoba: Canada’s canola and wheat crops are facing failure as farmers suffer from continuous drought.

The most important Canadian rapeseed crops used in the production of cooking oils and animal feeds mature weeks early due to the extreme heat witnessed in the region. Early crops may not produce pods containing small dark seeds crushed for oil.

The Canadian prairie grows more canola than any other part of the world.

Farmer Andy Keane fears that only 20 percent of regular rapeseed crops can be harvested.

“My canola is hanging on a thread,” said Keane, 42, as Reuters reported.

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Not all bad news for US wheat

WHILE the focus has been on the poor crop in the Pacific Northwest and the declining conditions in the Dakotas, the wheat crop in the US is not all poor.

In a recent update US Wheat Associates market analyst Michael Anderson said the soft red winter wheat (SRW) crop, grown primarily in the east of the country’s major grain growing belt was looking good after receiving timely rainfall and a mild growing season.

Mr Anderson said the crop was on track for good yields, with the percentage of SRW crops rated in good to excellent condition 50 per cent in Arkansas, 49pc in Missouri, 74pc in Illinois, 78pc in Indiana and 74pc in Ohio.

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USDA announces changes to cover crop harvest rules

WASHINGTON — Agricultural producers with crop insurance can hay, graze or chop cover crops for silage, haylage or baleage at any time and still receive 100% of the prevented planting payment, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Tuesday, July 6.

Previously, cover crops could only be hayed, grazed or chopped after Nov. 1; if they were used earlier the prevented planting payment was reduced by 65%.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency added this flexibility as part of a broader effort to encourage producers to use cover crops, an important conservation and good farming practice. Cover crops are especially important on fields prevented from planting as they help reduce soil erosion and boost soil health.

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Shortage of slaughterhouse space costing meat buyers, farmers alike

Cattle farmers in the Ottawa Valley say a bottleneck at Ontario abattoirs is driving beef prices up and their own profits down.

Limited availability in abattoirs is a longstanding problem in the region, but COVID-19 outbreaks and shutdowns at meat processing plants throughout the pandemic have brought the situation to a head.

“The best way to describe it is that the province has allowed … monopolies on the larger slaughter plants,” said Joe Wilson, president of Ottawa Beef Farmers.

“And with the COVID-19 issue, those slaughter plants had to be closed down a couple of times in the last few months because they can’t keep staff in the buildings. So that kill space isn’t there to supply the demand.”

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Kiwifruit grower Seeka invests in agritech business Fruitometry

As National Agricultural Statistics Service weekly reports show deepening drought, a Florence, S.D., crop insurance adjuster explains how his yield assessments of oat and wheat crops in northeast South Dakota are allowing drought-struck farmers to decide whether to cut small grains for feed forage or take them to harvest — often with a reduced expected grain yield due to the drought. Includes weekly NASS summary from South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Montana.

With a general drought with occasional rains, crop insurance clients were weighing whether to keep cereal crops for a reduced grain crop, or whether they’re likely to make more money taking it for a forage.

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New Zealand

Kiwifruit grower Seeka invests in agritech business Fruitometry 

New Zealand’s largest kiwifruit grower, Seeka, has made a $2.6 million investment in agritech business Fruitometry.

Seeka announced the investment on the New Zealand Stock Exchange on Friday morning.

Fruitometry provides digital services to orchardists and pack houses using artificial intelligence, which can estimate the volume of a fruit crop by scanning orchards.

It could measure the amount and the growth of fruit row by row throughout the growing season, Seeka said.

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The ‘cut-throat’ industry of New Zealand beekeeping

A veteran beekeeper has barely made enough profit as he watches prices of New Zealand honey continue to plummet.

John Berry​, a third generation Hawke’s Bay apiarist, with more than 50 years experience with bees, has had an “OK” season, but is doubtful he’ll make a profit this year from clover or bush honey.

Unlike the rest of the world, New Zealand doesn’t have a bee shortage. In fact, it has too many bees. But as the mānuka industry continues to boom, other beekeepers face fierce competition, varroa and wasp invasions.

Berry said he knew of beekeepers in Hawke’s Bay and across the North Island who simply abandoned their hives, as they couldn’t afford their upkeep.

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Kiwi company breeds team of Jersey bulls designed for hot climates in world first

A New Zealand company is helping boost milk production in some of the world’s hottest nations with a world-first team of Jersey bulls bred to be more tolerant to heat.

The dominant slick gene makes hair shorter, wetter and shinier than other breeds and keeps cows 1-degree cooler.

“The slick gene will give a Jersey cow the ability to expel that heat easier and that translates into still being able to eat and turn that food into milk,” says Thermo Regulatory Genetics CEO Derek Fairweather.

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Zespri’s Approach to Unlicensed Kiwifruit Falls Through

On July 2, New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry announced the voting results of a proposition to commercialize SunGold (Gold3) kiwifruit grown without authorization in China. The final results showed that 70.5% of growers supported the primary resolution to conduct a one-year orchard monitoring, procurement, and sales and marketing trial of the kiwifruit.

Despite this high level of support, a 75% threshold was needed for the proposition to pass under New Zealand’s Kiwifruit Export Regulations. However, the vote still indicates widespread support for the cooperative proposal among New Zealand’s kiwifruit growers.

New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry regulatory body, Kiwifruit New Zealand, oversaw the process of obtaining votes from growers for regulatory approval of the proposition.

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Greenpeace pushes for lower groundwater nitrate level

Greenpeace is urging regional councils to lower the limit of allowable nitrates in groundwater, which they say poses a cancer risk.

Water testing of locals’ bore water found Mid-Canterbury’s water was “loaded” with nitrate contamination, according to the group.

The current limit in New Zealand follows the World Health Organization guidelines, for 11.3mg per litre of water.

But Greenpeace campaigner Steve Abel said recent studies show an increased bowel cancer risk when nitrates are above 1 milligram per litre, and an increased risk of pre-term birth.

The environmental group offered free water testing in Ashburton and tested over 100 samples.

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Australia

Wine Australia announces record vintages for 2021

AUSTRALIA has achieved a record vintage, with the national wine grape crop reaching 2.03 million tonnes for 2021.

But, unlike the usual situation in agriculture, this record crop has also been met with an increase in prices – now the highest in 13 years.

The Wine Australia National Vintage Report 2021, released today, showed there was a significant increase in the crush in all wine-growing states, driven by “near perfect growing and ripening conditions across most states and regions”.

It follows on from two years of low vintages, with the 2021 crush up 31 per cent on 2020, and 19pc above the 2019 vintage. It is also 17pc higher than the 10-year average.

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Producers aim for nitrogen sweet spot

EXPORT oaten hay growers should be mindful of their crop’s nitrogen sweet spot as seasonal conditions indicate good yield potential.

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) researcher Georgie Troup said nitrogen decisions made now would influence oaten hay quality.

There was a consistent relationship between increasing nitrogen and decreasing quality.

Research from the National Hay Agronomy Project in 2019 and 2020 demonstrated the ideal application of nitrogen fertiliser to strike a balance between quality and quantity was 60 to 90 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare in the eight tonne per hectare production zone.

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Unlocking valuable barley root secrets from the air

IN ORDER to unlock the secrets of what is happening underground in barley crops researchers are taking to the sky.

A joint project between the University of Queensland, Australian National University and barley breeders Intergrain will look at the best method of improving barley root architecture with a view to improving yield stability, particularly in dry years.

UQ associate professor Lee Hickey is leading the study and said that it was important to understand more of what happens in the soil to potentially figure out processes that could lead to yield gains.

“For a century, plant breeders have focused on what happens above the ground in terms of adapting crops to diverse production environments,” Dr Hickey said.

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Rising beef retail prices fails to curtail at-home demand

BEEF retail prices are now very close to an all-time high but still at-home consumption continues to grow.

While some analysts, and butchers, believe prices can not go higher without significant consumer backlash, there appears to be little to support the likelihood of the cost of steaks and mince easing in the near future.

In fact, at a time of skyrocketing cattle prices and strong global demand for Australian beef, processors say domestic consumers have been shielded from far higher prices due to the need to retain abattoir workforces.

Rabobank calculations from quarter one Consumer Price Index figures for Australia show that the average Australian retail price for beef was $23.87 a kilogram.

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Early warning on bloat, thanks to new app

Beef producers have a new tool to help in the management of bloat, with a free app providing an early warning system of cases in their area.

The Bloat Alert app has been developed as part of Charles Sturt University research into bloat in southern beef production systems and is available for iPhone users from the App Store.

Research leader, Charles Sturt Professor Bruce Allworth said beef producers can use the app to report cases which will then alert other producers that bloat is occurring in the area.

“Knowing that bloat is occurring locally gives producers a heads-up that they need to check their cattle and possibly initiate or increase preventive measures,” Professor Allworth said.

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South America

Argentine grain industry says government dredging bill raises export costs

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The costs of Argentina’s grain exports would increase under a new government bill in which ships would pay tolls to the state rather than to the company dredging the Paraná River, industry members said Monday.

The Argentine government disagrees, saying the proposal is in fact intended to lower logistical costs while increasing the country’s agricultural production.

This is the latest chapter in a long-running saga of Argentine farmers and exporters opposing government interventions in the sector. Dredging the waterway is considered an advantage for the country over rivals Brazil and the United States, which rely on less efficient trucks and barges.

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More on that corn-killing frost in Brazil

A three-day frost that took place last week in the South Western states of Brazil in Parana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Sao Paulo, Brazil, as well as Paraguay, are leading to lower corn yield projections.

Yield losses directly related to the frost are difficult to estimate, but according to Corteva, corn plants are extremely sensitive to frost, depending upon what stage they are in.  Yield loss can reach as high as 66% in R4 stage. Most corn in Parana was in the R5.5 stage, where yield loss could reach 10%.  Corn needs to reach R6 before it can withstand damage from frost.

Based on last season’s safrinha corn crop, 43% percent of the corn originated in Mato Grosso.  This year will be over 50% as Mato Grosso has avoided most of the dry weather (but not all of it).

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Rural producers stage protest against Argentine government policies

A massive demonstration by Argentine rural producers convened Friday in the town of San Nicolás de Los Arroyos in the province of Buenos Aires to celebrate Independence Day and express their disapproval of the policies undertaken by the administration of President Alberto Fernández.

Although no political party was supposed o be behind the mobilization, former Security Minister under Mauricio Macri and current PRO chairwoman Patricia Bullrich staged a much-criticized appearance after arriving on horseback.

Carrying Argentine flags and banners, thousands of agricultural producers gathered at kilometre 228 of Route 9 (Buenos Aires Rosario) under the motto “Citizens mobilized in defence of production, work and education.”

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Food Updates

Why we’re moving towards healthier ice cream

With the British ice cream market expected to reach a value of £3.5 billion in 2021, the iced confection sector is clearly the place to be. Jess Salamanca and Lydia Dronsfield from Banana Scoops ask why healthier ice cream is on the rise.Recently, we have witnessed a sharp rise in the number of ‘healthier’ ice cream options available on the market. Between 2015 and 2019, the number of low-sugar ice creams launching globally increased at a CAGR of 48 percent. In 2018, the global artisanal ice cream market – handmade ice creams made solely from natural ingredients and free from artificial preservatives – was valued at $6 billon. This latest health trend is undoubtedly a response to consumer demand, with a vast number of consumers committing to leading healthier and cleaner lifestyles.

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Majority of Brits don’t know calorie content of their drink claims research

New research from the Alcohol Health Alliance has revealed a distinct lack of knowledge among British consumers around nutritional and health guidelines when it comes to alcoholic drinks.

Health experts are calling for better alcohol labelling as new research from the Alcohol Health Alliance suggests that most of the public do not know the nutritional information of popular alcoholic drinks. The research also showed that the majority of Brits do not know the Chief Medical Officers’ (CMO) drinking guidelines and were unlikely to look beyond the label in order to find health information on alcohol.

A new poll from YouGov asked the public to estimate how many calories were in a number of popular drinks.

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Healthier foods three times more expensive than unhealthy options

The Food Foundation’s Broken Plate report has revealed some alarming gaps between rich and poor households when it comes to the quality and nutritional value of the food they are consuming, while some campaign groups are already calling for more legislation for unhealthy foods.

Healthier foods are nearly three times more expensive calorie for calorie than less healthy foods. That’s according to the Food Foundation’s Broken Plate 2021 report, which has revealed some large disparities between rich and poor communities when it comes to nutrition in the UK.

According to the report, the poorest fifth of UK households would need to spend 40 percent of their disposable income on food to meet Eatwell Guide costs, as opposed to just seven percent for the richest fifth.

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European packaged food industry facing crucial H2 new report says

Senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence Duncan Fox thinks changing consumer habits towards local food has changed the way the industry will operate in the future.The European packaged-food industry faces a pivotal second half of the year, with accelerating inflation and potentially new normal consumer behaviour.

According to Bloomberg Intelligence’s Europe Packaged Food 2021 Outlook, if inflation turns out to be transitory, the inability to boost volume and pricing simultaneously since 2015 remains in place, unless companies such as Nestlé and Danone can convince consumers to start eating away from home again where margins are higher.

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Scientists find a use for wasted hops not used to brew beer

Researchers from Japan have found a way to utilise part of the hop plant wasted during the beer brewing process, by forming cellulose nanofibers from the leftover biomass.

Everyone knows that hops are a key ingredient in almost every style of beer brewed around the world. Yet what might not be as well-known is the amount of wastage that can arise from the brewing process. Yet researchers from Japan have developed a way to use the remainder of the hop plant by upcycling that waste hop into cellulose nanofibers (CNFs).

In the past few years, craft beer-making has exploded in popularity around the world, including many beer styles that make use of many more and different types of hops than conventional commercial beers.

A traditional preservative in beer, hops also add a rich bitterness and impart floral or citrus aromas and flavours. As a result, hop production hit a record high in 2019.

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