Archives

Visitor Counter

322529
Visit Today : 165
Visit Yesterday : 42
This Month : 1542
This Year : 9832
Total Visit : 322529
Hits Today : 1498
Total Hits : 1071533
Who's Online : 4
Your IP Address: 3.94.150.98
Server Time: 24-03-28

Ag Beat: Milk / Citrus /Eggs/ GM Foods / More

California August Milk Production Falls 5.8%
Those hot August days helped reduce milk production in California in August by 5.8% compared to the same month in 2011 while across the US production fell 0.2% says USDA. The California reduction came despite the fact USDA said there were 10,000 more cows milking than a year ago, just opposite the conventional wisdom who said there was massive liquidation. The decline in production is welcome in that it appears to have improved prices. Cheese on the CME hit $2 Sept 20, the highest level since July a year ago. That’s the best news of the year for hard hit dairy operators who have faced both sky-high feed costs and low milk prices for much of this year. Also, corn is down from $8.40 a bushel to $7.40 in the past month.

 

Citrus Value Up In California
USDA reports that the value of citrus in California has improved in the past few years reaching $1.56 billion in 2011-12 compared to $1.32 billion in 2009-10 and $1.31 billion in 2010-11. In the past year bearing acreage has climbed to 269,400, up 2000 acres.By contrast Florida acreage is the lowest since  1959 to 495,100 acres.The value fell in the past year from $1.81 billion to $1.80 billion.

 
GMO Foods On Ballot
Proposition 37 would result in $1.2 billion in higher costs for farmers and food processors, higher prices for consumers and new regulations, according to an article published in Western Farm Press that refers to a new UC Davis study. The article is credited to the No on 37 campaign.
If passed, Proposition 37, which is on California’s November ballot, would require labeling of genetically engineered food.
Meanwhile grocer Whole Foods has endorsed the proposition setting up a November ballot battle.Meanwhile a French study suggested GM food is unhealthy.

Egg Shortage In Mexico Offer US Export Opportunity

NPR reports that  Mexico is suffering an egg shortage. An outbreak of avian flu this summer, in the heart of the nation’s egg-producing region, caused a drastic dip in production and led to huge price increases. While the crisis has hit the country’s poor hardest, all Mexicans are hurting for eggs, which are as crucial a part of the Mexican diet as the tortilla.
According to the country’s poultry industry, Mexicans eat more eggs, per capita, than anyone else in the world. On average, they eat more than 430 eggs a year, which is almost double U.S. annual consumptionn.
Prices jumped when producers were forced this summer to slaughter 11 million hens after an outbreak of avian flu in the central Mexican state of Jalisco.
The egg price spikes and shortages got so rough that President Felipe Calderon took to the airwaves, vowing to crack down on speculators and reduce tariffs on imported eggs.
The first shipments from the U.S. have already arrived at Mexico City’s huge wholesale warehouse and are helping to stabilize prices. But egg vendor Adrian Hernandez says his clients don’t like the U.S. imports; they tell him the American eggs don’t have any flavor, and that the yolks are pale.
Farmland Prices Rise
For people trying to enter the business of farming, the cost of land can be a significant hurdle. Prices to buy or rent California farm and ranch land broke records this year, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. The average price of California farmland stands at 7,200 dollars an acre. Property that has access to irrigation commands the highest prices. The cost to rent farmland has also increased.
Researchers Test Robotic Berry Harvester
What has 10 arms and has intrigued strawberry farmers? The answer is a robotic harvesting machine being tested at the Monterey Bay Academy. The machine uses sensors to choose strawberries of the right color and size. Next, robotic arms gently pluck the ripe fruit from vines, and deposit the berries on a conveyer belt that drops the berries into containers. The machine remains in the experimental stage.
CFB contributed

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *