South Africa to resume imports of U.S. chicken meat
South Africa to resume imports of U.S. bone-in chicken meat, "initially 65,000 tonnes a year, under an agreement reach by the two countries," said Reuters.
Growers reap one-fifth of winter wheat crop in one week
Farmers harvested 7.4 million acres of winter wheat in the past week, 19 percent of the total crop. The harvest is now 38 percent complete, according to the weekly Crop Progress report.
U.S. share of world wheat market low for second year
The United States, the world's largest wheat exporter until two years ago, is in an export slump for the second year in a row, according to the Grain: World Markets and Trade report.
Plan for biggest hog farm in Wisconsin draws criticism
An Iowa company wants to build the largest hog farm in Wisconsin, which also would be the first megafarm in the Lake Superior basin, says the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Flavorful “petite peaches” a result of water shortage
Organic grower David Masumoto, who farms near Fresno, tells the Los Angeles Times, "We've been experimenting with this petite peach method this year, where we're cutting back water use 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent on some select areas of the orchard to see how it responds."
The giant food company you’ve never heard of
By annual sales figures, Brazil-based JBS is one of the largest food companies in the world. The multinational is the world's largest processor of beef, chicken and lamb and is No. 3 in pork.
Plenty of holiday turkey despite avian influenza losses
"Much has been made of a potential supply disruption impacting the availability of turkeys during the Thanksgiving holiday," say economists John Newton and Todd Kuethe of U-Illinois, who rebut the idea at farmdoc daily. They say the monthly Cold Storage report shows turkey stockpiles are 5-percent larger than a year ago and other USDA reports show turkey production from January-April was up by 7 percent from the same point in 2014.
USDA allows import of raw beef from Argentina and Brazil
Brazil and Argentina will be allowed to ship raw beef to the United States if they follow specific steps to mitigate the risk of highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease, said the USDA in an announcement that coincides with a U.S. visit by the president of Brazil.
FBI invoked national-security laws in GE seed theft
The government used national-security laws, commonly employed against spies and terror plots, to nip the theft of genetically engineered hybrid seed from Iowa cornfields, says the Des Moines Register.
House ag panelist Benishek facing re-election challenge
Michigan Rep. Dave Benishek, a House Agriculture Committee member who had a fairly easy path to winning his third term in 2014, already has a challenger for 2016 - Lon Johnson, the chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party.
School meals free for all Baltimore pupils
"For the first time in the history of the school lunch program, all children in Baltimore are created equal," says the Baltimore Sun. The city is among a handful of districts in Maryland to adopt "community eligibility," which...
U.S. ban of raw Brazil beef imports in spotlight as Rousseff visits
Few major achievements are expected during a fence-mending visit by Brazil president Dilma Rousseff to the United States this week, including a bilateral meeting with President Obama on Tuesday, says McClatchy.
Broader program to preserve Southwestern willow flycatcher
The Agriculture and Interior departments unveiled an eco-system-wide program to enhance habitat for threatened and endangered species in the U.S. Southwest.
Ethanol makers feel impact of bird-flu epidemic
The impact of the worst epidemic of avian influenza ever to hit U.S. poultry flocks has reached the ethanol industry in the form of smaller sales of distillers dried grains (DDGs), a widely used feed, says DTN.
Canada, Mexico ask $3.7 billion in retaliation for U.S. label law
Canada and Mexico said they will ask the WTO approval for $3.7 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural and manufactured goods in their latest response to a U.S. meat-labeling law. "The only way for the United States to avoid billions in immediate retaliation is to repeal COOL," said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz of Canada, referring to the country-of-origin labeling law. The U.S. House could vote as early as next week on a bill to repeal COOL for beef, pork and chicken, the three most widely consumed meats.
U.S. hog total surges 9 percent amid signs of a plateau
The U.S. inventory of hogs and pigs is up 9 percent from last June 1, and slightly larger than on March 1, the USDA said in a quarterly report that showed a dynamic rebound from the effects of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus that killed millions of piglets in 2014. The loss of piglets, along with strong demand for meat, helped propel U.S. meat prices to record levels last year and encouraged hog producers to expand their herds.
Polls point to largest soy plantings ever; record crop possible
For the second year in a row, farmers will plant a record amount of land to soybeans, according to polls of analysts ahead of the annual Prospective Plantings report due on Tuesday. The USDA report is based on a survey of 80,000 operators and the first broad-scale sample of farmers' crop plans for the year. Polls by Reuters and Bloomberg show analysts expect soybean plantings of 85.9 million acres, up 2.6 percent from last year's record 83.7 million acres.
Wheat engineered to deter aphids fails in field trials
A variety of wheat genetically engineered to emit a pheremone to ward off aphids "failed to show any effect" during a field trial in England, says Science Magazine.
India unfairly bars U.S. poultry and hogs, rules WTO
A WTO appellate panel ruled that India violated fair-trade rules by barring imports of U.S. poultry, eggs and hogs as a way to prevent entry of avian influenza. The poultry industry estimated sales of poultry to India could rise quickly to $300 million a year once India's restrictions are removed. The case began eight years ago and the United States won a first-round WTO ruling in 2014. The United States said India excluded U.S. products in order to give a leg up to its own farmers.
Soy crop is second-largest ever, analysts say
Farmers planted slightly more land to soybeans than they planned in June, analysts said ahead of a USDA report that will provide the best evidence yet of this year's crops. In surveys by Reuters and Bloomberg, analysts forecast soybean plantings at a record 85.3 million acres, up 1 percent from the USDA's March survey of intentions and 2-percent more than the mark set last year.