Solar storm disrupts GPS farming: The solar storm over the weekend knocked some GPS systems offline and “caused many farmers to fully stop their planting operations” because they could not guarantee the accuracy of their precision agriculture equipment. (404 Media)
Big global soybean surge: Soybean production will climb by nearly 7 percent in 2024-2025, the largest increase in percentage terms in more than a decade, propelled by larger plantings in Brazil and the United States and the lure of larger purchases by China. (USDA)
Ukraine grain exports rebound: Exports of grain and oilseeds by ocean freighter, a major source of income for Ukraine, are approaching pre-war volumes, according to Ukrainian data and shipping industry officials, but the ongoing war with Russia is a constant threat. (New York Times)
Corn planting slows down: Farmers have planted only 49 percent of this year’s corn crop, behind the usual 54 percent at this time of the year, raising concerns that a large portion of the crop will be planted after the ideal date for the highest yields per acre. (USDA)
‘Use every tool’: The government “should use every possible tool to lower food prices,” said 41 Democratic lawmakers in a letter to President Biden that suggested steps such as urging the Justice Department to scrutinize and, if appropriate, block mergers and acquisitions in the food and agriculture sectors. (McGovern)