Survey: Young adults face higher rates of food insecurity
Gen Z adults were nearly twice as likely to have experienced food insecurity in the first half of 2022 than other adults, according to a report published by Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability. Among these adults — born after 1996, or 18 to about 26 years old — 30 percent experienced food insecurity, according to the analysis, which is based on monthly surveys of 1200 adults. (No paywall)
Farmer confidence sours amid rising costs, income squeeze
Despite high farm income in 2021, farmer confidence has been on a nearly unbroken decline since last April, said Purdue University on Tuesday. "Producers expect financial performance in 2022 to be much weaker than in 2021," said the monthly Ag Economy Barometer, pointing to rising costs and difficulties in acquiring pesticides, fertilizer and machinery parts.
Farmer sentiment darkens as China hopes fade
A Purdue University gauge of farmer confidence plunged by 18 points, its largest drop since the start of the Sino-U.S. trade war, amid rising doubts that a resolution is near, said two economists who oversee the Ag Economy Barometer on Tuesday. The monthly poll of crop and livestock …
Farmers fear trade war impact despite Trump tariff payments
Half of the producers in a Purdue poll say announcement of Trump tariff payments did nothing to allay their concerns about lost income during trade war with China and other major customers for U.S. ag exports. Some 71 percent of crop and livestock producers expect a decline in farm income from trade conflicts but not as deep as initially feared, according to the Ag Economy Barometer released on Tuesday.
Two Trump officials back thinning of forests
Interior Secretary and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue advocated the thinning of forests and removing brush to eliminate fuel for wildfies during a roundtable discussion in northern California, said the Redding Record Searchlight. The cabinet members said thinning the tree stands in foressts did not mean clear cutting the land.
‘On-off switch’ would allow plants to grow well and tolerate stress
Plants that grow well often fare poorly in heat or drought, while those that seem to shrug off hot or dry weather often grow slowly; neither type is ideal for crops. Now a Purdue plant scientist “has found the switch that creates that antagonism, opening opportunities to develop plants that exhibit both characteristics,” said the university.
Purdue launches food-waste initiative at World Food Prize meeting
The annual World Food Prize conference opens today in Des Moines, providing a setting for Purdue to launch its post-harvest initiative against food waste. The initiative is a bundle of projects to prevent food loss after harvest, improve nutrition, support food entrepreneurs and build agricultural value chains, says the university.
Four-fifths of producers expect bad financial times in year ahead
The Ag Economy Barometer fell to its lowest reading since March as optimism about the future declined, said Purdue University. Some 79 percent of farmers taking part in the monthly gauge of the farm sector said they expect bad times financially in the 12 months ahead – a jump of 11 percentage points in one month.
Farmer sentiment darkens as commodity prices weaken
Just as the spring rally in futures prices brightened farmers' outlook, the summer slump in corn and soybean prices pulled down sharply on the Ag Economy Barometer, say Purdue economists. The monthly survey of producer sentiment fell by 17 points in August for a reading of 95, the lowest since the end of winter.
Purdue opens first field phenotyping facility in North America
Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue University, says the school's newly dedicated Indiana Corn and Soybean Innovation Center "will play a big part" in helping to assure enough food for the rising world population. The center is the first field phenotyping facility in North America.
This milk won’t go bad for nine weeks
Researchers have discovered a way to push the shelf life of milk from two or three weeks to nine, says Gizmodo. By putting tiny drops of already-pasteurized milk into a high-pressure chamber and quickly raising the temperature of the milk by 10 degrees, scientists at Purdue University and the University of Tennessee killed 99 percent of the bacteria that normally remain after pasteurization.
Lower crop prices may bring decline in land rental rates
The steep decline in commodity prices from the records set in 2012 are likely to result in more moderate decline in land rental rates, says agricultural economist Brent Gloy, a former Purdue professor. In his blog, Gloy compared the decline in rental rates and corn prices since 1976.
Ag needs bigger view to win research money-Glickman
The agriculture sector should broaden its coalitions so it can land more research money, said Dan Glickman, former agriculture secretary, in a speech at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Rising debt is cloud on ag sector finances
Ag economist Jason Henderson of Purdue says "what has me a little nervous" is an upturn in borrowing as the farm sector heads into a period of lower commodity prices and farm income.