Soybeans and their products—soybean meal and soybean oil—are the most traded agricultural commodity, accounting for nearly nine percent of the total value of global agricultural trade. A new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service, Soybean Production, Marketing Costs, and Export Competitiveness in Brazil and the United States describes the factors that affect production, marketing costs, and export competitiveness of the world’s leading soybean exporters—the United States and Brazil. This study compares the differences between farm-level production costs and returns for soybeans in the United States and Brazil in Marketing Year 2017/18–2021/22 for the most productive growing regions in each country.
Scientists at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) use innovative technology to study the lifecycle of potatoes (including development, production, and postharvest storage), ensuring a high-quality supply year-round for snack food processing facilities, restaurants, and grocery stores. Paul J. Collins, a research geneticist for the ARS Eastern potato breeding program based in Orono and Presque Isle, Maine, is working to develop new varieties for chip processing and table markets with improved agronomic attributes, disease resistance, climate resiliency, and quality traits. Successful varieties developed by this program include Atlantic, a variety that is widely grown across the U.S. for potato chips and is within the top ten most popular potato varieties grown in the nation.
The International Federation of Agricultural Journalism (IFAJ) and Alltech have opened nominations for the 2024 IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders program. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2024.
American Farmland Trust will be the Title Sponsor for the 2024 Solar Farm Summit, North America’s Agrivoltaics Expo, with a three-year commitment to collaborate in the development of an effective and catalytic annual event focused on solar projects that combine active farming with energy generation—a dual land use known as “agrivoltaics.”
Propagate and Rodale Institute announced a new strategic partnership to promote agroforestry. The goal of the partnership is to increase the adoption of agroforestry and tree crop systems in North America.
The latest report from the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer indicates that U.S. farmers’ inflation expectations have subsided while overall producer sentiment changed little. The December barometer recorded a reading of 114, just one point lower than in November. Both subindices of the barometer, the Index of Current Conditions and the Index of Future Expectations, mirrored this slight decline, settling one point below their respective November figures at 112 and 115. Notably, farmers’ inflation expectations for the upcoming year were markedly lower than those reported a year ago for 2023.
After several months of development, Michael Hinton, America’s Premier Antique Tractor Enthusiast and Founder of Antique Tractor Preservation Day, announced the launch of a new website: TalkingTractors.com. The website was conceived with a profound objective to educate and create an online communication portal for recognizing our Nation’s deeply-rooted and proud Agricultural Heritage. It includes information and links to recent articles & interviews about Hinton’s passion for agriculture & vintage farm equipment; as well as features a comprehensive Antique Tractor Resource Directory.
The National Corn Growers Association said it is deeply disappointed in a decision released by the International Trade Commission, which upholds an earlier opinion that found material injury to U.S. fertilizer companies during a time of rising on-farm fertilizer prices that went on to reach record highs.
It is the height of the Florida strawberry harvesting season and the Florida Strawberry Growers Association says it has been an incredible year in terms of flavor and quality. UF/IFAS researchers have developed several new varieties in recent years such as Florida Pearl, released in 2020, which gets its name from its unusual, white exterior. Some consumers say it tastes like pineapple or apricot.
