Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this week’s program I’m featuring a conversation with John Demerly, CEO, CommoditAg, about the new app they launched during Commodity Classic. That was the last on location meeting either of us attended and it seems like a lot longer ago than it really is! John says the app provides the opportunity for agricultural …
U.S. Soy is Open for Business
The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) held a webinar for the media Wednesday to provide an update on the industry and its continued resilience through this time. Participating in the webinar were, USSEC CEO Jim Sutter, USSEC Chairman Monte Peterson, and Regional Directors Brent Babb and Rosalind Leeck. They discussed the industry’s response to COVID-19 in various export markets, how …
Agriculture Secretary Addresses U.S. Food Supply Issues
The White House Coronavirus Task Force Update on Wednesday included comments from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on the U.S. food supply. Secretary Perdue discussed the health and safety of essential food processing workers, praised those working in the food industry, and stressed that the food supply is “strong, resilient, and safe.” He also stated that there is plenty …
Hog Farmers Face COVID-19 Financial Crisis
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) held a press conference Tuesday to outline the impact COVID-19 is having on the industry, causing hog values to plummet, and the immediate relief they are requesting from the administration and Congress. NPPC identified several measures federal policy makers could take to help the industry, including purchasing $1 billion in pork to clear out …
Dairy Checkoff Helping Producers Weather COVID-19
Leaders of the dairy checkoff are working to help U.S. dairy farmers during these challenging times. Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff on behalf of 35,000 farmers, has prioritized work focused on three key areas: schools, hunger and foodservice and industry partnerships. Leaders outlined a shift in its business plan in a letter to USDA Secretary …
President Trump Says Help for Farmers Coming Soon
During the daily White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing on Thursday, President Donald Trump said help for hurting farmers is coming soon. “We have money going out to our farmers in the pretty near future,” said President Trump. “The farmers got hurt very badly by all of this. People are eating less from the standpoint that there’s no restaurants that …
Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services – Episode Two
Welcome to Episode 2 of the Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services, where we break down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less. Crop science experts and others in the agriculture industry will discuss topics ranging from nitrogen loss and soil health to ways growers can increase operational efficiencies. Spring Weather Impact …
Farmers are Suffering But #StillFarming
American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall on Friday provided some hard numbers for reporters about how COVID-19 is impacting commodity prices. In the past month, dairy prices have dropped 26-36%, corn futures have dropped by 14%, soybean futures are down 8% and cotton futures have plummeted 31%. Hog futures are down by 31%. A surge in demand for beef …
Important Info About PPP for Farmers
The Georgia Peanut Commission hosted a webinar discussion on Friday with U.S. Congressmen Sanford Bishop (D-GA) and Austin Scott (R-GA) and Bob Redding, The Redding Firm, to learn more about the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law March 27. The discussion includes important information for farmers and ranchers about the Payroll Protection Program …
Dairy Groups Call for Direct Aid
Groups representing dairy farmers and cooperatives in the Midwest are urging the federal government to provide direct aid to farmers and to expedite the purchase of additional dairy foods due to unprecedented disruptions in supply and demand due caused by the COVID-19 national emergency. In a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the groups cited the mass closure of …