Good morning.
A 7-year-old corn king, and an ag-related story being one of the most viral TikToks of the year? We're all ears.
As a quick recap on this a-maize-ing story, 7-year-old Tariq went viral after his interview about how much he loves corn, where he declared corn should only be a dollar, everyone should try it with butter, and, most importantly, "it's got the juice."
Well, South Dakota took advantage of all the attention on one of their top crops, and invited Tariq to be their "Official Corn-bassador." He got to visit the state's iconic Corn Palace, sign autographs (on ears of corn, obviously), and take selfies with fans.
So, enjoy this story, and in the words of a wise… er, 7-year-old on the internet... we hope you have a corn-tastic day.
Stories:
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USDA Asks Farmers to Double Up
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USDA to farmers: It’s time to double down on double-cropping.
Early this summer, the USDA announced new policies that will hopefully encourage more farmers to double-crop their farmland.
Wait… brain lapse… please explain: Double-cropping is a system in which farmers grow two different crops on the same piece of land.
Winter wheat is planted in the fall, harvested late the following spring, and a new crop (often soybeans) is planted immediately after harvesting.
Uh… don’t many farmers already do this? You betcha. Especially in the South and southern Midwest where the growing season is usually a smidge longer.
So…what’s new? In around 1,500 counties where double-cropping seems viable, the USDA’s Risk Management Agency is streamlining the crop insurance approval process and easing the risk of an expensive planting backup.
Why now? We’re glad you asked.
The USDA said it was hoping to "stabilize food prices and feed Americans and the world amidst continuing challenges such as… the invasion of Ukraine by Russia."
Oh yeah… Ukraine.
With the war slowing the production/exports of two of the world’s major wheat producers, world supplies are getting tight. And that’s bad news for hungry bellies.
Where this goes: A joint Ohio State and University of Illinois study found that double-crop wheat/soy resulted in an extra $81/acre profit for Southern Illinois farmers (cha-ching) compared to soybeans alone.
Of course, that’s weather and market-dependent.
And with harvest season upon us, the USDA (with fingers crossed) will soon know if any new double-croppers will take advantage of the program.
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→ Netherlands' job opening. After a long period of farmer protests over pollution regulations, the Dutch agriculture minister has resigned.
→ Rent is how much?! The U.S. average for cropland cash rent has reached a new record, at $148/acre, with several states’ averages increasing by double-digit percentages.
→ New pork problem. Senecavirus A has been discovered in imported feed— "one of the biggest pieces of news the pork industry has had" as far as disease control.
→ Falling back… to bird flu. After a summer lull, highly pathogenic bird flu is back earlier than expected, this time in two commercial turkey flocks in Minnesota and a hobby flock in Indiana.
→ Here to stay. After garnering support from U.S. industries, $300B worth of tariffs on Chinese imports will stay in place for now, with "next steps" in the 4-year review process soon to be established.
→ Cheap cheese. Buoyed by a product surplus and steady production, cheese prices are not increasing like many expected, and have gone down from earlier in the year.
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There have been big problems with little bugs in Australia.
Mozzies (Australian for mosquitoes) are good at being bad. They carry West Nile virus, malaria, dengue fever—to name a few of the many.
In April this year, pigs at 73 Australian farms were diagnosed with another mosquito virus, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV).
Experts are telling producers in the U.S. not to ignore the buzz because this virus can occur in pigs and even humans. Three human deaths have been identified in Australia.
JEV in pigs: For pigs, this virus comes with issues in birthing: late-term abortions or delayed farrowing in otherwise healthy sows.
As opposed to West Nile, for which pigs aren’t an amplifying host, they can replicate JEV rapidly—and spread it rapidly, too.
Land Down Under: Australia may seem far away from the U.S., but this virus travels (birds also carry JEV), and the U.S. has the same type of mosquitoes that transmit the virus as the Aussies do.
To be clear, though, JEV cannot be transmitted from human to human or by eating meat from an infected animal.
Learn more: A free symposium about JEV will be held Oct. 17-19 at the University of Georgia. Producers can attend in person or virtually.
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September is National Honey Month, in addition to being National Chicken Month, which we mentioned last week (hot honey chicken sandwich, anyone?). This year’s national campaign is "Honey Saves Hives," raising awareness for the critical pollinators.
True or false? Honey bees are necessary for the production of more than 90 crops or approximately one-third of the foods in our diets.
Answer at the bottom of the email.
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U.S. Ag R&D Funding Takes a Backseat to China, EU |
nicolas_from Getty Images Signature
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The U.S. has fallen to third in ag R&D funding behind China and the EU.
By 2011, China was the biggest global R&D funder, then upped the ante in 2015 to more than $10B annually. That’s U.S. investment… x2.
Brazil and the EU have also been increasing funding.
Meanwhile, U.S. public agricultural R&D spending totaled $5.16B in 2019. That’s almost a third lower than its 2002 peak.
No time like the present: Ag R&D investment is increasingly important, with pressures on the food supply continuing to swell.
The war in Ukraine, COVID-19, high input costs, price inflation, severe weather, and global hunger are all stacking against the food supply worldwide.
The backstory: President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation that started the USDA. Ag R&D was its primary mission, as well as giving farmers the 411.
Public sector research investments have also been important. With an average benefit of $20 to the U.S. economy for every $1 invested, it’s a good investment.
The math ain’t mathin’: According to Cornell AgriTech, half of all ag sales come from fruits and vegetables—which also account for 80% of essential human nutrients.
But only 15% of public research investment goes to fruits and vegetables.
Soundbite: Jan Nyrop, Cornell Agritech director, said, "We need to intensify our production of agriculture while addressing climate change, and those things are not going to happen without public investment."
What’s Next? Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is requesting a 15% increase in ag research funding for the 2023 fiscal year.
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True. For a full list of foods we would miss (in addition to honey, of course) without hard-working honey bees, check out the "Honey Saves Hives" site.
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Written & Edited by Kevin Cross, Sheridan Wimmer, Rachel Robinson, Amelia VanLandegen, Ashley Scoby, and Travis Martin
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