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Plus: Potatoes Best Pandemic & Rural Broadband Update
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FEBRUARY 19, 2021
Magnetic Ag News
TOGETHER WITH
AgriSync
Good morning!

Tomorrow kicks off National FFA Week. Blue and gold alums pepper our Magnetic reader family and we’re here for the celebration. 🎉

BTW, who knew corduroy was so fashionable?


Friday's headlines:

  • Deep Freeze on the Farm
  • The Pandemic Ain't A Problem for Potatoes
  • The Next Rural Broadband Step

WEATHER

Deep Freeze on the Farm
Freezing Weather
GIPHY
The country’s arctic blast has blasted agriculture this week.

Things have been bitter and intense - in both wind chills and business. Frigid temperatures and heavy snow affected all facets of the industry. Here’s a sampling:

  • Ice warnings and restricted water navigation stalled shipments of corn and soybeans.
  • Meat plants shuttered as livestock transport became difficult, and energy costs soared.
  • Ethanol production halted as natural gas was rationed and blackouts were issued.


Even specialty crops felt the sting.

Texas fruit and veggie producers already branded last Sunday as the St. Valentine’s Day massacre as over 40 crops were hit by the hard freeze.

Add in a power grid problem: Because of the overwhelming demand for gas and electricity to heat and power homes, farms, and businesses, supply got so low (like the temperature) that rolling blackouts were issued across Texas.

Why you gotta be so cold: This cold snap could show its face on the list of 2021’s billion-dollar weather events. The damage will be assessed for weeks to come.
COMMODITY CORNER
Commodity Prices
Grains: Corn and soybeans trip up slightly as the USDA pegs planting projections at 92 million acres of corn and 90 million of soybeans.

Wheat: Prices vaulted over potential winter kill issues in the Central Plains. Add in some volatile international trade and you've got a springboard effect.

Livestock:
Dicey weather and sideways grain trade led to mixed ending prices.

*as of market close 2/18/21*

QUICK HITS
Zoetis for the win. The largest global animal health player celebrated an 8% boost in 4th quarter revenue. Double-digit growth in companion animal sales led the charge.

Brazilian bio sidekicks. Corteva and Simbiose Agro, a Brazil microbiological producer, have teamed up to roll out biostimulants for sugarcane, soybeans, and other specialty crops.

Another day, another drone. Belgium-based research firm Flanders Make has launched a new drone with software to assess strawberry counts and help farmers gauge harvest output accurately.

Comments closed. The EPA stops accepting public comments today on endangered species concerns concerning atrazine, the legacy weed killer chemical.


Finally… A confirmation vote for Secretary of Ag nominee Tom Vilsack is scheduled for next Tuesday. A bi-partisan ‘heck yes’ is expected.

SPECIALTY CROP

Pandemics & Potatoes: Best Spuds
Potato Farm
shaunl | Getty Images Signature
The U.S. saw five-year record high retail potato sales in 2020.

So what drove Americans to the produce aisle to pick up uber amounts of tubers? The pandemic.

During shutdowns, folks sought out fruit and vegetables with longer shelf lives. From April to June, spuds saw their largest increases in sales. And all months saw 9% or greater growth in both dollars and volume.

While all potato options saw the lift, Americans served up a heapin’ helpin’ of instant mashed potatoes, as dehydrated potatoes were the category leader.

The boost breakdown:

  • 30% spike in dehydrated potato sales.
  • 23% jump in frozen potato sales.
  • 21% swell in fresh potato sales.

In fact, the only spuds that didn’t see double-digit growth were deli-prepared sides. Apparently, potato salad wasn’t on the menu.

+ Idaho is happy. While the pandemic originally wreaked havoc on small Idaho farmers, major increases in potato sales, higher late-year milk prices, and record sugar beet yields gave The Gem State the highest net farm income on record.
MAGNETIC'S MUST-SEE STUFF

Ever felt like a fish out of water when it comes to grain marketing? Don’t be. Get comfortable and confident with this epic grain marketing basics course from @NEFarmGirlNextDoor. Enrollment closes 2/23.

Snag some carbon clarity. The AgWeb team tossed together a solid snapshot of all the players in the carbon market frenzy.

JUST FOR FUN
Purdue University researchers trained a particular animal species to use a joystick-like game to snag a treat. The experiment highlighted the behavioral and cognitive brainpower of the animals over a four-month period.

Now, take a guess: which animal species did they determine was a gamer?

Answer on the scroll
SPONSORED BY AGRISYNC

Optimizing Customer Service in Ag
AgriSync
Omnichannel: the buzziest of all buzz words.

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And agriculture is no exception. Ag professionals must be able to connect and collaborate on grower issues, whether it be via phone calls, text messages, or WhatsApp.

Let AgriSync be your guide.

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Take it from Stephen Swian at Quality Equipment,

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Uncover the difference with AgriSync today.

AG POLICY

No Connection Found...
The Federal Communications Commission [FCC] is officially taking its game of hide and seek with rural broadband a bit more seriously.

The commission launched a task force aimed at improving data and mapping tools around high-speed internet availability. In other words, find all the dead zones.

The goal: To shore up a complete assessment of broadband access before unloading the $20.4 billion up for grabs via the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund [RDOF].

The cash will be sent to any internet provider that can boost internet availability in places where internet speeds fall below a 25 megabits per second download pace. We’re looking at you, South Dakota.

The task at hand: FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said it best on the motivation moving forward, “It’s no secret that the FCC’s existing broadband maps leave a lot to be desired. We can do better, and we will.”

FRIDAY'S FEATURED GIGS

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ANSWER

Pigs must have a thing for PlayStations.
Written by: Travis Martin, Sheridan Wimmer, Kevin Cross

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