🌎 Neighborly Trade Tiff / 🍑 How Peachy / 🐖 FBN's Animal Frenzy

The North American block party might be a bit awkward this summer as trade pact tiffs continue between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

Eight months after the activation of the USMCA [the new North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA], the U.S. is raising concerns on some hot trade topics with its neighbors to the north and south. And it's not just the burnt brisket at the neighborhood barbeque.

Mexico

Very recent bans of glyphosate and GMO corn have the U.S. up in arms. The goals to eliminate genetically-modified varieties by 2024 left Mexico with some explaining to do to its #1 corn provider.

With 15 billion tonnes of corn worth $2.7 billion on the line, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack assured friendly ag relations were still in place:

“I expressed the concern about the Mexican attitude about genetically engineered crops and the need of being able to get those crops into that market without barriers or interference. I received assurances from a feed perspective that that will be the case and there will be continued access to that incredible market and a chance to grow that market.”

But don't count on Mexico for the potato salad, though: Mexico’s Supreme Court is in the process of determining if fresh U.S. potatoes can be sold in the country, a market opportunity of $200 million per year.

Canada

And Canada's burger isn't topped with American cheese: Trade complaints are still in process as U.S. dairy groups hurl criticism at Canada for shaking hands on the USMCA with their fingers crossed behind their back.

Tariff-rate quotas [TRQs] that would enable a flow of new U.S. dairy exports and expand supply options to Canadian retailers and distributors aren’t being implemented as agreed upon.

Long story short... The value-add U.S. dairy products that sell for big bucks aren’t getting the light of day in Canadian channels. 85% of exports to Canada are lower-value milk products sent to processors. Put in context by Krysta Harden, CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council,

“Canada needs to stop manipulating its dairy TRQs; its actions have not only negatively impacted U.S. dairy farmers and manufacturers, but also constrained many Canadian companies from being able to make use of these new TRQs to expand their supply options.”

→ Cargill ups crush capacity. The company will invest $475 million at sites across seven states to increase total soy crush capacity and improve operational efficiencies.

→ It’s getting worse in the West. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows 90% of the western corridor of the U.S. in a drought, with 20% at an ‘exceptional’ drought status, mostly in Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.

→ Texas’ $600M gut punch. February’s Winter Storm Uri has racked up major ag losses across citrus, vegetables, and livestock.

→ Tyson’s 10K Vax Status. The protein company crossed the 10,000 vaccinated worker threshold through pop-up vaccine hubs at processing plants in Arkansas, Kansas, and North Carolina.

→ Irresistible irrigation partnership. GroGuru and AquaCheck will provide producers with the combination of hardware and software for a powerful irrigation decision support platform.

→ Sysco files suit. Joining a long list of food retail and foodservice companies, the major distributor accused the major meat companies - Tyson, JBS, Smithfield, and others - of pork price-fixing.

Some fruitful new findings just gave peach producers a lot to look forward to.

Researchers at Boyce Thompson Institute discovered several powerful peach genes. Using 2,700 spots in the genome of 260 wild peach varieties, the scientists found links to 51 environmental factors sending breeders off to the races.

With the science in hand, new peach varieties can be developed to withstand stress in the form of cold, drought, or even high altitude UV radiation.

California’s ears just perked up: The #1 peach-producing state, California, provides 56% of the U.S. fresh peach crop and 96% of the country’s processed peaches.

New varieties also mean expanded growing regions, which might stretch up to the Pacific Northwest, where frost and cold snaps previously limited peach output.

Peaches time to shine: While most genetics-focused research and varietal development happens in commodity crops like corn, soybeans, and rice, peaches and other fruit crops are usually left in the dust. But now, the 24.5 million tons of global peach production can expand its vision and reduce waste.

Cheers to China’s case study: Researchers looked to the country as a model as wild peaches have adapted to lowland acres or colder climates. The U.S. crop will benefit from the environmental observations in the Asian nation.

Kevin Johansen was intimately familiar with the challenges posed in the farm labor market and how it hurt his local, rural community.

So he did something about it.

Enter, AgButler.

The seamless, easy-to-use free platform is bringing the gig economy to agriculture. Farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses can find temporary, part-time, or full-time labor for everything from crops and livestock to transportation and construction.

AgButler’s network of experienced ag workers can be filtered by:

Location
Work Experience
Availability
Past Ratings

And with a secure payment system to boot, you can manage all your labor needs from the palm of your hand.

Named one of the '9 apps you shouldn’t farm without’ by Successful Farming, it’s revitalizing rural economies and enabling farm productivity, one click at a time.

Don’t wait. Find farm labor today with AgButler.

Farmers Business Network (FBN) is going all-in on animal health and nutrition.

With this week's acquisition of Prairie Livestock Supply, the independent farmer-to-farmer network also launched FBN Pharmacy and FBN Feed. The goal? Provide more choice for livestock producers via a digital marketplace.

A soundbite: “Improving both the producer economics and environmental sustainability of livestock is the best way to ensure farms are family-run for generations to come. FBN is now uniquely able to do both,” says Charles Baron, co-founder of FBN and the company’s VP of livestock.

The expansion is a natural step for the historically crop-focused company. The animal angle aligns with +50% of FBN’s existing members who are also livestock producers.

The deets:

FBN Feed: Dry feed, liquid supplements, lick tubs, and nutritional support will all be available on the platform.
FBN Pharmacy: A full catalog of drugs and supplies will be complemented with some regions gaining access to vet-supported services through a partnership with Southwest Veterinary Services.

Products and services are transparently-priced and designed to have a high ROI, targeting farmers experiencing squeezed incomes.

Zoom out: The ‘Amazon of agriculture’ has been busy at work beyond just strategic animal agriculture moves. Their launch of the Gradable Carbon program is another recent move into the competitive carbon credit ecosystem.