Good morning.
It’s time to study when pigs fly… er, dance.
A Belgian research team is looking into pigs' response to music, after a farmer noticed his sows wagging their tails as his son sang a song in the barn.
The farmer, Piet Paesmans, has created a whole piggy playlist, ranging from upbeat dance songs (which he says they love) to lullabies.
Since hearing about Piet's dancing pigs, the research team has secured €75K in funding to study this farmhouse rock.
The News:
|
Economists Eyeing Up Cattle Numbers:
|
"‘Til the cows come home" doesn’t apply to quite as many cattle these days.
Hauling a heavier load: With drought hitting hard for the past two years, plus drastic inflation on inputs like feed, fertilizer, and fuel, ranchers are steering their way to the sale barn with more cattle on their trailers.
Hoofing it to the sale barn: The nation’s cow and cattle herd is down 2% from last year in nearly every category, and it’s the lowest it’s been in the last eight years, according to a report from USDA’s NASS.
Last year, 40% of farmers sold off part of their herds because of drought. This year, a fun (read with heavy sarcasm) additional thing called inflation is to blame for higher culled cattle numbers.
Soundbite: "Just as expected, Friday's midyear Cattle Inventory report showcased lower numbers throughout the entire report, as cattlemen have dealt with financial hardships and prolonged drought over the past two years, which has led to historical culling practices," said DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart.
There’s good news, and there’s bad news: Cattle prices are expected to increase, meaning producers who have sustained through drought and inflation will see the rewards. But on the flip side, the long-term impact may mean the U.S. could have more competition in international market share as production declines.
|
→ Gettin’ connected. High-speed internet projects across 11 states will receive $401M in loans and grants, as the Biden administration continues its efforts to expand internet access in rural communities.
→ Here we go a-grain. Demand for grains is up recently, while global supply remains constrained—leading to a 74% rise in second-quarter profit for grain trader ADM.
→ Port drama. Operations at the Port of Oakland, the third-busiest West Coast port, ground to a halt for almost a week because of protests, and the congestion could cause a significant bottleneck particularly for red meat exports.
→ Major bio acquisition. Gingko Bioworks, a horizontal platform for cell programming, is making its biggest ever acquisition, taking over biotech company Zymergen, which offers significant automation and software capabilities to complement Gingko’s biological assets.
→ Making it rain for climate resilience. A $40M Series C funding round led by former presidential candidate Tom Steyer’s climate investment platform has been closed by Arable, which provides a field intelligence platform.
→ Extra-large caffeine capacity. Nestle has started operations in Mexico, where it’s opened a $340M coffee processing plant in Veracruz, focusing on instant coffee.
|
Investors Ink $70M Bet on Enko |
Crop protection startup Enko just received some encouragement—about $70M worth—in its Series C funding round. The latest batch of cash will go toward its platform that "facilitates discovery and development of alternatives to chemical crop protections."
The Enko engine: Enko’s work with targeted pesticides and herbicides could help lead to the replacement of chemicals used in food production around the world. Investors are paying attention.
Enko’s primary focus is finding new "modes of action" for treating and protecting crops via machine learning-based discovery technology and predictive analytics.
Located in Connecticut, this five-year-old company knows exactly what it wants: "to provide efficient, sustainable alternatives to chemical-based crop treatments that are outdated and, in some cases, completely ineffective."
One molecule at a time… Enko screens billions of molecules to see how they impact crops, weeds, and pests, examining toxicity risks. Thanks to their efforts, new alternatives to common chemical weed and pest treatments are being discovered.
Keeping the bottom line in mind, Enko believes in maintaining low research and development costs by staying away from bad chemistry.
The company is finding success with its current line of products with "a range of herbicides that are demonstrating breakthrough performance compared to industry standards like glyphosate."
|
SPONSORED BY CARBON BY INDIGO
|
Get Your Carbon Game Plan in Motion |
The best time to start developing your carbon farming plan? Yesterday, probably.
But the next best time is now.
Leading companies want to buy registry-issued carbon credits — and Carbon by Indigo is the only program in which farmers can generate high quality, science-based carbon credits in 30 states, growing multiple field crop types.
With Carbon by Indigo’s tailored agronomic support and guidance, farmers can build their soil’s capability to maximize their carbon credit generating potential. Starting on your planning now gives you a leg up on the 2023 planting season.
If you’re curious how much you could be making from carbon credits based on your acreage and location, use this calculator to understand the opportunity.
Then get started in minutes. Create a Carbon by Indigo account and explore the program at no cost and with no commitment. Chat with a carbon farming expert and use their agronomic tools and resources to start planning for 2023.
|
ArtbyPixel / Getty Images
|
Eligible pork producers are about to be living high off the hog.
With the go-ahead from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, funding for the Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP) is increasing. The USDA will issue approximately $62.8M in pandemic assistance payments this week to eligible producers who sold hogs through the spot market from April 16 - Sept. 1, 2020.
The backstory: Packer production declined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to fewer negotiated hogs and lower market prices. SMHPP was the USDA’s attempt to bridge the gaps in financial assistance for hog producers. Originally, the FSA planned to apply a payment factor if the payments exceeded the $50M allotted for pandemic assistance.
Bringing in the bacon: Now, though, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) increased funding for SMHPP to full payments instead of applying the payment factor. Payments will be calculated by the number of head of eligible hogs (as long as it’s less than 10,000) x a $54 payment rate.
Soundbite: "Producers forced into spot market hog sales are still challenged by the market disruptions of COVID-19, and these funds will contribute to the ongoing recovery of the U.S. pork industry," said Terry Wolters, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) president and owner of Stoney Creek Farms in Pipestone, Minn.
|
Oh that sweet, sweet summertime…
Well, actually, not too sweet anymore if Capri Sun has anything to do with it.
The childhood staple is cutting its sugar serving by 40% and will reformulate with a natural sweetener to keep kids a bit more on the healthy side.
So, can you guess which food product's makeup will serve as the sugar substitute?
- Blackstrap molasses
- Dates
- Monk fruit
Answer at the bottom of the email.
|
Why are you keeping us a secret? Make sure to share Magnetic with friends, family, and coworkers to snag Magnetic goodies when you hit certain referral counts.
Your link:
*Curious where you stand? You can always check your referral hub and see rewards here.
|
|
|
Written & Edited by Sheridan Wimmer, Amelia VanLandegen, Rachel Robinson, Ashley Scoby, and Travis Martin
Were you forwarded this email? Sign up here.
Best jobs in agriculture → Magnetic Ag Job Board
|
ADVERTISE
Not feeling Magnetic anymore?
Break our hearts and unsubscribe here.
Magnetic Ag
P.O. Box 7292
Greenwood, IN 46142-6423
United States
|
|
|
|
