Good morning.
Beekeepers, beware. We’ve been tracking the news of stolen hives from California almond growers since our story on the pollinators last week.
But anti-theft technology is helping the cause. GPS trackers and surveillance cameras are stopping bee-stealing gangs—yes, you read that right—from snatching the precious pollinators.
Here’s hoping the sting operation is enough to stop the wave of thefts…
Stories:
P.S. Last call! We’re keeping the entry form for March Magnetic Madness open through the weekend. Nominate your company for free in the fun voting tourney. Preference for entries will be given to companies with production agriculture ties.
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The Biofuel Buzz from the Bayou |
Get ready for more corn in your gas tank. ‘Cause biofuels are making a comeback.
News from NOLA: At the recent National Ethanol Conference in New Orleans, Sarah Dunham, director of the EPA's Office of Air Quality, shared some good news with producers and refiners: biofuels are back in business.
The deets: At the conference, Dunham referenced the Biden administration's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, stating, "that absolutely includes biofuels."
Refresher: The biofuels industry has been on pins and needles awaiting the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blend volumes for post-2022. Meanwhile, the ethanol crowd is still awaiting the finalization of renewable volume obligations (legally past due) for this year and last.
By the numbers: All in all, things are looking up for 2022. In the EPA’s proposed rule, ethanol volumes will be set at 15B gallons, with total renewable fuels set at 20.77B gallons.
That’s up from 13.32B and 18.52B gallons, respectively, for 2021.
But it’s not exactly party central. Although proposed volumes are looking up, the EPA is also calling for retroactive RFS cuts—dropping 2020 blending requirements of all biofuels by nearly 3B gallons. No bueno.
According to Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, this move "would set a dangerous precedent."
Tom weighing in: Although final blending decisions aren’t expected until at least June (good grief!), Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, in his video message to the conference, also touted Biden’s commitment to the industry, including emerging low-carbon aviation fuels.
Hopefully, biofuels truly are up, up, and away…
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→ Commodity concerns mount. With Russia’s advance into Ukraine, all eyes are on the price movement of grains, especially wheat, as well as oil and gas.
→ Not so sweet news. Cuba is feeling the sting of an input-hampered sugar industry, as output is expected to run 30% shy of a 900K-tonne goal, a record low.
→ ADM cashes in a new record. The grain trader recorded the largest soybean shipment in the history of the Ponta da Montanha Grain Terminal with a single vessel carrying 84,802 tonnes out of the Amazon Basin.
→ Hemp is on the USDA map. The first survey of domestic hemp producers in the U.S. valued the market at $824M in 2021, with 54K acres planted last year.
→ Potato, potahto. No matter how you say it, 2021 was a great year for the U.S. fresh potato market with exports soaring 19% in volume over 2020.
→ Milkin’ legislation for robots. The Iowa State Dairy Association is working to push a bill that could help the state’s 850 dairy farmers get grants or forgivable loans for automation technology in milking parlors.
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The Latest at Foot Meat Locker |
Smart phone. Smart watch. Smart car. And now… Smart Locker.
A smart combo: Smart Locker, an Iowa-based technology company, is releasing the latest tool to help meat processors reduce stress and increase profits.
Not your typical locker room: The collaborative effort between meat processors and software engineers allows meat processors to automate and organize tasks like online order forms, mobile notifications, and digitally generated cut sheets.
This is expected to lead to efficiency savings when inflation and supply chain issues are being bullies and throwing processors into figurative lockers.
Cut the fat: Co-founder Alex Freeman, who is from Iowa and worked at the Iowa Department of Agriculture, knows meat processors need automation during busy times.
Smart Locker’s goal is to help small and mid-sized meat processors who were hit with high capacities during COVID-19 grow responsibly.
Knives out: "There is no simple, powerful tool like this exclusively for the meat processing community," Freeman says. "We are so excited to finally give meat processors the modern solution they deserve."
Less time on the phone with customers means processors are able to fulfill orders more efficiently and with fewer misteaks.
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Grains: Wheat goes wild as Russia invades Ukraine.
Livestock: Higher grain prices create a bearish tone for feed prices and all the proteins.
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Cutting-Edge. Business Wise. |
The two phrases above are just what you need when it comes to custom software development in agriculture.
And DelMar strikes the balance between strategic thinkers who can visualize your dream solution and practical builders who can make it a reality.
Just take it from Kyle Lutes, DelMar’s Founding Partner:
"We're sized and structured in such a way as to provide immediate, personal, hands-on service from the very first point of engagement, at the conceptual level, through implementation and technical support down the road."
Ready to take your business to the next level?
Schedule your no-cost, no-obligation consultation call with the DelMar team today.
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After a saga that included a U.S. inspector and a threatening phone call, the U.S. has restarted its importation of avocados from the Michoacán region of Mexico.
The pause in trade was a big deal (on Super Bowl weekend, no less!) as U.S. guac lovers depend on Mexico imports to satisfy their cravings.
So, guess: What percent of the $3B of imported avocados in the U.S. come from Mexico?
- 48%
- 77%
- 92%
Answer at the bottom of the email.
**Win a Magnetic koozie when you submit a trivia question and it gets used in a future newsletter! Submit questions here.
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Billionaire Grilling McDonald’s Pork Policies |
Nathan Stirk / Getty Images
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Looks like billionaire Carl Icahn is trying to hog the McDonald’s Board of Directors.
The investor recently bought a small stake in McDonald’s: only 200 shares, equivalent to a roughly $25K stake in the $187B company. But, he’s pushing McDonald’s to go completely "crate-free" for its pork supply, and is hoping to push that policy through two board nominations.
At the McDonald’s 2022 Annual Meeting, Icahn nominated Leslie Samuelrich, president of Green Century Capital Management, and Maisie Ganzler, chief strategy and brand officer at Bon Appétit Management Co., for election.
The backstory: In 2012, McDonald’s committed to phasing out gestation crates, which was a first for a major brand. Icahn argues the company hasn’t done enough.
However, McDonald’s argues Icahn’s demands are unrealistic given the current supply, industry veterinary science, and the company’s ability to provide "high-quality products at accessible prices."
And now: McDonald’s said it sources roughly 1% of all U.S. pork production and does not own any sows, or produce or package pork in the country. By the end of this year, McDonald’s said, it expects to source 85 to 90% of its U.S. pork from pregnant sows not housed in gestation crates. By the end of 2024, it expects all its U.S. pork will come from sows housed in groups during pregnancy.
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Written by Kevin Cross, Sheridan Wimmer, Rachel Robinson, and Travis Martin
Edited by Ashley Scoby
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