Good morning.
Let the games begin!
With a tip-off time of 6 a.m. EST (now!), Magnetic March Madness is live, and the first-round matchups are open for voting!
Scroll to see all the details on voting, sharing, and how to get your team to the next round.
Stories:
- USDA's Fertilizer Fund Injection
- Magnetic March Madness: First Round!
- The NASA AgTech Agenda
- Cocoa's Traceability Mission
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When Fertilizer News Finally Hits A Little Different... |
The USDA is dolin’ out funds and turnin’ up the heat on fertilizer markets in an effort to spur domestic production and ensure competition. During the Commodity Classic, USDA Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced both an investment and an inquiry into the industry.
Skyrocketing input prices for things like fertilizer have farm funds tight. There’s no end in sight as Russia, a top fertilizer producer, gets the cold shoulder from global markets.
Fertilizer funds: A new grant program will use $250M in Commodity Credit Corporation funds to bring "gap" financing to new, independent, domestic fertilizer production. The investment is intent on rewarding innovation and sustainability from farmers.
The USDA says it will also tackle rising costs and lack of competition. The U.S. is a major importer of fertilizer from countries like China, Russia, Canada, and Morocco.
Competition query: The USDA says it’s launching a public inquiry into the consequences of concentration within the fertilizer, seed, and retail markets: aka, something kinda stinks.
The inquiry is tied to the Biden administration’s July executive order to promote competition in the American economy. The USDA will collect comments for 60 days.
The USDA isn’t alone in their concern; the Iowa attorney general’s office is also investigating high fertilizer prices.
Where this goes: The grant program is expected to be ready for applicants this summer, with awards coming at the end of the year.
At the end of the inquiry, the USDA will compile comments, develop reports, and create policies to address concerns. New grant and loan programs or additional rules and regulations could be on the table to increase fairness and competition in ag markets.
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→ Dwindling dairy cows. The 2021 U.S. dairy cow inventory was down 1% from 2020 numbers, and the dairy heifer herd declined 158,000 head in the same period.
→ Speaking swine. European researchers have developed an algorithm that could decode pigs’ oinks and other sounds in order to determine their emotional state.
→ No exports of inputs. After already banning exports on wheat, corn, and other commodities, Ukraine has now stopped exports of fertilizers, throwing another wrench into an already unstable global fertilizer market.
→ Delayed deluge. Heavy rainfall finally arrived across Argentina, but the moisture came too late to benefit much of the soybean harvest in the drought-stricken southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.
→ Smithfield labor deal. The meat-packing company and its union agreed to a new contract, which guarantees immediate $2/hour pay raises, annual increases after that, and more worker protections against unfair pay rates and working conditions.
→ Berry good news. Strawberry volume in California is above the projected total for 2022, and acreage dedicated to strawberry production is up 6% across the state.
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First Round Matchups Are Live! |
It's game time!
The First Round games are open *now* until Thursday at noon!
Here's how this works:
- Simply head to the link below and hit 'Click Here to Vote!' once in the portal.
- You will have to vote for a winner in all 32 First Round matchups.
- Share today's newsletter with coworkers and customers to get more votes!
We'll announce all the First Round winners + open Second Round games on Friday!
Go Vote Here!
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NASA and farming? Not your everyday combination.
A new space-age technology for agriculture is here. GEO-CropSim is a "useful decision-making tool to help monitor and improve crop production while simultaneously analyzing water consumption."
Developed by NASA Harvest in partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, GEO-CropSim aims to help inform ag policy and management decisions at scale through granular data.
How does it work? GEO-CropSim uses a combination of process modeling and remote sensing.
1) Process modeling uses known variables such as management practices (e.g. fertilizer application or irrigated vs. non-irrigated), plus climate and soil data, to build crop simulations.
2) Remote sensing is where NASA comes in. Satellite imagery is collected to inform leaf area index, water content in plants, and land temperature.
GEO-CropSim combines data from these two methods for an accurate picture of yield and crop conditions.
Why GEO-CropSim is important: As global food insecurity continues to rise with the booming population, it is crucial to identify geographies with struggling agricultural production. Additionally, droughts and decreasing global water resources can have serious effects on major ag nations such as the U.S., Brazil, and Ukraine.
Identification and measurement of these variables can provide helpful, usable data.
Accuracy matters. Sharp yield simulations can help inform everything from crop insurance and land rental agreements to agricultural policies. So, having access to more robust, accurate data could be out of this world.
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Grains: Russia resumed some wheat exports out of the Black Sea while soymeal logistics in Ukraine and Argentina also touched prices.
Livestock: Cattle made bold moves as beef demand is strong.
*As of market close [3/14/22]
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SPONSORED BY DPH BIOLOGICALS
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Don't Fear the Fertilizer Frenzy |
If supply chain challenges and fertilizer shortages got you down, it’s time to spring into action.
DPH Biologicals (formerly Douglas Plant Health) is here to the rescue with plans to scale their flagship biofertilizer - TerraTrove™ SP-1 Classic™ - to give row and specialty crop farmers a viable alternative and compliment to on-farm fertility needs.
SP-1 Classic has a complete set of powerful ingredients that work together to help manufacture fertility in the soil.
- Plant Based Humus Extracts
- Consortium of Microbes
- Algae
All this to improve soil structure, make more nutrients available and ultimately increase yield.
And when it comes to effectiveness, the results speak for themselves. When SP-1 Classic is used with starter fertilizers, corn growers have been able to replace up to 50% of synthetic fertilizer when used in-furrow.
Don’t wait. Ask your retailers about TerraTrove today.
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Magnetic's Must-See Stuff |
Reality check. Check out this piece from a real-life cattle rancher about what the "Yellowstone" TV drama gets wrong about cattle producers.
Ready for the March drop? The USDA is releasing two major reports this month, and this article gives a little more insight about what’s coming and why it’s so important to pay attention, especially given recent market swings.
Jobs for dayz. New career opportunities hit the Magnetic Job Board each week. See ‘em here.
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Let’s keep the madness rolling…
How many of the 68 schools in this year’s NCAA tournament are land-grant universities?
Answer at the bottom of the email.
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Cocoa's Traceability Mission |
Tan Dao Duy | Getty Images
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The Ivory Coast is working to make cocoa production a little sweeter.
In an industry plagued with deforestation and child labor issues, the country is hoping to ensure more ethical cocoa production.
Traceability: With implementation of a new system, the Ivory Coast will inform producers and customers of the exact origin and production conditions of cocoa beans, the primary ingredient of (you already know what it is…) chocolate!
A long time coming: The Ivory Coast produces more than 40% of global cocoa exports, while receiving harsh criticism for relying on child labor and destroying forests and national parks to grow cocoa. Conscientious consumers have taken note and want to know where and how the prized chocolate ingredient is produced.
Exporters have used their own traceability systems (which don’t talk to one another), but none have been capable of tracing the beans from production to consumption.
The missing link: Tracking the beans from farm to storage center. Historically, it was the journey from storage centers to ports that has been pretty "trackable."
Soundbite: "Now that we have a reliable database on all farmers, the geographic location, dimensions, and GPS coordinates of their farms, we can trace the origin of beans from the plantations to close the loop," said Yves Brahima Kone, head of the Cocoa and Coffee Council (CCC).
For the love of (ethical) chocolate: Chocolate makers, environmental groups, and non-governmental groups are backing this new system. In partnership with Visa to develop an electronic payment system integration, farmers will get the guaranteed farmgate price. The pilot tracing program begins April 1.
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22! They are Arizona, Auburn, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Purdue, Illinois, Arkansas, UConn, LSU, Colorado State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa State, Wyoming, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, New Mexico State, South Dakota State, Vermont, Montana State, and Delaware.
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Written & Edited by Kelsey Faivre, Aaron Dunajeski, Amelia VanLandegen, Ashley Scoby and Travis Martin
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Greenwood, IN 46142-6423
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