Shifting trade flows are redefining the Brazilian landscape, spurring more farmers to align their crops with Chinese appetites. The nation’s soy plantings have expanded by 2 million hectares in two years - an area the size of New Jersey - while land used for cane shrank by nearly 400,000 hectares, according to government data. China’s growing demand for meat has supercharged soy imports for animal feed. [node:read-more:link]
It's been 4 years since dairy farmers could say they earned a living wage. "It's not a good picture out there. There's a lot of desperate people. It's sad when the people that feed us can't feed themselves." said Brien Tabolt, general manager at the Lowville Producers Cheese Store.On Monday, hundreds of farmers from across the country were in Albany to put their heads together.The dairy co-op Agri-Mark organized the summit to get ideas on how to get farmers more money for the milk their cows make.You can find a list of the other ideas here. [node:read-more:link]
Two cases of rare swine flu have been linked to attendance at the Fowlerville Family Fair in late July. [node:read-more:link]
Ticks native to Maryland commonly feed on deer, but a deer found near Hagerstown was carrying a foreign invader; the Asian longhorned tick, which has made its way from Japan to Australia to the U.S. [node:read-more:link]
Overall U.S. sales of tractors and combines continued to post strong numbers, led by self-propelled combines and 4-wheel-drive tractors, according to the July 2018 report from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). July U.S. sales of self-propelled combines gained 37 percent compared to last year, with year-to-date growth of nearly 24 percent compared to last-year’s January-July numbers.U.S. sales of 4-wheel-drive tractors jumped 77.5 percent for July compared to July 2017, and grew nearly 13 percent year-to-date over January-July 2017.For July, total U.S. [node:read-more:link]
HSUS recently held its “Taking Action for Animals” Conference here in Arlington, and as always the Alliance had representatives on the scene. Despite HSUS’ efforts to appear moderate and professional, its conference has usually been a good source for quotes and insights that illustrate its true mission to promote veganism and end animal agriculture. When I reviewed the agenda for this year’s event, I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed. The sessions were all billed under very innocuous names with vague descriptions, and most of the speakers were HSUS staffers vs. [node:read-more:link]
Two of the first states to broadly legalize marijuana took different approaches to regulation that left Oregon with a vast oversupply and Colorado with a well-balanced market. But in both states prices for bud have plummeted. [node:read-more:link]
An outbreak of a deadly virus is closing down an attraction at a local county fair. Organizers are figuring out how pigs were infected with the swine flu at the Shiawassee County Fair.Closed signs and fencing cloak the Shiawassee Fair's Swine Barn with not even one pig in sight.That's because on Thursday night, Fair Manager Ric Crawford and barn superintendents noticed that a group of pigs started looking sick. [node:read-more:link]
A standardized animal welfare program for Canadian feedlot operators should result in healthier, more profitable cattle. Better animal care has a spin-off benefit because it improves performance, health and reduces the chronically ill or railers, that is, animals that must go to slaughter before they reach market weight.It is a companion to the national beef code of practice but addresses specific issues in feedlots.Canadian facilities JBS and Cargill Meats, and Tyson’s at Pasco, Washington, are involved with the program as are retailers and some companies like McDonald’s. [node:read-more:link]
Europe is projecting it’s largest apple crop which increases competition for Washington apples overseas in the coming year of sales. [node:read-more:link]
