Emily Anthes reported on the front page of today’s New York Times that, “Scientists have used the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR to create chickens that have some resistance to avian influenza, according to a new study that was published in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday.”
Farm Policy News
Bird Flu Detected on U.S. Commercial Poultry Farm
Late last week, Reuters writer Tom Polansek reported that, “The U.S. has detected its first case of avian flu on a commercial poultry farm since April, in a flock of 47,300 turkeys in Jerauld County, South Dakota, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said.”
AMIS Fertilizer Outlook- Prices “Mostly Up in September,” While Russia Lifts Ban on Diesel Exports
In its October Market Monitor report, the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) indicated that, “Fertilizer prices were mostly up in September along with prices for main fertilizer inputs.”
USDA Explores Third-Quarter Barged Grain Movements on the Mississippi River
In its weekly Grain Transportation report on Thursday, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service indicated that, “The Mississippi River System (MRS) comprises the Nation’s primary waterways for moving grain from Midwest production areas to the U.S. Gulf region for export. Close to 60 percent of U.S. grain exports (wheat, soybeans, and corn) travel this route by barge.”
Wheat Climbs on Black Sea Turmoil, While Global Food Prices Little Changed In September
Dow Jones writer Kirk Maltais reported yesterday that, “Wheat for December delivery rose 3.3% to $5.78 1/4 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade on Thursday, with futures climbing in reaction to news throughout the day of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, and fears that vessels earmarked for carrying Ukrainian grain could be targeted.”
Fertilizer Costs: “Split as Some Prices Rise and Others Fall,” While Diesel Prices Climb
DTN writer Russ Quinn reported yesterday that, “Retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN for the fourth week of September 2023 are showing a more pronounced split as some prices rise and others fall.”
Twelve Additional Ships To Enter Black Sea “Humanitarian Corridor”
Reuters writers Olena Harmash and Pavel Polityuk reported today that, “Ukraine’s navy said on Wednesday that 12 more cargo vessels were ready to enter a fledgling Black Sea shipping corridor on their way to Ukrainian ports, as Kyiv steps up a push to defy a de facto Russian blockade on its vital sea exports.”
U.S. Corn, Soybean Harvest 23% Complete, While Black Sea Exports in Focus
Reuters writer Julie Ingwersen reported yesterday that, “The U.S. corn and soy harvests were 23% complete by Sunday, government data showed on Monday, slightly behind analysts’ expectations that both crops would be 25% harvested.”
United States Hog Inventory Up Slightly From Year Ago
Late last week, DTN reported that, “United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on Sept. 1, 2023, was 74.3 million head. This was up slightly from Sept. 1, 2022, and up 2% from June 1, 2023, USDA NASS reported on Thursday.”
Three Vessels Leave Black Sea Ports With Grain and Iron Ore, Five New Ships Waiting to Be Loaded
Reuters writer Pavel Polityuk reported on Sunday that, “Five more ships are on their way to Ukrainian sea ports using a new corridor opened to resume predominantly agricultural exports, an alternative arrangement to the Black Sea grain deal blocked by Russia, a top Ukrainian official said on Sunday.”
Grain Prices “Steep Dive” Following Production, Stocks Reports
Dow Jones writer Kirk Maltais reported on Friday that, “Wheat for December delivery fell 6.6% to $5.40 3/4 a bushel, on the Chicago Board of Trade on Friday, with heavy selling taking place after the USDA reported both higher production and higher stockpiles than expected by analysts.”
Lower Water Levels on Mississippi Put “Crop Exports at Risk,” Impact New Orleans Drinking Water
Bloomberg writer Michael Hirtzer reported on Friday that, “America’s crop exports are once again at risk due to a diminished Mississippi River.”
U.S. May Forfeit A Bit of “Soft Power” as Share of Global Grain Exports Recedes, While Mississippi Water Levels Still a Concern
Bloomberg writers Isis Almeida, Gerson Freitas Jr, and Michael Hirtzer reported yesterday that, “Today the source of America’s agripower is rapidly dwindling.”
Wheat Prices Hit Two Year Low, While “Super” El Niño Event Possible
Reuters writer Pavel Polityuk reported today that, “Russia carried out a big wave of air strikes on three Ukrainian regions early on Thursday in which Ukrainian officials said some attack drones had hit their targets but did not say what was damaged.”
Bloomberg: As EVs Dent Gasoline and Ethanol Demand, Focus Turns to “Green Jet Fuel”
Bloomberg writers Kim Chipman and Tarso Veloso Ribeiro reported yesterday that, “For US corn farmers, the rise of green jet fuel is their best hope of staving off an existential threat.”
Iowa Drought Concerns Farmers; While 15% of Corn, and 12% of Soybeans Harvested
Donnelle Eller reported on the front page of Sunday’s Des Moines Register that, “Drought, now [Iowa’s] longest in two decades, encompasses most of Iowa, a new U.S. Drought Monitor shows. Nearly three-fourths of the state is gripped in severe to exceptional drought, including large swaths of eastern Iowa.”
Russia Hits Ukrainian Port Infrastructure For Second Night, as Black Sea Turmoil Persists
New York Times writers Victoria Kim and Matthew Mpoke Bigg reported today that, “Russian drones targeted southern Ukraine early Tuesday, hitting port infrastructure, warehouses and dozens of trucks near the Black Sea, after Ukraine increased attacks on Crimea in an effort to loosen Moscow’s grip on the south.”
Port of Odesa Bombed Again in Sustained Effort to Snarl Ukraine’s Grain Exports
Financial Times writer Roman Olearchyk reported today that, “Russian forces pummeled the Black Sea port city of Odesa in the early hours of Monday as they continued their months-long campaign of air strikes aimed at hobbling Ukraine’s grain exports.”
As Harvest Unfolds, Mississippi River Transportation Issues Persist
Associated Press writer Scott McFetridge reported on the front page of Saturday’s Des Moines Register that, “A long stretch of hot, dry weather has left the Mississippi River so low that barge companies are reducing their loads just as Midwest farmers are preparing to harvest crops and send tons of corn and soybeans downriver to the Gulf of Mexico.”
Large Chinese Imports of South American Soybeans Continues; Another “Humanitarian Corridor” Grain Ship Sails, While Temperature Lowered on Ukraine, Poland Rift
Bloomberg writers Hallie Gu and Tarso Veloso Ribeiro reported earlier this week that, “China’s voracious appetite for South American soybeans has continued into a period typically dominated by the US, an ominous sign for that nation’s growers as their harvest begins.”