The drought that continues in much of the Midwest despite recent rainfall could affect not only crops but also the ability of producers to get their corn and soybeans to foreign markets.
Water levels are falling on the Mississippi River, and they are now lower in St. Louis and comparable at Memphis to the low-water year of 2022, warns Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition.
“Of course, anything can happen over the next several months,” Steenhoek says in a note to the industry. “We can get more than expected rainfall to reverse this trajectory, but summer usually is a time when water levels gradually decrease. This clearly is an issue worth monitoring.”
With eye on biofuel demand, Bunge, Chevron buy camelina firm
Oil and agribusiness giants continue to make investments in new feedstocks for biofuels, including sustainable aviation fuel. Chevron and Bunge have acquired Chacraservicios, an Argentina-based company that produces the oilseed cover crop, camelina sativa.
The companies see camelina as a “new oil source” in their global supply chains and a way to “meet the growing demand for lower carbon renewable feedstocks,” according to a press release. The companies didn’t disclose the terms of the transaction.
Keep in mind: Cameline could be used for jet fuel as well as renewable diesel. The airlines and the Biden administration have a goal of using 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030.
USDA expands insurance options for some crops
USDA is expanding crop insurance options for forage production and some specialty crops. Growers will now be able to insure alfalfa seed, cultivated wild rice, mint, onions, potatoes and forage production by enterprise units.
Enterprise units allow producers to insure all acres of the same crop in a county. Insuring crops by enterprise units reduces premiums due to the geographic diversification. The larger the unit, the lower the risk and insurance premiums.
In a press release, RMA says it plans to expand the option to “dozens more specialty and other APH crop programs with these benefits in the coming months.”
APH stands for “actual production history.”
Keep in mind: The announcement comes as lawmakers are considering additional measures to increase the use of crop insurance by growers of fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops.
Black Sea grain exports slow further as UN seeks to save trade
No ships carrying Ukrainian ag goods have been cleared to exit the Black Sea since Tuesday as the United Nations continues to lament the dwindling trade, which is needed to keep global food prices stable.
The last two ships to be inspected and allowed to leave the Black Sea through the Bosporus Strait were carrying 62,477 tons of corn to China and 22,387 tons of sunflower meal to France, according to data collected by the UN-led Joint Coordination Center. The JCC is made up of Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish inspectors. Ukrainian government officials blame Russian inspectors for slowing down grain exports out of ports in Odesa.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative will expire on July 18 if Moscow follows through on its latest threats to pull out of the deal. UN spokesman Farhan Haq says the organization is working to prevent that from happening.
USGS finds PFAS widely distributed in tap water samples
Urban residents have a higher chance of finding PFAS in their tap water than rural residents, according to a new study from the U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS tested for the presence of 32 of the so-called “forever chemicals,” finding at least one in 45% of samples.
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USGS scientists say there’s a 75% chance that PFAS won’t be found in rural areas, compared to only 25% for urban areas. “Most of the exposure was observed near urban areas and potential PFAS sources," USGS says. “This included the Great Plains, Great Lakes, Eastern Seaboard, and Central/Southern California regions.”
Take note: The study only found a positive association between one PFAS compound and pastureland, and suggested that biosolids applications may not pose a serious contamination threat in cultivated cropland.
Cell-cultivated meat gets taste at DC restaurant
Guests at José Andrés’ China Chilcano restaurant in the nation’s capital got a bite of history this week: They tasted grilled, cell-cultivated chicken that required no slaughtering of animals. The chicken was served with anticucho sauce, native potatoes and ají Amarillo chimichurri.
GOOD Meat, the cultivated meat division of the food technology company Eat Just, received full U.S. regulatory approval two weeks ago to sell its chicken to American consumers.
According to the company, the first U.S. guests to enjoy GOOD Meat were the daughter and grandson of the late Willem van Eelen, known as the “godfather of cultivated meat.” Ira van Eelen says she was grateful to see the promise of her father’s work become a reality. “This is the meat we love and trust, just made in a better way,” she says.
By the way: The restaurant is taking reservations later this month. The meal will be served weekly in limited quantities by reservation only.
He said it. “It serves as a reminder that drought not only inhibits the ability to grow a crop, but it also inhibits the ability to transport that crop.” – Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition.
