Cocoa futures have had the best run of just about any asset class this year. Since the start of 2024, prices have climbed from around $4,200 to over $12,000, or more than +185%. That even beats Nvidia stock and Bitcoin! With global cocoa supplies at a 36-year low, poor outlooks for upcoming harvests, and consumers …
Kevin Van Trump and Andy Daniels sit down with Tom Willis to discuss current thoughts regarding the government shutdown, administration changes, trade war, biofuel, and policy changes for agriculture in 2025. There are also lots of other great topics discussed. This is an episode you don’t want to miss before the New Year! https://www.vantrumpreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Highly-Volatile-Dec.-24.mp3Podcast: Play …
A hatchery in Iowa recently celebrated the first chicks hatched from a batch that were sexed “in ovo.” The Hy-Line North America Iowa hatchery is said to be the first to use the non-invasive technology from Agri Advanced Technologies GmbH (AAT). Chicks from the hatchery were expected to go to their first customer – NestFresh Eggs – …
NEW Technology Determines the Sex of a Chick Before Hatching Read More »
A nasty, nasty pest that poses a severe threat to the livestock industry has been working its way northward from South America. Eradicated from Central America, Mexico, and the U.S. over 30 years ago, the pest has made a rapid comeback in just the last couple of years. Known as “New World Screwworm” (NWS), the …
What Livestock Producers Need to Know About “New World Screwworm” Read More »
Knowing more about your soil typically means more samples, more time, and lots more money. That is unless you see soil differently. You can thank the U.S. heading into outer space to retrieve some soil samples for the fact that EarthOptics is now at the forefront of transforming soil measurement and analysis. Back in early …
How “EarthOptics” is Becoming a Leader in Soil Analysis Read More »
It’s an infuriating but accepted fact of farming that some amount of grain is going to be lost during harvest. Despite being ripe for improvement, new technologies designed to bring more efficiency to the farm had mostly overlooked this area, something that wasn’t lost on Marcel Kringe. With a background in ag engineering and agronomy, …
“Bushel Plus” is Providing a Better Way to Track and Reduce Harvest Loss Read More »
The “Grain Weevil” is a life-saving piece of machinery designed to keep farmers out of grain bins. The company’s mission statement, “No Boots in the Grain,” is made possible with the Grain Weevil robot that does the dirty, dangerous work of managing stored grain. Grain Weevil has been creating buzz in the ag community since …
“Grain Weevil” Saves Lives by Keeping Farmers Out of Bins Read More »
The business of Christmas tree farming is like any other crop production operation, in that the opportunity to turn a profit revolves around a once-a-year harvest. Christmas tree farming carries some unique risks, too, not least of which is the seven to fifteen years between planting and maturity, an investment that can be wiped out …
America’s Christmas Tree Farmers Keep Holiday Traditions Alive Read More »
Rural America is isolated from the outside world in a variety of ways, something that a lot of its residents no doubt consider a “perk.” That does not mean they are uninterested in what’s going on and how it’s impacting their communities, though. Often, real local news can only be found on the AM radio …
USDA’s latest update to its 2024 farm income forecast provides a slightly better outlook than its previous estimate, though not by much. Net farm income, a broad measure of profits, is pegged at $140.7 billion in 2024, up from $140.0 billion forecast in September. The new forecast represents a -4.1% decline from 2023 net farm …
USDA Slightly Raises Net Farm Income Outlook to $140.7 Billion Read More »
