The 2024 rice harvest in Japan is in progress from the mountainsides of Togowa in Mizayaki Prefecture to the sunshiny western prefecture of Okayama. At the same time, robotics are increasingly stepping in to aid an aging population. In Togowa’s slopes, farmers will be reaping their paddies throughout October, marking a six-month grain maturity journey. The...
A farm tour by Senator Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin has revealed that American ginseng is still reeling from the trade war with China. Baldwin took her campaign visit to a farm in Wausau, WI which in early October 2024 hosted the Marathon Ginseng Festival. During the October 15 visit, the senator traced the difficulties local farmers have been facing...
After a weather-embattled 2024 harvest, the South Africa wine industry is hopeful for the 2025 season. The sector aims to recoup the impressive 2023 run that brought 934 million liters in processed wine. The hopeful note sidelines the situation in the floods-hit 2024 when vineyard production fell by 7% from 2023’s. For one, Dr. Etienne Terblanche of Vinpro Consultation...
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or simply RFK Jr. suggests he could save American agriculture if Donald Trump wins the November election. The erstwhile presidential candidate is now backing Trump with expectations that he would win a slot, probably as Ag secretary. His first shot is at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which he will rid off...
Sugar productivity in Vietnam has topped that of the cane-rich Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a historical first. Beating China and Thailand, Vietnam boasted a rate of 6.79 tonnes a hectare in sugar yields for the 2023-24 season. According to data by the Vietnam Sugarcane and Sugar Association (VSSA), all this is courtesy of investment in Industry 4.0. ...
Since December 2020, India’s heavy equipment makers have been releasing new electric tractors whose fuel economy is changing the agricultural landscape. With auto manufacturers leading the way, the union government is also beginning to invest in off-road electrification through a national plan. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in mid-2024 egged manufacturers to transition to the electric versions, promising governmental backing....
Aussie lobster fisheries intend to keep prices low during the peak December shopping season after trade deal with China. Kyriakos Toumazos of the Lobster Fishermen’s Association of the South Australian Northern Zone suggests a A$75-100 ($50.27-67.05) per kg range to 9News.com. This amid industry expectations that the resumption of trade with China after a 4-year ban could raise local prices. ...
The government of Cyprus on October 10, 2024 promulgated a broad 5-year economical and sustainability strategy for agriculture. A part of the 2024-28 plan will be the financing 11 niches with a budget of €109.3 million ($119.48 million). According to Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou courtesy the Cyprus Mail, technology access, economic growth and sustainability are the key goals....
A fortnight after storm Helene spared groves of citrus in Florida and buoyed fall harvest expectations, Hurricane Milton has swept away the hopes. Just before Milton, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had forecast positive oranges production at 15 million boxes, albeit 16% below 2023’s. Although Milton simmered down to Level 3 from previous level 5...
Thanks to expectations of dryness, wheat prices rallied by 1.2% early morning October 10, 2024 at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). At half past midnight October 10, the key contract in Chicago brought in $6.06 a bushel, the highest since October 3’s $6.03. The posting was however lower than October 2’s high of $615.25 a bushel. The...