The North American kingfish season is just around the corner. Though kingfish is literally available throughout the year, the peak in the U.S. and Canada starts from late fall and lasts till early spring (October to March).  One of the main sources of kingfish in the U.S. is the Maine coast. The State now enjoys the presence of recirculating aquaculture system...

The farmers of the agricultural oasis of Imperial Valley, Southern California, face a once-in-a-century sowing and harvesting disruption. A West Coast storm not seen in 84 years made landfall in Mexico last weekend and has briefly suspended farming activities.   Tropical storm Hilary landed at Baja California peninsula in Mexico over the weekend. Though now less strong than when it begun,...

The U.S. small grain stocks’ survey of September 1 will assess the acreage, productivity and yield of cereals and oilseeds in Quarter 3 (Q3). Every 3 months, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducts the grain stock survey. The last one this year on June 1, 2023 showed a rise in oats and barley production and a depreciation in the output...

On June 21, 2023, the United States joined Singapore as the second nation to allow the sale of lab-grown meat, through two California producers, Good Meat and Upside Foods. Lab-grown meat is genetically modified protein from cells of animals. Its  production takes place entirely in the laboratory.  What is it exactly? According to Clair Bomkamo of Good Food Institute, the product is the...

Following recent rains in US southwest, high quality alfalfa prices have remained steady while those of low quality ground pellets have plummeted. Back in January 2021, global wholesale prices for alfalfa surged through the $200/ton divide. In March the same year, a ton cost $300 in the US market. By August, 2023, a ton costs $325/ton, at least in the...

The citrus fruit industry is a multi-million dollar earner for South Africa. In 2022, the country shipped 1.73 million metric metric tonnes of oranges, mandarins, lemons and tangerines to the world market. Half of this went to Europe. Current projections put the production of oranges (45% of all citrus produce in the country) to be lower by 1% in 2023 than in...

The leading agricultural story in the past week has been the interception in Portugal of citrus fruits from South Africa, allegedly bearing the black spot disease. Affected farmers have since petitioned President Cyril Ramaphosa to look into the matter. South Africa has been having a phytosanitary tiff with its premier export destination, the European Union (EU), over Citrus Black Spot (CBS) since...

A news release by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Nairobi, published August 16, paints a rosy global supply chain picture of Africa. All pointers in the report show that Africa has what it takes to make inroads beyond the cottage industry and attract major global investments. The report cites a rise in valued-added goods from the continent...

At a time when California honeybee keepers are celebrating a wide range of floral bloom as sources of nectar for their bees, in Georgia a killer hornet has emerged, confirmed August 15. The very first sighting was in early August, 2023, when a farmer in Georgia reported of seeing a yellow-legged wasp. The authorities soon confirmed it as the invasive Vespa velutina...

News that El Nino’s strength has diminished and flooding is unlikely to happen in West Africa has brought cocoa prices back to earth.  The news has also sparked forward buying of cocoa for the 2023-24 season, as international companies rush in to take advantage of rallying supplies. Forward buying is a system where cocoa buyers book a crop beforehand at the reigning price...