Biodiversity is the first impression for a visitor to the Farm of the Future at Wageningen University in Lelystad, Netherlands. This is thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and farming technology. All kinds of crops underline the pest- and climate-conscious inter-cropping model on this open air field. A September 4, 2023 BBC story shows how the background is like any other on a typical European farm....
Ross Jones foresees Exciting times ahead for California Table Grapes: “all new table grape varieties will be powdery mildew resistant at some point down the road”
California recently marked a centenary of table grape breeding on September 12, 2023. These milestones of research are courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research arm (ARS) and the California Table Commission, which entered the partnership in 1981. Mr Ross A. Jones, Senior Vice President/ Chief Science and Technology Officer at California Table Grape Commission talks to Selina Wamucii...
Morocco’s 6.8 magnitude earthquake sidesteps large-scale agricultural area
Agricultural areas of Souss-Massa, one of the top tomato exporting areas of Morocco have not suffered much of the September 8 earthquake effects despite being in the southwest along the quake’s path. Souss-Massa region is home to Touradant, a city of 80,000 people, which felt the full impact of the quake. Al Houaz province in the neighboring Marrakech-Safi region in western Morocco...
Corn Ethanol to fuel Aircraft if USDA’s $400k review of GHG subsidy plan works
Corn-based ethanol by aviation companies may qualify for subsidies under the greenhouse gas (GHG) system of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The federal agency plans to spend $400,000 to review the eligibility of corn-based aviation biofuels for subsidy allocation. If it succeeds, federal financing of aviation biofuel will become a major breakthrough in American green energy use outside agriculture. Aviation...
Poland cashes in on Morocco’s revenue-earning tomatoes, vegetables & wheat
In August, 2023, Poland revealed its blossoming appetite for Morocco tomatoes through record imports. Morocco exported $2.7 million worth of vegetable produce to Poland in 2022. Tomatoes led the export trail that has risen year-on-year since 2018 to account for 9% of all veggies shipped to the Central European country. The total export value for Morocco tomatoes in 2022 was $1.12 billion. The...
Ghana gives cocoa farmers a break after hiking cocoa bean prices by 63%
Ghana has upped farm gate cocoa prices by 63% to buffer low supplies, hinder smuggling and raise farmers’ hopes. From this fall season, farm gate prices of cocoa beans will climb to 20,943 Cedi (GH¢) or $1,837 per tonne. President Nana Akufo-Addo has also fast-forwarded the cocoa season to September rather than October, to help steer dwindling stocks. This comes just...
Egypt newly ranks as world’s biggest citrus exporter
Egypt has newly ranked as the biggest exporter of citrus fruits, globally. This is according to the country’s Minister of Agriculture Al-Sayed el-Quseir, on September 10, 2023. The Minister was unveiling the seminal Sahara Exhibition. The agricultural machinery event will, this year, attract Spain, Germany and China. Spain and China ranked first and third respectively in worldwide citrus exports in 2022. ...
All hands on new pink pineapple in Costa Rica
At a time when Costa Rica is experiencing short supplies, demand has shifted to a new genetically modified pineapple, the lycopene-enhanced “Pinkglow” by Fresh Del Monte. Fresh Del Monte, a company that grows and distributes pineapples worldwide said on September, 2023 that customers in Costa Rica can’t seem to get enough of this new pink variety. Scientists took 17 years to engineer...
Dairy prices in Vermont to increase this fall
Wholesale market prices in Vermont of dairy products including whole milk and cheese have increased by $2.28 in September, 2023. This markup also reflects the national average increase. A wholesale measure of milk now retails at $18.90 per hundredweight ($0.43 per liter) from the August average of $16.62 ($0.38 per liter). Vermont is currently reeling from the aftermath of floods that hit Northeast United...
Georgia in a blueberries’ crossover moment as state-financed cold storage program begins
Following a phenomenal rise in blueberry production in Georgia, the government is co-financing cold storage facilities for farmers. The Rural Development Agency (RDA)’s website put up a notice on September 4, 2023 to encourage producers to join the program. The statement tags the program as the “State Co-financing Program of Refrigerated Storage facilities for Berry Crops of Agricultural Cooperatives.” The Ministry...