As the Wisconsin sturgeon spearing season reaches its 16-day headway, harvesters have caught between 14 and 16% of capacity. Of this total, 2% consist of 8 sturgeon weighing a hundred pounds and above. This is lower than in 2023 but way better than 1969 which yielded only 8 fish, all below a hundred pounds. Most of the 100-pounders came from the Upriver Lakes, including...

It may look exactly like a typical Cavendish banana, but QCAV-4 is actually a genetically modified banana. It has become the world’s first  GM banana to gain approval as human food, in the Oceania region. Since the turn of the millennium, researches in Queensland have been developing QCAV-4.  20 years on, Food Standards Australia (FSA) as well as New Zealand’s...

30 years after the song “Gin and Juice” came out, Snoop Dogg and Dr.Dre have unveiled a cocktail line of four fruity drinks. They made the announcement on February 12, 2024. This release by the legendary musical and cultural stars includes four flavors namely apricot, melon, citrus and passion fruit.  The label of each canned drink reflects the corresponding color of the...

Australia’s barley sales have rebounded, with 90% of all barley exports going to China after Beijing relaxed import restrictions.  This good news is happening despite China retaining a high tariff on wine imports,  affecting barley profits. Spent barley contains grain residue, which features in beer and wine making. The December 2023 sales represent a rapid trade comeback, given China removed barley export...

Weeks after the UK popularised the world’s loneliest sheep, sheep rearing is back in the black, this time versus dog keeping.  It is lambing season in most of Britain, especially Cumbria, the hilly county to the northeast. Every winter and spring sees around 16 million ewes birth lambs. The spring lambing period usually coincides with the regrowth of new grass and colourful daffodils....

Horseshoe crabs might finally get their big break after surviving millennia of mass extinctions. On February 12, environmental lobbies petitioned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington D.C. to list the crustaceans as “living fossils.” The “living fossil” attribute by the lobby groups fits the creatures as they have probably existed for 445 million years. Their main habitat are the...

Chicken demand in the United States has improved to moderate levels, even as a bird flu vaccine nears. The just concluded Super Bowl that ended on February 11 also boosted orders for tender chicken meat and wings this week.  For chicken cuts outside direct influence by the above sports and entertainment event, demand has been light-to-moderate. Key mentions include relatively fair export...

Wholesale prices of fresh condiments in the U.S. have showed a steady flow from February 12 up to Valentine’s Day. The grain stock in the previous market week ending February 9 also ran at surplus with fairly low prices.  California Report The spotlight state in the Valentine week has been California after late winter floods raised questions on spring supplies.  Apart from anise,...

On February 14, India’s capital, New Delhi remained under police barricade to bar protesting farmers demanding guaranteed crop prices.  Though the protesters were still 200 km from Delhi by noon India time, the authorities cordoned off three strategic entryways into the capital. The main demand by the protesting farmers is for the government to declare clear minimum support prices MSP). MSP is...