farmdoc dailyA new environmental study shows pig farms generate less manure nutrient content associated with odor. Researchers gathered data from 106,000 samples at 182 North Carolina pig farms. It shows significant reductions in ammonia levels and manure nutrient content. The study showed a 22% to 54% reduction in ammonia levels. The improvements are attributed to gains in feed efficiency. (FarmWeekNow)
Simon N. Groot, this year’s winner of the World Food Prize, said he built his company’s success on one philosophy: “Be a true friend of farmers, because the small guys really do matter — and so do vegetables.” The Dutch businessman received the award in Des Moines on Thursday for his work to develop seeds that helped millions of small farmers escape poverty through improved vegetable production. (Des Moines Register)
The double whammy of the U.S. 25% import tariffs kicking in on Friday and a recent steep drop in global olive oil prices is threatening the subsistence of thousands of families in southern Spain who fully depend on “liquid gold,” as the oil is known there. (Reuters)
China needs more pork imports than ever as the country grapples with an outbreak of a swine disease — and that could become a business opportunity for U.S. farmers if the two countries can reach an agreement on trade. (CNBC)
Most farmers are in a race against time to get crops out of fields before the frost and freeze arrives. “It’s been one of those years,” Warren County farmer Jared Kunkle said. “Nothing in 2019 has been easy.” Uncertainty extends beyond the weather. Farmers are also wondering what price their crops will fetch and where the fruits of their labor will go once harvested. (Voice of America)
American Farm Bureau Federation Chief Economist John Newton reviews soybean exports during the 2018-2019 marketing year. (Farm Bureau)
