Australian Growers’ Post

From Field to Market: Prices for Peppers, Watermelons, and Eggplants Skyrocket in Spain by Nearly Five Times In August 2024, Spanish farmers faced an unprecedented surge in the price of several key crops, with green peppers, watermelons, and eggplants experiencing price increases of nearly five times by the time they reached the consumer market. According to data from the Food Price Index at Origin and Destination

🍼🚜 Striking a balance: Navigating Market Realities and Opportunities 🚜🍼 A fascinating article was published by Hoard's Dairyman Dairyman. As of September 2023, U.S. dairy farmers faced a stark market reality: a shortage of dairy replacements. This led to a significant shift in strategy, with farmers preserving their dairy cow numbers by reducing culling for 46 consecutive weeks. 💸 Market Forces at Play: The beef-on-dairy market is driving this shift, providing dairy farmers with a lucrative revenue stream as beef prices soar. NAAB statistics show that beef semen sales skyrocketed by 276% from 2017 to 2023, with 7.9 million units sold to dairy farmers. Today, there are 3-3.25 million beef-dairy crossbred animals in the U.S., significantly impacting dairy replacement inventories. 📉 The Impact: From January to July 2024 alone, 259,400 fewer cows were sent to slaughter, a trend that expands to 397,200 head when including data from late 2023. In the western U.S., early July figures show a 20-year low in culling volumes. 🔺 Economic Ripple Effects: The scarcity of dairy heifer replacements has pushed values over $3,000 at auctions, while week-old beef-on-dairy calves fetch $800-$1,000, double the price of purebred dairy bull calves. 🚀 Looking Ahead: With no signs of near-term reversal, dairy farmers are increasingly investing in gender-sorted dairy semen, which accounted for 54% of all dairy bull semen sales in 2023, up 5% from the previous year. 📊 In Summary: The convergence of these trends marks a pivotal moment for U.S. dairy farmers, balancing immediate market opportunities with the challenge of sustaining future dairy cow populations. 💡 Additional thought: As more countries close their live cattle exports, we can expect a growing global interest in US heifers. Will the price that foreign buyers are willing to pay compete with beef prices? #DairyIndustry #MarketTrends #Agriculture #BeefOnDairy #FarmingInnovations #DairyFarming #Agribusiness #Sustainability https://lnkd.in/e9RpzniU

From Field to Market: Prices for Peppers, Watermelons, and Eggplants Skyrocket in Spain by Nearly Five Times In August 2024, Spanish farmers faced an unprecedented surge in the price of several key crops, with green peppers, watermelons, and eggplants experiencing price increases of nearly five times by the time they reached the consumer market. According to data from the Food Price Index at Origin and Destination

Visit us at https://lnkd.in/eRE5CWwG | Email us at info@tidesenterprises.com | Call us at (843) 886–3596 Nearly half of British berry growers are no longer profitable, with 37% considering exiting the industry due to high costs and low supermarket pay, according to British Berry Growers (BBG). The group warns that without changes, 40% might close by 2026. Costs per ton for strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries have soared since 2020, straining relationships with retailers. BBG urges for fair pricing and government support for seasonal workers to safeguard the future of UK berry farming. #BerryCrisis #UKFarming #SustainableAgriculture https://lnkd.in/gEUQTKVV

(USA/GUATAMALA/NICARAGUA 04.06.24) #mangoes Guatemala and Nicaragua close their mango season [AG: Mango Production & Market Updates Australia?] Guatemala and Nicaragua have concluded their mango seasons as of May 25, 2024. Guatemala's season ended with a total volume of approximately 3.5 million boxes, while Nicaragua's season closed with around 455,685 boxes. In the U.S. market, the total mango volume shipped for the week ending May 25, 2024, was about 3,163,946 boxes, bringing the seasonal total to 40,818,261 boxes, which is 3% lower than the previous week. Mexico shipped approximately 3,141,144 boxes that week, totaling 36,858,097 boxes for the season, a 2% increase from the previous week. ----- [AG: Agronometrics Australia? Despite Australia's reputation for technological adoption and the professed support from numerous industry representatives and major retailers for Australian farmers and growers, there remains a severe lack of collaborative national communication and transparent, up-to-date fresh produce production and market updates. This critical gap leaves our farmers, growers as well as consumers vulnerable, relying on non-existent, outdated or incorrect data, which significantly hinders progress. Daily sales data in our wholesale markets is scarce, unreliable and often inaccessible without paid subscriptions. The available data lacks detail, accuracy and timeliness, rendering it ineffective for farmers and growers to make informed sales and marketing decisions that could enhance farm gate prices, sustainability and profitability. Technology that enables real-time recording, monitoring and reporting of fresh produce production and market updates throughout the supply chain is often dismissed in favour of post-farm gate operators who prefer to keep farmers and growers uninformed, thereby continuing to exploit them - the very individuals upon whom their business empires are built. Unlike some other countries, Australia lacks a cohesive national initiative aimed at offering freely accessible and up-to-date fresh produce production data, market trends and market analysis to our farmers and growers. This deficiency in timely market analysis across all sectors of our fresh produce supply chain is a significant concern for the industry. Furthermore, there is growing frustration with taxpayer-funded industry representatives who appear unable or unwilling to provide satisfactory solutions or effectively support the bottom line of their constituents. The failure to champion such initiatives raises serious questions about the advocacy in Australia for the empowerment of our farmers and growers.] ----- https://lnkd.in/g7S562wV

Keeping CSA members engaged and loyal - Vegetable Growers NewsImplementing effective retention strategies is crucial for CSA programs to thrive. Here are some proven strategies for keeping members engaged and committed. #FarmMarket #Agritourism

Keeping CSA members engaged and loyal - Vegetable Growers NewsImplementing effective retention strategies is crucial for CSA programs to thrive. Here are some proven strategies for keeping members engaged and committed. #FarmMarket #Agritourism

When we first immigrated, my family spent 6 years farming in the Okanagan. We witnessed the decline of the family farm in BC and its impact on our lives. Purchasing our orchard from a Winfield pioneer, we heard tales of the fruit industry's glory days when BC Tree Fruits was the backbone. Sadly, surviving as a farmer has become increasingly challenging. We were forced to sell our land in November 2020 due to various setbacks, including a life-altering auto accident, the pandemic, and a significant crop loss, but we still long to farm the land. Our family's struggles reflect the harsh reality many farmers face. It's crucial for our country to rally behind our farmers. The current state of our food supply is fragile, with food insecurity rising. The dwindling support for farmers, coupled with the exodus of skilled growers, poses a threat to our food security. Now more than ever, farmers need our collective support. The fruit industry in the Okanagan needs assistance. By choosing local produce and backing our local farmers, we can make a significant impact on sustaining our agricultural community. Let's stand together to safeguard the future of farming in our region. #SupportLocalFarmers #FoodSecurity #AgricultureSustainability

UK: Morrisons launches white eggs that 'give back' to farmers Morrisons is introducing a white egg pack to its Chuckle Eggs range. The range is part of its wider ‘For Farmers’ initiative, where 6p is given back to farmers per half dozen boxes of eggs. White eggs have the same nutritional properties as brown eggs and can be used in the same way in cooking. The only difference between them is the color of the shell, which is determined by the breed of the hen. White eggs are laid by ‘white hens', which require less feed to produce the same amount of eggs than ‘brown hens', resulting in them having a lower carbon footprint. Hens supplying eggs to Morrisons Chuckle Egg range have the freedom to roam outside whenever they want and also have woodland ranges and bee-friendly flower strips. Morrisons launched its 'For Farmers' range in 2015 so customers could show support for farmers by choosing a range that commits extra money to go to farmers. The range has been extremely successful and has given over £25 million back to farmers since it was launched. In addition to the white egg farmers, Morrisons works with over 65 egg farmers who supply into own brand free range and organic eggs that it sells, all of which are approved to the British Lion code and RSPCA or equivalent standards. The farmers benefit from long-term contracts and short payment terms which gives them the financial reassurance they need to invest in their farm’s infrastructure and the future of their business - all of which positively impact the long-term sustainability of the egg industry. In addition, Morrisons offers #carbonfootprinting analysis for every flock and support is available for each farmer to develop a sustainable growth plan tailored to their farm.   https://lnkd.in/dvrXQKwH. #poultryindustry #egg #poultry

(AUSTRALIA 14.12.24) #cherries Christmas cherry prices could be higher as growers count cost of storm damage [AG: Cherries, Cherries Everywhere - or Are They?] Cherry crops in NSW and Victoria, Australia’s largest producers, have been hit hard by recent storms, cutting production by about a third. Growers like Fiona Hall from Orange and Samantha Flanery from Young report significant losses, with damaged fruit and reduced harvests leading to financial impacts. Hall estimates losses of nearly $8 million for her packing shed's growers. While cherry prices are expected to rise due to reduced supply, Cherry Growers Australia predicts the increase won’t be significant. Growers are relying on staggered harvests from different cherry varieties to mitigate further losses, but the season remains uncertain as storms continue to affect crops. ----- [AG: Ah, cherries: the quintessential Christmas treat. One day, we’re told storms have decimated crops, slashing supply by a third and driving prices up. The next, independent fruit shops are practically swimming in them, selling cherries by the pallet at “cheap” prices. So, what’s the truth? Are growers facing devastating losses, as reported, or are cherries in abundance, as social media reels show? Maybe it depends on who you ask - or which cherries you’re buying. The disparity between the doom-and-gloom headlines and the overflowing fruit shop displays leaves us questioning: who or what should we believe? One thing’s certain - whether the supply is tight or bountiful, consumers are left with the same old cherry-picking game: sorting through mixed messages while deciding what’s worth the price. Check out this reel for a glimpse at those apparently scarce cherries being sold by the pallet https://lnkd.in/gkiAzJR4. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? https://lnkd.in/gUvFH9KP