EPA Won’t Postpone Worker Rules Set for January 1

Bloomberg is reporting that the Environmental Protection Agency will deny a petition by two major agricultural groups to delay implementation of new standards for farmworker safety. The report comes just days before the new regulation is to take effect. The American Farm Bureau and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture sent a petition to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy asking to delay the implementation by one year. The groups say in the petition that it would give farmers and ranchers adequate time to prepare for the new requirements. An EPA spokeswoman told Bloomberg in an email that the EPA is going ahead with the rule on January first. The worker protection standards were updated last year, the first update in over 20 years. The regulation that has Ag groups concerned is a provision requiring farmers to hand over pesticide information to third parties at a worker’s request. The clause allows workers to choose their own representatives and doesn’t limit how outsiders can use the information. Farmers would be required to hand over the requested information within 15 days. Ag interests fear the requirement could allow anti-pesticide activists to gain access to confidential information to use against people and businesses in agriculture.

Dairy Rally in 2017

Most ag commodities are still under pressure as 2016 wraps up. The one commodity having better luck at the year-end is dairy, with those contracts higher to close out 2016. There’s some optimism surrounding future prices for dairy producers and Rabobank expects that optimism to continue into the new year. Rabobank predicts the current price rally has a lot of room to go higher, thanks to lagging global milk supplies in the months ahead. Production is continuing to grow in the U.S., but Rabobank doesn’t expect that overseas as tightening global production and smaller stocks are predicted to be bullish for dairy prices. Other analysts agree with Rabobank, saying there’s a lot of interest in milk prices right now. USDA is predicting that American dairy exports will more than quadruple over the next ten years. The U.S. would become the world’s third-largest dairy exporter if those conditions can be met. This prediction comes after exports dropped in 2015, thanks in part to obstacles like a Russian ban on U.S. dairy products as well as lower demand from China.

Wheat Acres to Drop In 2017

2016 was a rough year for wheat farmers, who are now trying to set themselves up for more success next year by reducing the number of planted acres. Craig Van Dyke of Top Third Ag tells the U.S. Farm Report that rumors of drought next year are less concerning than the acreage prospects. Van Dyke says, “We need to drastically reduce acreage to find ourselves competitive globally price-wise.” Soybean prices could be a big motivator for producers to switch acres from wheat to soybeans next year. Van Dyke says he’s even talked to producers in Montana who are planting soybeans for the first time ever. Advance Trading, Incorporated, shares the same view, noting that unlike soybeans that can be grown in the U.S. and South America, wheat can be grown all over the world, making it difficult to trade. It’s easier to keep track of what’s going on in corn and beans across America versus what’s going on in the rest of the world.

Ag Robots to Become A $74 Billion Dollar Business In 2024

There’s a market for robots developing in agriculture. To take advantage of that, many startup companies and established ventures are developing a wide range of robotic systems to help farmers perform a variety of tasks. A Tractica (Track-tih-cuh) news release says some of the key applications include driverless tractors, material management, as well as managing field crops, soils, and dairies. A new report this week expects shipments of agricultural robots to rise significantly, jumping from 32,000 units this year to well over half-million by 2024. The market is expected to reach $74.1 billion by 2024.  A Tractica research analyst said the demand for global robotics is driven by factors like population growth, increasing strain on the world food supply, declining numbers of farm workers, the costs of employing farm workers, and many others. The Robot Report publication identified more than 150 companies who are working on developing robotics to launch into a rapidly changing agricultural market. 

Kansas State University announces it has received a $975,000 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Kansas State University announces it has received a $975,000 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) that will use drones to improve the school’s wheat breeding efforts.The grant is intended to give the university’s scientists a “deeper understanding of in-field conditions” so they can improve wheat breeding programs both in the U.S. and globally. K-State has already used drones to collect data on thousands of plots in Kansas, Mexico and India.Drones can collect an unprecedented amount of new field and crop data, according to project director Jesse Poland, assistant professor of plant pathology and agronomy at K-State.“Perhaps the greatest bottleneck currently in plant breeding and genetics is effectively generating precision measurements of plant characteristics in the field,” he says. “The goal of this project is to deliver in-season yield predictions by building models that combine genetic information from DNA sequencing and crop physiology that we will gather from UAV measurements on tens of thousands of breeding lines.”By collecting millions of collected images, researchers should be able to use that information to improve their current wheat breeding efforts.“Plant breeding is really a numbers game,” Poland says. “If we can use new technologies like remote sensing with these low-cost UAVs, then we provide the breeders with the tools to look through many more candidate varieties and increase the chances of finding ones that are really excellent and can become the next best varieties to release to farmers.”The grant will fund this project for three years. 

Butcher-to-table dining, local foods and healthy vending options are on the menu for 2017

Butcher-to-table dining, local foods and healthy vending options are on the menu for 2017, according to Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center, which has released its list of the hottest food trends for the upcoming year.FAPC is a part of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The center helps to develop technical and business information to support the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing in Oklahoma.Andrea Graves, FAPC business planning and marketing specialist, said change is inevitable and trends help indicate what is coming next.“Businesses need to pay attention to trends in order to find new growth opportunities and their target audiences,” she said. “Understanding these trends help businesses stay ahead of upcoming change, whether it is regulatory or a new flavor profile. Also, in most cases, consumers drive the trends and are looking for products and companies that are meeting their needs and lifestyles.”Take a look at the top 10 trends for 2017, according to FAPC:1. Reducing food waste According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately 33 percent of food in the United States is wasted. Foods previously considered “too ugly” to eat, and the “scraps” from fruits and vegetables will be used instead of discarded.2. Butcher-to-table dining Combining restaurants and butcher shops into one convenient location will be more prominent in 2017. These locations give consumers the option to purchase fresh, locally produced meat to cook at home, or they can select the meat they want and enjoy a meal at the restaurant.3. Drone delivery As technology advances, so do delivery methods. While this trend is still in the early phases of adoption, it’s not entirely farfetched. On the Virginia Tech campus, drones are delivering burritos, New Zealand has a drone to deliver Domino’s pizza and drones in Reno deliver 7-Eleven Slurpees and sandwiches. In 2017, we may see this trend increasing among more businesses in various cities.4. Local foodsConsumers continue to be interested in buying local produce and meat, and almost 50 percent of consumers are willing to make an extra effort to do so. Chefs are incorporating more locally grown products into their meals to support local producers and meet customer demands for transparency of foods.5. Plant-based protein Consumption of plant-based protein is on the rise, and chefs are composing meals made entirely from vegetables. This trend comes from consumers’ desires to not eliminate meat, but include additional plant-based protein in their “flexitarian” diets.6. Healthier vending machines Healthy eating is at the forefront of American food trends this year. In response, businesses are introducing vending machines with healthier snack options, such as hummus and granola bars. These machines take traditional vending a step further by displaying nutrition information and offering suggestions for pairing food and drinks. 7. Cook and connect Why dine alone when you can eat with strangers? Apps and websites connecting strangers over a home-cooked meal are increasing in popularity. Websites like EatWith provide a network for people to sign up for meals in various places around the world and then enjoy multiple courses while networking with a group of people. These apps and websites allow people who enjoy cooking to show off their skills, while those who enjoy eating can embrace the ambiance and not have to worry about making dinner. 8. Wake and cake Life is short. Eat dessert first. In 2017, you may be eating dessert as the first meal of the day. Research conducted at Syracuse University found eating dark chocolate improves reasoning, memory and focus, which are all excellent in preparing for the workday. In addition, Tel Aviv University research suggests dessert for breakfast promotes weight loss.9. Natural foods Consumers are seeking all-natural food options for the home and at restaurants. According to a Packaged Facts survey, 60 percent of people who eat meat and poultry at restaurants consider “all-natural” choices important in their selection process. This trend will continue in 2017 as consumers continue to want to know what is in their food.10.  Soda tax Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Berkeley, California, were the first cities to impose a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. Residents in Boulder, Colo., Cook County in Illinois and three California cities – San Francisco, Oakland and Albany – recently voted to impose a similar tax. Those taxes are designed to decrease soda consumption to help combat obesity and to encourage selecting more nutritional drinks. If successful, the trend may spread to other cities. 

Still Searching for an Ag Secretary

Two new candidates are expected to interview this week for the Secretary of Agriculture position. A DTN report says Abel Maldonado, Jr., a former California Lieutenant Governor, is set to interview for the post with President-elect Donald Trump this week. The other newest candidate is Elsa Murano, a former undersecretary for food safety at the USDA as well as President of Texas A & M University. Ag Secretary is one of the two cabinet nominations the President-elect hasn’t yet made, the other being Veterans Affair Secretary. Maldonado grew up on a strawberry farm near Santa Maria, California. He helped expand the farm from half-acre to 6,000 acres, employing around 250 people. A Trump spokesman says the plan is to interview Murano this week. A prominent member of the Trump Ag Advisory Council says Murano “is strongly opposed by most the Trump transition team.” Current Texas Ag Secretary Sid Miller is also thought to be traveling this week to interview for the Ag Secretary post