Supply Chain
After just three weeks, Indonesia announced it’s lifting its ban on palm oil exports. The move was expected by S&P Global Commodity Insights, saying there was no shortage of palm oil supplies when the ban was announced.
The government of India, the world’s second-biggest wheat grower, announced Saturday a move to mostly prohibited exports, saying that the nation’s food security is under threat.
Diesel prices hit historic highs this week. Due to increased demand and a drop in production, a diesel shortage may be looming as the largest diesel distribution hub in the U.S. is sitting on supplies at a 30-year low.
The April Ag Economy Barometer shows farmers’ concerns about crop inputs are overshadowing optimism surrounding commodity prices hitting decade-highs as some inputs are still in short supply as planting gets underway.
Rail backlogs in the United States are delaying shipment of grains as well as processed flour and corn syrup, contributing to the national problem of inflation, food and grain companies said at a hearing this week.
Trade disruptions in energy, fertilizer and grains are inevitable. In fact, effects are likely to last for years, possibly even decades.
Increased regulation and the search for better work-life balance are two factors leading to a shortage of truck drivers in the U.S. Walmart is now increasing the starting salary for drivers to try to attract new people.
One of the biggest ag supply chain stories this spring has been pesticides. While my experience is these situations are usually overblown early, the situation could alter the way farmers do business in the years ahead.
Easter egg supplies could be at risk due to the expanding outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Surprisingly, Americans spend only about 3% of all consumer expenses on gasoline. Similarly farmers’ fuel increase is considerable, but is being overshadowed by far worse budget problems.
USDA now expects food price inflation in 2022 to be from 4.5% to 5.5%, compared with 2021, based on the all-food Consumer Price Index. No category shows a potential decline.
A labor dispute that shut down operations at Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd on Sunday is set to aggravate a shortage of commodities, and a prolonged lockdown could hurt farmers ahead of the spring planting season.
The Northwest Seaport Alliance is partnering the USDA to bring the Port of Seattle a 49-acre pop-up site that will accept both dry and refrigerated agricultural products for temporary storage.
Even with Russia removed from the global fertilizer market, it still doesn’t create worst-case scenario. StoneX Group says China could make the situation worse, as China and Russia account for 40% of global phosphate.
Hundreds of trucks, recreational vehicles and cars were circling the outskirts of Washington on Sunday, threatening to cause traffic backups around the capital as part of a protest against pandemic restrictions.
Russia’s trade and industry ministry has recommended the country’s fertilizer producers temporarily halt exports, the ministry said Friday, in a sign that sanctions imposed could have a global impact.
Chicago wheat futures rose sharply on Monday after hitting 13-1/2 year highs on Friday, lifted by concern that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions will continue to disrupt Black Sea region grain exports.
Pesticide and seed producer Bayer said on Monday a supplier of an ingredient for its widely used herbicide glyphosate has run into technical problems which may hamper Bayer’s output of the product in the short term.
No matter where you travel across the country right now, farmers share similar concerns. The latest Ag Economy Barometer fell to its lowest reading since July 2020 as the input situation weighs outlooks.
While it still pops up in conversation, the “supply chain” has become our go-to explanation for things that are not our fault — and some that are.
Rep. Garamendi says the USDA partnership with the Port of Oakland “isn’t going to solve the problem” because shippers deliver product to the U.S. and leave ports with empty containers.
In my arsenal of reasons why things aren’t my fault, recent events have given me a cruise-missile-strength weapon: the supply chain.
Recent COVID-19 vaccine mandates in both the U.S. and Canada could take even more truckers off the road. Trucking industry experts warn while empty store shelves could turn into more fertilizer shortages next.
The U.S. Commerce Department is expected to soon release details from a study of semiconductor chips it conducted last year amid a push to win funding to boost U.S. manufacturing from Congress.
On Dec. 10, 2021, a tornado tore across Kentucky demolishing areas in its path. Farmers and state leaders say it will be a long road to recovery with trouble sourcing even enough fencing supplies to rebuild.
2021 was a strong financial year for many farmers. For 2022, input costs are rising rapidly. One ag lender cites $700 per acre in some scenarios. That means farmers will need strong yields this season to break even.
The report found nitrogen accounts for more than 50% of fertilizer costs for a corn producer at $117 per acre.
A new report from Texas A&M Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) a 50% rise in fertilizer prices equates to an average of $128,000 per farm. The largest per-acre impact would falls on rice farms at $62.04 an acre.
Have record high fertilizer prices finally peaked? While prices continue to remain high right now, there were some signs last week and already this week that indicate some relief and stability may be in sight.
Trade volume slipped between July-September due to supply chain disruptions, shortages of production inputs and rising COVID-19 cases, the WTO said in a statement on its website.