The commercially important Choose Iowa program has expanded its food bank investment, underscoring that food security is real even in rich nations. For a start, the Iowa state Department of Agriculture on July 31, 2024 allocated $225,000 to food banks for healthy diet purchases. Announcing this investment, state’s Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig added that “food insecurity is a real and pressing...
Maize prices help expand South Africa’s 2024/25 grain area
Currently high maize prices in South Africa will lead to an increment in the country’s total corn area in the 2024-25 season. This is according to a July 23, 2024 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s forecast. South Africa began experiencing upshot maize prices after an 18% corn area decline in the 2023-24 period following an El Niño drought. These same high prices are now...
Irrigation horticulture in Jordan hikes annual agricultural exports by 25.3%
January to May 2024 has been a record annual period for Jordan’s irrigation-based horticulture. In this period, agricultural exports increased by 25.3%, according to a June 28, 2024 governmental statement. According to the national news agency, Petra, via Jordan Times, agricultural turnover from foreign commerce reached 0.5 billion Jordanian dinars (704.25 million). Meanwhile, yearly horticultural export growth reached 22.3%, an increment that the Minister...
How blue lobster dinner for King Charles cost France €450,000
An audit has revealed that a blue lobster dinner in honor of King Charles III during a September 2023 visit cost France €450,000 ($486,900 at 2024 rate). The dinner, at the Palace of Versailles west of Paris, included lobster, crab, premium cheese and drink galore. President Emanuel Macron’s Elysée hosting venue overlooked the economic pinch and shared lavishly despite advisory warnings. Just...
Cowpea biotech dawns commercial cultivation of GMO crops in Ghana
Ghana’s first cowpea biotech triumph has emerged after the government approved a new genetically modified (GMO) cowpea variety for cultivation. The “Songotra T cowpea” by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) gained this distinction on July 25, 2024. The pod borer-resistant (PBR) cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is the first GMO crop that the West African Nation has ever developed. ...
Food prices in Warrap State, South Sudan under subsidization
The distribution of food basics to markets is underway in Warrap State in northern South Sudan in a bid to subsidize food prices. This comes amid high cereal costs, despite grain prices having declined in May 2024 in some states. By July 28, a consignment of maize flour and sorghum had reached six counties in Warrap, reported Radio Tamazuj. The distributing entity, GALDA...
Colorado River brings alfalfa farmers $300 per acre-foot
Alfalfa farmers in California’s Imperial Valley could soon stop watering their thirsty fodder crop for 2 months and instead accept compensation to shore up a depleted Colorado River. So far, growers are willing to receive $300 per acre-foot of irrigated area primarily because current oversupply of hay has killed prices. According to calculations, this kitty could offer more income than if farmers did...
Tomato season about to begin across the states
The tomato season is starting in August across leading producing states such as Florida, Indiana and California. Meanwhile, central Ohio is already reaping the vine crop, and could enjoy handsome prices which echo those of the corresponding August 2023 period. Some farms around the state capital Columbus were already inviting “u-pickers” for the summer vegetable as of July 27, 2024. The...
Farming ginger in sacks gains ground in southwestern Bangladesh
The cultivation of ginger in sacks has become a booming business in Khulna, a famous industrial center in southwestern Bangladesh. According to BSS News on June 25, 2024, 276 local growers who have ventured into this farming method are now expecting bumper yields. In its part, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) remarked that Khulna’s residents have now cultivated 13,895 sacks of the corms over...
The South Africa citrus export cache to shrink by 11 to 19%
Wet weather could slash the South Africa citrus export volume for the April-September 2024 season. This is according to an announcement by the Citrus Growers Association (CGA) on July 23, 2024. This could mean a dent for yearly exports, which increased slightly in 2023 to 16.5 million 15-kg cartons. Valencia and Navel oranges will see shipment volumes decrease by 11% and 19%...