We’re almost to the weekend and a variety topics have been making headlines. You can find them below in case they were lost during the day.
The meat industry is in fierce competition
Meat prices soared by 14.8% during 2021, a part of overall food inflation of 6.3%.
Acknowledging “we need to get inflation under control” as part of the economic recovery from the pandemic, President Biden says that the administration will inject competition into the highly consolidated meat industry to bring down prices at the grocery store.
Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter says, “Our country depends on competition to drive progress, innovation, and prosperity. We need to understand why so many industries have too few competitors, and to think carefully about how to ensure our merger enforcement tools are fit for purpose in the modern economy.”
Precision technology and data
Growers will be more competitive and profitably if they have the tools to streamline their efforts to access and manage this information. Augmenta, an artificial intelligence modeling firm, and Arva, a precision agriculture technology company, have partnered to help farmers reduce chemical loads in soils and input cost while increasing the quality and profitability.
Matt Rohlik, managing director for Arva says, “We have worked with Augmenta both on our farming operation and professionally as they scaled their business in the U.S. Augmenta has an efficient and streamlined system for in-season nutrient management. Not only are they optimizing nutrient placement, but also creating carbon offsets through nutrient efficiency, providing additional value to growers and their trusted advisers.”
Jonathan Bickel, Precision Ag Solutions, has been consigning, buying, and selling precision ag equipment for almost a decade.
Indiana-based precision ag specialist offers six things to consider before you buy used ag equipment. These tips will help ensure that you get the best value and quality products.
First heavy snowfall of the year
According to the Drought Monitor a winter storm hit areas in the Northern Plains, Midwest and Southeast. It then moved up the East Coast the week between January 13-20, 2022.
This storm ended the “snow drought” in large parts of the region. From the Missouri River west, however, there was very little precipitation. This online article by Mike McGinnis features the latest weather news across the country, as well as the outlook for the next five- to seven days.
Rural towns can use renewable energy
The new Rural Energy Pilot Program will provide funding to communities that have historically been underserved by government. “Priority points” will be given to projects that help communities recover from the pandemic, advance equity, and combat climate change.
The USDA said that funds are available for renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind and geothermal.
Source: Successful Farming
