[copious.abundance]

--> Bloomberg <--
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]Indian Rice Production to Climb 5% on Rainfall, Area
By Thomas Kutty Abraham and Pratik Parija

ug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- India, the world's biggest grower of rice after China, may produce 5 percent more this year after monsoon rains spurred planting, a gain that may help the nation ease export curbs.

Production of the monsoon crop will exceed 84 million metric tons as farmers increased sowings, T. Nanda Kumar, India's federal food secretary, said in an interview.

A bigger harvest may prompt India to ease export curbs, pressuring global prices that have already dropped 33 percent from a record in April. Thailand and Vietnam, the world's biggest rice shippers, have raised export forecasts this year as farmers planted more in response to higher prices.

[...]

[wisconsin_cur]

National Geographic: the threat to our soil

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he farmers grin as they watch the machines thunder through the cornfields. In the long run, though, they may be destroying their livelihoods. Midwestern topsoil, some of the finest cropland in the world, is made up of loose, heterogeneous clumps with plenty of air pockets between them. Big, heavy machines like the harvesters mash wet soil into an undifferentiated, nigh impenetrable slab—a process called compaction. Roots can't penetrate compacted ground; water can't drain into the earth and instead runs off, causing erosion. And because compaction can occur deep in the ground, it can take decades to reverse. Farm-equipment companies, aware of the problem, put huge tires on their machines to spread out the impact. And farmers are using satellite navigation to confine vehicles to specific paths, leaving the rest of the soil untouched. Nonetheless, this kind of compaction remains a serious issue—at least in nations where farmers can afford $400,000 harvesters.

Unfortunately, compaction is just one, relatively small piece in a mosaic of interrelated problems afflicting soils all over the planet.

[Dezakin]

Wow, the battle of anecdotes. I'm sure one of them will be conclusive.

Wake me up when we've had a five year trend of global population stagnation or decline.

I imagine that will be difficult however, since I'll be long dead of old age.

[wisconsin_cur]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Dezakin', 'W')ow, the battle of anecdotes. I'm sure one of them will be conclusive.

Wake me up when we've had a five year trend of global population stagnation or decline.

I imagine that will be difficult however, since I'll be long dead of old age.

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('wisconsin_cur', '[')url=http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11966993]National Geographic: the threat to our soil[/url]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he farmers grin as they watch the machines thunder through the cornfields. In the long run, though, they may be destroying their livelihoods. Midwestern topsoil, some of the finest cropland in the world, is made up of loose, heterogeneous clumps with plenty of air pockets between them. Big, heavy machines like the harvesters mash wet soil into an undifferentiated, nigh impenetrable slab—a process called compaction. Roots can't penetrate compacted ground; water can't drain into the earth and instead runs off, causing erosion. And because compaction can occur deep in the ground, it can take decades to reverse. Farm-equipment companies, aware of the problem, put huge tires on their machines to spread out the impact. And farmers are using satellite navigation to confine vehicles to specific paths, leaving the rest of the soil untouched. Nonetheless, this kind of compaction remains a serious issue—at least in nations where farmers can afford $400,000 harvesters.

Unfortunately, compaction is just one, relatively small piece in a mosaic of interrelated problems afflicting soils all over the planet.

Mass quantities of abundance, continued.

This looks like an older one I missed.
--> LINK <--
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '8')/12/2008 10:25:00 AM Russia: Bumper Wheat Crop Forecast For 2008/09
The USDA estimates Russia wheat production for 2008/09 at 57.0 million tons, up 3.0 million or 6 percent from last month and up 7.6 million or 15 percent from last year. The month-to-month increase in estimated production is based chiefly on an increase in estimated area from preliminary data from the State Statistical Committee. Total wheat area is estimated at 26.1 million hectares, up 0.6 million from last month and up 1.6 million from last year. Yield is estimated at a record 2.18 tons per hectare, surpassing the previous record (achieved in 1990) by 6 percent. Winter wheat typically comprises about 40 percent of Russia’s total wheat area and 60 percent of production, although the share of winter wheat is likely to be higher than average this season due to a year-to-year increase in planted area combined with outstanding yields.
[...]

This thread's been quiet. Have the doomers given up?

--> LINK <--
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]Wheat Futures Fall After U.S. Inventory Estimate Left Unchanged
By Tony C. Dreibus

Sept. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Wheat fell, capping its third straight weekly decline, after the U.S. government made no change in its estimate of domestic inventories next year, signaling exports may not rise as much as analysts expected.

About 574 million bushels will be in storage in the year ending May 31, and exports will total 1 billion bushels, matching the forecasts made in August, the Department of Agriculture said today. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News expected inventories of 556 million bushels and more exports.

``The one thing that stands out is the USDA did not adjust the exports higher,'' said Jason Britt, the president of Central States Commodities Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri. ``If exports continue to run like they have been, we'll have to see adjustments to bring those carryouts down.''

*crickets chirping*

--> LINK <--
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]Corn Falls to 8-Month Low as U.S. Signals Slowing Feed Demand
By Jeff Wilson

Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Corn fell to a eight-month low, capping the biggest quarterly decline ever, after the U.S. reported an unexpected jump in domestic inventories, signaling weaker demand for grain used mostly to make animal feed.

Inventories on Sept. 1 totaled 1.624 billion bushels, higher than the 1.576 billion estimated on Sept. 12, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said today in a report. Analysts expected a drop to 1.539 billion. The USDA forecast a 14 percent drop in demand for corn feed in the year that began Sept. 1. Corn prices fell 17 percent this month, a third straight drop.

``Use for feed did come down sharply in the summer'' because livestock and poultry producers used more wheat as the price of that grain declined, said Bill Nelson, a vice president for Wachovia Securities in St. Louis.

Corn futures for December delivery fell 25.5 cents, or 5 percent, to $4.875 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade, after earlier reaching $4.855, the lowest for a most-active contract since Jan. 24. Corn plunged 36 percent in the quarter, the biggest such drop ever. The most-active contract is down 39 percent since reaching a record $7.9925 on June 27.

[...]

[Revi]

This is a good thing. The price of food has been going up and up. It's time it comes down a bit. A lot of people can't afford to eat well now. This may be only a temporary reprieve, but it's welcome.

We don't need a lot of starving people on top of our other problems.

[yesplease]

We may not need it (people starving), but cheap food or not, we have had it since the green revolution and we'll probably have it in the future regardless of what food prices do.

Wheat galore.

--> LINK <--
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]USDA sees wheat crop at just under 2.5 billion bushels
Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 4:06 PM
by John Perkins

The United States Department of Agriculture reports the 2008 U.S. wheat crop at a total of 2,499,524,000 bushels. That's compared to the 2007 total of 2.067 billion bushels. Prior to the report, estimates ranged from 2.421 billion to 2.475 billion bushels, with an average guess of 2.459 billion. The average yield is seen at 44.9 bushels per acre, compared to the 2007 average of 40.5 bpa. 2008's planted and harvested area was reported at 63.047 million and 55.685 million acres, respectively, compared to 2007's planted total of 60.433 million and the harvested area of 51.011 million acres.

The winter wheat crop was reported at 1.868 billion bushels, compared to 2007's 1.516 billion. Analysts had been expecting the crop to be around 1.872 billion bushels, in a range of 1.845 billion to 1.883 billion. The average yield of 47.2 bushels per acre was up 5 from 2007. Planted area for 2008 came out at 46.181 million acres, with harvested area at 39.614 million, compared to 2007's totals of 44.987 million and 35.952 million, respectively.

Out of the total winter wheat crop, hard red winter is pegged at 1.035 billion bushels, under the average estimate and down 20 million from 2007. Soft red winter is placed at 613.578 million bushels, up sharply from last year and above the high end of pre-report expectations. White winter production came out at 219.090 million bushels, just under the average guess, but more than 20 million above last year's total.

Non-durum spring wheat was reported at 546.744 million bushels, compared to 2007's 479 million. Durum came out at 84.877 million bushels, compared to 71.686 million a year ago.

[wisconsin_cur]

Cuba rationing food

HAVANA (AP) - Cuba is limiting how much basic fruits and vegetables people can buy at farmers' markets, irritating some customers but ensuring there's enough—barely—to go around.
The lines are long and some foods are scarce, but because the government has maintained and even increased rations in some areas, Cubans who initially worried about getting enough to eat now seem confident they won't go hungry despite the destruction of 30 percent of the island's crops by hurricanes Gustav and Ike last month.

"Of the little there is, there is some for everyone," 65-year-old Mercedes Grimau said as queued up behind more than 50 people to buy lettuce, limited to two pounds per person.

"I'm not afraid that I will be left without food, but it's a pain to think about all the work we are going to have to go through," Grimau added. "Two or three months ago the farmers markets were well-stocked."

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'C')uba's government regularly stockpiles beans and other basics, and Economics Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez said authorities are ready to increase the $2 billion they already spend on food imports annually. The world credit crisis won't affect much of those imports because U.S. law forces communist Cuba to use cash to purchase American farm goods. But imports from other countries bought with credit could become more difficult or expensive.

The government is delivering all items distributed each month on the universal ration that provides Cubans with up to two weeks of food—including eggs, beans, rice and potatoes—at very low cost. In some hard-hit provinces, extra food has been added.

[RedStateGreen]

Who eats two pounds of lettuce??

[JustaGirl]

Aren't wheat & corn prices crashing a very bad thing for farmers? Especially since all other resources, diesel, fertilizer, etc have all gone up tremendously in price? Will they even break even for next years crop?

[copious.abundance]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JustaGirl', 'A')ren't wheat & corn prices crashing a very bad thing for farmers? Especially since all other resources, diesel, fertilizer, etc have all gone up tremendously in price? Will they even break even for next years crop?

[copious.abundance]

Here ya go:

--> LINK <--
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]Buyers hold off as some fertilizer prices tumble
October 10, 2008

FALLING fertilizer prices have stalled demand in Europe at what is usually a peak time for buying the plant nutrients needed for next year's crops.

As phosphate and urea-based fertilizer prices have tumbled, demand has "dried up," said Joost Hazelhoof, fertilizer analyst at Rabobank in the UK. "A lot of big buyers have sufficient inventory for their needs and are stepping back from the market."

Fertilizer prices usually lag agricultural commodity price moves by a couple of months. Chicago corn and wheat futures have almost halved their values since June and this is now filtering through to the fertilizer markets.

And with no sign of the downtrend in grains being reversed, buyers are anticipating fertilizer prices will fall further.

Last week, spot market prices for Black Sea urea fell to around $580 a metric ton from around $800/ton in August. Phosphate dropped to around $940/ton from $1,300/ton in August.

[...]

[JustaGirl]

Thanks for the link.

[wisconsin_cur]

NY Times Magazine: The food issue


$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'D')ear Mr. President-Elect,

It may surprise you to learn that among the issues that will occupy much of your time in the coming years is one you barely mentioned during the campaign: food. Food policy is not something American presidents have had to give much thought to, at least since the Nixon administration — the last time high food prices presented a serious political peril. Since then, federal policies to promote maximum production of the commodity crops (corn, soybeans, wheat and rice) from which most of our supermarket foods are derived have succeeded impressively in keeping prices low and food more or less off the national political agenda. But with a suddenness that has taken us all by surprise, the era of cheap and abundant food appears to be drawing to a close. What this means is that you, like so many other leaders through history, will find yourself confronting the fact — so easy to overlook these past few years — that the health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security. Food is about to demand your attention.

[Quinny]

Had to pick up something for the kids from local Tesco's on Sunday.

They are closing for 9 days for refurbishment.

It was bedlam. There was hardly any fresh food left. Bread, Meat, Fruit and veg were nearly empty. Whole milk was down to small cartons only. You'd have thought all grocery stores in the area were closed for 9 days. There are several other stores in the area and an Asda and Aldi within 1 mile.

There were calls to all security to meat section, the checkout lady told me it was because two customers were fighting over marked down meat!

Makes you wonder what it'd be like if their was a genuine shortage.

[Ainan]

Tesco's in the UK? Happens all the time normally, particularly the reduced section at the end of the day! Sandwiches for 5p!? Out of my way! *Wack*

Seriously though, these people are mindless consumers, soon to be mindless zombies.