TPAC Capital

The #USgovernment is investing up to $1B in funding to combat the #impact of #birdflu as well as soaring #eggprices. USDA Secretary #BrookeRollins laid out a five-point #plan to address the situation including: dedicating up to $500M to help #US #poultryproducers implement “gold-standard” #biosecuritymeasures; make up to $400M?of increased #financialrelief available to #farmers whose #flocks are affected by #avianflu; explore the use of #vaccines and #therapeutics for laying #chickens and providing up to $100M?in #researchanddevelopment; and taking actions to reduce the #price of #eggs including removing?unnecessary #regulations on #eggproducers where possible and temporarily importing eggs #reducecosts in the #shortterm.?

The ongoing #avianflu #outbreak has affected over 150M birds since 2022, driving up #eggprices and causing #supplyshortages. The #Administration is rolling out a new #strategy to combat the #virus, prioritizing #enhancedbiosecurity measures and #medication to control the spread of the #virus. #Keypoints of the new strategy include: #Biosecurity and #medication; #smartperimeter approach; #collaboration between government #scientists and global #academicexperts; #vaccine approval with Zoetis receiving condition USDA approval for an #avianfluvaccine; and #Industry support with major poultry and dairy organizations backing the use of the vaccine to control the #virus.??

#India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be meeting with President Trump today to discuss #tariffissues. The #PM has?readied promises including increased #liquefiednaturalgas, #combatvehicle and #jetengine #purchases.?Indian #officials are also looking at #tradenegotiations with possible deals on #US #agricultureexports to #India and #investment in #nuclearenergy, along with #tariffcuts in at least a dozen #sectors, including #electronics, #medicalequipment,?#surgicalequipment and #chemicals.

#China has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization on the #US's 10% #tariff on #Chineseimports and its cancellation of the #dutyfreeexemption for #lowvalue #packages, called the?"de minimis" #exemption for #package #imports valued under $800 and widely used by #ecommerce #companies including SHEIN, Temu and Amazon, arguing the #actions are "protectionist" and break #WTO rules. The USDA reported #Dairycows in #Nevada have been infected with a new form of #birdflu that is different from the version that has been spreading through #herds over the last year. They found that the?H5N1 #virus has spilled from #birds into #cows at least twice and that it could continue to do so and suggest that the virus may pose a persistent #risk to cows and to the #people who work closely with them.

#Morocco has halted #imports of #feedgrains from #Germany following an outbreak of #footandmouthdisease. #Germany announced its first #outbreak of the?#disease in nearly 40 years on January 10 and the outbreak has led to #traderestrictions from #countries including #Britain on #livestock related #goods from Germany. The 2001 #Footandmouthdisease #outbreak in Europe, particularly in the #UK, resulted in the slaughter of over 6M #animals across the #country, causing significant #economiclosses to the #farmingsector and #tourismindustry due to widespread #culling and #restrictions on movement, effectively crippling #ruralcommunities and leading to a major #crisis in British #agriculture.

The spread of #birdflu among #poultry flocks in the#US is causing a spike in #egg #prices with an average 38% increase nationwide over the past few months. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of the first week of January, the #virus has hit more than 138 million poultry across the US since January 2022. In #NewYork, #healthofficials announced that they found #birdflu at #CrescentDuckFarm, the last commercial duck #farm on Long Island having opened in 1908.?The #farm must #euthanize its #flock of nearly 99,000 birds to prevent spread of the virus and it is under #quarantine and all #eggs will be tested.?

The Federal Trade Commission, alongside the #attorneys general of #Illinois and #Minnesota, has filed a #lawsuit against John Deere, accusing the #agricultural giant of “decades” of unfair #practices that #inflatedrepaircosts and restricted #farmers from fixing their own #equipment. The complaint claims John Deere's policies, particularly as its #machinery became more software-dependent, have unlawfully forced farmers to rely on the company’s #authorizeddealer network for #repairs, escalating the ongoing right-to-repair battle. The #lawsuit marks a significant #escalation in the fight for farmers' autonomy over their #equipment, which many say is critical for their #livelihoods.

The 119th #Congress, with #Republicans controlling both chambers for the first time since 2019, has spotlighted the #reauthorization of the #FarmBill. The #AgricultureImprovementAct of 2018, which funds #SNAP, #cropinsurance and #conservation, was extended to September 30, 2024. The bill, which originated during the #NewDeal in the?1930s to stabilize #foodprices and conserve #resources, has grown to include #ruraldevelopment and #energy with #SNAP accounting for 76% of its #funding, fueling debate among #lawmakers. Industry groups are advocating for #infrastructure improvements, #tariffprotection and stronger #priceprotections for #farmers amid declining #commodityprices.

#Brazil's #soybeanyields have increased and raised #expectations of a #bumpercrop for 2024-25 due to ideal #weatherconditions according to the latest report from the #ForeignAgriculturalService (FAS) of the USDA #Cocoa was the top #commodity of 2024, gaining 172% in the past year?and #prices are likely to stay high into 2025. This dramatic #increase is due to leading cocoa-producing?#countries, including #Ghana and the #IvoryCoast,?being impacted by #cropfailures, #bean #disease, #floods and decreased #pay for #farmers.?

#China has launched a 10-year #plan to increase consumption of #cerealgrains and develop the industry through #higherproductionstandards, #research and #internationalcooperation in an effort to enhance #foodsecurity. #China is the world's biggest cereal grain #grower but it remains reliant on imports of #corn, #wheat and other #grains to feed its #population. By raising #consumption and #quality of its #domesticproduce, this will reduce #China's #demand from the #foreignsuppliers. A stop-gap #governmentfundingbill was signed calling for speedy payment of $10B to #farmers to alleviate the impact of lower #commodityprices and #highproductioncosts. #Rowcropfarmers were eligible for up to $250,000 apiece of the #economicassistance #payments with the legislation directing the USDA to make payments within 90 days of enactment of the law. Payments could range from $19 an acre for #wheat to $77 an acre for #peanuts. Payments for #corn could be $43 an acre and #soybeans, $28 an acre.