All Things Chick To Autonomous Tractors: This Week's Biggest Stories

As we prepare for Easter Sunday, there is no shock that chicken and Easter-themed stories and articles populated the national news.?

Egg Prices Are Going Down

High egg prices have populated the news lately with the concern that they have recently risen again. Egg prices were trending downward in recent months but were rising again based on seasonal demand for Easter, according to a?Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service?expert. Consumers should expect egg prices to fall after the Easter demand subsides. Supply and demand trends as well as expected feed cost declines in the future should fuel lower egg prices. Read more about it in?Egg Prices Expected to Go Down After Easter.?

These record-high egg prices have been due to the recent Avian influenza outbreak harming the global chicken industry. However, according to the latest poultry report from Rabobank, the outlook for global poultry markets is still optimistic.?

At a time when eggs are reaching record-high prices globally, and competing proteins like beef and pork are expected to remain expensive in most markets, demand for poultry meat – the cheapest animal protein – remains strong. Read more about it in?Global Poultry Markets: Optimistic Outlook but Avian Influenza Is a Wild Card.?

Preparing For Easter

With Easter fast approaching, it is time to start thinking about your Easter basket. Here are?10 Ag-Themed Books for Your Easter Basket.

Although we never recommend gifting chickens or bunnies on Easter to kids that are not prepared for caring for a live animal, we know that most farming families will start purchasing chicks for the upcoming season. Read these?5 Tips to Help You Raise Chicks?to set yourself and your backyard chickens up for success this Spring.?

The Food World

In the crop world, this week we learned about?New Insights Into Engineering Climate Smart Crops for the Future.?The research focused on the different types of photosynthesis and how a global rise in temperatures can change what plants flourish where. Overall, the new research has made advances toward understanding why certain crops are better at generating more yield than others.?

Also in the world of food this week, we learned about how?Food Forests Are Bringing Shade and Sustenance to US Cities, One Parcel of Land at a Time. These edible parks can be grown in cities and allow us to protect nature without pushing people away. Thus, presenting an interesting way to bring fresh food to cities in a way other than rooftop gardens.?

The Cow World

Two dairy processor associations requested a federal milk marketing order hearing to increase make allowances. While AFBF is not opposed to updating make allowances, the proposals to USDA do not address the wider need for changes to milk pricing regulations. Read more about it in?Farmers Seek Comprehensive Reform to Federal Milk Pricing.?

Also, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released a statement regarding false information circulating on social media about the use of mRNA vaccines in cattle. You can read more about it in?NCBA Statement Correcting Internet Falsehoods About mRNA Vaccines in Cattle.?

The AEM also released a report titled "Environmental Benefits of Modern Dairy, Hay, and Forage Production Technologies," which points out several statistics that help quantify the environmental impact of modern dairy practices in the U.S. and Canada. Read about it?here.?

Other Top Stories

The autonomous tractor market is on pace to hit $13 billion by 2023, with North America accounting for a 38% share of the global market in 2022. As the world population has risen tremendously over the last few decades, there is a pressing need to enhance the effectiveness of agricultural operations to meet the world’s food needs. Autonomous tractors could help do this. Read more about it?here.?

Also, the?USDA Asks Americans to Protect Plants by Looking for Invasive Pests in April. Each year, invasive insects and plant diseases cause an estimated $40 billion in damages to plants that sustain us,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Invasive species threaten our food security, agricultural livelihoods, and way of life. Luckily, there’s a lot we can do to protect our resources. This spring, familiarize yourself with the invasive pest quarantines in your area and do your part to avoid inadvertently moving?invasive insects?and plant diseases to new areas.”

Come Back Next Week

Thank you for reading our first edition of the Morning Ag Clips National Newsletter. Check back next week for the top national agricultural news stories and don't forget to check our Linkedin posts daily for more news!?

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