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01 / 05
How Grain Has Gone from Famine to Feast

The Economist | Agriculture

How Grain Has Gone from Famine to Feast

“Three years ago, calamity loomed. Russia’s war in Ukraine pitted two big grain exporters against each other. Breadbaskets elsewhere faced brutal droughts. Wheat prices hit records; maize and soyabeans also surged. Then, within weeks, they fell, and have carried on sliding since. They are now close to five-year lows.

It is not obvious what prompted traders to go from panicked to placid. As the war in Ukraine continues to rage, the country’s farmers are hurting. Its wheat exports, once the world’s fifth largest, are set to shrink by 25-30% this season. Elsewhere, climate change is damaging output and American tariffs are disrupting trade. Indicators that usually worry investors, such as wheat stocks, have been flashing red for years. Why, then, are markets so calm?

Part of the answer is that global production has been strong. Owing to benign weather, Russia, the world’s largest wheat exporter, has enjoyed a run of excellent crops. Australia, the second largest, has also posted two whopping recent harvests. Even Europe has outperformed.

There are similar bounties elsewhere. America is due to produce record volumes of maize this season. Brazil, with which it competes to be the top maize exporter, may also hit new highs. That is pushing down the price of other crops used as animal feed, including wheat and soyabeans.”

From The Economist.

Phys.org | Agriculture

Novel Wheat Hybrids Increase Fungal Disease Resistance

“A new experimental study has identified a novel genetic locus in a common agricultural weed, Elymus repens, that provides significant resistance to the destructive fungal disease Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) and has now been successfully transferred into wheat to produce FHB resistant hybrids…

Dr. Yinghui Li and Houyang Kang’s research team’s new study, published in the Journal of Experimental Botany, outlines how they successfully hybridized E. repens and cultivated wheat to transfer FHB-resistant genes from E. repens into the wheat.

When testing for the presence of FHB from deliberately infected plants, hybrid genotypes containing the resistance genes, labeled as 1StL, showed a 69% reduction in diseased plant spikelets under greenhouse conditions compared to the control wheat, and a 60% reduction under field conditions.”

From Phys.org.

CGIAR | Food Production

Banana, the Crop That Defeated a Food Crisis in Tanzania

“In Tanzania, nearly half of banana farmers in Kagera have adopted improved varieties introduced through a partnership led by ENABEL and KU Leuven, with CGIAR playing a crucial role in their selection and dissemination, helping secure food and livelihoods for over 125,000 people in the region…

An impact study by IITA reveals the scale of the transformation. By 2024, nearly 48% of banana farmers in Kagera had adopted these improved varieties, leading to 15% increase in productivity, reduced crop losses from pests and diseases and more farmers producing surplus for markets.

For households, this translates directly into better nutrition. Daily caloric intake among adopting families increased by 27%, reflecting improved food availability and diversity.

The impact extends beyond the farm.

As production increased, so did economic opportunities across the banana value chain. Traders expanded into larger and more distant markets, while processors began favoring the improved varieties for cooking and dessert, and better processing qualities. The region’s economy benefited from an estimated 119,000 additional tons of banana production annually, contributing nearly $7 million per year.”

From CGIAR.

Associated Press | Conservation & Biodiversity

California Salmon Population Rebounds, Fishing Open Again

“Federal fishery managers voted Sunday to open waters off the coast of California to commercial salmon fishing for the first time since 2022, with the population rebounding after wet winters ended a long drought.

The decision by the Pacific Fishery Management Council to allow limited commercial and recreational salmon fishing off the coast is a win for the state’s salmon fishing industry, which has grappled with years of season closures due to dwindling fish stocks. The council, which manages fisheries off the West Coast, barred commercial salmon fishing off California for the past three years. It voted last year to allow some recreational fishing for the first time since 2022.”

From Associated Press.

Tropic | Food Production

World’s First Non‑Browning Bananas

“Tropic, the pioneering agricultural biotechnology company, has secured regulatory approval in both Japan and Brazil for its world first non‑browning banana variety, unlocking two of the most important fresh‑produce markets globally and marking a significant milestone in the future of sustainable fruit production.

The approvals clear the way for Tropic’s non‑browning banana to be imported, sold, and consumed in both countries, and grown in Brazil – enabling expanded consumer access, new commercial opportunities, and substantial reductions in global food waste.”

From Tropic.