Corn Futures Tumble, After US Makes Surprise Yield Upgrade

Corn futures tumbled, after the US unexpectedly raised its yield forecast for this year’s crop, but soybean prices gained, with the estimate for output of the oilseed cut by more than investors had expected.

Chicago corn futures for December, which had stood a little lower ahead of the US Department of Agriculture’s Wasde crop briefing, extended those losses sharply afterwards, chalking up a 3.7% loss at one stage.

The contract, one hour after the report, stood at $3.81 ½ a bushel, a drop of 3.2% on the day.

The declines reflected a surprise upgrade in the Wasde to the USDA’s forecast for the domestic corn yield this year, by 0.2 bushels per acre to 168.4 bushels per acre, while lowering expectations for consumption of the grain...

Cargill Conducts Voluntary Recall of Select Southern States Feed Due to High, Excessive, or Elevated Aflatoxin Levels

Cargill’s animal nutrition business is conducting a voluntary recall of select Southern States® feed due to aflatoxin levels that exceed FDA’s action levels. The affected products, which were manufactured and sold in the eastern United States, were removed from retail shelves throughout February, March, and April 2019. Livestock, horses, and poultry exposed to aflatoxin are at risk of exposure to several health hazards.

Aflatoxicosis has the same acute and chronic adverse effects and health consequences across all species and age classes (immature and mature). Immature animals are more sensitive to aflatoxins. Acute aflatoxicosis may result in generalized hemorrhage, bloody diarrhea and death in 1-3 days. In addition, aflatoxin toxicity can cause reduced feed intake, reduced weight gain, liver damage, jaundice, and...

Research on Viral Transmission in Feedstuffs Yields New Information

With research confirming that swine viruses can be transmitted through feed and feedstuffs, new studies are looking at how to prevent the spread of foreign animal diseases, such as African swine fever (ASF), via these vehicles. Based on new research, the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), the National Pork Board, the National Pork Producers Council and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians have revised the information for feed holding times.

The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), the public charity of the American Feed Industry Association, helped fund the research that resulted in the updated information that provide the best and most current understanding of viral survivability in feedstuffs and details for mitigating risk to domestic herds...

Not to Be a Pest: Why Insects Are Gaining Popularity as Feed and Food

The insect industry is quickly ramping up, fuelled by recent capital flows. In the near term, we see more potential for insect proteins as (aqua-)feed than as food. In the longer term, if consumers fall in love with insects, we expect more insect-based products also on supermarket shelves.

Increasing investor interest is driving growth in the insect sector

Recent investment flows into the insect sector are enabling faster growth of insect protein production. The investments received by the sector in 2018 are 40% higher than the sum of investments received in the last four years. Some of the largest investments of 2018 were received by companies growing black soldier fly...

Study Finds 11 Percent of the Price of Corn is Derived from Red Meat Exports

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) has received the results of an updated study aimed at quantifying the value delivered to U.S. corn producers through exports of red meat. The original 2016 study, as well as the 2018 follow-up, were conducted by World Perspectives, Inc. (WPI), a leading agricultural consulting firm.

The original study, titled The Intersection of U.S. Meat Exports and Domestic Corn Use, concluded that in 2015 exports of U.S. red meat accounted for 11.7 million tons of combined corn and Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS) use. In its update, WPI concluded that 2018 beef and pork exports will use a combined total of 14.9 million tons of corn and DDGS, which equates to an additional 459.7 million bushels of corn produced – an increase of 29 percent over the 2015 projections.

Other highlights from the updated study...

Perdue AgriBusiness Chooses Tradepoint Atlantic for New Organic Grain Facility

Perdue AgriBusiness, a division of Perdue Farms, announced today a $30 million investment to open an organic grain receiving and storage facility at Tradepoint Atlantic in eastern Baltimore County to meet the rising demand for organic feed ingredients for Perdue Foods and other companies in the region. The facility will also include grain and oilseed processing/milling and support more than 25 new jobs.

“Tradepoint Atlantic at the Port of Baltimore is ideally located to receive grain and supply organic customers throughout the Mid-Atlantic region,” said Dick Willey, president, Perdue AgriBusiness. “We work directly with local farmers and traders in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia to source organic grain and soybeans. This new complex will be a key part of an integrated supply chain that enables us to increase business and reduce the cost while maintaining the quality of our organic products.”

“We’re on a mission to make organic chicken more accessible to more consumers, but the limiting factor is...