Urner Barry Releases July Pulse Protein Report

Dry pea supplies in 2021/22 are tight with production down 60% year-over-year. The USDA reported that dry pea stocks were down by about 50% in December from the previous year, the lowest levels since 2012. Lentil supplies are also lower than the year prior, with production down 55%.

According to the National Weather Service, a massive heat wave is engulfing much of the Midwest and into the Southern tier of the United States. Excessive heat warnings were in effect last week, with...

Latest Maersk Cold Storage Facility Set to Open in New Jersey This Fall

A cold storage facility serving both imports and exports of fish, poultry, beef, pork, fruits and vegetables will open in Dayton, New Jersey in October, Performance Team – A Maersk Company, announced on June 6.

Maersk explained that end-to-end supply chain solutions are made by the company’s Oceans services calling APM Terminals Elizabeth, New Jersey that can be integrated with Maersk Customs Services, USA Inc. customs clearance expertise and Performance Team – A Maersk Company’s 60+ warehouses and Transportation services - designed to serve storage, fulfillment...

Lineage Logistics Acquires Supply Chain Software Firm Turvo

Lineage Logistics acquired Turvo Inc., a leading provider of supply chain management, collaboration, and visibility software, per a June 1 announcement. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The move to acquire Turvo follows an initial investment made by Lineage Ventures and Lineage’s vision for improved supply chain collaboration. Turvo will now become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lineage under its own brand.

“Lineage’s acquisition of Turvo was a natural extension of our partnership, through which we successfully launched Lineage Link™ last year,” said Adam Forste, Co-Executive Chairman...

Urner Barry Releases May Pulse Protein Report

For pulses like dry edible beans, prospective area declines are anticipated to continue in 2022. Spring weather is an important factor and is posing threats again this year with dry conditions across several dry bean growing regions. April 2022 marked the seventh month of the 2021/22 dry bean marketing year which began in September 2021 and will end in August. Although planting decisions have been made, a variety of factors can influence the final crop mix well into the spring and early summer.

In addition to dry spring weather, key economic factors affecting reduced dry bean area include surging input costs for items like fuel and fertilizer, and elevated prices for...

Lineage Logistics’ Latest Acquisition Sets Groundwork for Significant Singapore Expansion

Cold storage giant Lineage Logistics has made another acquisition. This time the company has bought Mandai Link Logistics (“Mandai”), marking the Company’s market entry into Singapore.

Lineage said the financial terms of the deal were not made public, but the move sees Lineage acquire the market leader in Singapore for the provision of cold storage services and automated operations.

“Mandai established Singapore’s first fully automated cold storage facility and has been long considered a local market leader in the provision of cold storage warehousing and distribution services,” Jeff Hogarth...

Amazon Creates $1 Billion Fund for Supply Chain Innovation

Amazon will invest $1 billion into supply chain technology.

Amazon is launching a $1 billion venture investment program for logistics and fulfillment technology.

The e-tail giant’s new funding initiative, called the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund (AIIF), is meant to advance and support innovation in customer fulfillment, logistics, and the supply chain. According to Amazon, increasing customer demand for online shopping and fast delivery led it to create the fund.

Amazon says the new fund will invest in companies that develop and provide solutions that “incrementally increase delivery...

Urner Barry Releases April Pulse Protein Report

The USDA released its Prospective Plantings report on March 31, noting that hopes for drought relief fizzled during the first couple months of 2022. With the generally dry start to the new year, there was little overall change in the western drought depiction. Also, drought coverage across the south continued to climb, reaching 59.2% in March. By March 1, national drought coverage had been greater than 40% for 75 consecutive weeks, a 21st century record.

Besides drought, this past winter season featured notable extremes. In December, multiple severe weather conditions resulted in more than 200 tornadoes. December also ended with...

Lineage Logistics Expands Footprint in Canada Through Latest Acquisition

Lineage Logistics announced the acquisition of VersaCold Logistics Services, a Canadian cold chain solution provider from TorQuest Partners (“TorQuest”) and its co-investment partners, The Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (“IMCO”) and OPTrust on April 13.

VersaCold was founded in 1941 and has grown to run 24 temperature-controlled facilities comprising 114 million cubic feet of storage and 361,000 pallet positions. Its network spans nine provinces and features facilities in some of the key metropolitan markets in the country.

“Our acquisition of VersaCold represents yet another...

Maersk Enters Air Cargo Sector as Customers Search for Shipping Options

Maersk has debuted Maersk Air Cargo which will become the shipping giant’s main air freight offering serving the logistics needs of its clients with integrated logistics.

At the same time, Maersk chose Denmark’s second largest airport, Billund, as its air freight hub for Maersk Air Cargo with daily flights creating several jobs in the region, the company announced in a press release.

“Air freight is a crucial enabler of flexibility and agility in global supply chains as it allows our customers to tackle time-critical supply chain...

eGrowcery and DoorDash Partner To Provide On-Demand Delivery for Supermarkets and Other Retailers

eGrowcery, developer of the leading retail food industry eCommerce platform, announces a partnership with DoorDash Drive, DoorDash's white label fulfillment platform that powers direct delivery for businesses, to provide supermarkets with access to an expansive delivery fleet and a flexible delivery solution directly from the eCommerce experience. With the new DoorDash Drive integration, retailers using the eGrowcery platform can now benefit from the scale of DoorDash’s logistics network, all while retaining full autonomy around the eCommerce experience and, critically, owning their own shopper data...

Poultry Quarterly Q2 2022: Strong Market Conditions Continue, Despite Impact of War in Ukraine

Global poultry demand and trade will remain strong this year. The industry, however, will face challenges related to historic high cost inflation and logistic disruptions, which will especially impact low income countries.

Report summary
In most regions, supply is relatively tight and prices are strong. The war in Ukraine has led to an increase of 20% to 40% in global grain prices, and the poultry industry will be challenged to pass on all of these higher costs to consumers. This will likely be possible in developed...

Maersk Continues Electric Vehicle Investment in North America with 110-Truck Volvo Order

Shipping giant Maersk said it is doubling down on its electric truck fleet expansion plans in North America with a 110-vehicle order with Volvo, the company announced on March 29.

Maersk will add 110 additional Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 trucks, increasing its total commitment to 126 trucks. The trucks will be delivered by the end of Q1 2023 to support increased demand from customers.

“Our customers are looking for tangible actions on sustainable supply chains - not just conceptual,” Vincent Clerc, CEO of Ocean & Logistics at A.P. Moller...

Maersk Deploying Fleet of Electric Trucks to Provide Sustainable Supply Chain Options

Shipping giant Maersk will add a fleet of 300 electric trucks to its North America operations with delivery set between 2023-2025. The move will create the largest heavy-duty electric truck deployment to date.

The trucks will be used in the company’s warehousing, distribution and transportation business called Performance Team – A Maersk Company. The move comes thanks to a partnership with Einride, a tech company focused on freight mobility solutions.

The trucks will be operated using Einride’s digital road freight operating system and charging solutions...

Biden–Harris Administration Announces Initiative To Improve Supply Chain Data Flow

The Biden-Harris administration is taking action to improve the supply chain. On Tuesday a new initiative was announced with the goal to speed up delivery times and reduce consumer costs.

Port congestion and delays has been a hot topic for those in and outside of the food sector. In an effort to rid the supply chain of these vulnerabilities and congestion, the Biden-Harris administration is launching Freight Logistics Optimization Works, or FLOW.

FLOW is an “information sharing initiative to pilot key freight information...

Urner Barry Releases March Soy & Wheat Report

In the latest WASDE report, the USDA stated that the outlook for 2021/22 U.S. wheat this March is lower supplies, unchanged domestic use, reduced exports, and higher ending stocks. Projected 2021/22 ending stocks were raised by 5 million bushels to 653 million, but 23% lower than a year ago. The season-average farm price was raised $0.20 to $7.50/bu based on NASS prices and expectations for prices in the remainder of the marketing year. Despite the sharp increases in futures and cash prices recently, a significant majority of U.S. wheat has already been marketed this year, limiting the season-average farm price increase.

Globally, the 2021/22 wheat outlook is for higher production, decreased trade, lower consumption, and larger ending stocks. The 2021/22 global use forecast was lowered by...

Urner Barry Releases March Pulse Protein Report

On March 1, the USDA reported an average $41.00/cwt for U.S. #1 garbanzo beans which is a slight increase from the previous month. U.S. whole green peas averaged $23.75/cwt as of early March, steady with February’s rates. Prices for yellow peas declined by $0.83 from a month ago, totaling $26.67/cwt.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is stressing an already strained global supply chain and its economic impact is likely to be felt by consumers and manufacturers. While an increase in costs trickles down from producers to consumers, short term consequences have already arrived. Grain markets recently hit...

What the U.S. Ban on Russian Oil Could Mean for U.S. Consumers

On Tuesday, President Biden announced a U.S. ban on Russian oil and gas imports as a measure to target “the main artery of Russia's economy”. The ban also applies to Russian coal, according to the White House briefing. 

"We're banning all imports of Russian oil and gas energy. That means Russian oil will no longer be accepted in U.S. ports, and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin's war machine," said Biden. 

The ban coincides with record-high gas prices, not adjusted for inflation. According to AAA, the national average climbed to $4.25 a gallon today, up 8 cents from yesterday and a 16.3% increase from the week-ago figure. Consumers have not seen gas prices this high since the summer of 2008. Californians are currently facing the largest expense at $5.57 per gallon on average...

Urner Barry Releases February Soy & Wheat Report

In the latest WASDE report, the USDA stated that the outlook for 2021/22 U.S. wheat this February is stable supplies, lower domestic use, reduced exports, and higher ending stocks. Food use was lowered by 3 million bushels to 959 million with durum accounting for the entire reduction. Seed use was revised down 2 million bushels to 64 million based on NASS seed use data for the first two quarters of the marketing year. Projected 2021/22 ending stocks were raised by...

Urner Barry Releases February Pulse Protein Report

As of February 8, Ethiopia has bumped China from the top spot of the dried pea export value chart. A 78% increase in value year-over-year was noted for Ethiopia, and China holds the fourth spot with a 51% decrease year-over-year. Meanwhile, Canada holds the first spot for lentils with an 18% increase in value. India is no longer one of the top five countries in the export value chart for lentils, losing the fifth-place spot this month to Peru. Pakistan remains in the first spot for dried chickpea exports for the second consecutive month, with an 18% decrease in value year-over-year.

The USDA reported that U.S. export volume in 2020/21 for chickpeas, dry peas, and lentils varied. Export volume of chickpeas decreased about 15%, for a total of...

Urner Barry Releases January Soy & Wheat Report

In the latest WASDE report, the USDA stated that the outlook for 2021/22 U.S. wheat this January is smaller supplies, reduced domestic use, lower exports, and higher ending stocks. Seed use was unchanged at 66 million bushels, reflecting the latest estimated seed use for winter wheat plantings in the fall of 2021 reported by NASS. Projected ending stocks were raised by 30 million bushels to 628 million, down 26% from last year and the lowest level since 2013/14. The season average farm price was raised $0.10/bu to $7.15/bu based on NASS prices and expectations for prices in the remainder of the marketing year.

Globally, the 2021/22 wheat outlook is for stable supplies, decreased consumption, reduced exports, and increased stocks. Production increases in Argentina and...

Urner Barry Releases January Pulse Protein Report

As of January 11, China remains at the top of the dried pea export value chart. However, a 46% decrease in value year-over-year was noted. Meanwhile, India still holds the fifth-place spot for lentils with a 90% year-over-year decline in value. Pakistan is in the first spot for dried chickpea exports as we enter 2022, with a 13% decrease in value year-over-year.

The USDA reported that the U.S. is a net exporter of dry beans with most of the country's dry bean exports sent to Mexico and Canada. Pinto bean exports in the 2020/21 marketing year grew by...

Urner Barry Releases December Soy & Wheat Report

As supplies remain tight, weather will play a key role in recovery. Participants are closely monitoring Australia as it is facing record rainfall. This could impact crop quality, putting more pressure on the system. Approximately 45% of vital wheat gluten is imported into the United States from Australia and New Zealand, so these weather events could influence planting decisions in the United States.

In the latest WASDE report, the USDA stated that the outlook for 2021/22 U.S. wheat this December is slightly lower supplies, unchanged domestic use, reduced exports, and...

FeedInfo: Is the Worst Over? Dissecting 2021 Supply Chain Crisis Impacts– Webinar Exclusive

“Shipping has gone from one of those costs you don’t really think about…to almost as valuable, if not in some instances more valuable, than the commodity itself that’s moving.”

That statement from S&P Global Platts Freight Editor George Griffiths helps explain why yesterday, professionals from across the agricultural sector, from grains to feed additives to meat, tuned in to an Agribriefing webinar hosted by Agrimoney Editor in Chief Mike Verdin to discuss the disruption being experienced across different agricultural commodity markets...

Industry Reaction: House Passes Ocean Shipping Reform Act Amid Supply Chain Crisis

The United States House of Representatives passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act on December 8, a bill described as the “first major overhaul of federal regulations for the global shipping industry” in over three decades.

The bill comes amid a global supply chain crisis that has challenged the protein and larger food industry at every level. Rising shipping container costs, delays, trucker shortages and limited cold storage space are just a few of the headaches players in the protein space continue to face.

REEF Hires Dylan Casey as Chief Product Officer

REEF, the largest operator of virtual restaurants, logistics, and proximity hubs in North America, announced today that Dylan Casey has joined the company as Chief Product Officer. In this newly created role, Dylan will work to enhance REEF’s vision as a product-led organization, enabling the company to scale more efficiently while maintaining a focus on end customers.

“We are very excited to welcome Dylan to REEF. He brings an unmatched expertise in product development and will help further instill a product-led ethos throughout our global operations,” said Ari Ojalvo...

NAMI Applauds House Passage of Ocean Shipping Reform Act; Urges Senate to Act to Protect US Exports

The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) today applauded the U.S. House of Representatives approval of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, a bill to prohibit ocean carriers from unreasonably declining export cargo bookings, a practice that has disadvantaged American exporters including the meat and poultry industry.

“The problems at our ports have been exacerbated by the unreasonable practices of foreign-owned ocean carriers, including delays of shipments of American made goods to overseas trading partners,” said Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of...

2021 Retail Imports to Show Record Growth Despite Pandemic

Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports are expected to end 2021 with both the largest volume and fastest growth on record despite supply chain disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“This has been an unprecedented year,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “We’ve seen more disruption than ever before because of issues along every step of the supply chain and continued strong consumer..."

Waiver from Trucking Federal Rule Extended

The National Pork Producers Council today thanked the Biden administration, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Meera Joshi, deputy administrator of DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for extending to Feb. 28, 2022, a waiver for commercial truckers from the federal Hours of Service regulation.

The HOS rule limits truckers to 11 hours of driving time and 14 consecutive hours of on-duty time in any 24-hour period and requires prescribed rest periods.

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and prompted by NPPC’s efforts to ensure pork producers could...

Blix Partners with REEF on Delivery Order Locations

REEF Technology Inc. the largest operator of virtual restaurants, logistics and proximity hubs in North America, announced today its partnership with Blix Ltd ("Blix"), an integrated food technology system.

The partnership will allow REEF to offer Blix's wide range of nutritious meals through their delivery kitchens. REEF will blend Blix pouches using their smart food maker in their ghost kitchens and deliver orders through UberEats, Doordash and Grubhub. Whereas previously consumers would need to purchase the smart foodmaker from Blix to make and enjoy their products, this partnership will deliver their... 

Feel Foods to Launch Plant-Based Foods E-Commerce Platform

Feel Foods LTD. announced today it is creating a new e-commerce platform with advanced logistics operations in time for the festive season.

Web developers ‘Able & Howe’ is designing the new e-commerce site with full e-commerce capabilities as well as state-of-the-art inventory control capabilities, ensuring operations are efficient, effective, and uninterrupted. Prior to the upcoming holiday season and the launch of its e-commerce platform, Feel Foods is adding more fulfillment personnel and is ramping up production of its popular, 100%...

Urner Barry Releases November Soy & Wheat Report

This month, the U.S. soybean outlook for 2021/22 is for lower production and exports, and higher ending stocks. Soybean production is forecast at 4.42 billion bushels, down 23 million on lower yields. Lower yields in Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Kansas account for most of the change in production. The U.S. season-average soybean price is forecast at $12.10/bu, a decrease of $0.25.

According to the USDA's Crop Progress report, soybean harvest is just about on par with the five-year average rate at 87% completion. Minnesota reported that...

GrubMarket Acquires Oakport Transportation to Expand Transportation and Logistics Capabilities 

GrubMarket today announced it has completed the acquisition of Oakland, CA-based Oakport Transportation, a provider of comprehensive trucking and logistics services that stores and ships produce throughout California, the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, and Nevada, plus selected routes throughout the rest of the U.S. for certain seasonal items. GrubMarket will leverage Oakport's facilities and logistics networks to address the supply chain challenges introduced by recent trucking shortages, route congestion and skyrocketing consumer demand for fresh food.

The timing of this acquisition is of paramount importance. The coronavirus pandemic has...

Ocean Carriers Expect to Carry Costs of New Container Excess Dwell Fee Onto Shippers, Importers

The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have implemented a new “Container Excess Dwell Fee” to kick off November that aims to help alleviate the backlog of containers sitting on the west coast. However, this new fee may mean additional costs to shippers and importers.

OCEANAIR, a transportation logistics company said that these new fees will be passed on to the shippers/importers, as many shipping companies have already announced...

Retail Imports Near Record Pace Despite Port Congestion as Holiday Season Begins

Imports at the nation’s congested container ports are expected to remain at near-record levels for the remainder of the year as retailers rush to move merchandise from docks to shelves in time to meet the expectations of holiday shoppers, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“Dockworkers are unloading ships as fast as they can, but the challenge is to move the containers out of the ports to make room for the next ship..."

NCBA Supports Additional USDA Funding for Beef Supply Chains

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an additional $100 million investment into the food supply chain infrastructure. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) supports this step to prioritize the expansion of beef processing capacity and dedicate further resources to build a more resilient cattle industry.

“Our number one goal at NBCA continues to be opening up new opportunities for cattle producers to be profitable,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “The pandemic accentuated a number of vulnerabilities within our supply chains—chiefly the choke point..."

New Supply Chain Program Offers Training in Critical, Growing Area for Retailers

The NRF Foundation and the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) Foundation today announced the launch of a new Warehouse, Inventory and Logistics certificate for retail employees. The program will be offered as the newest credential as part of the NRF Foundation’s RISE Up skills training portfolio.

“Ecommerce and supply chains are increasingly essential to our economy,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “The Warehouse, Inventory and Logistics credential will give job seekers and employees the training they need to navigate the complex..."