by Chris Jackson, Export Manager, UK TAG
This month I am back in the UK where the weather that affects every single farmer in the world is drastically different to that experienced in Australia.
Throughout the past year both countries have been hit by an astounding lack of rainfall, leading to emergency measures being announced in Australia to assist the starving livestock. As large parts of South-East Asia and China rely on imports of meat, along with the Middle East, any shortfalls have serious implications on the agricultural industry.
The tragic shortage of crops will push prices up in the general market, pressurising livestock farmers into critical positions as food retailers seek to keep shop prices low to sustain their market shares with the inevitable further shrinkage of the livestock sectors. If rainfall still remains minimal, vast tracts of land will not be cropped this year, placing additional strain onto farmers.
The free market has seen an increase in the quantity of water being purchased for irrigation purposes, meaning that the cost is not viable for cotton or rice.
The UK is unaccustomed to water shortages, but with a hotter than average summer and less rainfall we have seen a reduction in yields which proves difficult, although not yet critical.
UK livestock remains healthy despite the struggle, as they need less food to maintain their body temperatures. Whilst the farmers have to adapt their farming to align with these unusual weather conditions we have witnessed man-made factors that could have far reaching implications for production, especially for crops.
Many years ago, Monasanto developed a glycophosphate weed control system that has been hugely beneficial to farmers worldwide, giving them effective weed control and a successful desiccation method to allow an even and successful harvest.
This week we have seen an American court award a supplicant a huge sum of money as he successfully argued against Monsanto that their product had caused his cancer. This case remains subject to appeal but opens up a possible opportunity for exploitation at the hands of farmers and lawyers. Due to the endless quantities of cancer-inducing chemicals and products, it is strange to single out one specific product as a cause for one’s cancer.
Read the full article in the Milling and Grain magazine online, HERE.
 |
| Chris Jackson |
This month I am back in the UK where the weather that affects every single farmer in the world is drastically different to that experienced in Australia.
Throughout the past year both countries have been hit by an astounding lack of rainfall, leading to emergency measures being announced in Australia to assist the starving livestock. As large parts of South-East Asia and China rely on imports of meat, along with the Middle East, any shortfalls have serious implications on the agricultural industry.
The tragic shortage of crops will push prices up in the general market, pressurising livestock farmers into critical positions as food retailers seek to keep shop prices low to sustain their market shares with the inevitable further shrinkage of the livestock sectors. If rainfall still remains minimal, vast tracts of land will not be cropped this year, placing additional strain onto farmers.
The free market has seen an increase in the quantity of water being purchased for irrigation purposes, meaning that the cost is not viable for cotton or rice.
The UK is unaccustomed to water shortages, but with a hotter than average summer and less rainfall we have seen a reduction in yields which proves difficult, although not yet critical.
UK livestock remains healthy despite the struggle, as they need less food to maintain their body temperatures. Whilst the farmers have to adapt their farming to align with these unusual weather conditions we have witnessed man-made factors that could have far reaching implications for production, especially for crops.
Many years ago, Monasanto developed a glycophosphate weed control system that has been hugely beneficial to farmers worldwide, giving them effective weed control and a successful desiccation method to allow an even and successful harvest.
This week we have seen an American court award a supplicant a huge sum of money as he successfully argued against Monsanto that their product had caused his cancer. This case remains subject to appeal but opens up a possible opportunity for exploitation at the hands of farmers and lawyers. Due to the endless quantities of cancer-inducing chemicals and products, it is strange to single out one specific product as a cause for one’s cancer.
Read the full article in the Milling and Grain magazine online, HERE.
The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com
No comments:
Post a Comment