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September 11, 2026: Canada Tariffs, Falling Farm Income and Beef Industry Updates

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September 11, 2026: Canada Tariffs, Falling Farm Income and Beef Industry Updates

The Agnews Daily podcast highlights key agricultural and economic developments amid the 25th anniversary of 9/11, acknowledging the sector’s vital role in national security. Weather patterns in the Midwest remain volatile, with heavy rains causing flooding and disrupting harvest timelines, particularly affecting immature corn and soybean fields. On the technology front, Reservoir is pioneering a community-driven approach to connect AI and ag tech, hosting its first "Ruggedized" conference at a farm to showcase real-world resilience and reliability—critical for technology to function in harsh farm conditions. Startups and tech firms are focusing on solutions like automated weed control and harvest robotics, with partnerships such as John Deere and Reservoir committing $10 million over three years to accelerate startup readiness. Meanwhile, domestic fertilizer production is expanding with new projects in Louisiana, aiming to reduce reliance on imports. Crop markets are under pressure from potential USDA yield cuts and Argentina’s rising corn exports, which could shift global supply dynamics. Trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada over dairy and ethanol, along with rising input costs, add uncertainty. USDA projections show declining net farm income due to higher expenses, though government payments are rising. The push for a new farm bill continues, with provisions including mandatory country-of-origin labeling and expanded conservation. Additionally, the 45Z clean fuel credit update supports regenerative farming by integrating carbon intensity metrics, boosting sustainability incentives. As harvest progresses, farmers face both challenges and opportunities in technology adoption, climate resilience, and market competitiveness.

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Today on Agnews daily. That was the idea behind Reservoir is could you create basically a new set of communities around the technology that connect into Ag. Welcome back to another weekly edition of the Agnews daily podcast and today is Friday September 11th. It is the 25th anniversary of 9/11. So I wanted to make sure we acknowledge that I know a lot of our listeners are maybe veterans of the industry and agriculture supplies a lot of our nation's army and resources in that space. So I think it's important to take time and reflect upon that and certainly sensitive to this year being the 25th anniversary of that horrible horrible occasion here in America's history. Yes, certainly the way people are remembering it taking steps and to really honor and reflect. It's it's neat to see some of those things that are happening to really ensure that we are reflecting on 25 years. It's crazy to think it's been that many years. It is. So we want to leave that on a note there and continue on with our program. More fronts and storm systems are expected to bring additional rain to the Midwest through next week as we look ahead to the weather system shaping up here. A strong cold front moving through over the next few days. We'll bring scattered showers and thunderstorms with some areas at risk for heavy rain and flooding. I know we've been getting some flash flood warnings here in central Iowa. There was a really bad storm that came through on Tuesday night. You may have seen some of the photos of grain bins coming down extreme wind and rain damages but that rain is unfortunately going to continue as we see some immature corn and soybean fields. Good benefit from that moisture but a lot of severe weather heading into this weekend and into next. That late timing does limit the potential yield impact as a crop as crops mature faster than normal this time of year but wet conditions could also slow some of those folks looking to make an early start on their harvest and create some quality concerns where that heavy rainfall is coming down. The longer weather term outlook is also getting some attention with forecasters putting the odds of El Nino lasting through the winter and into 2027 now at 90%. They say they see a 75% chance of a major event which could affect South American production. The start of the U.S. growing season and potentially the broader crop cycle for next year. This outlook is helping keep some weather risk in the markets as well. We look at crops certainly here in a lot of corn silage going into bunkers and all the fun festivities of harvest there but when we look at it from according to the USDA reporting another mixed week for crop conditions as harvest gets underway here in the corn belt. As of Sunday 56% of U.S. corn was rated good to excellent down one percentage point and the lowest rating of the growing season. 5% of the crop was harvested ahead of the 5-year average of 3% while 96% was in the dose stage, 676% was dented and not 25% had reached maturity. Serving conditions held study at 58% good to excellent but 26% of the crop dropping leaves ahead of that 5-year average of 20%. Spring wheat harvest reached 86% slightly ahead of average while winter wheat planting stood at 2% behind the 5-year average of 5%. The decline in corn get issue will keep attention on late season weather and upcoming USDA production estimates as harvest expands across the Midwest. Certainly what we're hearing and the state of Wisconsin is variability perhaps maybe more than last year what are you hearing in Iowa Delaney? Well mostly just silage has started but it's actually coming in pretty dry so I think these wet weather we've been having here for the last few days could help with some of the moisture levels there but silage was coming in pretty dry as well as seed corn coming in pretty dry off the fields as well so I think that moisture will be welcomed even for parts of the Midwest here like central Iowa that have had some pretty good timely rains but most crops certainly need it. Well Michelle Dairy is again at the center of trade tensions between the United States and Canada with new tariffs and restrictions creating some uncertainty for producers on both sides of the border. The changes that went into effect on Tuesday September 8th are creating some of those challenges with Canadian tariffs affecting US agricultural production while the Trump administration has announced restrictions on some Canadian dairy and other goods. Market analyst Sean Hackett says US dairy producers could see the biggest impact in butter as Canada is an important market for US butter fat while Canadian dairy producers could face challenges if they lose access to US markets for protein-based dairy products. The broader trade dispute is also drawing attention across agriculture with tariffs ranging from 10 to 50 percent on some products and reports that some products may no longer be traded between the two countries the US and Canada trade both rock commodities and finished agricultural products including ethanol with Canada accounting for about 5 percent of total US ethanol exports. The longer the trade barriers remain the greater the potential for disruptions as both countries are working to manage supplies and find other markets. While looking into some beef news headlines President Trump's administration is continuing efforts to address high beef prices like it's been in the news these last few weeks and tied to US cattle supplies but new actions this week targeting beef imports livestock market competition and meat processing. A recent policy temporarily increases the amount of lean beef trimmings that have been shared here in the US over the last week that can enter the US under lower in quota tariff rates with an additional 300,000 metric tons available to eligible trading partners. The administration also signed two executive orders late to last week aimed at increasing competition in livestock markets expanding meat processing opportunities and reviewing country of origin labeling for beef. One order directs USDA to increase enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act and to coordinate with the Justice Department on livestock market competition. It also calls for an expanded interstate sales of eligible state inspected meat and additional technical assistance for small and very small processors. A second order directs USDA to review its authority to establish mandatory country origin labeling for beef and to analyze the economic effects. USC also announced plans to enroll nearly one million additional acres in the Grasslands Conservation Reserve program and expand remote beef grading. Action has come as the US cattle herd remains still at its lowest level since the 1950s keeping an imported beef herd rebuilding and processing capacity in focus for producers. A new act aimed at helping rebuilds the cattle herd is coming up after this short break. Introducing this year's instinct next gen and insert nitrogen stabilizers featuring the same leading active as always and now announcing nothing new because our performance still leads every competitor. Our nitrogen stabilizers aren't new. They're proven with thousands of field trials and decades of experience leading the competition. No gimmicks, no empty promises. Now that deserves a hype. Go to Cortiba.us/hype to learn more. While Senators are backing a different approach to rebuild the US cattle herd. South Dakota Senator Mike Browns and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar are sponsoring the Vipartisan Ranch Act, which would create a voluntary grassland restoration program and open up to 20 million additional acres for grazing, enough to support an estimated two to four million head of beef cows. The Senators say expanding domestic production is a better long-term solution than relying on imported beef. Browns says more marginal cropland should be returned to grass before the US relies on larger quantities of imported beef. He also supports mandatory country of origin labeling so consumers can distinguish imported beef from US proofs beef as well. While delaying this week's update on new world's skirmarm covers concerns over a legal livestock movement and new research and at strengthening defenses against the parasite. A legal movement of horses and other livestock across the US, Mexico border is raising some concerns about gaps in the parasite's defenses. A rooters investigation late last week found animals being moved outside at normal veterinary and inspection channels potentially allowing some infected livestock to bypass screening and as USDA works to contain the flesh-eating parasite. New world's rural larvae feed on the tissue of living animals as a reminder and can cause severe injury or death, especially to our livestock animals. The threat remains a major concern for cattle producers as USDA expands surveillance and sterile fly efforts. Looking into some research, some USDA researchers are also working throughout the month of August. on a new tool to increase the supply of sterile male flies. The strain, called NOVA fly, uses a genetic system that eliminates females early in production on facilities to produce more sterile males without major infrastructure changes. Research entomologist Alex Arb says that could essentially double the number of males available for sterile insect releases. NOVA fly is being developed by USDA's Agricultural Research Service and North Carolina State University. EPA has granted an emergency use exemption, while broader regulatory approval and production scale up continuously, certainly a lot of news this last week to our beef producers. I got to tell you Michelle, every time I hear the word larva flesh eating doesn't create great visual, so we know that it is certainly an ongoing challenge for our beef producers. As we look to the broader agricultural economy, the USDA's latest farm income forecast shows a mixed fixture for producers in 2026. I don't think this comes as any surprise, but the report was released late last week. Net farm income projected at just over $158 billion, down about $4 billion from 2025, while producer expenses continued to climb to over $21 billion, which is about 4.5% higher. Excuse me, they climbed by $21 billion, or about 4.5% higher to nearly $493 total there, $1 billion there. Net cash farm income is forecast to increase slightly but fall above 2.5% after adjusting for inflation, and as we know, a lot of difference between row crop farmers and beef farmers right now, and the report certainly reflected that, but USDA's economist Carrie Lyckowski says that direct government payments are also expected to rise sharply this year, increasing about $19.5 billion, or up 70% compared to last year. USDA also projects farm sector assets debt and equity to increase in 2026, with equity up 2.7%. Average net cash farm income for businesses is forecast near $122,000, about 7%, while median farm household income is expected to top $108,000. The latest numbers show higher cash receipts in some commodities, but rising production costs and lower commodity prices continue to pressure those margins. American Farm Bureau Federation economist Faith Param says a new five-year farm bill could provide more uncertainty as farmers and ranchers plan ahead, and they know we're going to be talking about a farm bill update here later in the show. Absolutely, a little outline as we hope to see some kind of farm bill reach some direction according to some of our peers in the Agriculture Association space, but as we look at 45Z and update here, the U.S. Department of Energy and IRS are providing new clarity this week around the 45Z clean fuel production credit, with changes that could give biofuel producers more ways to count for lower carbon farming practices. DOE updated its 45C CFGRETE model to incorporate USDA's FDCIC, including carbon intensity adjustments for certain regenerative agriculture practices used specifically in soybean production. The IRS also released updated emissions rate guidance that allows qualifying farm practices to be reflected in credit calculations. The American soybean association says the changes could provide more certainty for biofuel producers and strengthen domestic demand for U.S. soybeans. Continuum ANGCEO, which we've had a few times here on the podcast, Mitchell Hora, says incorporating an on-farm practices into the 45Z system to give farmers another way to capture value from lower carbon production. ASA says this week it will continue pushing for a book and claim system, so farmers can participate without physically segregating soybeans throughout the supply chain. On some other biofuel news, the U.S. ethanol blend rate has reached a record level creating another demand signal for corn producers. Federal energy data cited by the Renewable Fuels Association last week shows the 12-month average ethanol blend rate at just over 10.5% while ethanol content tapped 11% for the second straight month this past June. Growing use of E15 and E85 is pushing ethanol consumption beyond the traditional E10 blend as well. Ethanol production averaged about 1.1 million barrels per day during the week ending August 28th while inventories fell to roughly 25 million barrels. Higher blending can add corn demand, of course, without requiring more total gasoline consumption and certainly California's move toward a broader E15 adoption has provided another positive outlook for the ethanol and corn industry. While Delaney just a short update here on the Farm Bill, time is running short for Congress to pass that new Farm Bill here in 2026 with the current extension of the 2018 Farm Bill set to expire September 30th. Here's what we know so far in review. Senate Agriculture Committee took up chairman John Boseman's Agricultural Act of 2026 on August 6th, but the bill failed to advance amid disagreements over changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The committee though did approve 34 amendments, including one directing USDA and USTR to work toward restoring mandatory country of ordering labeling for beef. Senate Bill includes year round E15, updates to farm safety net and conservation programs, expanded credit and rural development programs and additional support for crop insurance and animal disease preparedness. Farm groups say those provisions could provide some needed support, but a full five-year Farm Bill is still needed to provide longer term certainty for farmers and ranchals. For farmers and ranchers, it'll certainly be interesting if it will be five years at some point, but we'll continue to share it here on AgNews Daily. Well, Delaney, I'm really looking forward to this interview that she had done for this week. Technology and artificial intelligence are becoming a bigger part of agriculture. Farmers and businesses alike looking for ways to use those tools to solve problems and improve efficiency. But what does it take to see return on that investment? And how can these technologies be put to work today, Delaney, you had the chance to talk with Danny Bernstein, founder of Reservoir about his journey from working at Google to help in agriculture, use technology and AI. Now, we cap some of the latest AI innovations from events the company had hosted. So let's get into that interview right now. Well, I am very excited today to be joined by Danny Bernstein with Reservoir, which for those of you in the Ag Tech space or the artificial intelligence space, you may recognize Danny and his conference, ruggedized was a big splash on social media here over the last few weeks. And I want to chat more about that conference and all things artificial intelligence Danny. But first of all, thanks for joining us on the podcast today. Yeah, super great to be here and be able to introduce what we're doing to maybe some folks who aren't as familiar yet. So you have been in this space for quite some time now. Give us a little bit of the background of who you are and how you found yourself at this really unique intersection of artificial intelligence, Ag Tech and a couple of their facets as well. Yeah. So we created Reservoir basically to facilitate a better bridge or just connection between technology and Ag and I come actually from Silicon Valley. So I spent close to 20 years in Silicon Valley. I spent 10 years at Google and then a couple years of Microsoft before starting Reservoir. And basically what I became really interested in when I was there was how could all this technology really make an impact sort of in places that need it more or that maybe even are higher impact. And so that was the idea behind Reservoir is could you create basically a new set of communities around the technology that connect and act? Why pick agriculture though? Yeah, it's a great question. Well, I mean, I live in Monterey County, so we are a top 10 US Ag County by Farmgate Value. It's a $5 billion Ag County, friends working in agriculture. I became kind of very immersed in that world and started to kind of explore it really deeply. You know, when I was still in Silicon Valley and started to ask questions like where are the startups and why isn't there a technical community and how do startups get onto farms and things like that? I personally love fresh produce, so the product behind it was something I was really passionate about. And I also care a lot about the connections between urban and rural as sort of a point of fabric in a, you know, American society, California society. And I wanted to basically, you know, work in an area that could strengthen ties between those areas. And I felt like agriculture was a great place to do that. But at the same time, like, agriculture had to be open to a company like Reservoir, and it's just been amazingly so, like, it's just been really gracious to get to know people and explain why we exist. We want to create a better bridge between tech and ag. And folks, I'm like, yeah, we need help. Come on in. That's great. I appreciate you sharing that background with us and I'm appreciated watching and seeing something linked in as your most recent conference was going on ruggedized, which I think the name is really unique. And this is not the first year you've had this conference to my understanding. No, this is our first time doing it. Yeah, this is our first time. Yeah, first time. You know, the bit of the backstory is about now about a year ago, we were planning kind of our calendar for the year and we saw that there was a gap really for a conference that was all about how to create how to bridge between technology and ag. We didn't think like anything like that really existed. It exists sort of in academia where you know, you might have a bunch of professors talking theoretically about how these things connect in, but there wasn't a place for a bunch of geeks to talk about ag and ag tech. And so that's what we decided to do. I, of course, you know, studied the space really closely and plucked this word out of the lexicon of ag tech when they talk about ruggedizing a machine. I was like, that is such a cool word. Like, ruggedize. Yes, you know, like I, the marketer in me kind of said, let's, let's go. And we, we debated a handful of different names for it and just kept coming back to that one word that we had first. And so it was ruggedized, ruggedized by reservoir. We started to plan. We, we decided to do it at our farm, which in and of itself wasn't a great adventure because farms aren't really meant to, you know, host conferences. It's not a fair grounds. It's a farm. And so we had a pitch of 10. We had to get AV. We had to figure out catering. We had to figure out bathrooms, all of which we think we can improve year over year. But all said we had 350 people plus at our farm. We had folks, we had growers and we had folks from John Deere, but kind of true to our mission. We had 70 startups there, 70 founders and CEOs. We had, and then we had representatives from Google and Amazon web services and Nvidia and and other parts of sort of the technology constructs. So great learning. And we're going to run it back next year. What a unique intersection of a lot of different people, not in the room, but at the farm. Yeah, the farm. Yeah. And I appreciated some of the themes that were coming out. I watched a lot of the startups or that's really how I saw it, was quite a few of the startups that were there at the event. We're posting on LinkedIn and social media topics like, you know, deploying AI, how you work through dust and heat and a lot of environmental variation. So I want to talk a bit more about some of those topics that were discussed at the conference. What were some of those major themes that you walked away with? Yeah, you know, we had Matthew Potter from John Deere based in Des Moines and kind of based in Des Moines and Fargo. Was one of our first speakers and he said, you know, trust is reliability, reliability is trust. And sort of that sort of reliability driven ethos around product development was kind of like a tone setter. We see a lot of prototypes and ag that just don't look like they can hold up to to wind and weather and to dust and although, you know, uneven terrain and unpredictability. So that was a tone setter where it kind of sort of pulled through the rest of the sessions where it became all about, listen, yeah, we're developing technology. We are technologists, but the truth, the true test is that sense of reliability. And it's reliability, of course, both in operation, but also in service. We talked, there was a lot of discussion around your new ag tech company. You built a robot. It does what it says, you know, if it says what it does, but do you have the infrastructure in place to service it? Are you going to be there at, you know, 4 a.m. when when there's a challenge and reliability challenge? So it felt like kind of a higher stake sort of technology conversation that maybe you often see in these rooms. And I think that gave folks a lot of energy. And I think when we talk about maybe that gap from deploying AI into the realities of what's happening at the farm gate level, there are some gaps that happen. And it sounds like that was part of the discussion that you all had at the conference as well. Just from a practicality perspective, what do you think is preventing us from closing that gap between a company, seeing an idea and saying, hey, this is a place where we think we could help solve labor, etc. to then actually getting it deployed on the farm. Yeah, you know, I use a lot of sports analogies when when explaining reservoirs and explaining rugged eyes. I think about like a high school pitcher getting drafted into Major League Baseball and going from the rigors of a, you know, I don't know, a 25 game season to 162 and suddenly all the travel and things like that. So there's a lot of that kind of sort of transition that a lot of teams and technologies just are simply not ready for. A lot of folks come into ag from tech, like me, they come in, they come in to ag from tech and the sort of that preparation, the activation energy required to kind of really learn, you know, what is required and what it's all about, that they're not just, let's say, zapping weeds with electricity when the rows are perfect and the conditions are perfect, but they need to be able to run all season long and to be able to kind of condition through that and to survive multiple seasons. And so that is something that just comes up over and over again and how essentially the technology needs to be ruggedized, but a lot of the conference was also, if you're an engineer and you're coming from outside of ag, but you have an extraordinary skillset in robotics and AI, how can this kind of discussion or conference or community be a place that you can really kind of get ready for it? And that's a lot of what was discussed and you know, we kind of build up, want to build on that next year. And I think from a farmer perspective, ROI is always important. The cost I'm putting into it, whether it's my man hours and my understanding of it or physical dollars, I think is really important as well. How early does ROI need to be part of the conversation for companies considering going into the agriculture tech space? I think understanding what it's sort of a typical ROI cycle is for growers of different sizes and different sorts of financial structures is critical. There's sort of a farm economics 101 that it's really inexcusable if the ag tech entrepreneur is not at least somewhat proficient or quite proficient in it. So that's something we definitely did talk about. So that was definitely a thing. At the same time, the understanding what sorts of tools are available to the roboticists now. So their machine cost is lowered. They're using open-source tools when they can. They're using open source hardware and software. We had the open source robotics foundation actually come and speak at the conference and they were one of our kind of content partners for this. And so now a roboticist can pull an open source robotics operating system off the shelf. Ross is the robotics operating system that is open source. And so there are tools available now to the roboticist that were not available two, four, six, eight years ago that actually should really be able to impact ROI through the perspective of a cheaper machine. And that was a that was a topic for sure. The other side of it is we really try to bring in the manufacturing lens as well. So we work with a couple of precision manufacturers that are really specialized in advanced architect. One of them is Andros engineering and they actually let a panel talking about essentially going from prototype to first, second, third article. And what that entails and what sorts of principles they should bring in to practice when they're designing their machine, design their prototype. So they're not shocked when they're trying to replicate their machine and realize that it's just one pencil for the grower. An artificial intelligence is so nevelous. And, you know, we talk to a lot of our listeners who are farmers and ranchers. And so they hear and see things and think, I'm not sure how that relates to me at the farm level. But we've used artificial intelligence for a long time. You know, Syria, I think is a great example of that and helps paint that connection. But as you think about the pace at which artificial intelligence is changing the ag tech landscape, I think that's certainly an interesting point to discuss as well. So I'm curious from your perspective. As you think about the companies that were at your event, the partnerships you've had with Google and other AI teams, what do you think that means for both the adaption and the pace at which we start to see artificial intelligence used more wide scale at the farm gate level? Yeah, there have been little bits of machine learning and machine intelligence in our products for a long time when I was at Google. I think the first one I can remember is a Gmail suggest, where do you remember that moment in Gmail where you start to have those little buttons on the bottom? And you have these kind of options like Sounds Good, period. Sounds good, exclamation mark. And so I think farmers have been, you know, probably touching those tools for longer than many of us realize that they actually have been helping save us time. And now of course those tools are becoming more prevalent. Taking a step back, a lot of the discussion about AI in the last three to five years has been in software and chatbots. And it hasn't really felt like it's shown up as much in robotics. And so the area that we really focus is less on the sort of chatbot, helping you draft an email, helping you make a decision, and more sort of deferring that decision making into the machine. And that's a lot of what Rugged Eyes was about and that's a lot of what Reservoir is about. See in Spray technology, some of the first technology that probably farmers use that incorporated that sort of decision-making, where we were deferring decision-making to the machine. And so we're going to see more and more of that weed identification, laser-weeding, electrocution of weeding, and the world especially crop of big focus would be on automated harvest, where we do not have automated harvest. It's a shock to a lot of folks in the Midwest that we do not have harvest automation in leafy greens and berries, et cetera, but that requires a level of sort of synchronicity between the machine and the software that we just haven't had. And now it's finally here. What message would you share to maybe a farmer listening who's a little skeptical about relinquishing some of that control of the decision-making that I've done on my farm for maybe multiple years or generations? Now, I'm maybe having to defer some of that to a machine that can feel a little scary. What kind of advice would you give to them? It's a great question and we're all going through that in some way in our lives right now. And there's versions of it which are pressing imperatives and specially crops, which is if we don't have robotic harvest, we will not farm in California and the American West. So we're dealing with a different version of it out here and where there isn't even a choice. But when there is that option to choose, I think beginning to experiment with it and beginning to learn, trying it a little bit here, a little bit there, that I think is my number one advice and where is in high-value crop farming and specially crop farming. I think farmers wish they had the choice and instead they're left to pray for the acceleration of this technology that can help them save the farm. So that's different worlds, but I would just say get started, learn, ask questions, experiment be curious. Well, Danny, certainly last but not least, coming out of the conference, you and John Deere announced a big partnership where they have committed to $10 million over the next three years to an R&D type of partnership. Tell us a little bit more about what those dollars will be earmarked for and how we can see those show up. Yeah, absolutely. So what John Deere is hoping to do is increase the amount of trust that exists with Ag Tech startups. So by them helping reservoir have some additional resources, we can basically provide these startups with more support. So when they show up to the grower, they're more ready and they're less clueless. Sometimes we joke that we're like Ag Tech babysitters or startup babysitters, and that's cheeky, obviously. But what I mean by that basically is that Deere is helping reservoir have some resources that lets us help the startup. So when they show up to the grower, they're more clued in, they're more informed and they're asking better questions and they're more ready to go. So for Deere, they want to live in a world where these startups are more ready and that they're more ready to partner with Deere, they're more ready to partner with dealers, and I think first and foremost, they're more ready to actually contribute value to the grower. Our focus now is in specialty and high value kind of learning there. A lot of technology starts there, like C and Spray, that technology sort of originated in specialty crops. And we help those startups also kind of get ready for the rigors of Midwest farming, where the machines have to be faster. They have to cover a lot more acreage. There are fewer people involved in servicing the Ag Tech because it's less labor intensive, it might be more family farming versus corporate farming. And there's a lot of our focus as well as how can we kind of get these startups down the shoot so they can be ready for the Midwest. Awesome. Well, Danny, I certainly appreciate your time and insights today. If any of our listeners have questions or want to check out Reservoir for themselves, where is the best place to go for more information? Yeah, they can follow us at Reservoir Farms across all platforms. And then I'm easy to get ahold of Danny at Reservoir.co, send me an email. Happy to meet you and just learn more and get your feedback. Fantastic, Danny. Well, thanks so much for joining today. Thank you so much. Well, looking into this week's fertilizer news, the US is taking steps to increase domestic fertilizer production. As farmers continue to face those global supply and prices uncertainty issues. The industries grow ground recently on its 3.7 billion dollars blue point complex in Louisiana, which is expected to produce about 1.4 billion, 1.4 million, excuse me, metric tons of low-carbon ammonia fertilizer annually when operations begin in 2029 enough to support about 6.7 million acres of US corn. The project is part of a broader push to reduce reliance on imported fertilizer. While CHS is also partnering with Morocco-based OCP on a phosphate fertilizer facility in Louisiana, I could produce more than 1 million metric tons annually and will begin operating by late 2028. While more domestic production could reduce exposure to geological disruptions and trade issues, fertilizer prices will still be influenced by the global market. But, Danny, what's happening in markets this week? Well, I misspoke on the podcast last week. The wise to your report is coming out after we record the show here today, so we'll bring wise D updates on the show next week. But overall, the trade has been looking for a smaller corn and soybean crop and tighter carryout levels in that report. Most analysts expect the USDA to lower yield and production estimates, which could push new crop corn and soybeans closer to some rationing levels and should give a little spark of anticipation there to the markets. But the market has been anticipating that higher or that tighter balance sheet. So a lot of that expectation may already be priced in. But it's everyone's guess as to what the USDA will do. So it wouldn't be surprised if we see something that shocks the system. Argentina corn is also on the docket as the size of their corn crop is becoming a larger debate, especially due to some weather issues going on down there. Estimates now range about 67 to 70 million metric tons compared to the USDA's current forecast of 63 million. So we may see some adjustments on that wise to your report as well. And Argentina is on pace to export about 10 million metric tons of corn in August and September, which is well above their roughly 3 million ton average for that period. That could add some pressure here to US as our soybean crop is coming online here. And a lot of that additional supply is going to China direct competition there for the US. So a lot of factors playing out here as we get into the thick of harvest season, but will be with you this fall while you're in the cab harvesting or maybe doing some fall application in preparation for next year's crop. You can find us on all major social media channels, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and X and follow along with us there as well if you miss an episode from us. Otherwise, Michelle, what do you say? We let the people go and we'll see you next week. Let's let the people go.

Podcast Summary

Key Points:

  1. The podcast reflects on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, honoring the impact of agriculture on national defense and expressing sensitivity to the tragedy.
  2. Midwestern regions face ongoing severe weather, including heavy rain, flooding, and thunderstorms, which threaten early harvests and crop quality despite some benefits from moisture.
  3. AI and ag tech are advancing rapidly, with Reservoir creating a community to bridge technology and agriculture through events like "Ruggedized," emphasizing reliability, ruggedness, and practical ROI for farmers.

Summary:

The Agnews Daily podcast highlights key agricultural and economic developments amid the 25th anniversary of 9/11, acknowledging the sector’s vital role in national security. Weather patterns in the Midwest remain volatile, with heavy rains causing flooding and disrupting harvest timelines, particularly affecting immature corn and soybean fields. On the technology front, Reservoir is pioneering a community-driven approach to connect AI and ag tech, hosting its first "Ruggedized" conference at a farm to showcase real-world resilience and reliability—critical for technology to function in harsh farm conditions.

Startups and tech firms are focusing on solutions like automated weed control and harvest robotics, with partnerships such as John Deere and Reservoir committing $10 million over three years to accelerate startup readiness. Meanwhile, domestic fertilizer production is expanding with new projects in Louisiana, aiming to reduce reliance on imports. Crop markets are under pressure from potential USDA yield cuts and Argentina’s rising corn exports, which could shift global supply dynamics.

S. and Canada over dairy and ethanol, along with rising input costs, add uncertainty. USDA projections show declining net farm income due to higher expenses, though government payments are rising.

The push for a new farm bill continues, with provisions including mandatory country-of-origin labeling and expanded conservation. Additionally, the 45Z clean fuel credit update supports regenerative farming by integrating carbon intensity metrics, boosting sustainability incentives. As harvest progresses, farmers face both challenges and opportunities in technology adoption, climate resilience, and market competitiveness.

FAQs

Reservoir is a technology platform that bridges artificial intelligence and agriculture by creating communities where tech startups and farmers can connect. Its purpose is to help develop reliable, farm-ready technology that addresses real-world agricultural challenges.

The main theme was 'ruggedization'—ensuring technology can withstand harsh farm conditions like dust, heat, and unpredictable weather. The event emphasized reliability, durability, and the need for tech to perform consistently in real-world farming environments.

Reservoir provides startups with resources, mentorship, and access to farming realities through partnerships like the one with John Deere, helping them better understand farm needs and improve their technology's readiness and reliability.

Key challenges include ensuring technology is reliable under real farm conditions, having adequate infrastructure for service and support, and achieving a clear return on investment for farmers who may be skeptical about machine decision-making.

Farmers can build trust by experimenting with AI tools on a small scale, asking questions, and learning how these technologies can save time and improve efficiency without completely replacing human judgment.

The $10 million partnership over three years aims to increase trust between ag tech startups and major agricultural machinery companies by supporting startups to better understand and meet the demands of real farm operations.

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