The weather patterns this year are likely to play an important role in how the agriculture sector performs. First, it is important to understand the “naturally occurring” climate cycles of El Niño and La Niña and how they impact the US in particular:El Niño and La Niña are extreme phases of a naturally occurring climate cycle referred to as El Niño/Southern Oscillation….US IMPACT of La Niña: La Niña often features drier than normal conditions in the Southwest in late summer through the subsequent winter (and in the Central Plains in the fall and in the Southeast in the winter)…In contrast, the Pacific Northwest is more likely to be wetter than normal in the late fall and early winter with the presence of a well-established La Niña. – NOAA.gov If the La Niña patterns continue through the spring and summer as most agencies around the world are predicting, this will produce heat waves, especially on the east coast and south east coast (GA, AL, FL). The North American pacific coast normally gets the tropical express that dumps lots of rain on Vancouver and Washington state during a La Niña weather pattern.But because of the arctic oscillation, it is pushing that system further south which is causing all the rain and flooding in southern California and as far inland as Utah where some places are receiving 800% of their normal annual rainfall. In general, the US should fare well – and better than most regions – with plenty of heat and a decent amount of rainfall (though not as much or as timely as rain last year), but this year’s crop will not be as good as last year’s.”Bad politics” is probably a factor that is more obvious and easier to see and understand it’s impact on investing money in the agriculture sector. With both energy and agriculture, the government continues to act and legislate in such a way that reduces the amount of supply in these sectors as demand continues to increase and as prices rise (great environment for investing money).One great example involving both is ethanol. Not only does it cost more energy to produce ethanol with corn than it creates (not to mention the amount of water needed), but the production of the fuel itself heavily impacts the corn market, drastically cutting the available supply for agriculture which again drives up the price (good for farmers and stock holders, bad for consumers).And because producing ethanol requires more energy than it creates, that further increases the demand and decreases the supply of available energy to the market at a time when the US desperately needs a reliable, steady supply of energy (due to the drilling memorandums, the lack of a viable replacement for energy we currently receive from unfriendly regimes, peak oil, an exploding and energy-thirsty China, etc).It is plain to see with these problems only continuing to get worse over time that “bad politics” and the emerging “bad weather” will continue to be bullish for investing money in the energy and agriculture sectors for the foreseeable future.
Tag Archives: Agriculture
Small Farmers Are Important for Future Food Security and Sustainable Food Production | mysterymap.info
It is generally assumed that “big is best” because of the financial savings that can be made from economies of scale, and this has been one of the drivers of the trend to large-scale farming.There is, however, a growing body of opinion that the reverse is true and that food security, diversity and sustainable agriculture may be better achieved by supporting the world’s small and family farmers.According to the US campaigning organisation foodfirst.org large-scale agriculture tends to focus on monocultures because they are the simplest to manage with heavy machinery.The UK’s Foresight Project and foodfirst.org both argue that small-scale farming is likely to be more diverse, more flexible and more environmentally friendly.It is probably no coincidence that large-scale operations are referred to as agribusiness, with all this implies about the importance about making a profit for shareholders and also growing what is likely to produce the highest returns, such as the current shift in agriculture to producing biofuels.The UK farming periodical Farmers Weekly recently published an article arguing that large-scale agriculture represented a threat to small farmers who are already struggling to make a living. Smallholder and family farming is the dominant form of food production throughout the major developing regions of the world, particularly in Africa and Asia. It is also widespread throughout the developed world.According to the most recent World Bank report, more and more people are being pushed into extreme poverty by rising food prices. It said that food prices had risen by 36% since April 2010 and predicted that up to ten million more people could fall below the extreme poverty threshold of less than 76p per day in the next few months. That is in addition to the extra 44 million people who have been pushed into food poverty during the last year.The pressure on farmers to produce more to meet the needs of a growing global population is therefore intensifying and it makes sense to make the best use of all the sources of food production on the planet, large and small.While small farms are likely to plant mixtures of crops, to use techniques like intercropping and to rotate crops and livestock, with manure serving to replenish soil fertility, they will nevertheless need some support if they are to increase their production.It is in the areas of access to new agricultural technology, such as low-chem biopesticides, biofungicides and yield enhancers, and to training in their use, where small farmers could most benefit.Such products are derived largely from naturally occurring sources and would fit well into the mix of existing sustainable small farming methods and techniques to enhance yield and reduce crop loss from disease and damage.But they are expensive to research, trial and license and therefore need strong support from governments, including perhaps financial subsidies, if they are to be affordable for the smaller producers.Each small increase in production can only help towards ensuring that there are adequate food supplies for the future, but also there is evidence that small farms producing for local markets increase local prosperity, food security and promote better social cohesion.Copyright (c) 2011 Alison Withers
Practical Tractor Applications For Farm Use | mysterymap.info
The modern tractor is a very powerful and flexible machine, capable of tackling even the most difficult agricultural tasks with ease. What once required teams of animals and farm hands can now be accomplished with a single operator and tractor; everything from plowing to planting and general maintenance around the farm. Because of this incredible versatility that tractors bring to the farm, it is no surprise that tractor service on and off the field continues to rise all over the world.One of the most common applications for the modern agricultural tractor is of course plowing. Tractors accomplish this task using a variety of attachments depending on the type of soil as well as the intent of the farmer. Standard plow attachments turn the soil to prepare it for planting, while chisel ploughs allow the farmer to loosen and aerate soil with minimal disruption, which is ideal for sustainable farming where it is desirable to leave organic material near the surface. Harrow attachments may also be used to further prepare the soil for planting by breaking down large clumps after the initial pass by a standard plow.Tractors are also widely used for planting on agricultural farms, replacing the need for farm hands to physically plant each row by hand. By using a planter attachment, one operator can simultaneously plant anywhere from 2 to 48 rows at a time, greatly reducing the time needed for the task and allowing farmers to quickly plant their crops when only short windows of opportunity are available. Older planters typically have a physical marker on the attachment that guides the operator on where to center the tractor for each pass, while in more modern tractors the planting process can be guided using GPS and auto steering for maximum precision.Tractors also have many applications that go beyond simply plowing and planting. One common use of today’s agricultural tractor is for general maintenance around the farm. Flail mower attachments for example allow the tractor to quickly and easily clear land all over the farm. Other common attachments include augers for drilling post holes for fencing and front end loaders for moving large piles of earth, gravel and other material around the farm.he modern tractor is a true marvel of engineering. With a wide variety of possible applications, it is an indispensable tool on any farm. Capable of tackling any labor intensive agricultural task from plowing to planting to performing general maintenance around the farm, the tractor completes each task with precision and speed. Because of this amazing versatility, tractor sales remain strong more than a century after being introduced to the modern farm.