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☆ This compact fund beats the market and provides a downside cushion in tough times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

While now considered compact with 40 holdings, portfolio manager Andrew Choi said it has become known for its cushion when the market hits a bad patch. " The fund has returned 10.9% annually since its inception, compared with a 9.9% year gain over the same period for the broad S & P 500. PRBLX .SPX YTD mountain The fund vs. the S & P 500 'Dancing in the right places' The fund was created in 1992, about eight years after the firm itself began. He said the fund finds stocks that can provide downside cushion by looking at moats and management teams. Rolling returns over the past five years show the fund outperforming the S & P 500 and Russell 1000 about 60% of the time.

Persons: Andrew Choi, Choi, Morningstar, Todd Ahlsten, Ahlsten, Warren Buffett, Biden's, they're, Salesforce, Charles Schwab, Apple, Big, Stephen Welch, it's, Russell, sharpe, Welch Organizations: Equity Fund, firm's CIO, GOP, Semiconductor, Devices, Nvidia, Bank of America, Microsoft, Apple, Deere, Linde, Procter, Gamble, Adobe, Mastercard Locations: downturns

☆ Opinion | America Has a Chance to Make Farming More Climate Friendly
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Robert B. Semple Jr. | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

Why, when we think of climate change, do we think of big oil, not big ag; Exxon and not Tyson? It’s time you met the big ag lobby, one of the most powerful influences on policy in America. But when we started digging into the big ag lobby, we discovered it’s basically — “The most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill. So the big ag lobby has one key aim — block environmental regulation. I absolutely envy how good these lobbyists are at their job.” It’s outrageous what the big ag lobby has gotten away with.

Persons: “, Peter Lehner, He’s, I’m, It’s, Tyson, Jennifer Jacquet, She’s, Peter, she’s, ”, Zippy Duvall, “ —, John Boehner, —, You’ve, Waxman, Markey, Obama, American Farm Bureau Federation didn’t, ” —, JBS, don’t, they’re, Chuck Schumer, Cory Booker, I’ve, they’ve Organizations: Agriculture, ExxonMobil, Shell, Exxon, Washington , D.C, American Farm Bureau Federation, Capitol, U.S . Farmers, Tyson, New York Times, Republican, Senate’s Agriculture, pharma Locations: America, United States, Lake Erie, U.S, China, Washington ,, Kyoto, Senate’s

☆ World's first vaccine against deadly swine fever nears approval in Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Francesco Guarascio | Thomson Reuters | Francesco Leads A Team Of Reporters In Vietnam That Covers Top Financial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

African swine fever has for years disrupted the $250 billion global pork market. The next step will be nationwide authorisation, the first ever for an African swine fever vaccine, and possible sales overseas. "There will be a specific interest obviously," Vilsack said in an interview with Reuters in April, speaking about possible purchases of the Vietnamese vaccines. Use of unlicensed live-virus vaccines in China in past years raised concerns they caused the emergence of new strains of swine fever. Only limited data are available from China's trials on a live-virus vaccine against swine fever.

Persons: Gregorio Torres, Torres, Thomas Vilsack, Vilsack, WOAH, Francesco Guarascio, Phuong Nguyen, Khanh, Dominique Patton, Sonali Paul Organizations: Organisation for Animal Health, Reuters, Rabobank, United States Department of Agriculture, Thomson Locations: Vietnam, Hanoi, world's, HANOI, China, U.S, United States, Khanh Vu, Beijing

☆ West Coast port labor issues continue as some Los Angeles-bound rail shipments get paused
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Aerial view of containers and cargo ships at the Port of Los Angeles on Jan. 19, 2022 in San Pedro, California. Union Pacific is no longer accepting exports or empty containers at its Denver rail terminal destined for the Port of Los Angeles, a proactive move that reflects the supply chain issues that have arisen due to ongoing West Coast port labor issues. That is critical for food and agriculture shipments, where products can spoil — the U.S. agriculture industry uses the West Coast predominantly for its goods. The Port of Los Angeles is the nation's busiest port, processing $440 billion in cargo value per year. Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary BNSF and Union Pacific are the railroads servicing the West Coast ports.

Persons: Paul Brashier Organizations: Port, San Pedro , California ., San Pedro , California . Union Pacific, CNBC, Ocean, CMA, Pacific, Union Pacific, Berkshire Hathaway, BNSF, ITS Logistics, Pacific Maritime Association, Oakland, Truckers, Marine Services, Maersk Locations: Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro , California, San Pedro , California . Union, Denver, West Coast, Los Angeles, East Coast, Long, U.S, Seattle, OOCL, COSCO Shipping, Sealand, Evergreen

MEXICO CITY, June 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. is escalating its conflict with Mexico over agriculture biotech measures, including the stance on genetically modified (GM) corn, by requesting dispute settlement consultations, senior officials of the U.S. Trade Representative's office said on Friday. If the consultations announced on Friday fail to resolve disagreements within 75 days, Washington can request a dispute settlement panel to decide the case. The United States requested formal trade consultations in March over objections to Mexico's plans to limit imports of GM corn and other agricultural biotechnology products. Earlier this week, Mexico's agriculture minister expressed confidence in an interview that the dispute with the U.S. would not escalate to a dispute settlement panel. The new decree eliminated the deadline to ban GM corn for animal feed and industrial use, by far the bulk of its $5 billion worth of U.S. corn imports, but maintained a ban on GM corn used in dough or tortillas.

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Tom Vilsack, Tom Haag, Cassandra Garrison, Adriana Barrera, Ismail Shakil, Leslie Adler Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . Trade, U.S, Trade Ministry, United, Economy Ministry, Agriculture, U.S ., Corn Growers Association, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, U.S, Mexico, Canada, Washington, United States, Mexico City, Ottawa

☆ Italy's Meloni visits flood-hit Emilia-Romagna region
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, May 21 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited flood-hit areas of northern Italy on Sunday after returning early from the G7 summit in Japan to lead the response to the disaster. Around 36,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, and many of those who remained in flooded areas were left without electricity. Agriculture has been hit hard in an area which grows fruit such as peaches, kiwis and apricots, as well as corn and grain. Meloni had left the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima a day earlier than scheduled, saying her conscience would not allow her to stay away longer. The Italian government will hold a cabinet meeting on Tuesday to decide on measures to help people to cope with the emergency.

☆ Rice. Half of Humanity Eats It. And Climate Change Is Wrecking It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Somini Sengupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Sometimes there’s not enough rain when seedlings need water, or too much when the plants need to keep their heads above water. Rice farmers are shifting their planting calendars. On top of that, there’s climate change: It has upended the rhythm of sunshine and rain that rice depends on. That’s a fraction of the emissions from coal, oil and gas, which together account for 35 percent of methane emissions. His experiment, carried out over seven years, concluded that by not flooding the fields continuously, farmers can reduce rice methane emissions by more than 60 percent.

☆ Explainer: Why El Nino is a concern for Indian monsoon rains?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Rajendra Jadhav | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

However, a 90% likelihood of an El Nino weather pattern developing during the June-September monsoon season raises the possibility of less than normal rain. WHAT IS EL NINO? As a result, the Indian monsoon tends to be weaker and less reliable during El Nino years. HOW CLOSE IS THE CORRELATION BETWEEN EL NINO AND MONSOON RAIN? The correlation between El Nino and Indian monsoon rainfall is significant, despite occasional instances when India gets normal or above-normal rain during El Nino years.

☆ Major natural gas investor sees signs prices are bottoming
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Sean Conlon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The investor who ran the country's biggest natural gas ETF said he believes prices have hit bottom. John Love, who managed the United States Natural Gas Fund , cites global demand and production dynamics for his bull case. Natural gas prices rose 6% this week and just notched their fourth positive week in five. Since then, several European countries including Germany have announced new LNG, or liquefied natural gas, projects or are expanding existing ones to reduce their dependence on natural gas exports. Teucrium Trading CEO Sal Gilbertie said he believes natural gas has been trying to build a bottom over the past four to six weeks.

☆ U.S. House passes Republican bill tightening border security
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, May 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved Republican legislation intended to stop immigrants and illegal drugs crossing the nation's southwestern border with Mexico, leaving it to the Senate to attempt a broader, bipartisan immigration bill. It also would resume construction of a wall along the border and expand federal law enforcement efforts. The House voted 219-213 to pass the bill, with no Democrats in favor and one Republican opposed. Officials at the southwestern border were seeing large influxes of immigrants in the final days of Title 42 expiration. House Republican leaders at the last minute had to modify provisions of their bill for the U.S. agriculture industry to comply with "E-Verify" requirements for confirming U.S. employment eligibility.

☆ Brazil lures China's Cofco to finance recovery of degraded land
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Lisandra Paraguassu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"They have every interest," said Augustin, adding that a Cofco delegation is expected for talks in Brasilia next month. China is Brazil's biggest trade partner and Brazil accounts for 22% of Chinese imports, driven largely by farm goods. One version would have farmers guarantee sale of their production to the companies that finance land recovery, he said. "You don't need to deforest another hectare to increase (farm) production," Augustin said. Agriculture Ministry studies estimate a cost of 15,000 to 23,000 reais to recover one hectare of degraded land.

☆ After growing GM corn for decades, some US farmers open to Mexican restrictions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Tom Polansek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"I'm all for free and fair trade," said Fred Huddlestun, who grows GM corn and soybeans in Yale, Illinois. Supporters of the policy say GM corn can contaminate Mexico's age-old native varieties and have questioned its impact on human health. NCGA said GM corn is safe and it will fight all illegal trade barriers for farmers. But many would consider growing more non-GM corn, if the price were right. "You need to make it worth my while," said Illinois farmer Dave Kestel, who grows GM corn and sells seed for Corteva.

☆ USDA Proposes Expanding School Meal Programs in Low-Income Areas
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kristina Peterson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

School administrators have to balance different dynamics in deciding how to fund school meals. WASHINGTON—More schools would be eligible to offer free breakfast and lunch to students in low-income communities under a new proposal from the U.S. Agriculture Department. The USDA on Wednesday said it planned to lower the threshold of a program aimed at making it easier for schools and school districts in low-income areas to offer free meals to all students, without requiring their parents to apply for the benefits.

☆ Smithfield Foods CEO Defends Pork Producer’s Chinese Ownership
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Patrick Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Smithfield’s ownership has become a focus of criticism in Washington, D.C.SMITHFIELD, Va.—Smithfield Foods Inc., the country’s largest pork producer, is defending its turf against growing concerns from lawmakers over Chinese control of U.S. agriculture. The Virginia company, which was acquired in 2013 by Chinese pork company WH Group Ltd., said its ownership has helped fuel steady growth over the past decade and export more of its products to China, the world’s biggest pork market. Shane Smith , Smithfield’s chief executive, said WH’s backing has helped the company increase its sales, hire more U.S. workers and expand its plants’ processing capabilities.

CHICAGO/WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - The United States has requested formal trade consultations with Mexico over U.S. objections to its southern neighbor's plans to limit imports of genetically modified corn and other agricultural biotechnology products. "We hope these consultations will be productive as we continue to work with Mexico to address these issues." The United States has previously threatened to take the issue to a trade dispute panel under the trilateral agreement with Mexico and Canada over the plan, which would ban genetically modified corn for human consumption. A USTR official said the talks would cover Mexico's planned rejection of GMO corn and other agricultural biotechnology products that have been shown to be safe in the United States and other countries for decades. Corn for food use comprises about 21% of Mexican corn imports from the U.S., a representative from the National Corn Growers Association said, citing U.S. Grains Council data.

☆ U.S. to ask Mexico for formal talks over GMO corn dispute -industry sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON/CHICAGO, March 6 (Reuters) - The United States plans to request formal talks under its free trade agreement with Mexico over Mexican plans to limit imports of genetically modified corn, two U.S. industry sources said on Monday. The United States has previously threatened to take the issue to a trade dispute panel under the trilateral agreement with Mexico and Canada over the plan, which would ban genetically modified corn for human consumption. The U.S. agriculture secretary, Tom Vilsack, had said that a trade dispute panel under free trade agreement would be the next step if talks were not successful. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai held talks with Mexican Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro over the issue late last month. Corn for food use comprises about 21% of Mexican corn imports from the U.S., according to a representative from the National Corn Growers Association, citing U.S. Grains Council data.

☆ The Great Salt Lake in Utah is disappearing, leaving behind a toxic bowl of dust and potentially one of the greatest environmental disasters in US history
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Scientists have warned that the Great Salt Lake in Utah could disappear within five years. "Great Salt Lake is facing unprecedented danger. When clouds of dust roll into Salt Lake City, they can make the air toxic. The Great Salt Lake is used for recreation, natural resource extraction, and brine shrimp fishing, a multimillion-dollar industry. Agriculture is the largest user of water in the Great Salt Lake watershed, accounting for 85%, according to the Utah Rivers Council.

☆ Weak Oversight of Foreign Farmland Deals Sparks Concern Amid China Purchases
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Kristina Peterson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Agriculture Department compiles data on foreigners’ holding of U.S. farmland into an annual report to Congress. WASHINGTON—A bipartisan group of lawmakers criticized the Agriculture Department Monday for lax oversight of U.S. farmland purchases by foreign buyers, an issue that has been spotlighted by rising concern over Chinese acquisitions. The 28 lawmakers, including House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik of New York and Rep. Mark Pocan (D., Wis.) expressed “deep concern” in a letter sent to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack Monday over the department’s decision not to assess any penalties between 2015 and 2018 over any lapses in reporting foreigners’ purchases of U.S. farmland. The penalties later resumed.

☆ High Food Prices, Chinese Demand Boost Prospects of U.S. Agriculture Companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Patrick Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Farmers are forecast to increase planting this year to make the most of high grain prices and offset their higher costs. The U.S. agriculture industry is projecting another strong year, with elevated crop prices and China’s rebound from Covid-19 expected to boost farmers, chemical suppliers and grain traders. Grain-trading middlemen, including Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Bunge Ltd., said demand for crops, vegetable oils and livestock feed will remain strong in 2023. China is also expected to increase its crop imports as Covid-19 restrictions in the country ease, executives said. Seed and pesticide sellers said those forces should support crop prices and keep farmers flush with cash, enabling them to shell out for higher-priced supplies.

☆ New U.S. agriculture trade chief seeks to diversify buyers beyond China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - U.S. chief agricultural trade negotiator Doug McKalip wants China to keep striving to meet U.S. farm goods purchase commitments under the 2020 "Phase 1" trade deal, but told Reuters that he also is pushing to diversify exports beyond the biggest U.S. grain customer. "I think for the American farmer, it's important to have a diverse set of buyers out there," he said. China will remain an important top customer, he said, a day after U.S. Census Bureau trade data showed China reached a record $40.85 billion - nearly a fifth of global U.S. farm exports that also reached a record $213 billion. "We'd certainly like to see their purchases be closer to the top numbers that they agreed to," McKalip said of China. Southeast Asia represents an important region to expand U.S. farm exports, and McKalip said he intends to work on reducing trade barriers through the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific Economic Framework negotiations.

Bulk exports including corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton and sorghum totaled 146 million tonnes, down 6% from 2021. The average exported cost of U.S. corn, soybeans and wheat all hit new records in 2022 as a result. CHINAU.S. agricultural and related exports to China in 2022 reached a record $40.85 billion, up 14% from the prior high set last year. U.S. corn exports to China last year were down 14% by volume from 2021’s high, and forward bookings are relatively very light. U.S. beef exports to China hit a record 244,000 tonnes in 2022, up 28% on the year and worth $2.16 billion, surpassing pork’s $1.36 billion.

☆ U.S. farmers plan to go 'heavy on corn' in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Mark Weinraub | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Plans for the upcoming season were made even as doubts mounted about demand and price gains for soybeans outstripped corn late last year. 2 U.S. cash crop, soybeans. Hunnicutt cited the reliability of corn yields as a key reason to go big on corn in 2023. DEMAND WANESU.S. farmers alternate between soybeans and corn in a bid to maintain soil health. Last year's harvest shortfall left corn supplies at their lowest since 2013 and made farmers hopeful that prices would rally in the coming months.

"We believe there's a better alternative than go big or go out," Vilsack said, speaking to members of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, an advocacy group. The agency will also introduce a new grant program later this year to expand processing capacity for non-livestock commodities, he said. Farmers should be educating lawmakers about the importance of these programs as discussion of the next farm bill begins in earnest on Capitol Hill, Vilsack said. The current farm bill, which is passed every five years and funds major nutrition, subsidy, and conservation programs, expires on Sept. 30. Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. raises 'grave concerns' over Mexico's agricultural biotech policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - U.S. officials raised "grave concerns" over Mexico's agricultural biotechnology policies in meetings with their Mexican counterparts on Monday, the office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said. "We made it clear today that if this issue is not resolved, we will consider all options, including taking formal steps to enforce our rights under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement," the USTR office said in a statement. U.S. agriculture and trade officials traveled to Mexico to discuss Mexico's approach to agricultural biotech products. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A TikTok creator’s homemade pickled products have sparked online conversation surrounding food safety
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

A TikTok creator’s recent apology after people accused her of improperly packaging her homemade pickled products before selling them online has sparked discourse surrounding influencers and whether they should be allowed to promote and sell homemade food items on the app. Britanny Saunier, executive director of the nonprofit organization Partnership for Food Safety EducationSocial media creates "enthusiasm" around homemade products, said Britanny Saunier, the executive director of the nonprofit organization Partnership for Food Safety Education. The backlash toward PickleMeEverything’s products comes several months after another viral product raised eyebrows over similar food safety fears. He said he’s concerned about the growing number of TikTokers who don’t know or use food safety while promoting food products. Food Science Babe pointed out in her video that several popular creators had promoted PickleMeEverything’s products.

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