LOMPOC, Calif. - Some Lompoc residents may have seen a plume of black smoke flare up from the west side of the city Sunday afternoon.
Lompoc City Fire responded to the sight at 12:48 p.m. on the 1400 block of West Apricot Avenue.
Firefighters said any flames had already been put out by a resident with a garden hose by the time they arrived.
Their investigation revealed a grape fermenter at the home was being repaired due to a hole. City Fire said the repair work may have ignited the small fire, however, the exact cause is still being determined.
When asked if there were any explosion sounds associated with the fire, investigators said the fire itself was not caused by an explosion, but the heat may have caused compressed cans in a nearby garage to pop.
That garage sustained only minor damage to the exterior.
HONG KONG - Grapes are the victim of this most recent nefarious drug crime, as Hong Kong customs officers recently seized over $16 million (HK $126 million) worth of cocaine disguised amongst a grape shipment from Peru.
Last Tuesday, authorities seized 176 lbs (80 kg) of the illicit substance from a shipment of South American grapes bound for mainland China, according to theSouth China Morning Post. Officials believe the traffickers had intentions of smuggling the drugs across the border into neighboring Shenzhen via a border checkpoint, after a circuitous route with multiple stops in Ecuador, South Korea, Taiwan, and Guangdong province.
The drugs were discovered after customs inspected three consignments holding 14 containers of grapes, during which an x-ray examination showed suspicious images in one of the containers. During the inspection, officials found brick-shaped items in two nylon bags, ultimately unveiling 67 slabs of suspected cocaine, valued at $16,244,928.
A day after the seizure, one individual was arrested in connection to the drugs; officers are still investigating the suspect and if the cocaine was intended for local consumption.
Once again, authorities have been a hero to fresh produce, protecting them from the wicked acts of drug smugglers.
Grapes are grown for many reasons: ornamental, shade arbors, fruit and wine. Each of these purposes requires a different approach to pruning. All of them share one thing in common: grape plants are the next thing to weeds; you have to be intentional to kill them.
Pruning for an arbor or fence top is easy, just trim to taste. Remember, you will most likely not get a lot of fruit and the berries will be small. Vines prefer to produce foliage and reproduce by rooting wherever they touch the ground. In the wild, a single vine can cover an acre and can pull down trees and bushes.
For fruit, you need to severely prune your vine. This method is called cane pruning. You train the vine to a head at the top of your stake next to the wire. To do this you tie a cane to the stake the first year and then top it just above a bud below the wire. Canes that emerge from this junction are what you want. Anything below is a sucker and needs to be pulled off while still green. If you cut it off, you leave behind a large number of buds which will continue to send out shoots. After the summer’s growth, and after the vines are dormant, you will have a number of canes coming from the head. Only the first year’s growth will produce fruit for the next year. The others should be pruned back to the head. First-year canes will be smooth and not have a true bark on them. Leave from two to four canes on each side of the head and tie them to the wire.
Wine grapes are cordon pruned (cordon means arm in French.) To do this, take two canes the first year and tie them to the wire. All other canes should be pulled off for they are considered to be suckers. After the first year when the arms are established, all the canes are pruned from the arms leaving behind a spur with two or three buds on it. It is from these spurs that you will get your grapes. Each spur will produce canes for foliage and grapes for wine. Another common way to refer to this kind of pruning is spur pruning.
These three methods cover the way most vines are pruned, but each varietal has its own method. For example, zinfandel should be cane pruned not spur pruned. Look up the varietal you want to grow to make sure of the pruning style that will give you the best yield. Another thing to keep in mind is summer pruning. Grapes are very susceptible to powdery mildew so the foliage needs to be thinned. Keep the canes from dragging on the ground. Prune all of them about a foot above ground level to provide air circulation. You may also need to thin the overhead canopy a little for the same reason. Don’t take too much or you can sunburn the fruit. If you end up with mildew anyway use sulfur.
Grapes are very versatile. You can eat them as a snack, in salads, dry them as raisins or make wine. It has been grown as a crop for thousands of years. If you have any questions that are garden- or grape-related, call the University of California Master Gardeners hotline at (209) 533-5912 or email us at mgtuolumne@ucdavis.edu.
Jim Bliss is a University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Master Gardener of Tuolumne County.
UCCE Master Gardeners of Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties can answer home gardening questions. Call 209-533-5912 or fill out our easy-to-use problem questionnaire here. Check out our website here. You can also find us on Facebook.
China’s demand for imported corn is about more than just the rebuilding of its swine herd from the devastation of African swine fever. It’s also about a strengthening Chinese currency (which makes United States corn and other ag exports cheaper), an increasing concern for soil health within China, and the fact that corn is part of an import regime that allows the state to build up internal stockpiles, according to Bryan Lohmar, China Director for the U.S. Grains Council.
Lohmar was speaking at the annual U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Outlook Forum, which was held virtually this year. Lohmar has more than 20 years of experience working on agricultural and economic issues on China; prior to joining the USGC, Lohmar served as a director of economic research at Bunge China.
Lohmar began, as he often does, by showing why Chinese ag statistics don’t give a complete picture of the real situation within the country. He noted that in September 2018, China’s Bureau of Statistics released the results of a 10-year crop acreage survey that showed an increase of 25 million acres for corn over previous estimates—which amounted to a 50% increase. Other Chinese agencies adjusted their figures accordingly, but tellingly, yield estimates didn’t go up.
“I always say that we really don’t know what’s going on in China,” said Lohmar. Nevertheless, he believes there are many signs that there is a “systemic, structural” demand for corn imports in China.
Restructuring after ASF
Lohmar reiterated that China took the opportunities created by African swine fever to completely revamp its hog production system, replacing inefficient small operations that fed hogs with food swill and scraps with bigger, more modern operations that used at least 75% corn feeds. That meant that its needs for imported corn feed would not stop growing even after it reached pre-ASF levels of hog feeds, because it was not going back to the old way of doing things.
In response to a question, Lohmar said he doesn’t foresee food waste feeds returning in China unless and until it succeeds in completely eradicating ASF or in introducing an effective vaccine, neither of which has happened. While the hog herd is rebounding, partly helped by CRISPR cloning techniques that allow swine numbers to rapidly increase, local outbreaks of ASF continue to be reported. The ASF virus is one of the most difficult viruses to map, and any vaccine is reportedly years away.
Sorghum hedging against corn
Lohmar noted that other grains make up the other 25% in livestock feeds. In particular, he said, China has been buying virtually all of the U.S. sorghum export crop lately. That may be because corn—unlike sorghum, barley and dried distillers’ grains, also used as livestock feeds—falls under a Chinese tariff rate quota system, under which the state partly manages internal corn prices by allocating a certain amount of corn and maintaining some in reserve. Private traders remain wary of state enterprises that can release corn into market in large quantities and therefore lower prices.
Sorghum is under no such trade constraints, so sorghum traders are free to respond to market conditions and can use sorghum imports as a hedge against state intervention in the corn markets. Wheat is also increasing as a livestock feed in China, said Lohmar, along with rice and imported barley.
Soil health concerns
Lohmar also said Chinese officials in recent years have become more concerned about soil health and soil exhaustion. While parts of China benefit from the loess plateau, with some of the world’s most fertile soils, overall China only has 7% of the world’s arable land to feed its population, a fifth of the global total. In 2016, Chinese officials launched a number of efforts to address soil pollution.
Continuous corn plantings can exhaust soils and reduce future yields. Lohmar said that while China is likely to introduce GMO corn within the next few years, even that may not substantially increase yields as long as soils in some areas are depleted by corn monocropping and need to be restored.
For all these reasons, he said, imported corn is “the only game in town” for China as least for the next few years. He predicts that corn imports into China will continue to remain high. While the U.S. remains the world’s single biggest producer, Lohmar expects that China will also develop corn sources in Brazil and elsewhere that have not yet become major exporters to China.
Passive investing in an index fund is a good way to ensure your own returns roughly match the overall market. But if you buy individual stocks, you can do both better or worse than that. For example, the Grape King Bio Ltd (TPE:1707) share price is down 18% in the last year. That falls noticeably short of the market return of around 46%. Zooming out, the stock is down 16% in the last three years. It's up 2.8% in the last seven days.
To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.
Unfortunately Grape King Bio reported an EPS drop of 3.1% for the last year. This reduction in EPS is not as bad as the 18% share price fall. This suggests the EPS fall has made some shareholders are more nervous about the business.
You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).
TSEC:1707 Earnings Per Share Growth February 28th 2021
This free interactive report on Grape King Bio's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.
What About Dividends?
As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of Grape King Bio, it has a TSR of -15% for the last year. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.
A Different Perspective
While the broader market gained around 46% in the last year, Grape King Bio shareholders lost 15% (even including dividends). However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 1.5% per year over half a decade. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Grape King Bio .
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on TW exchanges.
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Extensive gardens, new windows, solar panels, pianos and an English tea room among scheduled updates to historic bed and breakfast
Pam Parker | For the Erie Times-News
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Staycation ideas that will make you feel luxurious
Scrolling through Instagram in the summer can give a lot of people major FOMO. If you don’t have the cash to jet off to the south of France this season, don’t fear. Susana Victoria Perez has more.
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NORTH EAST — You might not see any changes outside at Grape Arbor Bed and Breakfast, but embellishments are on the way at the well-known B&B.
The inn’s two buildings, known as the Bester Town House, 51 E. Main St., and the Hampson House, 55 E. Main St., include common areas and eight guest rooms with names that feature varieties of wine throughout more than 11,000 square feet.
Former owner Peggy Hauser made the inn a popular tourist destination with her elegant interior design and scrumptious foods. Hauser put the inn up for sale in 2019 for $399,900, and Jeff Garverick bought the two buildings in a sale that was finalized at the end of January.
What Hauser started, the new owner will continue, according to new innkeeper Liz Gullbergh.
“I trained with Peggy Hauser for two years as an assistant innkeeper,” Gullbergh said. “She is a pastry chef and was responsible for the brand, the decor and all the recipes. She owned this inn for 18 years, and she trained me really well.”
The purchase wasn’t part of a long-term plan, Garverick said. “I did it on a lark,” he said. Garverick explained that he had lived in Buffalo and traveled to care for his dad in Ohio.
He often passed through North East and felt it might make a nice retirement area because it was much closer to Ohio than Buffalo.
While he looked for a potential home with his real estate agent Paul Nick, of Coldwell Banker Select Realtors, he spotted the Grape Arbor Bed and Breakfast for sale and asked his Realtor about it as an investment, not as a personal residence.
After a tour of the B&B, he purchased it and a home on Delaware Avenue in North East. Then he hired Gullbergh to run the B&B as innkeeper.
Some interesting things are in the works. Extensive gardens will be visible at some point because Garverick is a botany hobbyist.
“We’ll see what’s here this summer,” he said. “We also plan to replace all the windows, the furnace and install solar panels, so this might be the greenest building in the area.”
The plan also includes an English tea room, and Garverick is shopping for a player piano and a regular piano to bring music into the Grape Arbor Bed and Breakfast.
Gullbergh, a culinary graduate of Scottsdale Culinary Institute in 1998, has been in food service since graduation. Her resume includes service as a profession chef, a personal chef and a caterer. She’s held various positions in restaurants in Arizona, Virginia and New Jersey.
One thing that will remain the same is the food. Gullbergh, a mom, stepmom and grandmother, offered a sampling of the breakfast treats on one Wednesday morning. The homemade maple-glazed spice doughnuts (baked, not fried), blueberry-gingerbread coffee cake and locally sourced freshly ground coffee are among guest favorites along with a variety of recipes on the inn website, grapearborbandb.com.
The two buildings at the B&B were originally built for a family that had 13 children, and were completed in the 1830s. A third building east of 55 E. Main St. was at one time part of the property, but it was sold to other owners years ago.
According to the website, the Bester Town House at 51 E. Main St. has been a residence, tavern, stagecoach stop, kindergarten, senior citizen home and restaurant. The website also said the Hampson House was owned by one family and later purchased by an insurance company.
On a tour, Gullbergh pointed out original woodwork. She said crown molding, fireplaces and some of the cabinetry were all original to the home, which is decorated with antique furniture.
If you park behind the Bester Town House, you’ll pass under an arbor and see a welcome sign (a pineapple) with the date of the construction as 1832.
If you enter from the front, you’ll spot an antique mailbox as you go into the roomy foyer. The front rooms include a parlor on the west side of the foyer and a library on the east side. French doors enter the parlor, which features blue wall coverings, gleaming wide-plank hardwood floors and a fireplace. Delft-style pottery pieces add accents to this and several rooms.
Across the hall, a French door opens to the library where guests can choose from a variety of reading materials, videos and games. Its fireplace mantel features a large train engine and vintage tricycle.
The dining room is open to the parlor, and its fireplace is ensconced in built-in cabinetry. A swinging door enters the kitchen, and this private part of the home will soon get a makeover, Gullbergh said.
The first floor’s back hallway connects to a bright sunroom that looks out on the property. It also opens to the Isabella Room, the only guest room on the first floor.
A beautiful curved staircase leads up to the Niagara Room, the Concord Room and the Steuben Suite, which includes several rooms. The innkeeper’s apartment is also on this second floor.
The Hampson House, built in 1835 at 55 E Main St., has a spacious front porch and columns. It also features a curved staircase in the hall but does not include a parlor or other common areas. There are two guest suites on the first floor and two more on the second floor.
On the first floor, a private side porch enters the Cabernet Suite, which features a corner fireplace and private parlor. The Chancellor Suite boasts plenty of Victorian charm with a marble fireplace in the bedroom and a fireplace reproduction in the parlor.
On the second floor, Colonial Williamsburg decor highlights the Riesling Suite, and the Merlot Suite offers plenty of antiques and a wall of windows in its roomy parlor.
Regional appeal
Bookings have been pretty healthy for the B&B. It was booked solid for Valentine’s Day and a few weekends in February. It’s also popular for regular customers who return every year and for regional folks who just want a weekend getaway in their own backyard.
Room rates are $100 to $200 per night, and if you visit, you’ll meet Gullbergh’s senior rescue dog, Oliver.
The goal for the future?
“We want to make sure this is a marvelous staycation,” Gullbergh said.
Pam Parker is a freelance writer living in Fairview. Contact her at pamparker712@gmail.com.
Report Hive Research has published a detailed report on the Grape Seed Oil market. This market research report was prepared after considering the COVID-19 impacts and monitoring the market for a minimum of five years. The report provides you with growing market opportunities, revenue drivers, challenges, pricing trends & factors, and future market assessments. Our research team has implemented a robust research methodology that includes SWOT analysis, Porter’s 5 Force analysis, and real-time analysis. Furthermore, they have conducted interviews with the industry experts to offer a report that helps the clients to formulate strategies accordingly.
The global Grape Seed Oil Market research report 2017 provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications, and industry chain structure. The Grape Seed Oil Market report provides information regarding market size, share, trends, growth, cost structure, global market competition landscape, market drivers, challenges and opportunity, capacity, revenue, and forecast 2026.
Grape Seed Oil Market Reports provide results and potential opportunities and challenges to future Grape Seed Oil industry growth. Grape Seed Oil market research reports offers five-year revenue forecasts through 2026 within key segments of the Grape Seed Oil industry.
Grape Seed Oil Market competition by top manufacturers/Key player Profiled: Mediaco Vrac, Tampieri Group, Borges Mediterranean Group, Lesieur Solutions Industries, Olitalia, Gustav Heess, Pietro Coricelli, Jinyuone, Food & Vine, Oleificio Salvadori, Costa d’Oro, Mazola, Seedoil, SANO, Sophim, Aromex Industry, Qingdao Pujing, Kunhua Biological Technology, Guanghua Oil, Hebei xinqidian Biotechnology
>>> Get Free Sample PDF (including COVID19 Impact Analysis, full TOC, Tables and Figures) of Grape Seed Oil Market:
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Segmentation by Product:
Mechanically by pressing
Chemically extracted
Segmentation by Application:
Food Industry
Cosmetics
Supplements and health-care
Others
Grape seed oil (also called grapeseed oil or grape oil, abbreviation: GSO) is pressed from the seeds of grapes, and is thus an abundant by-product of winemaking. Grape seed oil is low in saturated fats and high in polyunsaturated fats making it a healthy choice for the heart and cardiovascular system. Grape seed oil is an excellent source of linoleic acid, an omega-6 essential fatty acid that cannot be synthesized by the human body but is a nutritional necessity for healthy development and growth. Grape seed oil is a pale to yellow usually semidrying fatty oil and is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics and health products etc.
The report forecast global Grape Seed Oil market to grow to reach xxx Million USD in 2021 with a CAGR of xx% during the period 2021-2025 due to coronavirus situation.
The report offers detailed coverage of Grape Seed Oil industry and main market trends with impact of coronavirus. The market research includes historical and forecast market data, demand, application details, price trends, and company shares of the leading Grape Seed Oil by geography. The report splits the market size, by volume and value, on the basis of application type and geography.
Competitive Analysis:
Global Grape Seed Oil Market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of Grape Seed Oil Market for Global, Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa.
Scope of the Report:
The all-encompassing research weighs up on various aspects including but not limited to important industry definition, product applications, and product types. The pro-active approach towards analysis of investment feasibility, significant return on investment, supply chain management, import and export status, consumption volume and end-use offers more value to the overall statistics on the Grape Seed Oil Market. All factors that help business owners identify the next leg for growth are presented through self-explanatory resources such as charts, tables, and graphic images.
Our industry professionals are working reluctantly to understand, assemble and timely deliver assessment on impact of COVID-19 disaster on many corporations and their clients to help them in taking excellent business decisions. We acknowledge everyone who is doing their part in this financial and healthcare crisis.
What are the market factors that are explained in the report?
– Key Strategic Developments: The study also includes the key strategic developments of the market, comprising R&D, new product launch, M&A, agreements, collaborations, partnerships, joint ventures, and regional growth of the leading competitors operating in the market on a global and regional scale.
– Key Market Features: The report evaluated key market features, including revenue, price, capacity, capacity utilization rate, gross, production, production rate, consumption, import/export, supply/demand, cost, market share, CAGR, and gross margin. In addition, the study offers a comprehensive study of the key market dynamics and their latest trends, along with pertinent market segments and sub-segments.
– Analytical Tools: The Global Grape Seed Oil Market report includes the accurately studied and assessed data of the key industry players and their scope in the market by means of a number of analytical tools. The analytical tools such as Porter’s five forces analysis, SWOT analysis, feasibility study, and investment return analysis have been used to analyze
Table of Contents
Report Overview:It includes major players of the global Grape Seed Oil Market covered in the research study, research scope, and Market segments by type, market segments by application, years considered for the research study, and objectives of the report.
Global Growth Trends:This section focuses on industry trends where market drivers and top market trends are shed light upon. It also provides growth rates of key producers operating in the global Grape Seed Oil Market. Furthermore, it offers production and capacity analysis where marketing pricing trends, capacity, production, and production value of the global Grape Seed Oil Market are discussed.
Market Share by Manufacturers:Here, the report provides details about revenue by manufacturers, production and capacity by manufacturers, price by manufacturers, expansion plans, mergers and acquisitions, and products, market entry dates, distribution, and market areas of key manufacturers.
Market Size by Type:This section concentrates on product type segments where production value market share, price, and production market share by product type are discussed.
Market Size by Application:Besides an overview of the global Grape Seed Oil Market by application, it gives a study on the consumption in the global Grape Seed Oil Market by application.
Production by Region:Here, the production value growth rate, production growth rate, import and export, and key players of each regional market are provided.
Consumption by Region:This section provides information on the consumption in each regional market studied in the report. The consumption is discussed on the basis of country, application, and product type.
Company Profiles:Almost all leading players of the global Grape Seed Oil Market are profiled in this section. The analysts have provided information about their recent developments in the global Grape Seed Oil Market, products, revenue, production, business, and company.
Market Forecast by Production:The production and production value forecasts included in this section are for the global Grape Seed Oil Market as well as for key regional markets.
Market Forecast by Consumption:The consumption and consumption value forecasts included in this section are for the global Grape Seed Oil Market as well as for key regional markets.
Value Chain and Sales Analysis:It deeply analyzes customers, distributors, sales channels, and value chain of the global Grape Seed Oil Market.
Key Findings: This section gives a quick look at important findings of the research study.
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In San Antonio, leftover tortillas are very much a part of life. And I’m feeling that fact more than ever this week.
I recently conducted a fairly exhaustive survey of the tortillerías on the city’s West Side to find the best tortillas in that part of town, and I wound up with more than 300 of the things, both corn and flour, taking up precious space in my kitchen. And believe you me, I’m not about to let those suckers go to waste.
But how exactly does one best store such a surplus?
In the refrigerator, both corn and flour tortillas will last for about a month. The real enemy here is air, not time. Many tortillas come in plastic bags which help prevent them from drying out. But if you’re buying them by the pound wrapped in paper like I did at several tortillerías, you’ll need to transfer them to a resealable bag. And be sure to press as much air out of the bag as possible before placing them in the fridge.
As for freezing, you have a few options, and they’re the same with both corn and flour tortillas. If you want to freeze them for individual use, place a piece of parchment paper between each tortilla to prevent them from sticking together. If you plan on using them all at once at some point in the future, separate them into stacks of no more than a dozen tortillas each.
Wrap those stacks in plastic wrap first, then place them inside a resealable bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Once frozen, they should remain good for six months or more.
Thawing is where it gets tricky. As tempting as it is to just toss a bag of frozen tortillas on the counter, that can result in excessive condensation making your tortillas sticky. It takes a little more time, but you’ll get better results if you let them thaw in the refrigerator, so you’ll have to plan ahead.
When it comes to reheating those refrigerated or properly-thawed out tortillas, you have a couple options.
If you’re only heating a few, either corn or flour, just flop them on a hot, ungreased skillet, griddle or comal for about 30 seconds per side until they’re nice and toasty. If the tortillas have been lingering in the fridge for a while and have started to dry out, brushing them with a few drops of water before heating will help bring them back to life.
If you’re feeding a crowd, I defer to Mexican food authority Rick Bayless’ method for corn tortillas.
His technique uses a kitchen towel and a steamer. Just wrap the tortillas — he says no more than a dozen at a time — in the towel. Set up the steamer basket over a pot containing about a half inch of water. Place the towel-swaddled tortillas in the basket, pop the lid on top and fire up the burner to high heat.
When you start to see steam puffing out, set a timer for one minute. When that goes off, turn off the heat and let the tortillas continue to steam under the lid for 10 more minutes. After that, they’re ready to serve.
Flour tortillas take a different approach, as all that steam can make them a little gummy. To get the best results with flour, first wrap them in a damp kitchen towel. Place that bundle in a casserole or other ovenproof container and cover it with a lid or piece of foil. Slide that whole assembly into a 250-degree oven for 20 minutes, and you’re good to taco.
The Iowa Corn Growers Association is all about the corn grown locally in Iowa. Here are some corn facts from the ICGA you might have known, but some that may surprise you.
• Iowa has approximately 86,900 farms. More than 97 percent of those farms are owned by farm families.
• Iowa ranks number one in producing corn, soybeans, hogs, eggs, ethanol and Dry Distillers Grain Solubles (DDGS) which serve as a premium source of protein for livestock. It also ranks fourth in beef cattle.
• In 2019, Iowa farmers produced around 2.58 billion bushels of corn for grain and harvested 13.1 million acres according to the U.S. Department of Agricultural Statistics Service.
SWEET CORN VS. FIELD CORN
• Only 1 percent of corn planted in the United States is sweet corn.
• 99 percent of corn grown in Iowa is “Field Corn.” When Iowa’s corn farmers deliver corn from the field, it’s “Field Corn”. Not the delicious sweet corn you might enjoy on the cob or in a can.
• Field corn is the classic big ears of yellow dented corn you see dried and harvested in the fall. It’s called “dent corn” because of the distinctive dent that forms on the kernel as the corn dries.
• While a small portion of “Field Corn” is processed for use as corn cereal, corn starch, corn oil and corn syrup for human consumption, it is primarily used for livestock feed, ethanol production and manufactured goods. It’s considered a grain.
• Sweet corn is what people purchase fresh, frozen or canned for eating. It’s consumed as a vegetable. Unlike “Field Corn”, which is harvested when the kernels are dry and fully mature, sweet corn is picked when immature.
WHAT IS IT USED FOR?
• Iowa leads the nation in ethanol production, with 57 percent (1.5 billion bushels) of the corn grown in Iowa going to create nearly 27 percent of all American ethanol.
• 4.709 billion bushels or 33 percent of Iowa Corn went directly into livestock feed. In livestock feeding, one bushel of corn converts to about 8 pounds of beef, 15.6 pounds of pork, or 21.6 pounds of chicken. Learn more.
• One bushel of corn produces 17 pounds of DDGS as well as 2.8 gallons of ethanol. Learn more.
• 1.494 billion bushels of Iowa corn in the 2018/19 marketing year went into corn processing used in the wet mill industry for food and industrials usage. Learn more.
• 14 percent or 2.065 billion bushels of Iowa corn was exported out of the state in the 2018/19 marketing year. In an average year, Iowa produces more corn than most countries. Learn more.
• Corn is in more than 4,000 grocery store items a few examples include: shampoo, toothpaste, chewing gum, marshmallows, crayons and paper. Learn more.
DEBUNKING FOOD & DUEL MYTHS
• Many products depend on corn as well, from paper goods and cardboard packaging, to all the meat, milk, eggs, poultry and other protein products that come from corn-fed animals.
• Farmers and ranchers that provide our meat, milk and eggs depend on genetically enhanced crops as critical components in production of their animals' feed. Livestock in the U.S. have been fed genetically modified crops since they were first introduced in 1996.
• Humans have also been consuming genetically modified (GMO) foods since 1996 also. Hundreds of scientific studies have confirmed the safety of these biotechnology products. In fact in the United States, alone, 9 billion food-producing animals are produced annually, with 95 percent of them consuming feed that contains genetically engineered ingredients meaning consumers come in contact with GMO's on a daily basis.
• Oil, not corn, has been driving up global food prices. The World Bank conducted research determining crude oil as the number one determinant of global food prices. The cost of energy from oil is integral to so much of the 84 percent of what makes up grocery costs. When the price of oil goes up, so does food prices.
The great thing about corn is that it provides:
• A renewable, environmentally-friendly fuel source (Ethanol)
• Animal feed for livestock which is important to our food supply
• Exports supplying the world with corn and corn products which boosts our economy
• Food ingredients necessary for preparing many of our favorite meals
• Bio-based, renewable materials for industrial uses such as bioplastics
OTHER FUN CORN FACTS
• Corn can be produced in various colors including blackish, bluish-gray, purple, green, red and white but the most common color grown is yellow
• There is one silk for every kernel that grows in an ear of corn
• The number of kernels per ear can vary from 500 to about 1,200, but a typical ear would have 800 kernels in 16 rows
• Corn is grown in every continent except Antarctica
• One acre of corn is about the size of a football field
• A bushel of corn is 56 pounds, about the weight of a large bag of dog food.
• A single corn bushel can sweeten about 400 cans of soda pop.
Corn! We love the darn stuff here in the United States. Now, of course the crop is important because it enabled humans to grow enough calories in order to fully colonize North America, and that’s great. But it’s also the main ingredient in high fructose corn syrup, which is in ketchup! Now we finally have a game brave enough to examine America’s love affair with this dietary staple: Balan Wonderworld.
Square Enix released a demo for Balan Wonderworld earlier this month, and reviews editor Mike Minotti gave us some insight into actually playing the game. And what he described seemed so bizarre that I had to see for myself.
So I, GamesBeat editor Jeff Grubb, got Mike on a Discord call and played through the Balan Wonderworld demo. And what I found is a game that respects and loves corn in the way that every American loves and respects corn.
Does that make this the most patriotic game ever? Yes, it does. Which is why I played the game with my hand over my heart the whole time (something that is possible because every button does the same thing).
Go ahead and watch along with us, and look forward to Balan Wonderworld’s March 26 release for $60 in actual human currency.
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University-affiliated startup NutraMaize is featured in a current national advertising campaign called “Make a Different Future.”
The campaign, presented by GoDaddy, champions real customers, like NutraMaize CEO Evan Rocheford and the company’s brand Professor Torbert’s Orange Corn, driving change to “Make a Different Future” for themselves and for others. Following the challenges of 2020, the campaign states, “The future isn’t decided yet. It’s still ours to win.”
“We are so excited to be a part of spreading this message of hope for the future. As a company, we were founded on the belief that a better future is possible,” Rocheford said. “We are on a mission to improve the nutritional quality of common foods people eat every day, so to have a platform like this to tell our story is just incredible.”
NutraMaize was co-founded by Evan and his father, Torbert Rocheford, Purdue’s Patterson Endowed Chair and professor of agronomy, to bring the benefits of Orange Corn to the United States.
More than 20 years ago, “Professor Torbert” started naturally selecting varieties of Orange Corn to help alleviate malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa as part of an international humanitarian effort called HarvestPlus.
The bright orange color of the corn comes from high levels of natural antioxidant pigments called carotenoids, the same compounds that give carrots their orange color and health-benefiting reputation. Orange Corn is grown in more than 10 African countries and is now available to Americans through NutraMaize’s line of premium milled products, including grits, corn meal and corn flour, marketed under the brand Professor Torbert’s Orange Corn.
“Most Americans are at an increased risk of losing their vision as they age because they don’t eat enough carotenoids, so Orange Corn doesn’t just have the power to save lives in Africa — it also has the potential to improve the well-being of Americans,” Rocheford said.
More from this section
Through its partnership with GoDaddy, NutraMaize has launched its next phase with a new, leading-edge website (professortorberts.com), where consumers can buy Professor Torbert’s Orange Corn directly from the company. The website also features creative recipe ideas and detailed information about the origins of Orange Corn.
“Working with GoDaddy has been amazing. Not only are they helping us tell our story, they’ve also equipped us with the tools to take our online presence to the next level and reach more Americans who can benefit from our products,” Rocheford said. “When people think of GoDaddy, they usually think of domain names, but they actually offer a full suite of digital products designed to help businesses create more meaningful interactions with their audience.”
More information about the campaign can be found at GoDaddy. The national TV ad featuring Evan and Professor Torbert’s Orange Corn can be found here on YouTube.
The Orange Corn variety is licensed through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization. NutraMaize also received guidance from the Purdue Foundry, an entrepreneurship and commercialization hub.
OTC and the Purdue Foundry are both now located in the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration in Discovery Park District, adjacent to the Purdue campus.
For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at otcip@prf.org. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.
"In our Peruvian farms in Chepén we had a growth of 1,000 tons in the premium varieties harvest. The dedication, expertise and commitment of our collaborators were key to its achievement."
"Due to a series of new measures and wise decisions, as well as to compliance with our strict production and quality standards, the recent grape campaign ended successfully, with a growth of 1,000 tons in the harvest compared to that of the previous year."
"Among the main destinations for our Peruvian grapes are the United States and China. The giant Asian market tends to increase its demand in the off-season as consumers require grapes throughout the year, especially to celebrate the Chinese New Year on February 12."
"An important milestone in the company's production was to carry out two grape campaigns in the year: in addition to the usual harvest, another one was previously carried out in Fall. And, despite having certain climatic challenges during the production months - temperatures lower than the historical average - the execution of a series of corrective measures allowed San Miguel to reach the harvest season with the risks mitigated and the outbreaks controlled."
“In San Miguel we use technology to manage the water resource. We have humidity sensors that help us improve the amount of water we apply to crops. We have changed 400 hectares with new hoses to improve the amount of water we apply. In addition, we have two weather stations that help us constantly monitor weather conditions. All these factors taken as a whole, help us optimize the efficient use of this resource”, explains Wilfredo Choque Ayala, Deputy Manager of Agricultural Operations.
"Other measures aimed at increasing the levels of all grape varieties produced, included the advance of pruning during the Fall to improve sprouting levels in the different varieties of grapes, as well as the installation of anti-bird nets in 70% of the cultivated surface, a measure that helped to take care of the quality of the fruit and to have lower production losses."
“As regards packing, grape has a very dynamic and fast process that requires a lot of skilled labor. This represented an additional challenge in a year like 2020, where we managed to rigorously take care of all safety protocols and continue operating with the same efficiency”, says Gerardo Silupu Alban, Head of Packing at San Miguel.
"In this recent campaign, San Miguel produced four varieties of premium seedless grapes on the Chepén farms: Sweet Globe®, Sweet Sapphire®, Jack’s Salute® and Sugar Crisp®. 74% of the portfolio corresponded to premium green seedless grapes, mostly Sweet Globe, the market's most-demanded variety."
Ready for a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Marselan? Last month, the French organization that governs wine appellations approved six grape varieties to be added to the grapes currently allowed for the production of Bordeaux entry-level wines, AOC Bordeaux and AOC Bordeaux Supérieur, with other categories expected to follow. Vignerons hope the new grapes will prepare the region for a changing climate.
"A fascinating direction, illustrating one of the many steps Bordeaux is taking to prepare for the future," said Allan Sichel, general manager of négociant Maison Sichel. "We will be planning on planting some of these varieties soon."
The move follows 11 years of research at Plot 52, an experimental vineyard in Pessac-Léognan planted to 52 grape varieties to determine their suitability for a warmer, drier Bordeaux. "Like all French viticulture, the appellation sector is faced with climate change and the necessary ecological transition," Laurent Fidèle, INAO delegate from Aquitaine’s Poitou-Charentes region, told Wine Spectator. "In this context, the appellation specifications must allow for the controlled evolution of grape varieties."
Weather is growing hotter and drier across Bordeaux, drawing a big question mark over the viability of today's varieties to deliver the quality, characteristics and volume required for sustainability in coming decades.
If wine regions are to be resilient, they must adapt. This is where the new varieties come in. The recently approved varieties are Touriga Nacional, Castets, Marselan, and Arinarnoa for reds; Alvarinho and Lilorila for whites.
"Obviously we are looking for balance, freshness, elegance, harmony, good acidity, resistance to heat and drought," said Sichel.
It comes down to the ideal ripening window, which in Bordeaux falls between Sept. 10 and Oct. 10. "The driving idea behind this project is you make great wines if you harvest at the end of September or early October, not if you harvest in August," Professor Kees van Leeuwen, the viticulturist in charge of the project, explained to Wine Spectator. "If your grapes ripen in August or July, the hottest part of the summer, your fruit is unbalanced—too low in acidity, too much sugar, not good aromas—and so historically growers have always planted varieties that in their local climatic environment ripen at the end of the season."
But with climate change, warmer temperatures mean that flowering, veraison and ripening come earlier and earlier. "The risk with climate change is that the varieties move out of their ideal ripening window. They ripen earlier and earlier, and there is the risk one day that they will ripen in August," said van Leeuwen. "Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc will be the first casualties."
As an early ripening variety, Merlot is on track to move out of its ideal ripening window by 2035–’40, according to climate projections. And 66 percent of Bordeaux's red wine vineyards are planted to Merlot.
Still an experiment
Winegrowers can begin planting the new varieties this year. Does this mean Bordeaux châteaus will soon be bottling Cab-Touriga blends? Not so fast.
The INAO approval comes with considerable restrictions. Only 5 percent of the vineyard surface can be planted with the new varieties, and those grapes cannot contribute more than 10 percent of volume to the final blend. The trial period lasts 10 years. And the grape varieties will not appear on labels, so consumers won't know if they're drinking a blend that includes the new varieties. This phase allows winegrowers to test the grapes in their fields and cellars.
"I have had the opportunity of tasting these varieties," said Sichel. "I found some to be more convincing than others, but it is still very early days. It is going to be a long road of experimenting, testing and learning, adapting vineyard management and cellar work as we go along and according to observed results."
Plot 52 was planted in 2009 and the vineyard is managed by Bordeaux's multi-disciplinary Science Institute of Vine and Wine (ISVV). Lead engineer Agnès Destrac-Irvine and her team collected data and measurements from what were mainly late-ripening grapes from the Mediterranean and planted promising candidates. In 2015, they vinified their first micro-cuvées for each variety in 5-liter batches.
After several years, a selection was then presented to the winegrowers, who made their choices, submitting the decision to the INAO for approval.
Castets is a nearly forgotten grape from the southwest of France that naturally resists vine disease and produces colorful wines suited for aging. Touriga Nacional is the complex, full-bodied and aromatic flagship variety from Portugal. Arinarnoa and Marselan were both created decades ago by crossing existing varieties—Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon for the former and Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon for the latter. Both Alvarinho and Liliorila are aromatic white varieties.
The recently approved grapes aren't the definitive choices for all of Bordeaux's appellations. Some will likely be dropped and more will be considered.
Destrac-Irvine told Wine Spectator that new experiments were already under way at Plot 52. "We have already initiated replacements last year by grafting three varieties with grape varieties from Cyprus which are very resistant to drought."
Late-ripening varieties like Cabernet and Petit Verdot—the latter notoriously difficult to ripen—will remain within their ideal window much longer. Petit Verdot acreage has increased 191 percent since 2000. "Cabernet Sauvignon is fine until 2050," said van Leeuwen. "A lot of this research is to prepare for 2050."
A row of Alvarinho vines in the experimental Vineyard 52.(Courtesy INAO)
A shift decades in the making
The wake-up call for Bordeaux came in 2000, with the publication of a scientific paper by leading German researcher and viticulturist Hans Schultz from Geisenheim University. Professor Schultz explained to Wine Spectator that the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio made him consider how climate change could impact vines. That led him to present a scientific paper at an international conference in Budapest in 1996 called "Climate Change and Its Possible Effects on Viticulture." It didn't go over well.
"It turned out to be extremely controversial," recounted Schultz. "One person in the audience threw a glass of water at my face. No joke!"
Undaunted, Schultz continued his work. "I started to look intensively on all kinds of aspects—for instance, UV radiation," which led to an invitation to publish a paper in the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research in 2000. The paper gave an in-depth, European perspective on climatology and viticulture. In the summary, he noted that our knowledge then was still very limited and the "great challenge in the future will be to predict the responses of grapevines to simultaneously changing climatic components and to develop adequate strategies to overcome potential problems."
Since 2000, attitudes have changed. Winegrowers throughout Europe have sensed the increase in temperatures even if they don't have access to long-term data. "There are lots of changes in wine composition as a result, specifically sugar content and a decline in acidity," said Schultz.
What next?
OK. But will Bordeaux still taste like Bordeaux?
It's important to remember that the region has changed grapes before. Merlot only became popular in recent decades. And two centuries ago, there were dozens of grape varieties planted across the region. After phylloxera devastated the region, wineries chose to replant with a select few.
"I think the new varieties make less change, if they are well-chosen," said van Leeuwen. "They will make less of a change to the typicity of Bordeaux wines than if we don't change the varieties." Without action, climate change will alter the typicity of Bordeaux wine, he says. "Wine made from Merlot in Bordeaux in 2050 will have a very different taste, because it will ripen in August, it will have 16 percent alcohol and pH of 4.1."
Although consumers won't know from the label if they're participating in this experiment—at least until after the trial period—négociants are confident that Bordeaux lovers will embrace the future blends for their quality and identity. "The objective being to preserve the characteristics of Bordeaux wines, there should be no issue in selling these wines as a Bordeaux blend," said Sichel.
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“What was Napa like before there were grape vines?”
That question was asked during a virtual tasting I led two weeks ago, and my response was embedded in two threads of the conversation: the modern agricultural developments of the Napa Valley, and the further-back history of the area before the California Gold Rush of the mid-nineteenth century.
If I were to be asked that same question now, I’d weave another layer onto the conversation. That layer is courtesy of Mary Ann McGuire, who I met recently during a virtual tasting as she described Napa in its early days of grape growing. McGuire was a driving force behind the establishment of the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve in 1968, and she is the mother of Oakville-based vintner Tom Gamble of Gamble Family Vineyards.
Now aged 81, McGuire arrived in Napa with her husband George Gamble (a Napa County cattle rancher) in 1960. She describes it then as a “bountiful garden.” For ten thousand years, she said, “this sacred land was historically cared for by the indigenous inhabitants of Napa, including the Onasatis (Wappo) Peoples. We felt we had the moral imperative to preserve that legacy.”
Here are three additional snapshots McGuire describes from the time, that capture both the landscape and the mood of the Napa Valley in the 1960s.
Wide Angle view Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park Calistoga California
getty
MORE FOR YOU
Wild Animals, Gold Poppies and Pink Radishes
McGuire relayed the description of George Calvert Yount’s first view of the Napa Valley, which he recorded in his diary. Yount, a trapper by trade, is identified as the first Euro-American permanent settler in the Napa Valley; he came to California in 1831 and was the grantee of two Mexican land grants.
Yount wrote that he looked into a valley that was more like a garden, McGuire said. “He saw herds of wild animals, hills covered with gold poppies, pink and white wild radishes. There I’d like to build a house [Yount wrote], there I’d like to live, there I’d like to die. That’s what so many of our generation felt when they first came here,” McGuire said. Her affection for the area took root along with her desire to preserve the environmental heritage of the area.
“It was a time of petitions”: Halting Construction of a Six-Lane Highway in the 1960s
That desire was tested in 1965, when McGuire and her neighbors heard of a government plan to build a six-lane highway straight through the Napa Valley. Soon after, she visited the administrative head of the highway department in Sacramento and described the meeting as “crazy-making.” She knew then that it was time to get to work to prevent the construction of the highway, which she believed would permanently destroy the local environment.
It was a time of petitions, McGuire said, which meant putting their kids in the car along with a portable typewriter and going house to house for signatures. (They typed the names because they wanted to be sure the letters were clear.) They also made sure the community meetings and hearings were packed. “Hundreds of people would turn up for these meetings, to get rid permanently of any plan for a freeway,” McGuire said. “That brought us together in a way that I’ve been focused on for the rest of my life. Look at the map of the area. You see the different wineries [but] I see the people who came together and built those wineries. Winiarski, Chappellet, Davies [at Schramsberg Vineyards], Robert and Margaret [Mondavi], I could see it out my window.”
It had never been done before, but the activism of McGuire and the collective group to enact legislation and halt the highway projects was ultimately successful. The Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve was established in 1968 with the passage of Ordinance 274 by the Napa County Board of Supervisors and the Napa County Planning Commission. That success emboldened the group and McGuire individually.
“I learned why you never get between a mother bear and her cubs.”
McGuire recalled another instance of looking out her window one day, from the house where she still lives today, and seeing a bulldozer from the Army Corps of Engineers positioned to strip the Napa River of vegetation.
Her reaction?
“I learned why you never get between a mother bear and her cubs,” she said. “I was a 1960s sorority girl, not someone to confront the establishment. But I drove down [to the river], baby in my arms, and said, don’t you dare go down into that river. If you do, I’m going to call every nursing mother in this county and they’re going to bring their babies and we’re going to sit down in front of your bulldozer.”
The bulldozer driver turned around, got in his truck, and never came back. But that wouldn’t have been the end of the Corps’ efforts to strip the local waterways. So the coalition, spearheaded by McGuire and Jack Davies, advocated again in the same fashion of collecting petitions and attending committee meetings.
It’s a pattern that has repeated itself because, even with the passage of the Agricultural Preserve in 1968, McGuire said that it was not set in stone by any means. Environmental advocacy needed to continue alongside increasing awareness of the local wine production.
“The only way we could ensure its longevity and purpose [of the Ag Preserve was] to have a world class wine,” she said. “Nothing else would work against the pressure we’d be feeling to develop and over-develop. We had to market Napa Valley wine, and get it into the consciousness.”
* Soybeans down for 2nd day but set for 9th monthly gain * Weaker U.S. export data fuelled selling in soy, corn, wheat * Losses across markets also encourage profit-taking in grains (Updates with European trading, changes byline/dateline) By Gus Trompiz and Naveen Thukral PARIS/SINGAPORE, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Chicago soybean futures fell for a second session on Friday as a slowdown in U.S grain exports and broad losses in financial markets encouraged soy prices to ease from a 6-1/2 year high. Corn and wheat also dropped for a second day in the wake of Thursday's lower than expected weekly U.S. export sales, which tempered concern about tightening global supply that have fuelled multi-year highs in Chicago grains in the past month. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Thursday that weekly export sales of soybeans totalled 238,700 tonnes, the smallest volume since the week ended Dec. 31. In cereals, the USDA reported an eight-month low for weekly U.S. corn export sales and the lowest wheat tally in over a year. Although analysts said the drop-off in exports may be partly due to the recent Lunar New Year holiday in China, the data raised the idea of high prices curbing demand. "Is this (price) movement a one-off or a more sustainable trend caused by lower demand?" wondered consultancy Agritel. "A confirmation of these (export) figures will be needed next week." The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board Of Trade was down 1.3% at $13.89-1/4 a bushel by 1109 GMT, as it retreated further from Thursday's peak of $14.45-3/4, a level not seen since June 2014. CBOT corn was down 1.3% at $5.42-3/4, while wheat was 1.7% lower at $6.64. Soybeans are set to end February with a ninth consecutive monthly gain, against a backdrop of dwindling U.S. stocks and a rain-slowed Brazilian harvest that have raised uncertainty about availability to meet strong Chinese demand. But in China, soybean crushers are expected to curb activity due to Brazilian harvest delays, while fresh outbreaks of African swine fever have created concern about feed demand. Many analysts and traders still see global supply tensions supporting grain prices. "There is a bit of profit-taking, but overall we are still bullish, especially for soybeans and corn," said Ole Houe, director of advisory services at brokerage IKON Commodities. "We are just about to enter the critical March-May planting season in the Northern Hemisphere, so there is plenty of risk ahead." Prices at 1109 GMT Last Change Pct End Ytd Pct Move 2020 Move CBOT wheat 664.00 -11.75 -1.74 640.50 3.67 CBOT corn 542.75 -7.00 -1.27 484.00 12.14 CBOT soy 1389.25 -18.25 -1.30 1311.00 5.97 Paris wheat Mar 243.75 -2.00 -0.81 213.25 14.30 Paris maize Mar 227.75 -1.50 -0.65 198.50 14.74 Paris rape May 482.25 -6.00 -1.23 412.00 17.05 WTI crude oil 63.06 -0.47 -0.74 48.52 29.97 Euro/dlr 1.21 -0.01 -0.50 1.2100 0.12 Most active contracts - Wheat, corn and soy US cents/bushel, Paris futures in euros per tonne (Reporting by Gus Trompiz in Paris and Naveen Thukral in Singapore. Editing by Vinay Dwivedi and Mark Potter)
Numbers in cells are beginning stocks which is the February 2021 WASDE figure of 1.502 billion bushels (bb) and to that we add this year production which is planted acreage going across the top on the x-axis the 2021 USDA harvested/planted ratio of 91.74% times prospective yields going down on the y axis in bushels per acre.
To that we add the 25 million bushels (mb) of imports the USDA projected as per their updated 2021/22 corn balance sheet and from that total supply the updated USDA Ag Outlook Forum demand figure of 15.125 billion bushels is subtracted.
USDA projects corn area will expand by 1 million acres to 92 million, the highest since 2016 with their yield calculation at 179.5 bushels per acre (bpa) a new record exceeding the prior high of 176.6 bpa and a hefty 7.5 gain on last year's result.
Even with this the carryout for the 2021/22 season is seen increasing by a mere 50 mb to 1.552 bb with the still same tight 10.3% stock to use ratio as this year, the tightest since the 2013/14 season.
As you can see from the graphic we will need quite a combination of high acreage and yields to build stocks up above 1.50 bb.
Some feel USDA may be too low on their acreage estimates with trade guesses anywhere from 93-94 million especially with a faster start to spring seedings than seen the past two years anticipated.
Counter-balancing that however are widespread thoughts that USDA export projections for both this year and next look to be understated by anywhere from 100-200 mb meaning lower beginning stocks and higher demand figures than used in our calculations.
BEIJING, Feb 25 (Reuters) - China will step up its corn planting acreage and treat more polluted land in 2021, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday, as part of an overarching plan to bolster food security for the world's largest population.
The policy statement, which dates from Jan 8, came out after China strengthened its focus on food security in an annual rural policy blueprint issued on Sunday.
The boost of more than 667,000 hectares in corn planting acreage will come in China's northeast and areas around the Yellow, Huai and Hai rivers in 2021, the ministry said, following a plan unveiled this year.
Regions "with good basic conditions and where major grain production counties are concentrated," will be chosen to build national food security industry belts with stable and high output, it added.
China will also treat 50 million mu (3.3 million hectares) of polluted land and expand pilot acreage for land rotation and fallow land to 40 million mu (2.7 million hectares) in the new year, the ministry said in the document on key farm and rural work in 2021. (Reporting by Min Zhang, Dominique Patton and Hallie Gu; Editing by Alex Richardson and Clarence Fernandez)
Global Grape Congress will take place on 30 June 2021, bringing together key players in the fresh table grape category to connect and share their experience and expertise.
The brand-new 24-hour congress will be streamed live globally, split into three parts (Melbourne, London and Los Angeles) to connect delegates in their own market and time-zone with the best insights, ideas and networking opportunities from around the world.
Through a combination of talks, interviews and discussions, Global Grape Congress will explore the latest developments in the business, including the development of new varieties, new technologies and new markets.
Expert speakers will offer insight into all areas of the table grape business, including key challenges like climate change and Covid-19.
Global Grape Congress 2021 represents an unmissable chance to grow your own business in fresh grapes.
For sponsorship and speaking opportunities, please contact our team at info@grapecongress.com. You can also subscribe to the mailing list here.
Welch Foods Inc. misleadingly portrays two grape juice beverages as made with “no artificial flavors” when the drinks contain a synthetic flavoring agent, a new proposed class suit in a California federal court says.
The suit challenges the marketing of “Light Concord Grape Juice Beverage” and “Light White Grape Juice Beverage.” And it is the latest to allege a food or drink contains synthetic malic acid, an ingredient that imparts a tart flavor.
Both products’ labels show lifelike illustrations of fresh, ripe grapes and are advertised to consumers with the additional false assurances that they contain “nothing you don’t want,”...
