AGP Executive Report

Diesel Shock for Harvest: U.S. farmers are getting hit by record diesel prices—about $5.85/gal on Sept. 4 and $6.05/gal by Sept. 10—adding pressure on already tight budgets for corn and soy operations. Crop Outlook: USDA’s September Crop Production report shows mixed weather effects, with corn planted area slightly up but grain production forecast down, and acreage/production updates also affecting other major crops. Climate Risk to Food: A new study warns that weakening Atlantic currents could sharply cut global food output and raise commodity prices, with impacts tied to long-lasting shifts in rainfall and temperatures. Agrivoltaics Opportunity: A Tennessee livestock producer expanded sheep operations by grazing under solar arrays via vegetation-management contracts, pointing to agrivoltaics as a land-access workaround for young farmers. UK Breed Legal Fight: An Australian-based farmer is seeking a judicial review of Defra rules on Traditional Herefords, arguing the policy could dilute original British genetics. Local Farming Support: Worcestershire County Council is inviting tenant farmers to discuss buying the land they lease, aiming to keep holdings productive and support farm families. Trade & Agriculture Policy: India’s draft EU FTA would cut tariffs on EU cars and also lower duties on select farm goods, reshaping cross-border ag trade. Food Security & Weather: Fairtrade is flagging strong El Niño risks for West African cocoa communities, warning of potential storms, droughts, and heat impacts. Animal Health: USDA will air-drop millions of rabies vaccine baits across the U.S. Southeast in October to curb raccoon rabies spread.

Agricultural Exports & Quality Control: Tanzania’s avocado value-chain stakeholders are pushing better farm practices, reliable irrigation, safer harvesting and stronger food-safety certification after only about 40% of fruit currently meets export standards. Poultry Farming Basics: Tanzanian poultry experts stress that success hinges on the fundamentals—poultry-house design, ventilation and heat control, clean deep-litter management, vaccination and daily supervision—to prevent respiratory disease and losses. Climate & Food Security: A new FAO-linked warning says El Niño is likely to raise food inflation risks across ASEAN, with higher rice, wheat, maize and vegetable-oil prices expected to hit net importers hardest. Drought Watch: Arkansas and Missouri are seeing worsening “flash drought” conditions, with stressed pastures, falling water levels and higher wildfire risk. Water Resilience: The European Desalination Society is set to hold a Liverpool conference in May 2027 focused on desalination, recycling and clean-water solutions as freshwater demand rises. Policy & Land Tenure: Zimbabwe is targeting 360,000 title deeds for A1/A2 farmers to secure tenure and help unlock land value for production.

Harvest Disruptions: Manitoba and Saskatchewan both report heavy rain stalling fieldwork, with Manitoba noting severe storms in central/Interlake and Saskatchewan saying harvest is far behind averages as lodging and quality concerns rise. Water & Land Pressure: Morocco’s late-summer heatwaves are drying soils and draining reservoir reserves, threatening delayed planting for rainfed wheat and barley. Food & Input Policy: India’s agriculture minister met farmers’ groups on draft Seeds and Pesticides bills, promising consensus and tighter rules against fake seeds and substandard pesticides. Legal/Market Tensions: General Mills, Mars and McKee Foods sued major sugar producers for alleged price-fixing using shared demand/capacity data. Irrigation Gains: Zanzibar’s Unguja farmers expanded irrigated rice and lifted yields from ~3 to 5.8 tonnes as new plots and infrastructure come online. Biosecurity: Idaho’s animal health lab ramped up bird flu PCR testing after USDA certification, speeding results for dairy surveillance. Regional Cooperation: India held ASEAN-India agriculture talks with Malaysia, Timor-Leste and Myanmar on research, germplasm exchange and trade access. Community & Skills: 4-H and livestock clinics, plus farm fairs and local ag events, keep pushing hands-on learning and local food ties.

Climate & Flood Risk: Heavy flooding across Central Luzon and Metro Manila in late August showed how monsoon rains are arriving in more destructive bursts, disrupting cropping calendars and flood management as “habagat” lingers into September/October. Bioenergy & Dairy: KIS Group and Paras Dairy signed an MoU to build 10 BioCNG (CBG) plants in India by 2029, with the first targeted for Q4 2027, linking dairy feedstock to cleaner energy. Farmer Price Protection: Nigeria’s NCX, Bank of Agriculture and AFAN launched a Guaranteed Minimum Price programme to protect 500,000+ farmers and secure 400,000 tonnes of grains. Agricultural Research Capacity: World Bank-backed ACReSAL commissioned a mega greenhouse and lab upgrades at Bauchi State College of Agriculture to boost climate-resilient farming research and testing. Food Safety Preparedness: Nigeria’s NCDC urged households to store food safely and block rodent entry ahead of the Lassa fever peak season. Trade & Livestock: South Africa and Egypt agreed veterinary conditions for red-meat exports, a potential boost for an industry still recovering from foot-and-mouth disease. Smart Farming in Practice: China’s Xinjiang cotton “super field” uses drones and smart irrigation to raise automation and cut water, fertilizer, pesticide and labor costs. Value Addition Push: Tanzania’s trade body says shifting from raw exports to processed, value-added products can grow foreign exchange and jobs.

ASEAN–India Agri Talks: Malaysia’s Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu joined the 9th AIMMAF in New Delhi, pushing deeper ASEAN–India cooperation on R&D, tech transfer, investment and value chains to boost productivity and regional food security. Invasive Catfish Processing Push (US): USDA announced another $6M to expand processing capacity for invasive wild blue catfish, aiming to remove them from waterways while supporting rural seafood processors; Maryland’s Congressman Andy Harris also highlighted the funding. AI Meets Farm Planning: A Purdue-led Ag Economy Barometer finds farmers increasingly use AI for strategic planning, with finance and long-range decision support topping benefits. Fisheries Tech for Field Work (India): ICAR’s CMFRI launched “MatsyaMetri,” a smartphone app that measures fish from images without touching them to streamline biological data collection. Pest Pressure in the US Northeast: Spotted lanternflies are spreading fast across Southern New England, threatening crops like grapes and hops and prompting new removal guidance. Water & Conservation (Iowa): Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced final 2026 urban water quality grants for Kalona, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, targeting stormwater and nutrient loss reduction. Climate Risk Watch: WMO says a strong El Niño is developing, with mixed impacts across Africa—wetter East Africa but higher drought risk in parts of the south.

Climate & Water Preparedness: Malaysia’s Perak is monitoring Super El Niño impacts via disaster, meteorology, irrigation and water agencies, with steps like optimized water treatment, rezoning supply and tanker support. Trade & Food Policy: Britain, France and Canada move to ban imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, triggering Israeli counter-measures—an issue that can ripple into ag-linked trade flows. Seed & Farm Inputs: India plans a new Seed Act with stricter penalties to curb fake and substandard seeds, with farmer groups set to weigh in. Climate Risk for Farmers: Ireland’s Climate Change Advisory Council says farmers aren’t ready for extreme weather and wants a practical, parcel-specific climate-risk toolkit within 12 months. Ag Innovation & Proteins: China accelerates cultivated meat efforts as a food-security push, while UK trials test seaweed biostimulants to cut nitrogen fertilizer use. Rural Livelihoods & Jobs: A Rajasthan youth study finds nearly half of young workers are in agriculture, but earnings have fallen—highlighting the need for better jobs and pay. Market & Crop Support: Yemen’s Al-Jabin coffee purchasing season launches to buy specialty harvest for export, aiming to expand cultivation and improve quality. Ag Infrastructure & Skills: Zambia’s new MP outlines mechanised farming tools for youth alongside water, internet and public service upgrades. Co-ops & Finance: India reviews progress on creating 2 lakh new multipurpose ag co-op societies, dairy co-ops and fisheries co-ops to boost credit and local business viability.

Agronomy & Outreach: Southwest Minnesota State University is hosting its Agronomy Field Day (Sept. 11) to show soybean, weed-control, hay-preservation and value-add research to the public, with industry partners joining. Grain Trade: Iran became the top buyer of Russian grain in the 2026-27 season’s opening period, taking 913,700 tons by Sept. 8, with Egypt next. Aquaculture Expansion: China’s 2026-2030 fisheries plan targets more high-quality aquatic products by 2030, pushing facility-based aquaculture and more AI-enabled management. Drought Risk: Sudan’s farmers warn rainfall shortages and extreme heat are damaging sorghum, sesame and peanuts, raising food and price fears. Food Safety: The USDA recalled 1,500+ pounds of imported Italian ready-to-eat pork products due to possible listeria contamination. Policy & Markets: USDA rules set requirements for emergency and temporary grain storage licensing, while U.S. ranchers get new federal review directives via Trump’s cattle-related executive orders. Local Livestock: Cyprus sheep and goat producers are asking for a deadline extension for required animal inventory genotyping after foot-and-mouth disruptions. Energy for Farms: Washington’s Ostrea Solar project went online, adding 80 MW to the regional grid.

ASEAN Haze Response: Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim urged ASEAN to tighten cross-border haze handling after hazardous air readings in Serian, calling for deeper investigation of open burning. Rural Circular Economy: New Zealand confirmed regulations for a nationwide Rural Recycling Scheme from 1 March 2027, with Agrecovery set to run regulated recycling for agrichemical containers, bale wrap, silage sheet and agricultural bags. Fisheries Training Push: Arunachal Pradesh inaugurated a State Agriculture Information Hub and flagged off Matsya e-Vaahini and e-Rickshaw services to improve fish farmers’ logistics and training access. Agri Trade & Weather Watch: South Africa’s agri confidence is rising, but El Niño-linked hotter, drier conditions could lift food inflation; meanwhile, Middle East demand is flagged as a growth export market. Biosecurity & Farm Risk: Ohio researchers urged soybean growers to scout for red crown rot as warm, wet conditions favor spread. Food Supply Moves: Ukraine sent five new grain ships from Chernomorsk and Odesa as Black Sea export procedures continue. Tech for Climate-Smart Farming: Azerbaijan’s Climate Week in Baku highlighted AI and digital tools for climate-resilient agriculture. Policy & Integrity in Horticulture (India): India’s NHB paused fresh horticulture grant applications for one month amid subsidy guideline scrutiny. New Insect Industry Hub (S. Korea): Gangwon Province opened the country’s first insect industry hub complex to scale edible insect protein production. Agritech Research: China and Greece researchers found an RNA virus in the two-spotted spider mite may help it survive heat and pesticides.

Farm Labor Rules: A U.S. legal explainer highlights federal limits on minors working on farms, including a major parental-exemption carveout that still has boundaries. Government Delivery: PM Modi’s review of MoS performance puts pressure on timely, high-quality, transparent delivery, with Agriculture scheme outcomes in focus. Composting & Soil Health: A push for Food Waste Prevention Week argues composting cuts landfill methane, saves money, and returns nutrients to farms. Climate Stress on Farms: El Niño is already affecting southern Africa with forecasts of hotter, drier conditions—raising risks for crops, water and food prices. Animal Health & Biosecurity: Canada is funding faster swine disease surveillance with upgraded lab testing and shared tracking to help producers detect outbreaks sooner. Trade & Inputs: Nigeria’s Q2 merchandise surplus jumped on export gains, while agricultural exports fell sharply—underscoring uneven farm-to-foreign-exchange performance. Drought Watch (US): Maine’s drought is worsening with record-low groundwater in parts of the state, threatening agriculture and water supplies. Food Safety: A recall was issued for imported Italian pork jowl products due to possible listeria contamination. Ag Tech & Breeding: Research points to plant steroid hormones that help balance growth and immune defense, a potential pathway to higher-yield disease-resistant crops.

Fertiliser Probe: Malaysia’s MACC opened an investigation into delays in distributing supplementary compound fertiliser to Kedah padi farmers, after complaints that supply lagged for the Muda area under MADA. Food Security & Prices: Analysts say China’s grain reserves and limited staple import dependence may cushion global price spikes, but El Niño, geopolitics and shipping disruptions still raise risk. Pesticide Health: A new study estimates 402–433 million acute pesticide poisoning cases among farmers and ag workers each year, with South Asia worst hit. Climate & Water: Zimbabwe is pushing green industrialisation as El Niño-linked shocks threaten farming, energy and trade. Agribusiness Deals: Malaysia’s pineapple board says MAHA 2026 MoUs point to RM2.3bn in potential investments, betting on downstream processing and high-value products. Research for Farmers: Kenya’s new pigeonpea variety (Mituki) cuts time to first harvest to about three months, enabling year-round income in dry periods. Livestock Safety: Producers are urged to watch for cattle bloat as spring pasture growth accelerates.

Land Restoration & Rewilding: A UK firm bought 7,500 acres of England’s moorland for £8.5m to fund a 20-year “Britain’s Yellowstone” plan that could eventually transfer the land to a charity or community trust. Climate & Disaster Pressure: Storm damage is hitting the same communities again after severe weather struck twice in two weeks, adding fresh strain to local recovery and power restoration. Wolf Protections vs Ranching: Trump signed an order to review gray and Mexican wolf protections under the Endangered Species Act, with potential delisting/downlisting aimed at helping ranchers protect livestock. Agri-Policy & Livestock Economics: Minnesota is collecting public input on the socioeconomic impact of large-scale dairies as it weighs how dairy expansions affect communities. Food Security & Trade: Kenya says it will stop exporting raw materials and push local value addition instead, a move that could reshape agricultural supply chains. Farm Safety & Community: Iowa agriculture advocate Ray Gaesser died after a farming accident, underscoring ongoing risks for rural workers. Digital Ag & Tourism: China’s top grain province is turning rice paddies into tourism attractions, using large-scale rice “art” to boost local incomes. Rural Finance for Farmers: Bangladesh’s IFIC Bank will use a Tk 3,000 crore refinance scheme to expand farm financing, including storage, processing, and exports. Wildfire & Drought Reality: Spring wildfires near Gainesville show how drought conditions are changing risk for farms and nearby communities.

Budget Signals for Farmers: Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim says the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security’s Budget 2027 allocation is likely to rise, citing strong MAHA 2026 performance and a push to keep new programmes focused on farmers and smallholders. Anti-Corruption in Inputs: He also ordered MACC to investigate delays in Fertiliser 3 supply to paddy farmers in Kedah’s MADA area, warning contracts could be terminated and companies prosecuted if wrongdoing is found. Disaster Recovery and Food Systems: Nepal’s Bhotekoshi flash floods have killed at least 1,339 people so far, with DNA samples collected from 1,181 bodies for identification; damage includes 1,806 hectares of agricultural land and major road/bridge losses, while recovery planning targets temporary shelters and restoring transport links. Climate Pressure on Agriculture: A new study links stronger El Niño events to human-driven warming, arriving as officials warn the current “super” El Niño could intensify extreme weather that hits crops and water supplies. Skills for Farm Modernisation: Uganda is developing a practical curriculum to train youth in agricultural mechanisation, irrigation, farm structures and soil testing to close technical gaps and reduce reliance on foreign expertise. Market Access and Value Chains: In Bukidnon, officials backed indigenous coffee growers and expanded seedling distribution, positioning coffee as a higher-value alternative to traditional monocrops. Weather Disruptions in Asia: Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghizer and Hunza were hit by cloudburst floods, damaging crops and orchards, blocking roads, and disrupting electricity as the Karakoram Highway faced closures from landslides. Ag Tech for Smarter Decisions: Google DeepMind says AI can help Indian farmers make more targeted, cost-effective decisions by using data that district-level policies often miss for individual needs. Farm Policy and Emissions Debate: New Zealand’s Labour leader Chris Hipkins avoided committing to agricultural emissions pricing, saying the party is focused on reducing farm emissions—while critics note the policy has been central in past campaigns. Animal Health Watch: Ireland’s agriculture ministry warns sheep farmers about high-risk lamb weaning and diet changes, stressing vaccination and stress control to prevent sudden deaths.**

Climate & Labor Safety: Japan farmers are shifting fieldwork to night hours as extreme heat drives higher heatstroke risk, with greenhouse lighting and overnight harvesting becoming more common. Global Food Prices: The FAO says world food prices rose in August to the highest since late 2022, driven by extreme weather, Black Sea shipping disruption, and war-related supply risks. Fertilizer Support: Morocco delivered 1,000 tonnes of DAP fertilizer to Mali to back food security and yields for farmers. Policy & Markets: Trump signed an executive order to review Endangered Species Act protections for gray and Mexican wolves, potentially easing lethal removal rules for ranchers. Input Aid for Farmers: Odisha (India) released the fifth CM-KISAN installment, transferring over Rs 833 crore to more than 41 lakh farmers ahead of the Rabi season. Local Restoration: Nabdam stakeholders in Ghana are calling to expand an EU-funded indigenous land restoration project, adding irrigation, dry-season farming, fish farming, and agro-processing. Livestock & Conservation: Iowa lawmakers are pushing cattle policy toward pasture expansion and conservation as drought and feed costs squeeze producers. Commodity Shock: Ivory Coast will keep cocoa farmgate prices at 1,200 CFA francs/kg, disappointing farmers after months of sector turmoil.

Climate Finance for Smallholders: Uganda is set to receive about $200m (Shs755bn) under IFAD’s ARCAFIM, a 12-year private-sector-led scheme for climate adaptation in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, targeting 260,000 smallholders and rural MSMEs with irrigation, water harvesting, resilient livestock, post-harvest storage and renewable energy. Food Prices Under Pressure: FAO reports global food prices rose in August to the highest level since late 2022, driven by weather shocks, El Niño concerns and conflict-linked supply disruptions, with cereals and oils among the biggest movers. Drought Relief Calls in Europe: Visegrad countries urged the EU to coordinate drought relief, citing major crop and feed losses that threaten dairy and breeding sectors. Farmer Livelihoods Hit by El Niño: India’s Nilgiris tea belt faces a sharp drop in green leaf supply as heat and drought cut production, raising fears for tea powder output and smallholder incomes. Agritech Prize for Finance Access: Uganda’s SANDI AI won the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize (US$50,000/around Shs190m) to expand AI tools that connect smallholders to loans. Seed Saving for Resilience: The Philippines’ DA collected 300 heirloom rice varieties from Palawan indigenous communities for preservation and pest-resistant distribution via PhilRice. Rural Energy Meets Farming: Solar pumps and agrivoltaics are spreading in rural India and Texas, helping farmers reduce fuel dependence and keep land in agricultural use.

Drought Relief & Policy: France pledged €1bn+ to help drought-hit farmers, with faster crop-loss payments, an agricultural recovery fund, and targeted tax relief—aimed at preventing bankruptcies and keeping seed and fodder flowing. Disease Watch: Ireland confirmed a new bluetongue (BTV-3) case in Co Wexford in an unvaccinated heifer, urging farmers to report unexplained deaths and consider vaccination. Animal Health (US): Wisconsin reported a first Eastern Equine Encephalitis case in a horse this year (Portage County), stressing mosquito control and vet discussions on vaccination. EU Farming Pressure: Visegrad Four urged the EU to act as drought cuts fodder and crops, warning feed shortages could worsen livestock output and food security. Water Innovation: A Chilean community in Coquimbo is harvesting coastal fog with giant nets, capturing up to 650,000 litres/year for agriculture and restoration. Trade & Compliance: The EU is weighing stricter pesticide residue limits that could threaten about $1bn in Canadian ag exports to Europe. Input Costs: US diesel hit a new record, raising harvest costs for farmers and adding pressure ahead of elections. Tech for Producers: Malaysia’s DVS launched updated poultry farming guidebooks at MAHA to improve biosecurity, nutrition, and farm management.

EU Gene-Edited Food Rules: Hungarian NGOs are urging legal action at the EU Court of Justice to overturn new rules that deregulate most gene-edited crops, arguing consumers could lose GMO/NGT transparency. Fertiliser Supply Relief (Malaysia): NAFAS launched an immediate operation to deliver supplementary NPK compound fertiliser to 40,000 padi farmers in the Muda area after supply delays, with phased distribution starting today. Digital AgTech Push (Malaysia): MDEC was appointed the National Strategic Digital Technology Validator for the Digital AgTech Programme, aiming to scale AI and digital tools to boost productivity and food security. Animal Health Alert (US): USDA says New World screwworm cases have been found across Texas and one in New Mexico, with officials stressing early detection and reporting to contain outbreaks. Bird Flu Escalation (Australia): NSW confirmed the first H5N1 case in Sydney, urging pet-bird and poultry owners to reduce contact with wild birds and follow biosecurity guidance. Climate Risk (El Niño): The WMO warns El Niño is likely to persist through Feb 2027 and could be among the strongest on record, raising risks for extreme weather affecting farming regions. Water Management (Australia): Seasonal water allocations in the Murray system rise as storage levels improve, with downstream impacts still dependent on demand. Regional Rice Self-Sufficiency (West Africa): Ghana’s John Dumelo called for stronger cross-border coordination to cut West Africa’s heavy rice import bill and build a competitive regional rice industry. Irrigation Resilience (Nigeria): NASENI demonstrated solar irrigation pumps to Kano farmers to support dry-season farming and reduce reliance on volatile fuel costs. Market Pressure (Vegetables, Australia): Falling vegetable retail prices are squeezing grower returns, even as supermarkets report profit gains. Farming Finance (US Midwest): A Fed report finds farmland values in the Seventh District are flat year-on-year, with data centers and renewables helping cushion demand.