Sudan wheat shortage
SUDAN, a major buyer of imported wheat, is running low on supplies due to protests that have closed the Port of Sudan.
Port Sudan, on the Red Sea, is critical in importing goods to the near landlocked nation.
Sudan has on occasions been a big buyer of Australian wheat, purchasing as much as a million tonnes in a year in the mid 2000s.
The African nation is highly reliant on imported grain and usually brings in over 2 million tonnes of wheat alone each year.
Resistance conference
The 2021 Crop Protection Forum, a national event targeting fungicide, herbicide and insecticide resistance issues in specific growing regions, was held in Tasmania earlier this month.
Exploring the implications and solutions for pesticide resistance in southern cropping systems and the significant challenges it poses to the Tasmanian cropping industry, the annual event was held in Launceston on Wednesday, October 27.
The event wasin a hybrid format to allow those unable to travel to listen in.
Professor Mark Gibberd, Centre for Crop Disease Management director said the forum drew on experts from the CCDM, the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, Cesar Australia and other research institutions from across the nation to present research relevant to a state that boasts a wide range of agriculture, viticulture, horticulture and grazing enterprises.
"Tasmanian growers are lucky to have a large selection of different crops they can grow, allowing them the advantage to rotate crops and clean up paddocks the following year," Professor Gibberd said.
International lease deal
A NOVEL lease arrangement is being planned not just between farming neighbours, but between separate countries.
Discussions are being held between Russia and Uzbekistan about a possible agreement that would allow Uzbek farmers to grow crops on Russian soil according to wire reports.
The reports claim that Uzbekistan wants to rent 1 million hectares of land in Russia which would yield approximately 2.5 million tonnes of grain, Akipress.com reported.
Uzbekistan, in central Asia has limited arable land and water, meaning it needs to look elsewhere to maintain food security, despite producing between 5 and 7 million tonnes of wheat each year.
Wheat stocks have fallen in recent years meaning the government is looking to make sure it can ensure food security.
Big Brazilian crop
The national crop forecaster in Brazil, Conab, is forecasting a big jump in total grain production in South America's largest nation.
Conab is predicting a 14 per cent increase in crop production up to 288.6 million tonnes.
The increase is mainly due to better yields, although plantings are also up 3.5 per cent on the back of high global grain prices.
In terms of crop composition, the increase in mainly in soybeans and safrinha (second crop) corn.
According to the Conab numbers Brazil will remain the world's largest producer of soybeans, with nearly half of its total grain production coming in the form of beans.
New soil health package
Soil analysis laboratory, Nutrient Advantage, has launched a new soil health package that will enable farmers to benchmark and improve the health and productivity of their soil.
The package provides a snapshot of the key biological, chemical and physical characteristics that determine soil health.
Stephan Titze, President of Incitec Pivot Fertlisers (IPF), which owns the Nutrient Advantage Laboratory, said the company is excited to launch the new test package, which will give farmers a precise objective analysis and the industry leading agronomic advice they need to build healthier soils.
"The package will allow agronomists, farmers and consultants to benchmark their soil and implement practices to create more productive and profitable paddocks that are resilient and perform better, no matter the season," Mr Titze said.
The Incitec Pivot announcement comes just months after the 2021-22 Federal Budget committed $196.9 million in new funding over four years to implement the National Soil Strategy with the aim of boosting the health and management of Australian soil.
AGT appointments
Leading field crop breeder Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) has announced the appointment of two new members to its Roseworthy, South Australia-based leadership team.
Richard Tyson will join the company as chief financial officer and Zsolt Szilassy will take up a new role overseeing customer interactions.
Both appointees have extensive experience supporting agriculture through their previous positions.
Mr Tyson is a qualified chartered accountant who has specialised in commodity trading risk management (CTRM) system development, business processes and financial trading.
He brings 20 years of agriculture industry experience to AGT, mainly in the broadacre and cropping sectors.
Mr Szilassy also has a strong background in the grain sector, having joined Viterra in 2008 where he held multiple roles in supply chain analysis, logistics and customer relations.
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