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Food inflation continues to outpace overall inflation, and restaurants are feeling the pressure, with nine straight quarters of declining traffic. Some chains and menus are bucking the trend with growth in both visits and spending.US retail beef prices continue to rise, with the USDA's all-fresh beef price reaching a record USD 9.18/lb in August. US cattle slaughter from January through September is down 1.5m head, a 7% drop compared to the same period last year.Pork prices remain well ahead of year-ago levels and the five-year average, with cutout values of USD 109/cwt currently averaging 15% above last year.Chicken production continues to outpace year-ago levels, and chicken prices are down sharply in recent weeks, with boneless breast meat prices now 27% below year-ago levels.Amid rising retail beef and pork prices, and falling chicken prices, crop producers are also under pressure: corn stakeholders are pushing for year-round E15 use to boost ethanol demand, while soybean surpluses are increasing reliance on proposed biodiesel mandates to absorb excess supply.August milk production increased 3.2% versus the prior year, and at 9.52m cows, the herd size is now the largest since the mid-1990s. July total dairy exports were up 7% YOY, and cheese is on track for a record year.
Food inflation continues to outpace overall inflation, and restaurants are feeling the pressure, with nine straight quarters of declining traffic. Some chains and menus are bucking the trend with growth in both visits and spending. US retail beef prices continue to rise, with the USDA's all-fresh beef price reaching a record USD 9.18/lb in August. US cattle slaughter from January through September is down 1.5m head, a 7% drop compared to the same period last year.Pork prices remain well ahead of year-ago levels and the five-year average, with cutout values of USD 109/cwt currently averaging 15% above last year.Chicken production continues to outpace year-ago levels, and chicken prices are down sharply in recent weeks, with boneless breast meat prices now 27% below year-ago levels. Amid rising retail beef and pork prices, and falling chicken prices, crop producers are also under pressure: corn stakeholders are pushing for year-round E15 use to boost ethanol demand, while soybean surpluses are increasing reliance on proposed biodiesel mandates to absorb excess supply.August milk production increased 3.2% versus the prior year, and at 9.52m cows, the herd size is now the largest since the mid-1990s. July total dairy exports were up 7% YOY, and cheese is on track for a record year.
Australian grain and oilseed production for the 2025/26 season is forecast to rise by 5.2m tonnes year-on-year, reaching 64.2m tonnes. This growth is underpinned by above-average rainfall across key producing states – notably Western Australia, which may see its second-largest crop on record, and northern New South Wales. Positive soil moisture levels in Queensland and northern New South Wales have further supported growth. The 8.8% increase in tonnage is largely driven by improved wheat and canola yields, alongside a significant rise in barley cropping area.Australian grain exports face intense competition, as global production remains high, especially for wheat and barley. Large harvests in Russia, the EU, and the US have weighed on global markets, while carryover stocks continue to build in major exporting nations, such as Australia and Canada. Locally, the combination of a sizable new crop and old crop carryover is expected to limit upside potential for Australian wheat prices.With a potential record-high barley crop this season, the pace of exports will be crucial in shaping market dynamics. Last year's volatility served as a clear reminder of how quickly prices can shift. Domestic demand is anticipated to remain firm, supported by the cattle and sheep sectors, which tend to buffer the impact of abundant US corn supply on global feed grain markets.Canola exports to the EU may soften compared to last season due to a recovery in European production. However, demand for stock replenishment and a year-on-year decline in sunflower supply are expected to support non-GM canola prices. Chinese demand for Australian canola may resurge in 2026, improving local prospects for genetically modified canola production.
US President Donald Trump said this week he spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mainly about trade, and that Modi had assured him India would limit its oil purchases from Russia, reported Reuters. After the United States sanctioned Russia's top oil producers on Wednesday, Indian refiners - major buyers of cheap Russian oil - said they are set to sharply cut imports, potentially clearing a key hurdle to a US-India trade deal.India faces steep 50% tariffs on its exports to the United States - with half of the duties aimed at punishing Russian oil purchases - putting pressure on key industries including textiles, jewellery, seafood, leather, and engineering goods that employ millions of people. Some reports say the United States could cut tariffs on Indian imports to 15–16% from 50%, with the deal likely to hinge on energy and agriculture. New Delhi has balked at suggestions to allow market access for American grains and dairy, citing the need to protect the livelihoods of small farmers. But, India could consider allowing some corn and soymeal imports, trade and industry sources say.India's soybean industry has opposed imports of both American soybeans and soymeal, saying such imports would hurt the country's oilseed producers and that India already has surplus stocks of the animal feed.Resisting corn imports, ethanol producers say any shipments of the grain would disrupt the entire ethanol supply chain, especially as India's ethanol production capacity exceeds consumption.With assembly elections nearing in the eastern state of Bihar, a big producer of corn, US imports could anger farmers, an influential voting bloc.
Over the past decade, the US egg industry has transformed itself from a pure commodity market to a differentiated, value-added sector. Driven by consumer-led regulations and retail consolidation, the shift to cage-free production has redefined supply chains and challenged traditional business models. This report identifies the benefits of taking a proactive approach to policy and operational flexibility for navigating the rapidly changing political environment, while making the early investments in brand equity that are both costly and necessary for extracting product value. Ultimately, it is customer relationships that will dictate the success or failure of these efforts, requiring companies to reexamine where there might be room for improvement. With parallels emerging in swine and other agricultural sectors, the US egg industry's evolution provides a helpful roadmap for other agricultural industries facing similar transitional pressures.
France has raised its bird flu alert level to 'high' from 'moderate', requiring farms nationwide to keep poultry indoors as Europe faces a swift seasonal resurgence of the disease, reported Reuters. The spread of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has raised concerns among governments and the poultry industry after it killed or led to the culling of hundreds of millions of poultry in recent years, disrupting supply, fuelling higher food prices and raising the risk of a new pandemic."Detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza are increasing in Europe among migratory birds, particularly in Spain and Germany, but also in France," the agriculture ministry said in a statement."These cases confirm a high rate of infection among wild birds using the southbound migration corridors, which are active from September to December," it added.The order to keep poultry inside follows a similar move in the Netherlands last week.
Bird flu is spreading rapidly in Europe, with the highest number of countries in at least a decade reporting early outbreaks, raising concerns about a repeat of past crises that led to the culling of tens of million birds and higher food prices, reported Reuters. The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, is a concern for governments and the poultry industry due to the devastation it can cause to flocks, the possibility of trade restrictions and a risk of a new pandemic.The disease, mainly spread by migrating wild birds, caused 56 outbreaks in 10 EU countries and Britain from August to mid-October, mostly in Poland -- the top EU poultry producer -- Spain and Germany, France's animal health surveillance body ESA said.This is the first time it has spread to 10 countries this early in the season for at least a decade, although the total number of outbreaks remains lower than in 2022 when the bloc recorded its worst ever bird flu crisis.
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World Farming Agriculture and Commodity news - Short update 20 th October 2025
France has raised its bird flu alert level to 'high' from 'moderate', requiring farms nationwide to keep poultry indoors as Europe faces a swift seasonal resurgence of the disease, reported Reuters. The spread of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has raised concerns among governments and the poultry industry after it killed or led to the culling of hundreds of millions of poultry in recent years, disrupting supply, fuelling higher food prices and raising the risk of a new pandemic."Detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza are increasing in Europe among migratory birds, particularly in Spain and Germany, but also in France," the agriculture ministry said in a statement."These cases confirm a high rate of infection among wild birds using the southbound migration corridors, which are active from September to December," it added.The order to keep poultry inside follows a similar move in the Netherlands last week.
Kubota took the opportunity to show an all new autonomous fuel cell tractor at the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai in Japan recently. The company has recognised the need for high output and long hours in developing a 100hp equivalent concept using compressed hydrogen fuel and a solid polymer fuel cell. The unit is equipped with dual electric motors, one for driving and the other for implements and services. Additionally, and in a first for a fuel cell tractor, the unit is fully autonomous. The manufacturer claims that it self drives to the field, being equipped with sensors and AI cameras for perception. These in turn enable it to intelligently manouevre around obstacles. The tractor can also be operated and monitored remotely or from close range. In a statement the company said ‘Going forward, we plan to conduct demonstration tests in Japanese fields using this concept model, including verification of advanced unmanned autonomous driving, consideration of hydrogen supply methods for agriculture, and confirmation of suitability for farming operations’.
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