Field Notes Issue 705

In Aotearoa, Stats NZ have released figures showing food prices increased 0.8% in the 12 months to April 2024. Despite fruit and vegetables now being 13% cheaper than they were 12 months ago, increases in the price of other food groups have pushed overall food prices up. Herd improvement co-operative, Livestock Improvement Corporation Limited, has upgraded the capability of their web-based herd management tool, MINDA, to connect and share data with other industry applications to help save farmers’ time. Industry figures suggest New Zealand farmers spend one hour a day on admin work, and this new functionality removes the need to manually input information into multiple sources. AgriZero^NZ is investing $9.9 million into a United States-based biotech start-up to develop a methane vaccine for ruminant animals, with an emphasis on cattle initially. A vaccine is the most economic path to global scale methane reduction for cattle around the world. The government has recently extended access to 90-day trials to all employers, except for those hired under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) programme, a popular programme for food and fibre employers. As a result, employers using the AEWV scheme will need to ensure rigorous recruitment processes.

In international news, global food conglomerate, Mars Inc. is investing US $47 million (NZ $77.8 million) over the next three years to implement sustainable initiatives with dairy farmers to support Mars to reach their 50% emission reduction target by 2030. Dairy is the second largest contributor to the carbon footprint of their snacking business. In the United States, fungi-based start-up, Meati Foods, who are operating in the meat alternatives market have raised over US $100million (NZ $165.5 million) to support their operations. They currently sell their mycelium-based steaks and cutlets in 6,000 stores with the goal to reach 10,000 by the end of 2024. British grocery retailer, Waitrose, has announced a new regenerative agriculture initiative to support the transition of 2000 of their farmer suppliers into nature-friendly farming practices. Their goal is to source British meat, milk, eggs and vegetables from farms using regenerative practices by 2035. The Australian federal government has announced that the export of live sheep will cease from May 1st, 2028 and that it will fund the industry with AU $107 million (NZ $117 million) to transition into onshore processing. Australia exported over 593,000 live sheep last year.

Australian chickpea prices surge beyond $1,000 per tonne as India suspends tariffs [10 May, ABC Rural]

The price of Australian chickpeas has surged after India announced the suspension of tariffs on desi chickpeas. The tariff of 66% was implemented in 2017, and had effectively halted Australian chickpea exports to India, the largest global consumer of the legumes. The decision to suspend tariffs until March 2025 to allow more supply into India comes at the perfect time for Australian growers, giving them the opportunity and confidence to plant more chickpeas for the upcoming season. According to the Clear Grain Exchange, the price of chickpeas has spiked with some regions trading at over AUD $1,000/mt (NZ $1,100/mt). These prices have not been seen in the market since 2016. Original full article here

Tags: India; Australian desi chickpeas, tariffs; food security

South Korea to introduce regulation-free zone to boost cultured meat production [2 May, The Cell Base]

The South Korean government has announced plans to establish a regulatory-free zone for cell-based meat production in the Gyeongsangbuk-do province. The zone, named the Gyeongbuk Cell-Cultivated Foods Regulatory-Free Special Zone aims to minimise legal obstacles, creating a supportive environment for cell-based meat manufacturers and advancing the workforce and progress in the sector. The government will invest KRW 19.9 billion (NZD $24.1 million) into the zone, which will be operational for five years. Ten cultured meat companies which will work within the zone on key projects including a cell bank establishment and mass production, and demonstrating commercialisation. Original full article here

Tags: innovation hubs; regulatory-free zones; cell-based meat; food technology

Oat farmers poised to enter billion-dollar bubble tea market with healthy alternative  [9 May, ABC Rural]

Australian scientists have developed an alternative to traditional bubble tea tapioca pearls by reducing the drink’s sugar content using fibre found in oats. Research from the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre blended oat-derived beta-glucan with the sweet tapioca pearls, to produce a healthier ingredient than the traditional tapioca pearls which are high in sugar. The alteration did not change the flavour profile of the drink. The new application for oats, and therefore potential market has been welcomed by cereal growers as an opportunity to strengthen and build the small and volatile Australian oat market, providing more certainty to farmers. In 2023, the Australian bubble tea market was estimated at AU $90 million (NZ $99 million) and is expected to grow by 10% per annum over the next six years. Original full article here

Tags: oats; food technology; bubble tea

Rural NZ first for satellite liftoff  [9 May, Farmers Weekly]

At the Rural Connectivity Symposium in Rotorua, Amazon announced its Project Kuiper, a satellite-based internet system set to launch within the next 12 months in rural areas of New Zealand. The project will deploy 3,200 low earth orbit satellites globally to enhance internet access. The NZ $16.6 billion project plans to launch clusters of satellites in phases, with countries between 39 degrees and 56 degrees latitude being the first to receive global coverage. Amazon’s goal is to make the service affordable by developing a low-cost user terminal to connect to the satellite network. The estimated cost for this terminal is NZ $650. Original full article here

Tags: internet, rural connectivity; satellite internet 

Mycocycle Raises $3.6 million to Transform Waste into Sustainable Raw Materials with Fungi  [8 May, GlobeNewswire]

The price of Australian chickpeas has surged after India announced the suspension of tariffs on desi chickpeas. The tariff of 66% was implemented in 2017, and had effectively halted Australian chickpea exports to India, the largest global consumer of the legumes. The decision to suspend tariffs until March 2025 to allow more supply into India comes at the perfect time for Australian growers, giving them the opportunity and confidence to plant more chickpeas for the upcoming season. According to the Clear Grain Exchange, the price of chickpeas has spiked with some regions trading at over AUD $1,000/mt (NZ $1,100/mt). These prices have not been seen in the market since 2016. Original full article here

Tags: biocircular economy; waste-to-value; decarbonisation; fungi