California Wolf Attacks Rise and Canadian Agribusiness and Trade
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**With California wolf populations growing and livestock attacks on the rise, the state announced it will consider allowing more aggressive forms of nonlethal hazing to deter the predators.
But frustrated ranchers say the new provisions do little to address the wolves most significant cost, the stress-related impacts like cattle losing weight and failing to conceive.
A new University of California study estimated such losses at $1.4 to $3.4 million in 2023.
**Reuters reports that Archer Daniels Midland will permanently close its soybean processing plant in Kershaw, South Carolina, later this spring as part of its cost-cutting plan.
The Kershaw plant is the smallest of more than a dozen soy dedicated facilities operated by ADM.
ADM has been cutting jobs and downsizing some operations since announcing in February that it planned to cut costs by $500M-$700M over 3-5 years.
**Some 88% of Canadian agri-businesses say Canada should strengthen trade ties with other countries besides China and the U.S. due to rising trade tensions
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says China's retaliatory tariffs on agricultural and seafood products are affecting about a third of Canadian ag businesses.
CFIB is calling for urgent action to push back against this unfair treatment and urging it to reduce the tax and regulatory burden on agri-business.
**Milk production in the 24 major milk-producing states during March totaled 19 billion pounds, up 1% from March 2024.
February revised production, at 17 billion pounds, was down 2.4% from February 2024.
The February revision represented an increase of 26 million pounds from last month’s preliminary production estimate.
Production per cow averaged 2,125 pounds for March, four pounds above March 2024.
