Britain proposes ending carbon dioxide stunning of pigs before slaughter, a switch that would lift the cost from 42p a pig to as much as 1.49 pounds

The rest of the day

23 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

1. 02

   UN warns dear fertiliser threatens next year's crops

   Luz Maria de la Mora, a trade official at UNCTAD, the UN's trade and development body, said on Monday that fertiliser prices have risen dramatically. [3] She said many countries now use less, which will hurt crops next year. [3] She spoke at a forum in Doha, Qatar, as the US-Israel war on Iran disrupts the Strait of Hormuz. [3] About a third of the world's traded urea, a nitrogen fertiliser, usually comes from the Gulf, Reuters reported in April. [4]

   Why it matters — Nitrogen must be spread every season, so cutting it puts yields at risk. [4] Zimbabwe's minister Monica Mutsvangwa said more than 70% of her country's people depend on farming. [3]

2. 03

   US harvest reaches 60% of the corn

   US farmers had harvested 60% of their corn by Sunday, up from 44% a week earlier, the US farm department said on Monday. [5] That is behind the five-year average of 66%. [5] The soybean harvest reached 79%, a little ahead of the usual 77%. [5] In Minnesota, corn jumped to 65% from 38%, and one farmer reported 60-bushel soybeans and corn above 200 bushels an acre. [6]

   Corn, harvested60%

   Corn, usual66%

   Soybeans, harvested79%

   Soybeans, usual77%

   Why it matters — The cotton harvest is 52% done, ahead of its usual 45%. [5] Only 23% of US pasture is rated good to excellent, the same as a week earlier. [5]

3. 04

   Farmers lose trust after a USDA corn error

   NASS, the statistics arm of the US farm department, said on 23 and 24 October that an error had skewed its September corn forecast. [11] It had used the wrong weights to combine watered and unwatered fields in Kansas and Nebraska. [11] The corrected yields are 119 bushels an acre in Kansas, down 3, and 182 in Nebraska, up 5. [11] The national figure rose 0.3 to 178.8. [8][11] Economist Dan Basse said it took 30 days and the industry to find the mistake. [9]

   Why it matters — Farmers in Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri and Indiana told Brownfield, a US farm news service, that they trust the numbers less, because the numbers move grain prices. [10] The USDA says it will add checks before it publishes, and its deputy secretary Stephen Vaden says it is reviewing how results are added up. [9][10]

4. 05

   Pakistan to hold six million tonnes of wheat

   Pakistan's food security minister, Rana Tanveer Hussain, said on Monday the government will keep wheat reserves of up to six million tonnes. [12] Days earlier the prime minister raised the price the state pays farmers by 1,000 rupees, to 4,500 rupees for 40kg. [12] The minister said imported wheat would cost about the same, so the state will buy from Pakistani farmers first. [12] Up to 550,000 tonnes may still be imported if provinces need it. [12]

   Why it matters — He called the latest jump in wheat prices artificial and said prices should settle within days. [12] He also said the higher price could let Pakistan export wheat next year. [12]

5. 06

   Fewer Mexican cattle would mean dearer US beef

   The US shut its border to cattle from Mexico in May 2025 to stop the New World screwworm, a fly whose young feed on live flesh. [13] It partly reopened in August and September 2026. [13] Economists at FAPRI, a farm policy centre at the University of Missouri, modelled imports staying near 330,000 head a year instead of returning to over 1.2 million. [13] US beef and cattle prices rise, with ready-to-slaughter cattle 4.2% dearer in 2029 than if trade recovered. [13]

   Imports if trade recovers1,200 k head

   Imports if they stay flat330 k head

   Why it matters — The cattle do not vanish: Mexico fattens and slaughters more of them and sells more beef to the US. [13] Less beef is made in total, and it costs more. [13]

6. 07

   USDA puts 325 million dollars into 42 farm projects

   US agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins announced 325 million dollars for 42 projects on Monday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. [14] The money comes from a programme that pairs federal funds with private ones to protect soil and water on farms. [14] One Iowa project plans more than 300,000 acres of cover crops, which are grown between main crops to hold the soil. [14] Separately, the USDA's conservation service is putting 65 million dollars into 34 projects testing new methods. [15]

   Why it matters — In the field trials, farmers are paid to cover the risk of trying a new method. [15] The USDA says the Iowa project will cut nitrogen losses by about 3.3 million pounds and soil losses by 1 million tons. [14]

7. 08

   88 groups push a US dairy bill

   A letter from 88 farm, labour, processor and environmental groups asked the US Congress on Friday to pass the Milk from Family Dairies Act. [16] Senator Peter Welch of Vermont brought the bill in July. [16] It would pay dairy farmers a price based on their costs, curb huge dairies, and tighten controls on imported milk. [16] The US has lost more than 70% of its dairy farms since 1997, and 24,000 are left. [16]

   Why it matters — The groups say it would save taxpayers about 1.5 billion dollars by ending dairy insurance schemes it makes unneeded. [16] Wisconsin farmer Sarah Lloyd said her family sold its herd two years ago after years of low prices. [16]

8. 09

   Lindt's chairman says high prices drove shoppers off

   Ernst Tanner, the 80-year-old chairman of Lindt, the Swiss chocolate maker, said he will not resign. [17] He told a Swiss paper that Lindt underestimated how shoppers would react to its steep price rises. [17] Some shops now sell Lindt on discount, which he said pains him to see. [17] The chief executive left last week, and former boss Dieter Weisskopf is running the company for now. [17]

   Why it matters — Tanner ruled out job cuts across Lindt's roughly 15,000 staff. [17] Cocoa costs are still high, so every chocolate maker faces the same pull between price and how much it sells. [17]

9. 10

   Uncrustables tops a billion dollars

   J.M. Smucker, an Ohio food company, has grown Uncrustables, its crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, into a 1 billion dollar brand, Food Dive reported on Monday. [18] They have been sold frozen since 2000 and take about 30 minutes to thaw. [18] This year Smucker released a version that keeps in the fridge for up to five days. [18] It changed the recipe so the bread stays soft and the filling stays in. [18]

   Why it matters — Smucker says shoppers had been thawing them on car dashboards, so a fridge version reaches people who will not wait. [18] It has also sold a version with 12 grams of protein. [18]

10. 11

    Zevia gets 20 million dollars for a turnaround

    Zevia, a US soda brand with less sugar, got 20 million dollars from GP Investments, a private equity firm. [19] Founded in 2007, it has seen years of falling sales while newer rivals Olipop and Poppi grew. [19] An activist investor had called for it to be sold earlier this year. [19] It hired a former Red Bull executive as chief executive. [19]

    Why it matters — The money pays for new products and wider sales, as low-sugar sodas crowd the shelf. [19]

11. 12

    Farm robots still lean on people

    A University of California, Davis study of 16 fruit farms in California and Washington found robots and AI still depend on human judgement. [20] At one orchard a system predicted 420 bins of fruit; a manager said 385, and he was within 2%. [20] A worker and a ripeness sensor agreed on 200 apples 76% of the time. [20] One robot harvester ran at under a third of a human crew's speed and spoiled twice as much fruit. [20]

    Why it matters — The researchers found machines change farm jobs more than they remove them, adding work such as repairs and reading data. [20]

12. 13

    Dogs kill 59 lambs near Wigan

    Two large Alsatian dogs killed 59 lambs near Wigan, in north-west England, on 21 October, and eight more are recovering. [21] The farmer, Mr Blacklidge, says police told him two days later they would not pay for more enquiries and would return the dogs. [21] He puts his loss at 23,000 pounds. [21] A law giving police more power over dog attacks on livestock came into force in March 2026. [21]

    Why it matters — Greater Manchester Police now tell Farmers Weekly an investigation is under way. [21] The farmer says the new law gives police exactly the power to act in a case like his. [21]

13. 14

    Seagrass feeds millions of poor fishing families

    At least 18 million people living in poverty across the Indo-Pacific fish in seagrass meadows, researchers wrote in The Conversation on Monday. [22] Seagrass is a flowering plant that grows in shallow coastal water. [22] The team surveyed nearly 2,000 households in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. [22] Families fishing only in seagrass earned about 23% less than those fishing elsewhere. [22]

    Why it matters — Seagrass can be fished on foot without a boat, so it may matter most to families who cannot afford one. [22] About a fifth of the region's surveyed seagrass has been lost over 70 to 90 years. [22]

14. 15

    El Nino set to cut Colombia's corn

    USDA staff in Bogota expect Colombia's corn crop to fall 6.9% this season, to 1.4 million tonnes. [23] El Nino, a warming of the Pacific that shifts weather, is bringing heat waves. [23] Heat above 35C cuts pollen and can dry out corn before it is fertilised. [23] Low prices paid to farmers have also kept them from planting more, and rice output is set to fall too. [23]

    Why it matters — Colombia's imports are set to rise, and the US stays its main supplier of corn and rice under a trade deal. [23]

15. 16

    Dubai to share wedding leftovers

    The UAE Food Bank and Dubai's Community Development Authority have signed an agreement to collect surplus food from weddings and events, The National reported on Monday. [24] The food will be moved and handed to people in need under food safety rules. [24] It extends Dubai Weddings, a government programme that supports families. [24] The two will also run campaigns on food waste and recruit volunteers. [24]

    Why it matters — Food that would have been thrown away goes to families who need it. [24]

16. 17

    AI shopping tools draw food money

    London firms Azoma and Opply raised 11.2 million and 7.5 million dollars in October, FoodNavigator reported. [25] Profound, from New York, raised 180 million dollars in September. [25] Azoma and Profound help brands show up when shoppers ask an AI assistant what to buy. [25] Opply uses AI to buy ingredients and run supply chains. [25]

    Why it matters — McKinsey, a consulting firm, estimates such assistants could handle 3 to 5 trillion dollars of consumer goods sales by 2030. [25] Food brands are paying to appear in their answers. [25]

17. 18

    Indonesia and Gulf states send food rules to the WTO

    Indonesia's halal agency, BPJPH, sent the World Trade Organization a 21-page draft decree on halal rules for genetically modified food. [26] The rules would cover the whole chain, from ingredients to storage and sale. [26] Food safety bodies for six Gulf states and Yemen also notified the WTO of rules for gluten-free food. [26] Such food must hold no more than 20mg of gluten per kilo and no wheat, rye, barley or oats. [26]

    Why it matters — Countries tell the WTO about new rules so trading partners can comment before they start. More Indonesian halal measures are expected to follow. [26]

18. 19

    A report attacks the funding of Farm Action

    A report from the Center for the Environment and Welfare, which calls itself a watchdog, came out on Monday. [28] It says 96% of Farm Action's donations came from animal-rights and environmental foundations and funds that do not name their donors. [28] Farm Action, founded in 2017, says it speaks for small farmers. [28] It has worked with the Make America Healthy Again movement and opposes genetically modified crops, AgDaily reports. [28]

    Why it matters — The fight is over who gets to speak for small US farmers in debates over food and farm rules. [28] Farm Action's answer is not in the article. [28]

19. 20

    British seed firm invests 3 million pounds

    All Things Rural, a seed wholesaler in Warwickshire, England, is investing 3 million pounds in its site and renaming itself ATR Seed. [27] It has bought what it calls the UK's largest grass-seed mixer, which mixes over 120 tonnes a day. [27] It has also formed a partnership with Feldsaaten Freudenberger, described as Europe's second-largest grass-seed supplier. [27]

    Why it matters — British farmers sowing grass for grazing get a bigger supplier with access to German seed stocks. [27]

20. 21

    EU forest rule may shut out Ethiopia's small coffee growers

    ODI Global, a London think tank, warns that a new EU rule could cut many of Ethiopia's coffee growers out of Europe, Semafor reported on Monday. [29] From the start of next year, sellers of coffee and cocoa into the EU must prove the crop did not come from cleared forest. [29] Ethiopian coffee is grown mostly by smallholders, whose beans are mixed before sale, so tracing each farm is hard. [29] ODI estimates 60% of these growers could be shut out. [29]

    Why it matters — About 15 million Ethiopians work in coffee, and 30% of the country's crop goes to the EU. [29] Ethiopia's coffee authority is still gathering the farm data the rule needs. [29]

21. 22

    Trump administration meets food groups on processed food

    The Trump administration is meeting food groups over a proposed US definition of ultra-processed food, Semafor reported on Monday. [30] These are factory-made foods with many additives, and health adviser Calley Means blamed them for a US "chronic disease crisis". [30] The National Restaurant Association is due on Tuesday and the Center for Food Safety on Thursday. [30] The Consumer Brands Association, which speaks for big packaged-food makers, and a flavourings group come after the US midterm elections. [30]

    Why it matters — Food makers fear an official definition could be used against them in lawsuits. [30] People familiar with Means's exit say slow progress on a paper proposing the definition helped push him to resign. [30]

22. 23

    Kentucky farmer raises ostriches for meat-allergy diners

    Alpha-gal syndrome is an allergy to the meat of mammals such as cows and pigs, caused by certain tick bites. [31] The CDC, the US public health agency, estimates 450,000 Americans have been diagnosed, NPR reported on Monday. [31] Kentucky farmer Brent Williams caught it and now raises ostriches, whose dark red meat lacks the sugar that sets off the allergy. [31] A restaurant in western Kentucky added his ostrich burgers to its menu. [31]

    Why it matters — A University of Kentucky nutrition professor says the lone star tick that causes it is growing in number, especially in the US Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Deep South. [31] The restaurant's owner says people drive three or four hours for an ostrich burger. [31]

23. 24

    Italian olives watered with cleaned sewage water

    A two-year EU-funded project called ECO FLOW is watering olive trees in Gallipoli, in southern Italy, with treated wastewater that would otherwise go to the sea, Euronews reported on Monday. [32] Puglia, the region around it, is short of water, and a bacterium called Xylella has killed many of its olive groves. [32] The trees are two Xylella-resistant varieties. [32] Researchers compare well water, treated water, and water cleaned again with hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet light. [32]

    Why it matters — They will check how much salt and pollution builds up in the soil and in the olives. [32] The project costs more than 1.5 million euros, 75% of it paid by the EU. [32]