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The fields of discontent

The fields of discontent

A report from CNN details the Ukraine farmers’ ongoing struggle against wildfires, fields wired with landmines, or just being too darn close to the expanding battlegrounds between its country’s freedom fighters and the invading Russian Federation military.

By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com; Image via CNN

While no one will ever dispute that the life of a farmer in North America isn’t rife with uncertainties such as extreme weather, labour shortages, and fertilizer costs, ad infinitum, brethren over in Ukraine have it worse.

Currently, many farmers in Ukraine struggle daily with wildfires burning their crops—whether naturally occurring or deliberately set is unknown—the added concern of their fields planted by enemy landmines, and even artillery flying overhead as they work their farmland.

Mortar hits have also taken out farm infrastructure, with barns, sheds, and animal shelters taking damage, not to mention the farm equipment—it almost makes one long for a simple beetle infestation to be the concern of choice.

Military helmets and flak jackets have become part of the daily clothing for farmers, and even that is no guarantee of personal safety.

And, should a crop be safely harvested, what to do with it? It’s not just a Ukraine concern, it’s a global one.

CNN reporters Tim Lister and Petro Zadorozhnyy have written about the plight of the Ukraine farmer. Click HERE to read.


Trending Video

What Happens When Pigs Adapt to High Soybean Meal Diets? - Gustavo Lima

Video: What Happens When Pigs Adapt to High Soybean Meal Diets? - Gustavo Lima



In this special rerun episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Gustavo Lima, PhD candidate in Animal Science at Iowa State University, discusses how grow-finish pigs respond to high soybean meal diets. He explains the initial drop in feed intake, changes in backfat, later adaptation, energy efficiency, amino acid utilization, and the rise in nitrogen excretion at higher inclusion levels. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article: https://academic.oup.com/jas/article/...

“Once they got adapted to the diet, they can handle higher levels of inclusion of soybean meal.”

Meet the guest: Gustavo Lima / gustavo-lima-a9867127 is a PhD candidate in Animal Science at Iowa State University whose work focuses on swine nutrition, ingredient characterization, energy metabolism, caloric efficiency, and applied data analysis. With more than 15 years of experience in swine production across Latin America, Gustavo also brings expertise in environmental control, performance evaluation, barn ventilation, and grow-finish housing. Learn more from Gustavo Lima on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.