How Has the Coronavirus Pandemic Impacted California Food, Agriculture, and Environment?

Jun 03, 2020

The University of California Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics just released a special coronavirus issue of ARE Update. The report includes three articles addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on farm labor, food security, and traffic and pollution in California. ARE Professor Michael Anderson writes about vehicle traffic (and associated pollution) in California and shows that travel dropped dramatically—40 – 60%—in California following the stay-at-home order, but then began increasing in mid April, long before any restrictions on the stay-at-home order were lifted.

The report also includes profiles of leading California agricultural industries and illustrates the different ways the pandemic has impacted leading industries like dairy, beef, and produce – industries that have scrambled to repurpose products from foodservice to retail; and tree nuts – an industry that saw a temporary spike in sales as consumers hoarded storable goods. The report includes expert assessments of what the future holds for California’s cattle, dairy, produce, strawberry, tomato, tree nut, and wine industries.

Full Report can be found here: https://s.giannini.ucop.edu/uploads/giannini_public/d4/e0/d4e0d72d-648c-4a0e-9048-cef6d9f2ba77/v23n5.pdf

Source : berkeley.edu

Video: Heat Stress Killing Profits? - Dr. Jeff Hansen

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Jeff Hansen from Elanco shares practical strategies to reduce heat stress in grow-finish pigs. He discusses how rising temperatures affect feed intake, growth, and carcass quality, and explains how nutritional tools, such as Skycis, and environmental adjustments can help maintain performance during high-stress periods.

Listen now on all major platforms! "Technologies that reduce heat or metabolic stress in pigs deliver the greatest value during summer, when growth is challenged and profit potential is highest.

" Meet the guest: Dr. Jeffrey Hansen / jeff-hansen-00b72322 is a Swine Technical Consultant at Elanco Animal Health. He holds a Ph.D. in Swine Nutrition from Kansas State University, along with degrees in Animal Science and Nutrition from Texas A&M University. With a passion for pork fat quality, feed management, and production efficiency, Dr. Hansen brings decades of swine nutrition and technical expertise to the industry.