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UN warns of war-fueled food crisis; analyst unconvinced
The United Nations and other groups say the world could be headed for a food crisis as the war in Iran continues.
In a recent article, the UN said the clock was ticking for global food systems as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz constrict the flow of fuel and fertilizer. That raises the risk of higher food prices and a new wave of inflation. The UN also worries that rising input costs and uncertainty are squeezing farmer margins. If some are forced into bankruptcy, that also could take its toll on food supplies.
A U.S. grain market analyst is less concerned.
Arlan Suderman is chief commodities economist for StoneX. He said that while the war is having a profound impact on fertilizer prices, they haven’t reached the heights of 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Fertilizer makers are raising prices to ration demand.
Lower income countries will be the hardest hit. However, Suderman pointed to ample supplies of all the major crops.
Fertilizer has already reached farmers in the Northern Hemisphere, but Suderman said he’d be watching Australia and Argentine wheat growing regions.
Canadian drought conditions improve in March
Soil moisture conditions improved across Canada in March as many areas received normal or above-normal levels of precipitation.
As of the end of March, an estimated 39 per cent of the country was classified as abnormally dry or in moderate to severe drought. That was down from 53 per cent in February. Thirty-two per cent of Canadian agricultural land was facing drought, down from 60 per cent in February.
Swaths of central B.C., northern Alberta, central Saskatchewan, parts of Ontario and western Quebec recorded more than twice the normal March precipitation. However, southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan saw above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation. This continued to reduce already low soil moisture.
Drought conditions improved throughout much of Eastern Canada with normal precipitation and near normal temperatures. Some portions of central Ontario saw a two-class drought improvement in March.
First-of-its-kind bovine TB vaccine goes to trials
A University of Saskatchewan research team says a new vaccine to fight bovine tuberculosis is effective enough to move to the next step: testing cattle.
The vaccine, dubbed MSX-1, was engineered by the university’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization – or VIDO. It was made with proteins found in bovine TB-producing bacteria.
In VIDO’s most recent round of studies, the vaccine reduced disease bacteria in the lungs and spleens of mice. It also minimized weight loss and overall lethality caused by bovine TB.
The next step is to isolate the common strains of bovine TB and to test the vaccine against them in cattle. They’ll also need to study why the vaccine works.
There is currently no licensed vaccine available for bovine TB said researcher Jeffrey Chen. If the homegrown vaccine succeeds and can be commercialized, it could be the first in the world to get to market.
Bovine tuberculosis has had a small but noticeable presence in Canada in recent years. Cases were detected in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba since 2023. These have led to affected herds being depopulate to eradicate the disease.
