Catch up on rising Thanksgiving prices, ethanol's role in lowering fuel prices, mink on the loose, and more.

Rachel Schutte, Content Producer

November 18, 2022

3 Min Read
Collage with corn harvest, capitol building and angus beef cattle

Did you miss some news this week? Read on – we’ve made it easy to catch up! Here’s a collection of the top headlines in agriculture.

Thanksgiving meal price up 20%

The American Farm Bureau’s annual Thanksgiving survey shows the average cost of the classic meal for a family of 10 in 2022 is $64.05, just under $6.50 per person. This is a 20% increase from last year’s meal price of $53.31 and a 36% increase from 2020. Inflation is to blame for the majority of this year’s price increases. – Farm Progress

Activists target Ohio mink farm

Mink farms have been targeted by animal rights activists for decades. On Tuesday, someone broke into Lion Farms USA 150 miles north of Cincinnati, Ohio and opened the cages of 25,000 to 40,000 mink. Officials say farm employees had corralled most of the mink but advised residents that there were still about 10,000 mink unaccounted for. – New York Times

FDA deems cell-cultured meat safe

California startup UPSIDE Foods received the green light from the FDA on its cultivated chicken product. The food product is made by harvesting cells from chickens and growing the cells in a controlled environment to make cultured animal cell food. The food still requires a mark of inspection from USDA-FSIS before it can enter the U.S. market. – Farm Progress

Ethanol drives down fuel prices

A new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that ethanol helped moderate fuel prices in the wake of the Ukraine invasion. During the summer of 2022, the price of ethanol was lower than gasoline, which led to record-high ethanol blend rates buyers chose to fill their tanks. Part of the higher blend of ethanol was due to the emergency fuel waiver allowing E15 to be sold at retail stations during the summer. – Farm Progress

Ukraine grain export deal extended

A United Nations-brokered deal allowing exports of Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea will be extended, all sides confirmed Thursday, easing pressure on global food prices. The decision to renew the accord for 120 days was reached in Istanbul, where talks have been held. Ukraine has shipped more than 11 million tons of crops through the Black Sea since the deal came into force, led by corn and wheat cargoes. – Bloomberg

Agriculture gets attention at COP27

Global leaders gathered in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt to discuss work to mitigate climate change. During the COP27 event, Vilsack announced the creation of the International Climate Hub and $25 million in financing to support the Global Fertilizer Challenge. The Global Fertilizer Challenge aims to improve production and more efficient use of nitrogen. Total funding from all partners hits $135 million as part of that initiative. – Farm Progress

Beef demand holding steady

Total commercial beef production is projected for 2022 at a record level of 28.3 billion pounds.  Per capita retail beef consumption is projected at 59.3 pounds, up from 58.9 pounds in 2021. Demand appears to be generally steady and strong to end 2022. Beef production is expected to decrease sharply in 2023, which will lead to higher beef prices and more beef product market dynamics. – BEEF Magazine

About the Author(s)

Rachel Schutte

Content Producer, Farm Futures

Rachel grew up in central Wisconsin and earned a B.S. in soil and crop science from the University of Wisconsin - Platteville. Before joining the Farm Futures team, Rachel spent time in the field as an agronomist before transitioning to the world of marketing and communications. She now resides in northeast Iowa where she enjoys raising bottle calves and farming corn and soybeans alongside her husband and his family.

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