Geographic reference: World
Year: 2020 and 2027
Market size: $4.56 billion and $26.68 billion, respectively
As farmworker shortages continue to worsen,1 and the pressure to produce more food for a growing global population increases, more farmers are turning to automation to operate at or near full capacity with fewer workers. Today’s market size shows the total global revenues from agricultural robot sales in 2020 and projected for 2027.
Agricultural robots can help farmers harvest crops, control weeds, and sort and pack produce. Robots can also autonomously mow, prune, seed, and thin plants. Robotic sprayers can keep workers safe as they can be operated autonomously. In addition, because robotic sprayers can be precise, up to 90% less herbicide can be used on crops. Moreover, they can be used in dairy and livestock management, automatic milking robots and sheep shearing robots being two examples. Currently, harvesting robots are the most common robots in use.
North America constitutes the largest share of the global market. This is due to high labor costs, shortage of workers, early adoption of advanced technology in agriculture, greater technological advancements, and the location of many manufacturers in the region. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, 56% of farms in the United States use agrotechnology, with more than half citing the labor shortage as their reason for doing so. Small and medium-sized farms have suffered the most due to the labor shortage, however, some may find it difficult to invest in agricultural robots due to the high initial cost and need for training. The Asia Pacific region is expected to experience the highest revenue growth through 2027 due to technological advancements and increasing government support. In the Republic of Korea, the Intelligent Robot Development and Supply Promotion Act stated that robots are an essential component of the fourth industrial revolution. Their Basic Plan for Intelligent Robots, published in 2019, calls for systematically selecting industries for governmental and private assistance to integrate robots into business practices. In Japan, robots are a key strategy in Prime Minister Shinzō Abe’s growth policies, increasing the countries research and development budget with the goal of making Japan the world’s leading robot innovation center. Leading global manufacturers of agricultural robots include AGCO, AgJunction, Autonomous Solutions Inc., Autonomous Tractor Corp., Boumatic, Clearpath Robots, Deepfield Robots, DeLaval, GEA Group, Deere & Company, DJI, Harvest Automation John Deere, and Lely among others.
1 Labor shortages plagued the farming sector even before the COVID-19 pandemic, but they were particularly acute during 2020 as countries shut their borders to foreign tourists and workers alike to try to contain the virus.
Sources: “Agriculture Robots Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Types (Parallel Driverless, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Milking Robots, Automated Harvesting Systems, Others), by Application (Harvest Management, Dairy and Livestock Management, Soil Management, Irrigation Management, Field Farming, Pruning Management, Inventory Management, Others), by Farm Outlook (Fruit And Vegetable, Field Crops, Livestock, Others) Based on Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2021 – 2027,” Brand Essence Research Report Description, July 2021 available online here; Lauren Rosenblatt, “Farm Labor Shortage Nothing New, Getting Worse, Farmers Say,” AP News, July 3, 2021 available online here; “(Infographic) The U.S. Farm Labor Shortage,” AgAmerica Lending, February 26, 2020 available online here; “Robotics in Agriculture: Types and Applications,” Automate, December 12, 2017 available online here; Donovan Alexander, “9 Robots That Are Invading the Agriculture Industry,” Interesting Engineering, November 13, 2018 available online here.
Image source: user6702303, “smart-robotic-farmers-concept_17573650,” Freepik, June 15, 2021 available online here
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Category Archives: Agriculture
Pecans
Year: 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020
Market size: $143.3 million, $247.6 million, $238.8 million, $674.8 million and $398.8 million, respectively
June 24th is National Pralines Day in the United States. A praline is a confection made of nuts and a sugary, caramelized coating. While the exact inspiration behind pralines is in doubt, what is certain is that it was named after a French sugar industrialist and diplomat from the early 17th century, César, duc de Choiseul, comte du Plessio-Praslin, whose personal chef, Clement Lassagne, invented the sugary treat. It’s believed that pralines were brought to the United States by the Ursuline nuns who came to New Orleans in 1727. The Ursuline nuns were in charge of young women who were sent from France at the request of the colonial governor of Louisiana and founder of New Orleans, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, in order to marry colonists living in New Orleans. As part of their education, the women were taught “the art of praline making.”1 Pralines were originally made with almonds, but almonds were in short supply in Louisiana so cooks substituted pecans whose trees are native to the area. In the mid-to-late 19th century Pralinières were women who sold pralines on the streets of the French Quarter. This provided a source of income, without any strings attached, for free women of color.
Today’s market size shows the value of utilized pecan production in the United States from 1980 to 2020 in 10-year intervals. As the graph above shows, since 1980, production has varied widely from year to year, with the lowest and highest production falling in back-to-back years: 146.4 million pounds in 1998 and 406.1 million pounds in 1999. Since 2009, production has stabilized between about 245 million pounds and 302 million pounds. The value of production also varied during this time period but trended steadily upward until 2010 when the value of pecans reached its highest level in at least the past 30 years, a 57% increase from 2019. Over the next three years, the value of pecans dropped, with the biggest drop coming between 2011 and 2012.
From 2013 to 2017, the value of utilized production trended upward again, reaching a high of $709.4 million. 2017 was also the year with the highest utilized production since 2007 at almost 304.9 million pounds. Since then, the value has trended downward. From 2017 to 2018, utilized production dropped 27%, but has been climbing steadily ever since, reaching 302.4 million pounds in 2020. Production value, on the other hand, dropped 43.8% over this time period.
The fall in value from 2018 to 2020 from the 2017 high may be attributed, in part, to the trade war between China and the United States. Before the trade war, China was the largest export market for U.S. grown pecans. Chinese demand for pecans influenced the type of pecans growers produced, varieties of oversized nuts with high yields. Since the trade war began, Chinese demand for pecans grown in the United States dropped considerably, with prices falling in parallel. But consumer demand did not abate. Many of China’s pecan buyers have since turned to Mexico. Mexico’s exports to China increased by more than 3,000% in 2018 from a year earlier. Mexican pecans exported to China carry a 7% tariff. A tariff of 47% is applied to pecans from the United States.
Meanwhile, Mexican pecan growers have expanded their market into the U.S. and more U.S. buyers are buying. The United States is the largest export market for Mexican pecans. Because of lower production costs, pecans grown in Mexico are less expensive than pecans grown in the United States.2 According to Lanair Worsham, owner of Worsham Farms in Camilla, Georgia, and a member of the Georgia Pecan Commission, “If you eat a pecan product here in America, there’s a 75% chance that it’s Mexican.” Pecans from Mexico can be found in pies and other products on grocery store shelves and on restaurant menus.Several officials, including the Georgia Agricultural Commissioner, lobbied during negotiations on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to include a provision to make it easier for U.S. farmers to file anti-dumping and countervailing claims against exporters, but the provision was ultimately left out of the agreement. In 2020 some growers were worried about the challenges facing the U.S. pecan industry, especially in the southeast where growers were still recovering from hurricanes. Will the industry remain sustainable for the foreseeable future?
Mexico is the largest producer of pecans in the world, claiming 48% of the global supply. The United States follows with 46%. South Africa (4%) and Australia (1%) also produce pecans for the world market. In the United States, 15 states produce pecans commercially: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. Georgia produced the most in 2020, 142 million pounds, followed by New Mexico (77 million) and Texas (45.4 million). There are more than 1,000 varieties of pecans, many named after Native American tribes. Only 20 varieties are produced commercially, the most popular being Cape Fear, Desirable, Moreland, Stuart, and Natives. Natives are wild seedlings. Wild varieties tend to have thicker shells and less nutmeat. Improved varieties have thinner shells that can be broken by hand and have more nutmeat. Improved varieties are preferred for commercial use.
1 Source: “History of the Praline,” Southern Candymakers available online here.2 Production costs in Mexico are approximately $860 per acre. In the southeastern United States, $1,500 per acre.
Sources: “Tree Nuts,” Fruit and Tree Nuts Yearbook Tables, Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, October 29, 2020 available online here; “History of the Praline,” Southern Candymakers available online here; “Pecan Production,” National Agricultural Statistical Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture, January 21, 2021 available online here; “What are the Differences in Pecan Varieties?” Royalty Pecan Farms, December 1, 2014 available online here; Matthew Bailey, “Pecan Prices and Trade Tensions Between China and the US,” Pecan Report, July 23, 2020 available online here; Clint Thompson, “Georgia Pecan Grower: Industry on Brink of Collapse,” VSCNews, November 20, 2020 available online here; “3000% Increase in Mexican Pecan Exports to China,” Produce Report, August 12, 2019 available online here; Bill Tomson, “Georgia’s Pecan and Blueberry Farmers Plead for Protection from Mexico,” Agri-Pulse, August 19, 2020 available online here; Clint Thompson, “Southeast Pecan Industry Continues to Face Challenges,” VSCNews, February 14, 2020 available online here; “History of Pecans,” U.S. Pecan Growers Council available online here; “How Pecans are Grown,” U.S. Pecan Growers Council available online here; “Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville,” Encyclopedia Britannica, March 2, 2021 available online here.
Image source: Graph was created in-house from the data in “Tree Nuts,” Fruit and Tree Nuts Yearbook Tables, October 29, 2020 available online here and “Pecan Production,” National Agricultural Statistical Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture, January 21, 2021 available online here.
Peaches
Year: 2017, 2018, and 2019
Market size: $599.9 million, $511.2 million, and $518.9 million, respectively
In the United States, April 13th is National Peach Cobbler Day. The day was invented in the 1950s by the Georgia Peach Council in order to sell more canned peaches. However, dessert cobblers have been around since the 19th century. These dishes were invented by settlers as they traveled westward in the early 1800s. Pies were popular among English and Dutch immigrants and fruit was readily available in the Eastern United States, but not having the ingredients and the ability to properly bake a pie as they traveled westward, settlers made do with what they had: fruit of some sort (preserved, canned, or dried) and biscuit dough. The ingredients were cobbled together in a Dutch oven and baked over an open fire until the dough was golden brown. The dish was eaten as breakfast or as a first or main course then. In the late 19th century, the cobbler was officially declared a dessert.
Today’s market size shows the value of utilized peach production in the United States in 2017, 2018, and 2019. In these years, production totaled 694,220; 638,020; and 658,830 tons, respectively. Since 2017, fewer peaches produced have gone to the fresh market. Processed peaches have increased their share of the market from 54.7% of the utilized crop in 2017 to 60.1% in 2019.
By far, California was the top state in terms of production, 495,000 tons, in 2019, with 53.1% being the clingstone variety. South Carolina was second with 63,700 tons, followed by Georgia (33,780 tons), Pennsylvania (19,080), New Jersey (17,980), Colorado (13,300), Washington (11,040), and Michigan (4,800).1 Top peach producers in the United States include Titan Farms and J.W. Yonce and Sons in South Carolina and Taylor Orchards, Dixie Bell Orchards, Lane Southern Orchards, and Pearson Farm in Georgia.2Worldwide, the production of peaches (and nectarines) totaled 25.7 million tons in 2019. China produced the most, 15.8 million tons, or 61% of world production.3 Spain ranked second in production with 1.5 million tons, followed by Italy (1.2 million), Greece (926,620), and Turkey (830,057). The United States ranked 6th, producing 739,900 tons of peaches and nectarines.
1 Starting in 2018, estimates were discontinued for 12 of the 20 states the National Agricultural Statistical Service tracked previously. These states include, in order of 2017 utilized production, West Virginia, Illinois, Idaho, New York, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, Utah, Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Alabama.
2 Source: Christina Herrick, “American and Western Fruit Grower’s 2014 Top Stone Fruit Growers,” Growing Produce, September 13, 2014 available online here. Most recent data available. The source gives a ranking of the top 25 stone fruit growers in the United States. Data used in this market size post are for stone fruit growers whose only stone fruit crop is peaches.
3 Source: “FAOSTAT: Crops,” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations available online here. Data were downloaded on February 23, 2021. The source reports data for both peaches and nectarines combined. Peaches and nectarines are almost identical genetically. Peaches have a dominant gene variant that causes them to have a fuzzy coating. Nectarines have a recessive gene that causes their smooth skin.
Sources: “Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2019 Summary,” United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistical Service, May 2020 available online here; Alexia Wulff, “A Brief History of Peach Cobbler,” Culture Trip, November 23, 2016 available online here; “FAOSTAT: Crops,” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations available online here; Christina Herrick, “American and Western Fruit Grower’s 2014 Top Stone Fruit Growers,” Growing Produce, September 13, 2014 available online here; Christine Gallary, “What’s the Difference Between Peaches and Nectarines?” Kitchn, July 20, 2015 available online here.
Image source: Flockine, “peach-fruit-fruits-peach-tree-bio-2632182,” Pixabay, August 11, 2017 available online here.
Potatoes
Year: 2018, 2019, 2020
Market size: $11.5 billion, $11.7 billion, and $13.0 billion, respectively
“Not everyone can be a truffle. Most of us are potatoes. And a potato is a very good thing to be.”
— Massimo Bottura, Massimo Bottura: Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef
Despite Thanksgiving looking quite different this year due to the pandemic — minimal travel, smaller family gatherings, perhaps a smaller turkey too — there’s a good chance that whether mashed, baked, boiled, or fried, potatoes will still be on the menu.
Today’s market size shows total retail sales of potatoes for marketing years (MY) 2018 to 2020, July to June, in the United States. Figures include sales at supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchandisers, military commissaries, and select club and dollar chains. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the United States produced 40.6 billion pounds of potatoes in 2019. More than 200 varieties are grown in the U.S. These varieties fall into 7 categories: russet, red, yellow, white, blue/purple, fingerling, and petite. Russets are the most preferred potato in the U.S. Potato production occurs in most states with Idaho producing the most in 2019, 15.9 billion pounds, followed by Washington (11.6 billion), Wisconsin (3.2 billion), Oregon (2.8 billion), and North Dakota (2.3 billion). A majority of potato farms in the United States are family-owned, including R.D. Offutt Farms, the largest potato grower in the United States. R.D. Offutt Farms operates farms in seven states growing more than 50,000 acres of potatoes annually.
Most potatoes bought at retail, however, have been processed in some way. For MY 2020, potato chips took the highest share in terms of volume (37%). Fresh potatoes followed with a 31% share and frozen rounded out the top 3 with a 17% share. In terms of dollar sales, potato chips garnered the top spot with $6.3 billion in sales, followed by fresh ($3.3 billion), and frozen ($1.9 billion). Sales for all retail categories of potatoes, except deli prepared sides, increased from the previous year. Many categories increased by double-digits. By volume, frozen potato sales increased the most, 15.3%; by value, dehydrated did (22.1%). Fresh potatoes increased 9.5% and 14.7%, respectively.
The United States also exports and imports potatoes. Exports totaled 7.7 billion pounds and imports totaled 6.1 billion pounds in 2019. The United States ranked sixth in the world among top raw potato exporters and importers. The U.S. exported the most potato products to Japan, $365 million worth. Potato products from the U.S. account for nearly 70% of Japan’s total potato product imports annually. Besides Japan, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, and South Korea are top markets for U.S. potatoes. By fresh weight equivalent, frozen potatoes constituted more than half (51%) of exports during MY 2020, followed by dehydrated (27%), fresh (15%), potato chips (6%), and seed potatoes (1%). Because of reduced demand in the foodservice sector due to the coronavirus pandemic, total exports fell 2.2% (-2.6% by value) from the previous year. However, the drop in exports did not affect all categories. Dehydrated potato export volume rose by 1% over this time period. Sizeable decreases in exports to Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Central America were offset by significant increases in exports to the European Union, northern Africa, the Middle East, and South Korea.
By weight, more than 60% of potato product imports to the U.S. in 2019 were frozen French fries and potatoes. Fresh potatoes garnered 21.1% of total imports. Potato starch (8.0%), dehydrated potatoes (5.0%), seed potatoes (4.0%), and potato chips (1.5%) constituted the remaining. Despite a decline in demand from the foodservice sector due to the coronavirus restrictions from April to June 2020, imports increased 8% from MY 2019 to MY 2020. Dehydrated potato imports increased the most, 24%, followed by fresh potatoes (10%), potato chips (7%), and frozen and seed potatoes (1% each). Nearly 100% of fresh potato imports came from Canada, as did seed potatoes. Canada also imported the most frozen French fries and potatoes and potato chips. Most dehydrated potatoes came from Mexico. Most imported potato starch came from the Netherlands.
Sources: “Total Potato Sales: Marketing Year 2020,” Potatoes USA available online here; Daniel Workman, “Potatoes Exports by Country,” World’s Top Exports, July 6, 2020 available online here; Daniel Workman, “Potatoes Imports by Country,” World’s Top Exports, May 1, 2020 available online here; Annual Potato Yearbook, National Potato Council, 2020 available online here; “U.S. Imports of Potato Products Summary,” Potatoes USA, February 2020 available online here; “Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System,” United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September 23, 2020 available online here; “Report: The US Dominates Japan’s Total Potato Product Imports,” Potato News Today, February 12, 2020 available online here; John Toaspern, “Dealing With Disruption,” Potato Grower, November 2020, page 37 available online here; “R.D. Offutt Company,” PotatoPro, October 15, 2013 available online here; “U.S. Potato Industry: U.S. Grower Profiles,” Potatoes USA available online here; “R.D. Offutt Company’s Proud Local History” available online here; M. Shahbandeh, “Preferred Potato Varieties in the U.S. 2019,” Statista, June 10, 2020 available online here; “Potato Types,” Potatoes USA available online here.Original source: IRI
Image source: Andreas Böhm, “potatoes-harvest-autumn-color-3783878,” Pixabay, November 1, 2018 available online here.
Poinsettias
‘Tis the season to see poinsettias in supermarkets, department stores, churches, and maybe even in your own home. This was not always the case in the United States. After finding this plant growing along the side of the road in Taxco, Mexico, Dr. Joel Poinsett, amateur botanist, physician and the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, sent cuttings back to his home in South Carolina in 1828. While most botanists of the time considered it a weed, Dr. Poinsett continued to study and breed the plant in his greenhouse and share his plants with his horticulturist friends. In the United States, poinsettias are named in honor of him. Since the mid-1800s, the United States has observed December 12th, the anniversary of Dr. Poinsett’s death, as National Poinsettia Day.
In Mexico and Guatemala, this plant is known as Flor de la Nochebuena, or Flower of the Holy Night. The Holy Night being Christmas Eve. The colorful leaves of this plant are thought to resemble the Star of Bethlehem. Besides being used as decoration at Christmastime, poinsettias are used as decoration to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico on December 12, a national holiday commemorating the belief that Jesus’ mother Mary, who is Mexico’s patron saint, appeared to a man in Mexico City on December 9 and 12 in 1531.
In temperate climates, the plants are perennial shrubs that can grow as high as 10-12 feet tall. In the early 1900s, Paul Ecke, Sr. developed the first poinsettia that could be grown indoors as a potted plant. He grew them in open fields along Sunset Boulevard and sold them at roadside stands in Hollywood. However, his son, Paul Ecke, Jr. is credited with being the father of the poinsettia industry. In 1965, under his supervision, hybridizers at Ecke Ranch in California created a plant whose blooms lasted more than a week and whose leaves stayed on the plant for more than a few days. He also developed a growing technique that caused the seedlings to branch, creating a fuller and more aesthetically pleasing plant. Paul Ecke, Jr. contributed to the current popularity of poinsettias by donating them to leading women’s magazines for their holiday layouts1 and to popular TV shows such as The Tonight Show, the Dinah Shore Show and the Bob Hope Christmas Specials in order to stimulate demand among consumers. By 1986, the poinsettia was the top-selling potted plant in the United States. When Ecke Ranch was sold to the Dutch company Agribio Group in 2012, it commanded more than 70% of the market in the United States and 50% of the worldwide market.
In terms of dollar value, Christmas/Hanukkah is the top floral buying holiday. Thirty percent of consumers purchase flowers or plants as gifts during this time of year. Of those, 53% purchase poinsettias. There are currently more than 100 varieties. The most popular color by far is red (74%), followed by white (8%), pink (6%) and mixed (3%).
Today’s market size shows the value of wholesale sales of potted poinsettias in 2015 and 2018 in the United States.2 In 2018, nearly 34.2 million potted poinsettias were sold at wholesale, up from 31.97 million in 2015. In the United States, 96% of poinsettias produced are sold at wholesale. In both 2015 and 2018, the top two states in terms of both dollar sales and units sold were California and North Carolina. In 2018, more than 7 million potted poinsettias were sold at wholesale in California valued at $29.4 million, up from nearly 5.8 million sold in 2015 with a value of $29.3 million. In North Carolina, 3.8 million potted poinsettias were sold at wholesale in 2018, down from 4.3 million in 2015. The value of the plants sold also dropped from $16.4 million in 2015 to $14.1 million in 2018. In 2015, Florida rounded out the top 3 with 3.1 million plants sold valued at $12.3 million. However, in 2018, New York was third in dollar sales ($12.4 million) and Michigan was third in units sold (nearly 2.8 million). In 2015, there were 578 producers; in 2018, 581.
1 Because magazines created their Christmas layouts in July and August, Ecke, Jr. needed to bloom plants out of season.2 Businesses with $100,000 or more in sales.
Geographic reference: United States
Year: 2015 and 2018
Market size: $139.7 million and $148.8 million, respectively
Sources: Floriculture Crops 2018 Summary, United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistical Service, May 2019 available online here; Dr. Leonard Perry, “Fun Facts About Poinsettias,” University of Vermont Extension, Department of Plant and Soil Science available online here; Susan La Fountaine, “Master Gardener: Here’s How Plants Became Part of the Christmas Story,” Fremont News Messenger, November 19, 2019 available online here; Erica D. Seltzer and MaryAnne Spinner, “Poinsettia Facts,” University of Illinois Extension available online here; “Christmas/Hanukkah Floral Statistics,” About Flowers, Society of American Florists, 2018 available online here; Elaine Woo, “Paul Ecke Jr., 76; Made Poinsettia U.S.’ Top-Selling Potted Plant,” Los Angeles Times, May 16, 2002 available online here; Matt Krantz, “Paul Ecke Sr.: ‘Poinsettia King’ Cultivated A Holiday Tradition,” Investor’s Business Daily, November 21, 2018 available online here; “Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the United States,” timeanddate.com available online here.
Image source: Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto, “poinsettia-adventsstern-4636921,” Pixabay, November 22, 2019 available online here.
Soil Conditioners
From 1992 to 20161 the percentage of land used for agricultural purposes worldwide has remained steady between 37.2 and 37.8 percent; however, the worldwide population has increased by 2 billion over this period. Agricultural land covered 37.4% of the earth’s total landmass in 2016. The population of the world stood at 7.5 billion, an increase from 5.5 billion in 1992. By 2019, the population totaled 7.7 billion. As a result, land set aside for agriculture must be more productive to provide food for so many more people.
In areas where labor is expensive and advanced technology is available, such as in North America and Europe, farmers increasingly have been using precision farming techniques to boost their crop quality and yield and reduce waste. Precision farming involves monitoring soil quality using electronic equipment, remote sensing, and computer models. When soil conditions become less than ideal, farmers use soil conditioners.
Soil conditioners are products that are added to the soil to improve its ability to provide water and nutrients to plants. In addition to adding nutrients to the soil, soil conditioners can also keep the soil loose to prevent the soil from compacting. Soil compaction can impede root growth and prevent plants from absorbing nutrients and water. What type of soil conditioner to use depends on the type of soil being treated. Some examples of soil conditioners include bone meal, blood meal, compost, manure, straw, peat, vermiculite, superabsorbent hydrogel polymers, and biosolids.
As the demand for organic food increases so too does the demand for natural and organic soil conditioners. Regulations against many synthetic agrochemicals that may harm soil or water will also fuel demand for natural and organic soil conditioners. With the changing climate, reduced rainfall and drought are becoming more prevalent in many areas of the world. Hydrogel soil conditioners, which help the soil retain water, are expected to become a significant portion of the market in 2025, with revenues expected to reach $3.0 billion. However, many see the use of one type of hydrogel problematic. When polyacrylamide hydrogel degrades, it releases acrylamide into the soil. Acrylamide is a known neurotoxin and potential carcinogen.
Today’s market size shows the total global revenues for soil conditioners in 2018 and projected for 2025. By volume, soil conditioners are most used on land where cereal and grain crops grow, followed by oilseeds and pulses and then fruits and vegetables. The Asia-Pacific region accounted for the highest revenue share followed by North America. Several multi-national companies manufacture soil conditioners as do regional and local firms. Major manufacturers include UPL,2 BASF SE, Solvay S.A., Syngenta AG, Nufarm, and AkzoNobel.
1 The last year for which data are available.2 UPL acquired Arysta LifeScience in February 2019.
Geographic reference: World
Year: 2018 and 2025
Market size: $5.4 billion and $7.9 billion, respectively
Sources: “Soil Conditioners Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Product (Synthetic, Natural), by Solubility (Water Soluble, Hydrogels), by Soil Type (Loam, Sand), by Crop Type, by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2019-2025,” Grand View Research Report Summary, October 2019 available online here; “Soil Conditioner Market Size Worth $7.9 Billion by 2025,” Cision PR Newswire Press Release, October 8, 2019 available online here; “Soil Conditioner,” Wikipedia, September 28, 2019 available online here; “Agricultural Land (% of Land Area),” The World Bank available online here; Max Roser, Hannah Ritchie, and Esteban Ortiz-Ospina, “World Population Growth,” Our World in Data, May 2019 available online here; Linda Chalker-Scott, “The Myth of Polyacrylamide Hydrogels” available online here; “Hydrogel Agriculture,” Wikipedia, October 7, 2019 available online here.
Image source: Ngo Minh Tuan, “green-grow-grow-up-plant-rain-2551467,” Pixabay, July 29, 2017 available online here.
Feed Additives
The five types of feed additives are nutritional, sensory, zootechnical, technological, and antibiotic. Nutritional additives, such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, are food supplements that provide added nutrients to improve the animals’ health. Sensory additives include flavored supplements used to increase appetite. Zootechnical additives, such as enzymes and probiotics, are used to help with digestion so that the animals can absorb nutrients from their food better. Technological additives, such as mold inhibitors and anti-caking agents, are preservatives that extend the shelf life of the feed.
Antibiotic supplements are used to fight infections and diseases; however, these supplements have been controversial because they have also been used for decades by farmers to promote the growth of livestock. In response to the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to overuse of antibiotics, the European Union banned the use of antibiotics as growth promoters for farm animals in 2006. A similar ban in the United States took effect on January 1, 2017. After the ban in the U.S., the use of antibiotics in animal feed dropped from 14.03 million kilograms in 2016 to 10.93 million kilograms in 2017. In recent years, retailers have also been putting pressure on suppliers to reduce antibiotic use in response to customer preferences for antibiotic-free meat.
Today’s market size shows the amount spent on feed additives in 2018 and projected for 2023 worldwide. Demand for preservatives is expected to grow the fastest over this time period. Consumers’ preferences for lower-fat meat such as poultry is expected to increase demand for poultry feed additives. Several companies produce feed additives including Cargill,
Year: 2018 and 2023
Market size: $33.0 billion and $44.3 billion, respectively
Sources: “The Global Feed Additives Market Size is Projected to Grow From USD 33.0 Billion in 2018 to USD 44.3 Billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 6.1%,” Cision PR Newswire, February 25, 2019 available online here; “Livestock Farmers Can Improve Quality With Feed Additives,” Bentoli Blog available online here; “Assessment of Safety and Efficacy for the Targeted Species: Zootechnical Feed Additives,” European Food Safety Authority available online here; Dr. Elinor McCartney, “Botanicals: From Sensory to Zootechnical Additives,” All About Feed, July 16, 2014 updated January 14, 2016 available online here; “Antimicrobial Resistance Shows No Signs of Slowing Down,” European Food Safety Authority Press Release, February 26, 2019 available online here; 2017 Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine, December 2018 available online here; B.M. Marshall and S.B. Levy, “Food Animals and Antimicrobials: Impacts on Human Health,” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, October 24, 2011 available online here; “Animal Feed Additives,” Food Standards Agency, January 15, 2018 available online here.
Image source:skeeze, “cows-cattle-dairy-holstein-farm-526771,” Pixabay, November 12, 2014 available online here. Use of image does not constitute endorsement.
Edible Insects
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
— Matthew 3:4, New American Bible Revised Edition
People around the world have been eating insects for thousands of years. In 2018, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for nearly 43% of the edible insect market worldwide, followed by Latin America (22.7%), and Europe (20.2%). By country, some of the largest markets include Thailand, Japan, China, Australia, and Peru. In Thailand, many people enjoy deep-fried insects as snacks and typically wash them down with their favorite beer. Globally, traditional diets include around 1,900 insect species.1 Beetles are the most numerous (659 species); followed by caterpillars (362); ants, bees, and wasps (321) and grasshoppers and locusts (278). Several species of true bugs, dragonflies, termites, flies, cockroaches, and spiders among others are also considered edible.2
Insects are high in protein (nearly equivalent to that of beef, pork, and poultry), require significantly less land, feed, and water than livestock, and farming them emits significantly fewer greenhouse gases (2 grams of greenhouse gases per kg of weight for insects vs 2,850 grams of greenhouse gases per kg of weight for cattle). As a result, insects are considered by some to be an eco-friendly alternative to beef, pork, and chicken. According to Innova Market Insights, insect protein will become a popular meat alternative in 2019 as consumers continue to demand healthy and eco-conscious foods. Recently some high-end restaurants in the United States and Europe began incorporating insects into some of the dishes offered on their menus. But what about the “ick factor”? According to Christine Couvelier, a chef and food industry consultant, “cricket powder is the best way to introduce this.” Crickets, processed into a tasteless powder or flour, can be added to a variety of foods such as sausages, granola, soups, pasta, desserts or bread to give the foods added protein, vitamins, and amino acids. The increasing use of insects in sports and dietary supplements used by athletes is expected to help drive demand also.
Today’s market size shows the total worldwide revenues for edible insects in 2017 and 2024 according to Global Market Insights.3 The figure for 2024 is projected. Not all edible insects are consumed by humans. Grasshoppers are food for pet fish, turtles, and birds. In the aquaculture industry, black soldier fly larvae and maggots are substitutes for fishmeal. A variety of insects, including beetles, cockroaches, termites, and ants, are food sources for poultry. Demand for edible insects in this market is expected to grow in the next five years. Currently, soymeal constitutes 65% of poultry and cattle feed. Research is underway by some manufacturers of edible insects to potentially replace 10-50% of soymeal feed with black soldier fly larvae, grasshoppers, silkworms or mealworms. These insects have similar nutrient content to traditional soymeal feed. Leading firms in the edible insect market include EnviroFlight, Haocheng Mealworm, AgriProtein, and Entomo Farms.
1 Source: Agnieszka de Sousa, Hayley Warren, and Roni Rekomaa, “Bugs Are Coming Soon to Your Dinner Table,” Bloomberg, July 5, 2018 available online here.2 Source: “List of Edible Insects of the World,” Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands available online here. According to Yde Jongema, a taxonomist at the Department of Entomology of Wageningen University and Research, as of April 1, 2017, there were 2,111 species of edible insects in the world.
3 The North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture citing Research and Markets and Meticulous Research both predict that the edible insect market will reach $1.2 billion by 2023.
Geographic reference: World
Year: 2017 and 2024
Market size: $55 million and $710 million, respectively
Sources: Kunal Ahuja and Shreya Deb, “Global Edible Insects Market to Exceed $710 Mn by 2024,” Global Market Insights, June 20, 2018 available online here; Agnieszka de Sousa, Hayley Warren, and Roni Rekomaa, “Bugs Are Coming Soon to Your Dinner Table,” Bloomberg, July 5, 2018 available online here; “List of Edible Insects of the World,” Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands available online here; Sean Rossman, “Bugs in Your Food? Might Be on Purpose,” USA Today for the Lansing State Journal, December 23, 2018, pages 1B and 2B; Stacie Goldin, “Eating Insects in Thailand,” Entomo Farms, May 19, 2016 available online here; Kunal Ahuja and Shreya Deb, “Edible Insects Market Size By Product (Beetles, Caterpillars, Grasshoppers, Bees, Wasps, Ants, Scale Insects & True Bugs), By Application (Flour, Protein Bars, Snacks), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Belgium, Netherlands, UK, France, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 – 2024,” Global Market Insights, June 2018 available online here; Courtney Johnson, “Edible Insects Market Seeing Growth,” Natural Products Insider, July 15, 2016 available online here.
Image source: Satya Prem, “food-insect-nutrition-eat-protein-3348724,” Pixabay, April 24, 2018 available online here.
Hemp
Hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant, is a widely cultivated herb grown for its edible seeds, oil, and strong woody fiber used in cordage and fabrics. Unlike marijuana, modern-day hemp contains very small concentrations of the psychoactive substance delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), less than 0.3%. Marijuana, on the other hand, typically contains between 5% and 20%, with some types containing up to 35%. Hemp contains higher concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD),
Hemp has been cultivated for thousands of years. Its fibers were found in pottery dating back more than 5,000 years in what is modern-day Taiwan. Textiles made of hemp were used in China as far back as 4000 BC and hemp paper was first used in 100 BC. The first recorded use of cannabis as medicine was in 2737 BC. In the 1500s, hemp was used for sailcloth for the English Navy. Because of this, English farmers and later farmers in the North American colonies were required to devote some acreage to hemp cultivation. The variety of cannabis that was grown in the American colonies was Cannabis sativa, an imported variety, not the indigenous hemp known to Native Americans. The plants were grown in tight clusters, thereby creating a taller plant with fewer branches and fewer female flowers. It’s the female flowers that contain high concentrations of THC. In the 18th-century, hemp was made into clothes, rope, bed ticking and sacks. During the American Revolution, it was in high demand for ropes and sails for the Continental Navy as well as for the state-sponsored fleets. Demand for it waned after the war but remained a flourishing domestic cash crop in the United States. After the Marihuana Tax Act of 19371 was implemented, which also taxed and regulated hemp, the popularity of hemp declined and many businesses shuttered. In the middle of the 20th century, calls for the prohibition of marijuana due to its intoxicating effects led to cannabis being banned in the Federal Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 signed by Richard Nixon. No provision was made to exempt industrialized hemp grown for utilitarian purposes.
As the tide of public opinion toward cannabis turned and more and more states started to legalize medical marijuana, hemp was again looked at as a viable domestic crop. The Agricultural Act of 2014, signed by President Obama, defined industrialized hemp as separate from marijuana and authorized research and pilot programs for the production of hemp in conjunction with universities and state departments of agriculture. In 2015, seven states planted research crops. Twenty-seven states removed barriers to hemp production and Colorado, Oregon, and Vermont licensed farmers to grow hemp under state law. Unfortunately, Federal law still classified hemp as a Schedule I substance so farmers could still go to jail and have their property taken away for growing hemp. This changed with the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the 2018 Farm Bill, that President Trump signed into law in December 2018. This law amended the Controlled Substances Act to exempt the THC in hemp from being classified as a Schedule I drug, opening up opportunities for farmers to grow and sell industrialized hemp in the United States without the worry of losing their property or going to prison due to Federal drug policy.
Today’s market size shows the total sales of hemp products in the United States in 2017 and 2022 according to Hemp Business Journal estimates. *Future estimates vary widely among different groups when it comes to the largest sales category in the hemp industry, CBD-based products. Marijuana research firm Greenwave Advisors predicts that CBD product sales alone will reach $3 billion by 2021. Cannabis industry analysts at the Brightfield Group predict that sales will reach $22 billion by 2022. These higher estimates are bolstered by many factors, not the least of which is the signing of the 2018 Farm Bill into law. Also, products containing CBD are now more widely available, being sold at health food stores and in beauty aisles of mainstream retailers. More doctors are prescribing CBD products for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain. The Federal Drug Administration’s approval of Epidiolex will also fuel demand. An estimated $591 million was spent on hemp-based CBD products in 2018. Demand is expected to grow as consumers continue to seek natural remedies for ailments.
1 “Under pertinent provisions of the Marihuana Tax Act, 26 U.S.C.S. §§ 4751-4753, every person who sells, deals in, dispenses, or gives away marihuana must register with the Internal Revenue Service and pay a special occupational tax.” Also, a transfer tax was required to be paid and a form was to be filled out with the name and address of the buyer and seller and the amount of marihuana to be purchased. The form was to be filled out in triplicate, one copy going to the Internal Revenue Service, one copy to be kept by the buyer and the original to be kept by the seller. All copies and originals were subject to inspection by federal and state law enforcement. Source: “Marijuana Tax Act Law and Legal Definition,” USLegal available online here.
Geographic reference: United StatesYear: 2017 and 2022
Market size: $820 million and $1.9 billion*, respectively
Sources: “The U.S. Hemp Industry Grows to $820mm in Sales in 2017,” Hemp Business Journal, May 20, 2018 available online here; “Hemp,” Merriam-Webster available online here; “The Truth Behind Hemp in the United States,” Ministry of Hemp available online here; Ben Swensen, “Hemp & Flax in Colonial America,” Colonial Williamsburg Journal, Winter 2015 available online here; “10,000- year History of Marijuana Use in the World,” Advanced Holistic Health available online here; Elisabeth Garber-Paul, “Exclusive: New Report Predicts CBD Market Will Hit $22 Billion by 2022,” Rolling Stone, September 11, 2018 available online here; Public Law No: 115-334. Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 available online here; Daniele Piomelli and Ethan B. Russo, “The Cannabis sativa Versus Cannabis indica Debate: An Interview with Ethan Russo, MD,” Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, January 1, 2016 available online here; Brian S. Julin, “Welcome to Frequently Asked Questions About Cannabis Hemp,” 1994 available online here; “Titles II and III of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-513)” available online here; “Hemp vs Marijuana,” Ministry of Hemp available online here; “Marijuana Tax Act Law and Legal Definition,” USLegal available online here; Trevor Hughes, “It Won’t Get You High, But It Can Make You Full,” USA Today for the Lansing State Journal, January 14, 2019, page 1B.
Image source: ulleo, “hemp-cannabis-seeds-grains-healthy-2258608,” Pixabay, April 28, 2017 available online here.
Turkeys
According to the National Turkey Federation, 45-46 million turkeys are killed each year to supply the demand for turkey on Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Year-round, per capita consumption of turkey was 16.4 pounds in 2017. Most of the turkeys sold in supermarkets, 99.9%, are the Broad Breasted White variety. This variety, a cross between the White Holland and the Broad Breasted Bronze breeds, first became popular in the 1960s as breeders wanted to supply the most meat at the lowest price. Broad Breasted Whites were bred for high breast meat content. As a result, they cannot walk well, cannot fly and males cannot sire offspring naturally. Breeders must use artificial insemination.
The other 0.1% of turkeys sold are American heritage varieties. There are 10 varieties recognized by the American Poultry Association’s turkey Standard of Perfection of 1874. They are Standard Bronze, Bourbon Red, Narragansett, Jersey Buff, Slate, Black Spanish, White Holland, Royal Palm, White Midget, and Beltsville Small White. These turkeys are “bred for fine flavor, beauty … and a good yield of meat from the food provided.”1 These varieties have been bred over hundreds of years in the United States and Europe. They more closely resemble wild turkeys in that they can run, fly, and breed naturally.
Because of the popularity of Broad Breasted Whites, heritage varieties nearly became extinct in 1990. An effort to revive the breeds began in 1997. That year there were only about 1,300 breeding birds. In 2016, there were 14,500. Large commercial farms raise Broad Breasted Whites for sale to supermarkets. American heritage turkeys are mostly found on smaller farms that raise a limited number yearly. Heritage turkeys are therefore much more expensive than Broad Breasted Whites.
Today’s market size shows the number of pounds of turkey produced in the United States in 2017.2 This was a 2.2% increase over 2016. Due to oversupply, with prices hitting a seven-year low, several companies planned to scale back production in 2018. The top 5 companies in terms of production were, in order: Butterball, Jennie-O Turkey Store, Cargill Protein, Farbest Foods, and Kraft Heinz Co.
1 Source: “Heritage Turkeys,” Heritage Turkey Foundation available online here. The meat content is close to a 50/50 ratio of thigh meat and breast meat.
2 Source: WATT PoultryUSA, March 2018, page 54. The USDA reports production was 5.98 billion pounds (total farm production minus condemnations) in 2017. Full source citations below.
Geographic reference: United States
Year: 2017
Market size: 7.433 billion pounds
Sources: Austin Alonzo, “Top US Turkey Producers Growing Amid Challenging Markets,” WATT PoultryUSA, March 2018, pages 54-57 available online here; “Heritage Turkeys,” Heritage Turkey Foundation available online here; “U.S. Meats Supply and Use,” World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, United States Department of Agriculture, October 11, 2018 available online here; Adam Gabbatt, “Taste of Thanksgiving Past: Why Heritage Turkeys are Making a Comeback,” The Guardian, November 21, 2017 available online here; Jennifer Calfas, “Here’s How Many Turkeys Are Killed Each Year for Thanksgiving,” Time, November 16, 2017 available online here; “Turkey Breed Facts: Broad Breasted White,” Local Harvest, January 27, 2011 available online here; Virginia Van Zanten, “The 4 Best Places to Order Your Heritage Thanksgiving Turkey,” Vogue, November 12, 2015 available online here.
Image source: PublicDomainPictures,”celebration-christmas-cuisine-315079,” Pixabay, April 5, 2014 available online here.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins. The quintessential autumn vegetable. Carved into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. Baked into pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Used as a flavoring in everything from coffee and creamers to ice cream, beer, and rum. In the 52 weeks ended August 25, 2018, pet parents spent more than $109 million for pumpkin-flavored dog food, a 124% jump from the previous 52-week period. For several years now pumpkin has been the most popular Halloween costume for pets.
Today’s market size shows the total production value of pumpkins in the United States in 2017. That year, growers harvested 69,340 acres, down from 71,400 acres in 2016, but well above the 45,900 acres a decade ago. The production value of pumpkins for the fresh market was $172.1 million in 2017, far above the $13.6 million for pumpkins harvested for processing. In acres harvested, the top 5 states were Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, California, and New York. Nearly 80% of Illinois’ pumpkin harvest is grown for processing.
In recent years the demand for specialty and heirloom pumpkin varieties has grown. Some popular varieties include Big Mac, Blue, Cotton Candy, Valenciano, Festival, Cinderella and Fairytale. The Cotton Candy and Valenciano varieties have a white hue. The Fairytale variety turns a shade of mahogany when mature. The Cinderella, so named because of its resemblance to Cinderella’s transformed coach, is a French heirloom variety that was cultivated by the Pilgrims.
Geographic reference: United States
Year: 2017
Market size: $185.8 million
Sources: “Quick Stats,” United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service available online here; Ana Serafin Smith, “Halloween Spending to Reach $9 Billion,” National Retail Federation Press Release, September 20, 2018 available online here; “Pumpkin Spice Sales Growth Makes a Hot Return in Late-August” available online here; “Pumpkins: Background & Statistics,” United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September 13, 2018 available online here; “Historical Highlights and Related Releases,” National Retail Federation available online here; Tess Koman, “55 Fall-Flavored Things You Can Eat Right Now,” Delish, September 12, 2018 available online here; Lizzie Fuhr, “8 Funky Pumpkin Varieties for a Festive Fall,” PopSugar, October 5, 2012 available online here.
Image source: Renee_Olmsted_Photography, “pumpkins-halloween-stems-autumn-956428,” Pixabay, September 25, 2015 available online here.
Organic Food
Sales of organic food have grown considerably since 1990 when the Organic Food Production Act was signed into law. That law authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program. One of the many responsibilities of this program is to develop standards for organically-produced agricultural products that have the USDA organic seal, ensuring that products meet consistent, uniform standards. These standards, along with the USDA organic seal, were first implemented in 2002. The program also maintains a list of certified organic operations and helps farmers and businesses learn how to get certified. In 2017 there were more than 24,000 certified organic operations in the United States. Between 1990 and 2002 sales of organic food products increased nearly 9-fold, from $1 billion in 1990 to $8.6 billion in 2002. In 2017, sales were more than $45 billion.
While still a small portion of overall food sales, organic food sales growth has outpaced overall food sales growth in each of the last ten years. Sales of organic food grew 17.5% in 2008, the highest growth in the last decade. That same year overall food sales grew 4.9%. In 2008, organic food sales made up 3.1% of all food sales in the country. By 2017, organic food sales grew to 5.5% of total food sales. Growth in the organic food sector that year slowed to 6.4%, but it was still well above the 1.1% growth in the overall food sector.
Fruits and vegetables were the largest organic food category in 2017, with sales of $16.5 billion, followed by dairy and eggs. However, the dairy and egg sector faced competition from the growing popularity of non-dairy milk alternatives and the USDA’s withdrawing of regulations in the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices rule in 2017, which caused many consumers to question the meaning of the USDA seal on these products, reduced demand. Growth in organic beverage sales outpaced overall organic food sales growth by 64% in 2017. Sales of organic fresh juices alone jumped 25%, reaching $1.2 billion or slightly more than one-fifth of total organic beverage sales that year.
Today’s market size shows the total sales of organic food for the years 2008 and 2017. According to a study conducted by Nielsen, 82% of households in the lower 48 states regularly bought organic food in 2017. This is up considerably from just 3 years earlier when a Gallup poll reported that 45% of households actively try to include organic foods in their diet.
Geographic reference: United States
Year: 2008 and 2017
Market size: $20.4 billion and $45.2 billion respectively.
Sources: Maggie McNeil, “Maturing U.S. Organic Sector Sees Steady Growth of 6.4 Percent in 2017,” Organic Trade Association Press Release, May 18, 2018 available online here; “National Organic Program,” United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Marketing Service avalable online here; Nate Birt, “Study: 82% of U.S. Households Buy Organic Food Regularly,” AgWEb, March 24, 2017 available online here; Rebecca Riffkin, “Forty-Five Percent of Americans Seek Out Organic Foods,” Gallup, August 7, 2014 available online here; Laura Batcha, “Organic Farming Has So Many Benefits for People,” Lansing State Journal, July 22, 2018, page 9A.
Image source: ErikaWittlieb, “vegetables-supermarket-market-food-1100198,” Pixabay, December 22, 2015 available online here. Use of image does not constitute endorsement of supermarket shown.
Wineries in Michigan
Michigan ranks fifth in the United States in wine production. Most wine grapes are grown in Van Buren, Berrien, Leelanau, and Grand Traverse counties, all within 25 miles of the Lake Michigan coast. The top 3 wines produced are Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Because several other types of fruit are grown in the state, many wineries make wine from fruit other than grapes, such as with cherries or apples.
Geographic reference: Michigan
Year: 2017
Market size: 127 wineries producing 2.4 million gallons of wine annually
Source: Bob Gross, “Wine and Spirits Industries Booming,” Lansing State Journal, April 23, 2017, page 7P.
Original source: Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council
Wheat Market in Michigan
Michigan has approximately 8,000 wheat farmers, some have been farming on family farms for more than 100 years. Several have ancestors who were wheat farmers in Europe. Farmers in Michigan plant on average 500,000 acres of wheat per year.
There are primarily two types of wheat that Michigan farmers plant: soft white and soft red. Soft white wheat is mostly used in breakfast cereals and whole-grain products because of its greater palatability. Soft red wheat is mostly used for baked goods and other processed foods.
Today’s market size is the value of wheat sales by farmers in Michigan.
Geographic reference: Michigan
Year: 2016
Market size: $218.5 million
Source: Witsil, Frank, “Dr. Wheat Shapes Eats,” Lansing State Journal, November 13, 2016, page 7A
Animal Feed Additives
Food supplements are consumed, whether by humans or animals, to augment or improve in some way the nutritional value of the diet. Food additives in farming have been used for centuries, as anyone who has seen a salt-lick will appreciate. However, with the rise of corporate farming in livestock production—what are known as Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs)—the use of feed additives and the nature of those additives has changed greatly. Animal feed additives come in a variety of types, from vitamin supplements and amino acids to preservatives, emulsifiers and essential fatty acids.
Recently, one commonly used additive has been in the media spotlight; antibiotics. It is now common practice in the United States to add low doses of antibiotics to animal feed. Antibiotics are used to stimulate growth as well as to stave off the diseases bred by unnatural and unsanitary conditions. The use of antibiotics on livestock is so great in the United Sates that it is believed to account for 80%, by weight, of all antibiotic use. The business of providing a population with high volumes of low-cost meat is a very large business indeed. Raising livestock in more natural ways—as opposed to the assembly-line manner used by AFOs—takes longer and, as they say, time is money.
Today’s market size is the estimated global value of the animal feed additive market. These additives are most heavily used in North America and Asia-Pacific, regions that together account for more than 60% of the use of animal feed additives.
Geographic reference: World
Year: 2012 and a forecast for 2018
Market size: $16.18 billion and $20.23 billion respectively
Source: “Animal Feed Additives Market Worth $20,233.2 Million by 2018,” PR Newswire, March 12, 2014, available online here.
Original source: MarketsandMarkets
Posted on March 17, 2014
Oranges
Today’s market size is the total production of oranges worldwide in 2013, broken out into those harvested for consumption as fresh fruit and those harvested for processing. In the United States, production was down in 2013 due in part to Citrus Greening disease which has been killing trees in the nations largest orange producing state, Florida. Over the last six years, 2008–2013, U.S. orange production accounted for an average of 15% of world production. In 2013 that figure fell to 13%.
Geographic reference: World
Year: 2013
Market size: 51.8 million metric tons, 59% harvested for fresh consumption and 41% for processing
Source: “Oranges, Fresh: Production, Supply and Distribution in Selected Countries,” Production, Supply and Distribution Online, December 24, 2013, USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service, available online here. The USDA reports on the production and supply of many agricultural products through its Foreign Agricultural Service, the main web site for which is here.
Original source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
Posted on February 7, 2014
Farms
It takes far fewer acres to produce the food we need and in the United States the total number of acres used in agriculture have been shrinking for decades, while output has grown. The number of farms has also been shrinking as larger and more industrial-sized farms have come to dominate the market.
These trends in farming can be seen in the graph. It shows the number of farms and the average size of U.S. farms each decade since 1940. What we thought was of interest is the fact that there has been a small change in the century-long trend of growing average farm size. Since 1990, the average size of farms has actually shrunk, slightly, from 460 acres to 418 acres. There was also a slight increase in the number of farms between 2000 and 2010. The relatively small movement back to family or small-scale farming, and in particular organic farming, is large enough to be visible in the national statistics and on the size of the average farm in the United States.
Today’s market size is the total number of farms in the United States in 1990 and 2010 as well as the total value of farm output in those two years.
Geographic reference: United States
Year: 1990 and 2010
Market size: 1990: 2,146 farms with output valued at $180 billion
Market size: 2010: 2,201 farms with output valued at $300 billion
Sources: (1) “Table 824. Farms—Number and Acreage: 1990 to 2010,” Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012, U.S. Census Bureau, December 2011, page 536, available online here. (2) “Table 1101. Farms—Number and Acreage: 1959 to 1989,” Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1990, U.S. Census Bureau, January 1990, page 638. (3) “Series K 1-16. Farm Populations, Land in Farms, and Value of Farm Property and Real Estate: 1850 to 1970,” Statistical Abstract of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970, U.S. Census Bureau, September 1975, page 457.
Original source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census
Posted on January 10, 2014
Cranberries
Cranberries, a native fruit of North America, are consumed most frequently in the form of juice. However, during the celebration of Thanksgiving in the United States, cranberries in a more solid form have an important place on the menu. Wisconsin is the cranberry-producing center of the United States. It’s crop, in 2012, accounted for more than half of all fresh cranberries sold in the country.
Today’s market size in the estimated value of the 2012 cranberry harvest in the United States.
We wish you much to be thankful for on this day before Thanksgiving, 2013.
Geographic reference: United States
Year: 2012
Market size: $386 million (slightly more than 8 million barrels of cranberries)
Source: Malinda Geisler and Diane Huntrods, “Cranberries Profile,” Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC), Iowa State University, available online here.
Original source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Posted on November 27, 2013
Orange Juice
Faced with a greater variety of beverage choices, including exotic juices and energy drinks, and higher prices for orange juice due to the spread of citrus greening disease, consumers are increasingly choosing those alternatives over the breakfast staple, orange juice. Total U.S. retail unit sales in the 2012-2013 season reached its lowest level since the 1998-1999 season.
Data show the total U.S. retail sales of orange juice by volume in the 2012-2013 season.
Geographic reference: United States
Year: 2012-2013
Market size: 563.2 million gallons
Source: Alexandra Wexler, “The Slow Death of a Former Breakfast Table Star,” The Wall Street Journal, October 14, 2013, available online here.
Original source: Nielsen
Posted on October 29, 2013
Global Feed Industry
The feed industry is a part of the agriculture sector. The term feed here is used as a noun and refers to the food provided to agricultural animals and fish, to livestock. Many different things are used as feed. These are usually broken into two categories, concentrates and roughage. The concentrates are the high energy value feeds that come from cereal grains, high-protein oil meals, and by-products from processing sugar beets, sugarcane, animals and fish. The category of feed referred to as roughage includes pasture grasses, hay, silage, corn stalks and the like.
An area of interest and research in this industry is raising insects for use as animal feed. It has the potential for being a very sustainable, comparatively low energy way to significantly increase feedstocks over the next decades. This is important since United Nations’ estimates predict a 70% increase in demand for agricultural feed over current rates by the year 2050.
Today’s market size is the quantity and value of feed production globally in 2011.
Geographic reference: World
Year: 2011
Market size: 870 million tons valued at $350 billion
Source: “Insects as Animal Feed,” The Fish Site, June 3, 2013, available online here.
Original source: United National Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Posted on September 20, 2013