Raboresearch Food & Agribusiness North America

In this episode, Don Close discusses a structural change in the beef cattle industry. Over the last few years, grow yards have become an increasingly important step in beef production. They have gone from being mainly used as residual housing to having a permanent role in the development of feeding cattle. The emergence of grow yards may seem to mark a subtle change in the cattle supply chain, but it will ultimately impact operations in all sectors of the industry in the medium and long term.

As grain producers are changing the supply chain, grain companies need to transform themselves. Steve Nicholson talks with Bill Nickrent about how the industry has changed and what the implications might be for producers.

During the G20 meeting in Argentina, US President Donald Trump agreed to freeze tariff increases on China for a period of 90 days to allow trade negotiators to proceed in good faith. During that hiatus, Premier Xi agreed to resume importing substantial quantities of US food & agriculture products into China that were largely frozen by both tariff & non-tariff measures. Rabobank’s F&A China industry analyst Lief Chiang joins ACMR G&O analyst Michael Magdovitz to discuss the potential demand pickup from China, strategic aspects of the deal and the near-to-medium impact on soybean prices. This podcast episode first appeared on our sister channel RaboResearch Agri Commodities.

California almond production will hit 3bn pounds in the next five years and global demand growth is expected to keep pace. Roland Fumasi and David Magana discuss supply, demand and the new Rabobank baseline model for almonds with Bill Nickrent.

Early winter weather is affecting harvest and planting in parts of the US. Steve Nicholson and Andrew Tasker look at this – and other issues – all the while keeping an eye out for glimmers of hope in the year ahead.

Plastic packaging for foods and beverages is an active industry. Demand continues to increase despite consumer pushback and companies continue to change hands at an active rate. Xinnan Li talks with Bill Nickrent about trends in the industry, from the products themselves to the industry players who make them.

After nearly two years of anxiety and speculation, the United States, Mexico and Canada have finally agreed on a new NAFTA deal – The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Dairy was a flashpoint during the negotiations, so what has changed now that a tentative agreement has been reached? In this week’s episode, Senior Dairy Analyst Tom Bailey digs into what has come out of the USMCA and how it affects dairy producers and processors around the world.

Steve Nicholson and Andrew Tasker give a rundown of current events. From cotton to the dollar, to grain harvest projections. They also discuss the practical implementation of the USDA’s trade mitigation financial relief package, and at what shifting trade patterns could mean for U.S. beans in the long term.

The impact of recently instated Chinese trade tariffs on the U.S. fruit and tree nut sector will be partially offset by increasing Chinese demand, but U.S. exports to China will decrease. U.S. walnut, mandarin, grape, cherry, and peach exports to China are expected to be hit hardest. Senior Fruit and Vegetable Analysts Roland Fumasi and David Magana discuss the implications with Bill Nickrent.

RaboResearch Grains & Oilseeds Analyst Steve Nicholson and Markets pro Andrew Tasker report on what they’ve seen and heard as they’ve travelled the Midwest this summer and what they’re thinking about from yield curves to droughts and trade wars.

The Rabobank European Grains Tour recently returned from the Netherlands, Germany and Ukraine. On this podcast, Senior Grains and Oilseeds Analyst Vito Martielli is joined by Moora & Dalwallinu Branch Manager Michael Monaghan to discuss the Ukraine and what makes it a big competitor to Australian wheat in global markets. This episode originally appeared on our Australian/New Zealand RaboResearch F&A channel.

In a recent visit to Argentina, Stefan Vogel, Adolfo Fontes and Victor Ikeda had an unique opportunity to discuss the G&O and Animal Protein sectors with local players. In this podcast, our analysts present expected trends for the Argentine agribusiness in the coming years.

This week, because our podcast staff is on vacation, we are releasing an episode produced by our sister podcast from Australia. The US is Australia’s biggest lamb export market. It has been growing strongly, but what is driving this? Rabobank’s senior animal protein analyst Angus Gidley-Baird speaks with Rabobank’s US-based senior relationship manager Brent Lahman.

Whether you call it lab-based meat, Tofurkey, or the Impossible Burger, there is no denying that alternative proteins have taken a huge leap forward. Silicon Valley is clamouring to invest in this developing segment, but are consumers willing to accept these new products? On this episode of the RaboResearch Podcast, Senior Analyst Christine McCracken returns to talk about three forms of alternative proteins and what their widespread adoption could mean for the animal protein industry.

Tariffs, planted acres, weather... and what now? Grains & Oilseeds analysts Steve Nicholson and Sam Funk discuss the trends they’re tracking this summer, along with what producers might want to think about as they wait for what’s next. 

China’s long-term strategy to strengthen its waste quality policies is expected to reshape the global paper packaging supply chain. The US and Europe in particular will likely be affected, being the two largest exporters of recovered paper to China. In this podcast, our team discusses the implications for each link in the supply chain, from recycling facilities and containerboard players to traders and consumers.

What have 2017 and 2018 meant for table grape volumes and exports, trade implications, and opportunities? And just how relevant are Australia and the US to each other as markets? US Senior Fruit, Vegetable, and Tree Nut Analyst Roland Fumasi and Australian Senior Horticulture Analyst Hayden Higgins compare notes, while also discussing the effects of positive global demand.

Retaining workers in the grueling world of meat and poultry processing has never been easy, but has it ever been this hard? Between low unemployment rates, new facilities coming online, and a shrinking pool of immigrant labor, some processing facilities are struggling to survive. On this week's show, Senior Analyst, Christine McCracken, offers ideas that can help solve the problem. As with most good advice, many of her lessons are applicable for any business looking to retain agricultural workers.  For more information, check out the original report, “Animal Protein’s Labor Pains” at Research.Rabobank.com