No Matter the Crop, Agriculture is Just One Big Family

As I started to think about what to write for this spot this month, the Austin Powers movie series came to mind. You read that accurately. As I was starting a column directed at fruit, grape, and nut growers around the country, I immediately thought about a spy comedy film.

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It will make sense — or at least explain how my mind works — I promise.

In the first Austin Powers movie, “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,” Dr. Evil tells Austin Powers, “We’re not so different, you and I.” While this movie pits good (Austin Powers) versus Evil (Dr. Evil, obviously), I couldn’t help thinking how this quote relates to agriculture as a whole.

Of course, I don’t picture any of you wearing gray suits and stroking a hairless cat. I definitely don’t think of any of you as evil in the “good versus evil” way. The mental connection I’m making to these characters is how we often think of ourselves in our own little words, not paying much attention to what’s going on in the rest of agriculture.

I’m writing this at the end of Meister Media Worldwide’s annual Market Summit, where our company’s sales and editorial teams travel to our offices in Willoughby, OH, from around the country and the globe. We talk about the trends we’re seeing in the different markets our brands cover.

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During one session, we discussed some of the major issues that are affecting agriculture. And naturally the instability the export market may have on your operations came up.

Recently, we posted a story on GrowingProduce.com about how many apples are still in storage this year. Fresh apple holdings are 20% larger than last year, and process holdings are 21% higher than the previous crop year.

I explained to my fellow ag journalists how it goes without saying that those apples need a strong export market, especially as we’re entering another season where we’re likely to have a similar crop size this year. It’s estimated China purchased more than $18 million in U.S.-grown apples and $119 million of U.S. fresh cherries last year alone. But, those are small numbers compared to the impact that China’s canceling of imports of other U.S. crops has.

A few of the editors who work on our sister publication, CropLife®, chimed in about how the U.S. soybean market is feeling the pains of export instability, just like you. China recently announced that they will be seeking domestic soybean production, so they no longer have to rely on imports. It’s estimated that China imports about $14 billion in U.S.-grown soybeans. While these rumblings hit during the 2018 planting season, so growers may have been conservative in their plantings, the impact will still be felt throughout the agricultural community.

While it’s easy to see the differences among agricultural commodities, it’s important to realize we’re in this together.

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