Dutch Government set to purchase thousands of farms and then close them to comply with EU mandate

Important Takeaways:

  • Netherlands reportedly set to forcibly close 3,000 farms to comply with EU mandate
  • The Dutch government is planning to purchase and then close down up to 3,000 farms in an effort to comply with a European Union environmental mandate to slash emissions, according to reports.
  • Farmers in the Netherlands will be offered “well over” the worth of their farm in an effort to take up the offer voluntarily, The Telegraph reported. The country is attempting to reduce its nitrogen pollution and will make the purchases if not enough farmers accept buyouts.
  • “There is no better offer coming,” Christianne van der Wal, nitrogen minister, told the Dutch parliament on Friday.

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Survey from American Farm Bureau shows Drought taking toll on Ranches and Farms

Revelations 18:23 ‘For the merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.’

Important Takeaways:

  • New AFBF Survey Shows Drought’s Increasing Toll on Farmers and Ranchers
  • 60% of the American West, Southwest and Central Plains categorized as D3 (severe) drought or higher
  • The 17 states including and north of Texas, up along the Central Plains to North Dakota and west to California are vital to the U.S. agricultural sector, supporting nearly half of the nation’s $364 billion production by value. This includes 74% of beef cattle, responsible (in total) for 18% of U.S. agricultural production by value; 50% of dairy production, responsible (in total) for 11% of U.S. agricultural production by value, over 80% of wheat production by value and over 70% of vegetable, fruit and tree nut production by value. Drought conditions, which have persisted well into 2022, put production of these commodities at risk, along with the stability of farms, ranches and local economies reliant on crops, livestock and downstream products and services for income.
  • Notably, those who reported tilling under crops because of drought conditions jumped from only 24% of respondents last year to 37% of respondents this year. Similarly, 33% of respondents reported destroying and removing orchard trees and other multiyear crops as prevalent or higher, up from only 17% last year.

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British Farmers warn of widespread Crop Failures as Drought continues

Revelation 16:9 “They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.”

Important Takeaways:

  • Mass crop failures expected in England as farmers demand hosepipe bans
  • Experts have warned of widespread crop failures across England
  • The group was told “irrigation options are diminishing with reservoirs being emptied fast”, and losses of 10-50% are expected for crops including carrots, onions, sugar beet, apples and hops. Milk production is also down nationally because of a lack of food for cows, and wildfires are putting large areas of farmland at risk.
  • Half of the potato crop is expected to fail as it cannot be irrigated, and even crops that are usually drought-tolerant, such as maize, have been failing.
  • Farmers are deciding whether to drill crops for next year, and there are concerns that many will decide not to, with dire consequences for the 2023 harvest. Cattle and other livestock are expected to be slaughtered early at lower weights because it is likely farmers will run out of feed for them in winter.

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Extreme Heat, Wildfires, and Drought cause chaos for European Farmers

Revelation 16:9 “They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.”

Important Takeaways:

  • Europe reels as repeated heatwaves cause chaos
  • Western Europe was battling Thursday to deal with the fallout from extreme heat and drought, with wildfires causing evacuations in France and Italian farmers losing up to 80% of their harvest due to severe drought.
  • The Gironde fires had scorched 7,400 hectares of forest by Thursday afternoon and 10,000 people have been evacuated from the area. The fire has a 40-kilometer perimeter, which requires a lot of manpower to cover, according to Martin Guesperau, deputy commissioner for defense and security at the Nouvelle-Aquitaine prefecture.
  • Drought has meant that the soil hasn’t been able to absorb any rainfall in recent storms, leading to flooding and landslides, according to Coldretti.
  • Hail was “the most serious climatic event due to the irreversible damage it caused to the crops,” the association said, adding that “in a few minutes, it is able to destroy a whole year’s work.”
  • The farming association estimates the damage to exceed 6 billion euros ($6.2 billion), equal to 10% of Italy’s annual agricultural production.

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Heatwave stressing farmers and power grid. Europe also issuing extreme heat warnings

Revelations 18:23 ’For the merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.’

Important Takeaways:

  • Extreme Heat Breaks Records in U.S. and Abroad – It’s Threatening Power Grids and Could Drive up the Cost of Beef
  • Extreme heat is sweeping the country right now with many areas of the U.S. facing temperatures that could feel like 115 degrees with heat and humidity on Tuesday.
  • 60 million people are expected to face temperatures in the triple digits in the coming days.
  • For the first time ever, the Houston forecast predicts 10 days straight of 100 degrees or higher
  • Texans are being asked to conserve electricity and water with looming concerns over the power grid’s ability to handle the high demand during the high heat.
  • In the U.S., a lack of grass and water are forcing cattle ranchers to sell their livestock, which could drive up beef prices at the grocery store.
  • The UK issued its first-ever extreme heat warning as they, too, deal with record high temperatures. The UK recorded a record-breaking temperature of 104 degrees before noon on Tuesday

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Supply Chain issues continue. Livestock Producers running out of feed

Rev 6:6 NAS “And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”

Important Takeaways:

  • Livestock Producers Report Being Just Days Away From Running Out of Feed Due to Shipping Rail Issues
  • Rail bottlenecks in the U.S. are not improving, and in some cases, growing more severe. Feed users in California and the Southwest are having issues sourcing grain, with some reporting they are paying $3 over the CBOT price to secure grain by truck. Not only are feed users on the brink of running out of grain, but there are also concerns the rail issues could grow worse during harvest this fall.
  • According to Trains.com, Foster Farms, the largest chicken producer in the western U.S., asked federal regulators to issue an emergency service order last week that would direct Union Pacific to prioritize corn shipments that thousands of dairy cattle and millions of chickens and turkeys depend upon.
  • While a combination of weather, supply chain issues and other factors are creating the severe scenario, the main issue seems to revolve around labor.

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The World Bank warns of Rising Food Insecurity through 2024

Rev 6:6 NAS “And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”

Important Takeaways:

  • Food Security Update | Rising Food Insecurity in 2022
  • As of June 16, 2022, the Agricultural Price Index is 14% higher compared to January 2022. Maize and wheat prices are 27% and 37% higher, respectively, compared to January 2022, while rice prices are about 17% lower.
  • Domestic price inflation continues to rise around the world—with 94% of low-income, 89% of lower-middle-income, 83% of upper-middle-income, and 70% of high-income countries experiencing high food price inflation (greater than 5%) and many seeing double-digit inflation
  • The war in Ukraine has altered global patterns of trade, production, and consumption of commodities in ways that will keep prices at historically high levels through the end of 2024

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Farmers in the Netherlands protest government plan to reduce livestock by 30%

Rev 6:6 NAS “And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”

Important Takeaways:

  • Dutch farmers protest livestock cuts to curb nitrogen Thousands of tractor-driving farmers demonstrated in central Netherlands
  • In one of their largest-ever demonstrations, the farmers demanded the scrapping of recently announced plans by the Hague-based government, which could see a 30 percent reduction in livestock.
  • The Netherlands, the world’s second-largest agricultural exporter, is one of the top greenhouse gas emitters in Europe — especially of nitrogen — with much of this blamed on cattle-produced manure and fertilizer.
  • But farmers say they are being unfairly targeted as opposed to big business and industry, with many vowing to resist any plans to scale down or close farms.

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If farmers can’t afford diesel there won’t be food in the grocery stores

Rev 6:6 NAS “And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”

Important Takeaways:

  • Could a food shortage be coming? Record diesel prices are crushing Pa. farmers, lawmakers told
  • Kotzmoyer told lawmakers diesel is a “huge, huge expense” for farmers. One Cumberland County farmer, he said, works about 3,500 acres with several diesel-consuming tractors and burns though about 2,000 gallons of diesel per month.
  • Average diesel fuel prices Tuesday in Pennsylvania were $6.19 a gallon, about 75% higher than a year ago, according to AAA.
  • Right now consumers are spending an average of $3,000 more a year on food and gas, because of inflation

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Researchers say megadroughts could last 30 years. The one we’re in is the worst in 1200 yrs

Mathew 24:7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Important Takeaways:

  • U.S. megadrought worst in at least 1,200 years, researchers say
  • The drought also shows no signs of letting up, with increasing temperatures causing the atmosphere to suck up more moisture. “It’s a slow-motion train wreck,” one scientist said.
  • The researchers found that several significant megadroughts have occurred in the region over the past 12 centuries, some even lasting up to 30 years. Before the current megadrought, the region had not experienced such dry conditions since medieval times, in the late 1500’s.
  • Based on current climate trends, the study found that there’s a 75 percent chance that the current drought will hit the 30-year mark.
  • The megadrought has already depleted water supplies in two of the largest reservoirs in North America, forcing officials across states to rethink water management strategies for the years ahead. Dry conditions have also increased the risk of wildfires year-round and threatened the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers in the region.

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