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Padraig Nolan

Agriculture Reporter

137 Articles

About Padraig

Padraig reports on agriculture and food: harvests, input costs, weather shocks and policy. His recurring question is how a change on the farm reaches the supermarket shelf, and who absorbs the difference along the way.

Areas of Expertise

Farming food production agri-commodities

Latest Articles

Classical scrapie confirmed in Oregon sheep, first U.S. case in five years
Agriculture

Classical scrapie confirmed in Oregon sheep, first U.S. case in five years

USDA confirms classical scrapie in an Oregon sheep, the first U.S. case in five years, pushing the earliest possible nat...

Padraig Nolan 👁 42 💬 0
Farm Progress Show 2026 Returns to Boone With New Agronomy and Drone Zones
Agriculture

Farm Progress Show 2026 Returns to Boone With New Agronomy and Drone Zones

The Farm Progress Show runs Sept. 1-3 in Boone, Iowa, with a new Agronomy Zone, FAA-backed drone demos and a focus on co...

Padraig Nolan 👁 49 💬 0
2026 Peanut Efficiency Winners: Cost Squeeze, Water Worries Top the Agenda
Agriculture

2026 Peanut Efficiency Winners: Cost Squeeze, Water Worries Top the Agenda

Four award-winning peanut growers shared how they manage disease, insurance and technology — and why costs and shrinking...

Padraig Nolan 👁 40 💬 0
Why Sustainable Food Is Becoming a Stand-Alone Investment Theme
Agriculture

Why Sustainable Food Is Becoming a Stand-Alone Investment Theme

Food security and climate pressure are turning sustainable agriculture into an investment theme spanning alternative pro...

Padraig Nolan 👁 44 💬 0
Nationwide: Cattle Values Are Rising Fast and Farm Coverage Needs to Catch Up
Agriculture

Nationwide: Cattle Values Are Rising Fast and Farm Coverage Needs to Catch Up

Cattle numbers are low, inflation is broad and protein demand is strong — a combination that is lifting herd values and,...

Padraig Nolan 👁 33 💬 0
Trump's Phosphate Fertilizer Duty Suspension Buys One Season — Making It Permanent Is the Real Test
Agriculture

Trump's Phosphate Fertilizer Duty Suspension Buys One Season — Making It Permanent Is the Real Test

The president suspended duties on Moroccan phosphate for eight months. An ag economist says the sunset review is where t...

Padraig Nolan 👁 45 💬 0
Fertilizer Efficiency Products Face a Review Bottleneck Washington Could Clear
Agriculture

Fertilizer Efficiency Products Face a Review Bottleneck Washington Could Clear

An industry executive argues that duplicative federal and state reviews slow farmer access to enhanced-efficiency fertil...

Padraig Nolan 👁 42 💬 0
Brazil's Soy Industry Sells Its Green Credentials as Moratorium Frays
Agriculture

Brazil's Soy Industry Sells Its Green Credentials as Moratorium Frays

Mato Grosso growers argue their climate record is better than its reputation — but trader exits from the soy moratorium ...

Padraig Nolan 👁 44 💬 0
Brazil's Grain Powerhouse Hits a Roadblock: The High Cost of Getting Soybeans to Port
Agriculture

Brazil's Grain Powerhouse Hits a Roadblock: The High Cost of Getting Soybeans to Port

Mato Grosso's soybean farmers pay about $28 more per ton than U.S. and Argentine rivals to ship to China. Rail expansion...

Padraig Nolan 👁 48 💬 0
Egypt's Agri-Quarantine Agency Targets 40 New Export Markets as Philippines Deal Nears
Agriculture

Egypt's Agri-Quarantine Agency Targets 40 New Export Markets as Philippines Deal Nears

Egypt is negotiating to open around 40 new destinations for its farm exports, centered on Europe and Africa, with the Ph...

Padraig Nolan 👁 40 💬 0
Corn and Soybeans Need Different Storage Strategies, 40 Years of Data Show
Agriculture

Corn and Soybeans Need Different Storage Strategies, 40 Years of Data Show

A Farm Futures study of post-harvest tactics since 1985 shows soybeans reward on-farm storage far more than corn — and e...

Padraig Nolan 👁 52 💬 0
Yaque del Norte: The River Sustaining 42.57% of Dominican Agriculture
Agriculture

Yaque del Norte: The River Sustaining 42.57% of Dominican Agriculture

Dominican officials say the Yaque del Norte basin supports nearly half the country's farmland; a $90M green-climate proj...

Padraig Nolan 👁 34 💬 0
Peso Surge Below 3,100 Squeezes Colombia's Coffee, Flower and Banana Exports
Agriculture

Peso Surge Below 3,100 Squeezes Colombia's Coffee, Flower and Banana Exports

A 16.6% peso appreciation, combined with a 23% minimum wage hike, is crushing profitability for Colombia's coffee, flowe...

Padraig Nolan 👁 39 💬 0
Portugal Creates National Day of Vine and Wine to Spotlight Sector’s Economic and Cultural Weight
Agriculture

Portugal Creates National Day of Vine and Wine to Spotlight Sector’s Economic and Cultural Weight

The Portuguese government has instituted the National Day of Vine and Wine on 31 July, recognising the industry’s role a...

Padraig Nolan 👁 37 💬 0
Egypt Targets Ghana and Uganda for Poultry Exports to Tap Sub-Saharan Demand
Agriculture

Egypt Targets Ghana and Uganda for Poultry Exports to Tap Sub-Saharan Demand

With a daily surplus of 20% above its own consumption, Egypt is in trade talks with Ghana and Uganda to sell chicken and...

Padraig Nolan 👁 41 💬 0
Maritime Pine Monoculture Faces Adaptation Pressure After Gironde Wildfires
Agriculture

Maritime Pine Monoculture Faces Adaptation Pressure After Gironde Wildfires

Repeated wildfires are stirring criticism of the intensive monoculture of maritime pine in France's Landes forest, but i...

Padraig Nolan 👁 40 💬 0
Brazil's Farm Co-ops Surge to R$487 Billion Despite High Rates and Costs
Agriculture

Brazil's Farm Co-ops Surge to R$487 Billion Despite High Rates and Costs

Brazilian agricultural cooperatives recorded R$487 billion in financial turnover in 2025, up 11.2%, demonstrating their ...

Padraig Nolan 👁 43 💬 0
Nigeria Aims to Triple Cashew Output to 1m Tonnes by 2036
Agriculture

Nigeria Aims to Triple Cashew Output to 1m Tonnes by 2036

The country’s national cashew association has unveiled a roadmap targeting 1 million tonnes of production and 50% local ...

Padraig Nolan 👁 37 💬 0
New-Crop Corn, Soybean Export Sales Top 40 Million Bushels as China Buys
Agriculture

New-Crop Corn, Soybean Export Sales Top 40 Million Bushels as China Buys

USDA data shows strong forward demand for US corn and soybeans, with China and Mexico leading purchases, while old-crop ...

Padraig Nolan 👁 49 💬 0
Spain's Wildfire Crisis: Decades of Neglect Outweigh Firefighting Spend
Agriculture

Spain's Wildfire Crisis: Decades of Neglect Outweigh Firefighting Spend

As another fire season sparks calls for more aircraft, experts point to a prevention deficit: rural abandonment, fragmen...

Padraig Nolan 👁 38 💬 0
July 4th Cookout Costs Rise 4%, Farmer Share Stays at Just 6 Cents per Dollar
Agriculture

July 4th Cookout Costs Rise 4%, Farmer Share Stays at Just 6 Cents per Dollar

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey shows a holiday cookout for 10 now costs $73.82, up 4% from last yea...

Padraig Nolan 👁 34 💬 0
Drought Declared Across London and Half of England as Fire and Crop Risks Surge
Agriculture

Drought Declared Across London and Half of England as Fire and Crop Risks Surge

The Environment Agency's official drought declaration reflects worst July on record, prompting hose pipe bans and urgent...

Padraig Nolan 👁 41 💬 0
Paraguay’s Record Soy Harvest Overshadowed by Geopolitical Risks and Debt Pressures
Agriculture

Paraguay’s Record Soy Harvest Overshadowed by Geopolitical Risks and Debt Pressures

Despite surpassing 12 million tonnes, the Paraguayan soy sector faces squeezed margins from volatile prices, rising inpu...

Padraig Nolan 👁 36 💬 0
India's Kasturi Cotton Positions Itself as Traceable, Sustainable Answer to EU Apparel Rules
Agriculture

India's Kasturi Cotton Positions Itself as Traceable, Sustainable Answer to EU Apparel Rules

India's Kasturi Cotton programme, backed by the textile ministry and Texprocil, is combining quality standards, blockcha...

Padraig Nolan 👁 43 💬 0
Brazil's Record Grain Harvest Exposes a 134-Million-Tonne Storage Gap
Agriculture

Brazil's Record Grain Harvest Exposes a 134-Million-Tonne Storage Gap

The 2025/26 crop will reach an all-time high of 360.1 million tonnes, but storage capacity lags behind at just 62.9% of ...

Padraig Nolan 👁 46 💬 0
US Reopens Border to Mexican Cattle, But Beef Prices Won't Budge Soon
Agriculture

US Reopens Border to Mexican Cattle, But Beef Prices Won't Budge Soon

USDA will allow Mexican cattle imports for the first time in over a year starting Aug. 24, aiming to ease record beef pr...

Padraig Nolan 👁 44 💬 0
Puerto Montt Aims to Cement Global Salmon Capital Status with 100-Metre Cancato
Agriculture

Puerto Montt Aims to Cement Global Salmon Capital Status with 100-Metre Cancato

Salmon Week 2026 in southern Chile showcases the aquaculture industry’s role in driving tourism and exports, with a gian...

Padraig Nolan 👁 46 💬 0
Soybean Futures Plunge as Geopolitical Risk Fades and Shipping Confidence Returns
Agriculture

Soybean Futures Plunge as Geopolitical Risk Fades and Shipping Confidence Returns

Soybean prices dropped 3.4% on the CBOT as a pause in U.S.-Iran fighting removed oil risk premium, while improved shippi...

Padraig Nolan 👁 33 💬 0
30 Commodities Drive 89% of Egypt’s Food Exports as Chocolate and Frozen Strawberries Lead Growth
Agriculture

30 Commodities Drive 89% of Egypt’s Food Exports as Chocolate and Frozen Strawberries Lead Growth

Egypt’s processed food exports hit $3.77 billion in H1 2026, with chocolate surging 125% and frozen strawberries remaini...

Padraig Nolan 👁 43 💬 0
Heifer Retention Inches Up, but Cattle Herd Rebuilding Still in Doubt
Agriculture

Heifer Retention Inches Up, but Cattle Herd Rebuilding Still in Doubt

USDA data shows the first increase in heifers held for breeding since 2015, yet the overall calf supply remains historic...

Padraig Nolan 👁 34 💬 0