b"INDUSTRY NEWSTAILORED TO SEED PROFESSIONALS, INDUSTRY NEWS DELIVERS THE PEOPLE, RESEARCH, BUSINESS AND PRODUCT NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW. SUBMISSIONS ARE WELCOME. EMAIL US AT NEWS@ISSUESINK.COM.INDUSTRY NEWS ucts. This is according to the July 2020 report of the Food and Findings from Kynetecs recent COVID-19 impact on agricul- Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' Food ture survey highlighted that farmers have once again demon- Price Index, which tracks international prices of most com-strated their ability to adapt to new conditions and challengesmonly traded food commodities. The report indicates that the as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. For example, farmersvegetable oil price index increased by 7.6% since June, attaining have reacted to the crisis by mitigating shortages in farm inputsa five-month high. This is amidst production slowdowns, revived through earlier ordering, advanced planning or utilising alter- global import demand, and protracted migrant labor short-native sources. Kynetec conducted the survey across six keyages, particularly for palm oil. Cereal prices were practically countries, USA, Canada, France, UK, Germany and the Czechunchanged from the previous month. Rice prices fell, indicating Republic, and included feedback from 873 farmers. prospects of large 2020 harvests. A joint OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2020-2029 reportRESEARCH NEWSfinds that over the next 10 years supply growth is going toAn international team led by the Plant Phenotyping and outpace demand growth, causing real prices of most com- Imaging Research Centre (P2IRC) at the University of modities to remain at or below their current levels. FluctuationsSaskatchewan and researchers at Agriculture and Agri-in the driving factors of supply and demand could lead to strongFood Canada (AAFC) has decoded the full genome for the black price variations around this general path.mustard plantresearch that will advance breeding of oilseed mustard crops and provide a foundation for improved breeding of wheat, canola and lentils.The Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) has granted the Institute of Agriculture and Food Research and Technology (IRTA)one of the institutionsTropic Biosciences announced their research agreement that form the CRAG consortiuma permit to grow cannabiswith BASF to utilize Tropics ground-breaking GEiGS (Gene plants for scientific research. This plant is of great interestEditing induced Gene Silencing) technology to develop traits to and value for various industries, as its products have many appli- address growers most critical challenges in protecting crops. cations: bioplastics, building materials, high protein food andThe collaboration applies the Tropic Bioscience GEiGS plat-drink, food supplements, textile materials, paper products andform within BASFs strategic crop varieties and utilizes BASFs biofuels, among others.expertise in the development of agricultural traits.Dutch Passion, the seed company from the Netherlands, is intro- Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in ducing of seeds with high levels of cannabigerol (CBG) andQuebec City, began Phase 1 clinical trials for its plant-derived low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBG is believed toCOVID-19 vaccine candidate this week, administering the first have similar qualities as cannabidiol (CBD) and this new innova- doses in healthy human volunteers. We are thrilled to see our tion offers a great opportunity for growers. The certainty that theCOVID-19 vaccine candidate enter the Phase 1 trial, and we THC-level is below the legal level of 0.2% makes cultivating theselook forward to obtaining safety and immunogenicity results in seeds allowed without a permit in many countries. October, said Nathalie Landry, executive vice-president, scien-tific and medical affairs at Medicago. Our progress continues to demonstrate the value of Medicagos unique plant-based vaccine For the second month in a row, global food prices continuetechnology.to increase, particularly for vegetable oils and dairy prod-60IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM"