H5N1 hangover creating a supply shortfall would be my guess but I haven't been paying attention to this space. Re crop prices, these are often driven by export demand. And of course USAID has stopped buying a lot of food.

mmmm I don't think farming of row crops is materially more mechanized than 10y ago, definitely more tech and higher yields. But maybe @sarahtaber.bsky.social could opine.

Part of it might be the lasting impact of Trump’s first term tariffs. Tit-for-tat kills exports for everyone.

Meant to encompass automation/precision farming. Yes, crops have been harvested mechanically for a long time.

sure. just in terms of labor input per unit of output I'm not sure stuff has moved a lot? but again, not an expert there. Anyhow, yields are definitely up generally speaking.

Beef prices are way up because we're in one of the biggest troughs of the beef cycle in recent history. Post covid demand for beef + severe drought conditions meant a few years ago meant it made more sense for farmers to slaughter their heifers than breed them and keep herd sizes large.

Now, herd sizes are smaller (bc fewer heifers had calves) and while they're finally starting to grow again, this takes a long time to right itself bc of the gestation cycle of a cow. From there, it's become a supply and demand issue and beef prices have skyrocketed to where they are today