Land & Farming.

[TsarSamuil]

Living in the Mootrix: Russian cows try out VR headsets to lighten their mood.

RT.com
27 Nov, 2019 14:04

Theories that we all live in a simulated world are debatable, but it may actually become a thing for Russian cows as farmers believe virtual reality could be used to trick the animals into giving more milk.

It was a cold and murky November day in the Moscow Region, but the cows at one farm were absolutely sure they were grazing a green field in the middle of summer.

The first trials of VR headsets, specially designed for the cattle, has shown a decrease in the level of anxiety and improved mood among the test subjects, an article on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Moscow Region said.

Cows sporting futuristic goggles also improved the mood on the internet as commentators said they were jealous and wanted such headsets for themselves to survive the infamous Russian winter. “That’s the cyberpunk that we deserved,” one of the comments read, while many also remembered the popular meme: “How do you like it, Elon Musk?”

But the veterinarians and IT experts behind the project are dead serious as they developed the headset especially to match the anatomy of the cows. The visuals presented to the animals were also adjusted in accordance with the fact that those animals have a much better perception of the colors from the red portion of the spectrum.

The test was hailed as a success, with the effect of virtual reality on milk yield to become the subject of further complex studies. Many international surveys prove that happy cows produce more and better quality milk – so putting them in the Matrix may really be a solution.

[TsarSamuil]

Russian grain exports hit historic high.

RT.com
3 Feb, 2021 09:29

Grain exports by Russia in the current agricultural year, from last July to June 2021, have already hit 34.3 million tons, 25 percent more than during the same period last season.

According to business daily Vedomosti, citing the head of the Rusagrotrans analytical center, Igor Pavensky, it is also the highest indicator in the history of the market. He pointed out that the previous record had been set in the 2018-2019 crop year, when Russia had delivered 32.15 million tons of grain to the global market by January.

Pavensky said that exports of wheat have amounted to 29 million tons this current year, also a record amount. His words were echoed by the director general of the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies, Dmitry Rylko, who said that wheat exports in January alone have totaled a record 3.2 million tons. Rylko attributed the dynamic to several factors, such as high yield, global grain prices growth, and the introduction by Russia of export duties on grain from February 15.

Booming agricultural production in recent years has enabled Russia to capture more than half of the global wheat market, becoming the world’s biggest exporter of grain, thanks to bumper harvests and attractive pricing. Since the early 2000s, this share of the global wheat market has quadrupled. Supported by a massive grain harvest, the country is projected to retain its leadership in the world’s wheat market in the coming years.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia needs regulations for grain exports to control rising food prices – Putin.

RT.com
6 Feb, 2021 06:11

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for the creation of a mechanism for regulating grain exports, to help domestic agriculture and curb rising food prices on the domestic market.

“Russia is one of the largest exporters of commodities,” he said, during a meeting with Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov this week, mentioning energy and agriculture as examples.

“We focus on the exchanges located outside the country, with grain as an example. The situation in the global food market is worsening,” Putin said, stressing that there is a need to establish a mechanism to help domestic agriculture.

According to Reshetnikov, his ministry will launch a permanent grain export instrument as soon as April 1. A formula-based export tax for grains, which the Kremlin had previously planned to switch to from fixed-value tariffs that had been imposed on grain exports, will come into effect from February 15.

The minister added that the new mechanism would become a permanent “price damper” aimed at “preventing global price fluctuations and high global prices from affecting Russia’s domestic market.”

Starting April 1, Russian grain exporters will have to register their contracts at one of Russia’s bourses, which would then calculate a price indicator for the formula, according to Reshetnikov.

Last year, Russia introduced an export limit of 17.5 million tons for grains such as wheat, rye, barley and corn, for the remainder of the marketing year in order to curb rising domestic food prices. The step also includes an export tax on wheat of $30.40 per ton. Later, the export duty for wheat was raised to $60.59 per ton, effective from February 15.