Pierre, SD, USA / DRGNews
Dec 22, 2020 1:15 PM
America’s blueberry growers established a new coalition called the American Blueberry Growers Alliance. The goal is to seek relief from rising imports that are harming their business. The alliance will provide information and support to an ongoing U.S. International Trade Commission investigation into the serious injury caused by increasing imports of fresh, chilled, and frozen blueberries under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974. Blueberry imports come in from several countries in the Western Hemisphere. Those imports rose by more than 60 percent from 2015 to 2019. Imports from Peru and Mexico have increased by 1,200 and 268 percent during that same period, respectively, helping to drive down blueberry prices by double-digits. Alliance members want bipartisan support from the U.S. government and Congress to use existing trade laws to remedy the injury to U.S. growers. “We’ve been telling Washington about the unfair trade pract
Food System Resilient and USDA-NASA Partnership
Monday Dec 21st, 2020 From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update. As the food system continues adjusting to changes caused by the pandemic, marketers say the system has proven resilient so far.
Supply chains have had to adapt as restaurants and other food-service facilities have been restricted or closed.
The changes have tested food supplies and forced farmers and marketers to reconfigure some operations. People involved in the food system have remained flexible to try to match demand and supplies. The USDA and NASA have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening their longstanding partnership on space-based assets benefitting life on Earth.
Ag News: Food System Resilient and USDA-NASA Partnership
Supply chains have had to adapt as restaurants and other food-service facilities have been restricted or closed.
The changes have tested food supplies and forced farmers and marketers to reconfigure some operations. People involved in the food system have remained flexible to try to match demand and supplies. The USDA and NASA have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening their longstanding partnership on space-based assets benefitting life on Earth.
The agreement brings together NASA’s experience with technology development and space-borne Earth science measurements AND USDA’s scientific experience and knowledge of ag production, resource conservation, and food security and safety.
What’s the outlook on farm labor? In a recent interview, Philip L. Martin, a professor at the University of California at Davis and one of the nation’s leading experts, made three major points.
The first one: at the end of 2020, it’s clear that “ag survived Covid-19,” says Martin. “By and large shipments were very similar in 2020 and 2019. That should mean that employment was similar,” although “employment data are lagging. Employers don’t get penalized for not sending in data.”
Nevertheless, ag didn’t emerge unscathed. Martin goes on to point out that “Covid involved a cost-price squeeze; costs for growers went up,” for example in “shifting from foodservice to retail. Costs went up; prices did not necessarily rise.”
Blueberry growers form alliance to battle rising imports
America’s blueberry growers established a new coalition called the American Blueberry Growers Alliance. The goal is to seek relief from rising imports that are harming their business.
The alliance will provide information and support to an ongoing U.S. International Trade Commission investigation into the serious injury caused by increasing imports of fresh, chilled, and frozen blueberries under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974. Blueberry imports come in from several countries in the Western Hemisphere.
Those imports rose by more than 60 percent from 2015 to 2019. Imports from Peru and Mexico have increased by 1,200 and 268 percent during that same period, respectively, helping to drive down blueberry prices by double-digits. Alliance members want bipartisan support from the U.S. government and Congress to use existing trade laws to remedy the injury to U.S. growers.