Farmers’ sentiment rebounds from low, but worries persist
Large American farms are more confident of weathering the coronarvirus pandemic but nearly two-thirds of them say Congress should provide more assistance beyond the $16 billion already earmarked for agriculture, said Purdue University on Tuesday.
Coronavirus slowed U.S. exports of beef and pork in May
Beef exports were the smallest in 10 years during May and pork exports were the lowest in seven months, “due in part to interruptions in slaughter and processing” during the month, said the U.S. Meat Export Federation. For January through May, beef exports suffered only marginally and pork was up sharply from a year earlier.
Organic industry backs immigration reform for ag workers
The Organic Trade Association on Tuesday called for congressional action on two tracks to help farmworkers. The group seeks passage of an immigration reform law that would give undocumented farmworkers a pathway to legal status, and it called for safeguarding the well-being of these workers by providing protective equipment against the coronavirus.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
June was warmest ever for world: Unusually hot weather in Siberia helped make last month the hottest June worldwide on record, tying the mark set in June 2019 of temperatures 0.53 degrees C (0.95 F) above the 1980-2010 mean. (Washington Post)
Treatment for citrus-greening disease: A naturally occurring biological molecule produced by wild Australian finger limes, which are resistant to citrus-greening disease, may be first substance capable of controlling the devastating disease. (UC-Riverside)
Trudeau passes on White House invite: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined an invitation to join President Trump and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at the White House on Wednesday to celebrate the new free trade agreement among the three nations.
Lobster prices fall as harvest arrives: Lobster prices at the dock are $1 to $1.50 per pound lower than normal as the harvest season gets under way in Maine, with fears they could decline further when the catch increases in volume. (Undercurrent)
Small share of PPP for agriculture: Agriculture, forestry and fishing accounted for $7.9 billion, or 1.5 percent, of the Paycheck Protection Program loans intended to help businesses avoid layoffs due to the coronavirus pandemic. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
