Mild recovery forecast for U.S. ag exports after a trade war tumble
U.S. farm exports plunged by an abrupt 6 percent this year due to the Sino-U.S. trade war and a worldwide slowdown in economic growth, but they will rebound mildly in the year ahead, said the USDA on Thursday. However, the agency’s first forecast of exports in fiscal 2020 excluded the impact of a promised mutual escalation this fall of the trade war between China and the United States.
As dairy industry reels, new film details one family’s struggle to make it work
In “Farmsteaders,” filmmaker Shaena Mallett tells the story of Celeste and Nick Nolan, who run Laurel Valley Creamery, a 110-acre dairy farm in southeastern Ohio that once belonged to Nick’s grandfather. As agriculture has moved away from small operations like the Nolans’ to the sprawling industrial farms that dominate today, the dairy industry, in particular, has been decimated by consolidation. In 2001, Celeste and Nick moved to the farm to raise their kids. They hobby-farmed for a few years, but when Nick lost his job they began farming full-time, turning to cheesemaking to sustain the operation.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Historic heat in Burgundy (Bloomberg): Grapes are ripening faster in France’s vineyards than they have since the 14th century, disrupting traditional harvesting schedules.
Monsanto faces wave of lawsuits in Hawaii (Honolulu Civil Beat): Dozens of lawsuits, potentially worth tens of millions of dollars in damages, are in the works in Hawaii targeting Monsanto Co. and its weedkiller Roundup.
Lobbying for cell-based meat (Politico): Five companies working on growing meat, poultry, and seafood products from animal cells have formed a coalition — the Alliance for Meat, Poultry & Seafood Innovation — to represent the industry’s interests.
