New agreement will govern imports of tomatoes from Mexico
The Commerce Department and Mexican tomato growers initialed a new agreement that, beginning on Sept. 19, will control U.S. imports of roughly $2 billion a year worth of fresh tomatoes from Mexico, said officials from both nations on Wednesday.
Lawmakers call for review of EPA’s ethanol waivers
A dozen lawmakers called on Wednesday for a review of the explosion in ethanol waivers awarded by the EPA in the past two years. In a letter to the Government Accountability Office, the lawmakers said many of the small-volume refineries that applied for waivers did not need them.
New round of Trump tariff payments is flowing
The USDA began issuing payments to farmers and ranchers on Wednesday in this year’s first round of trade aid to offset the impact of the Sino-U.S. trade war, said Richard Fordyce, head of the Farm Service Agency.
The Future of Food Summit – EatingWell & IFIC
September 18, 2019 – New York City
For the first time ever, EatingWell and the International Food Information Council Foundation are bringing together thought leaders across academia, agriculture, manufacturing, technology, retail and the media to discuss the Future of Food and how our food system needs to change for the better. Taking place on September 18 in NYC, the summit will feature thought-provoking panel discussions, including a keynote address by Ali Bouzari, Co-Founder of Pilot R&D and Render. For a full line-up of panel topics and speakers and to buy tickets, visit EatingWellIFICSummit.com. #futureoffood
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Threat forces USDA officials off crop tour (Reuters): USDA employees, including a leader of its crop statistics agency, left a midwestern crop tour because of a telephone threat of violence midway through the four-day examination of corn and soybean fields, according to three unnamed sources.
Suicide in organic-grain fraud scheme (AP): Randy Constant, the man described as the central figure in the fraudulent marketing of conventional grain as higher-priced organic corn and soybeans, died of suicide at his home soon after being sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
USDA cuts buyout offer to $10,000 (Government Executive): Instead of the original offer of a $25,000 payment to Economic Research Service employees who decided against moving to Kansas City, the buyout payment will be $10,000, the USDA said this week. Employees have until Aug. 26 to decide whether to accept the offer.
Saving cabernet from climate change (UCANR): In “the mother of all cabernet trials,” University of California specialists, a vineyard, and a nursery will study 10 rootstock and 10 cabernet sauvignon clone combinations to see which will grow best in a warmer world and still produce the highest yields and best-quality grapes.
Fires surge in the Amazon (BBC): Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who favors economic development, shrugged off a government report of an 84 percent increase in the number of fires — more than 74,000 from January to August — in the Amazon rainforest this year.
