U.S. food prices see a historic jump and are likely to stay high [Associated Press]
… While price spikes for staples such as eggs and flour have eased as consumer demand has leveled off, prices remain volatile for carrots, potatoes and other produce because of transportation issues and the health of workers who pick crops and work in processing plants. … The Labor Department reports that the 2.6% jump in April food prices was the largest monthly increase in 46 years. … Some grocery price jumps were because of people stocking up when the coronavirus first arrived.
Meat plants reopen, but burgers stay pricey [Wall Street Journal]
A national meat-supply crunch driven by the coronavirus pandemic is beginning to ease, though meat and grocery suppliers expect the effects to linger for months. Even as meatpacking plants reopen and some supermarkets reduce limits on meat purchases, consumers are paying more for ground beef and other staples across the country as meat production remains hampered by Covid-19, and grocery distributors struggle to get some orders filled. The U.S. food industry heads into the summer months with beef and pork production last week about 7% lower than the same time last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Santa Maria farmworkers protest working conditions during pandemic [KEYT TV, Santa Maria]
Farmworkers from Rancho Laguna Farms in Santa Maria are protesting over working conditions during the pandemic. They claim the farm is forcing them to work in unsafe conditions. Rancho Laguna Farms supplies berries to Driscoll’s Berries. … The group suggests that Rancho Laguna managers refuse to help and threaten those that speak out. … Rancho Laguna Farms owner Larry Ferini released a statement to NewsChannel 12 saying the farm is following all COVID-19 prevention protocols.
Why plant sales are soaring, even at nurseries closed due to coronavirus [Los Angeles Times]
This has been a banner spring for plant sales in Southern California, but no one is celebrating. They’re all too busy trying to keep up with demand from gardeners stuck at home due to the coronavirus. … Many smaller nurseries, including Kuga’s, closed to on-site visits in mid-March because of coronavirus distancing concerns but began offering sales online or by phone. … The strongest sales are in vegetable plants, “and not just vegetables but fruit trees, berries … anything edible,” Kannor said.
Going the distance for ag: Klamath County tractor convoy spans 20-plus miles [Klamath Falls Herald and News]
… The “Shut Down and Fed Up” convoy started Friday morning in Merrill and spanned more than 20 miles while traveling through downtown Klamath Falls and finally to Midland. The convoy could be seen all over the three Basin communities, and included participants from Southern and Central Oregon, and California. The convoy and rally served as a more far-reaching public demonstration with which organizers aimed to attract national attention from President Donald Trump to the pending end of the irrigation season in or around July.
Property tax overhaul initiative qualifies for California ballot [Courthouse News Service]
… California Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced the group looking to revise Proposition 13 and raise commercial property tax rates has surpassed the required 997,000 signatures needed to put their bid before voters this fall. The announcement primes a simmering clash between a coalition of labor unions, educators and mayors pushing for tax reform and business groups hoping to preserve the decades-old and voter-approved framework. … Joining the retailers and taxpayers association in opposition are groups such as the California Chamber of Commerce, California Farm Bureau Federation and California Bankers Association.
https://www.courthousenews.com/property-tax-overhaul-initiative-qualifies-for-california-ballot/
