U.S. agriculture wary of Trump’s China sales pledge, more meat a must [Reuters]
U.S. farmers and traders were reluctant to celebrate news of an interim U.S.-China trade deal on Friday, saying it remained unclear how China would manage to buy another $32 billion of additional farm products over two years as promised….U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Friday Beijing agreed as part of a pact to be signed in January to increase annual agricultural purchases from a baseline $24 billion in 2017 to at least $40 billion starting next year….Lighthizer said there would be specific targets for Chinese purchases of specific products, but the details would not be made public to avoid distorting markets.
Editorial: Come on, senators, you can walk and chew gum, too [Bakersfield Californian]
…The flaws in NAFTA, combined with Trump’s tariff wars, are hurting all Americans and the thousands of businesses, including Kern County farmers, who keep the nation’s economy humming. The new agreement will open new markets to American businesses and level the competitive trading field. A deal is at hand that will allow USMCA to be approved by Congress. To stall the Senate’s consideration until sometime in the future will endanger its passage forever.
‘The water wars have begun.’ Some wonder how water plan will impact Merced County farms [Merced Sun-Star]
Agricultural and urban groundwater users in Merced County may soon have to sacrifice for the future, if a new state-mandated sustainability plan that limits consumption moves forward. The changes will come if the Merced Groundwater Subbasin Sustainability Plan is approved by local agencies and cities. The 20-year plan aims to achieve sustainable groundwater over the long-term….Groundwater extraction will be reduced by about 75% in areas of Merced County, said Nic Marchini, a farmer and Vice Chair of the Merced Subbasin GSA….Crops that require a lot of water, like almonds, may have to be cycled out for less thirsty ones like olives, Marchini said. Others with low marketplace value, such as crops used as feed by dairy farmers, will also be harder to justify growing, he said.
https://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/article238205984.html
California water politics complicate House panel’s oversight [CQ Roll Call]
House Natural Resources Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona wants his committee to give him subpoena authority for multiple possible investigations, but California Democrat Jim Costa may vote against that as the panel considers whether Interior Secretary David Bernhardt improperly influenced a decision to send more water to his district….Costa represents part of California’s San Joaquin Valley, a drought-prone region where the politics surrounding agricultural and water interests can often trump partisanship. And his anxiety occurs amid an ongoing Natural Resources Committee investigation that could upend a decision by the Trump administration to send more federally controlled water to his district in the future.
https://www.rollcall.com/news/california-water-politics-complicate-house-panels-oversight
California requires ‘humane’ space for farm animals. Now, pork industry is suing [Sacramento Bee]
…The debate over housing conditions for farm animals is at the heart of a lawsuit over California’s rules. The National Pork Producers Council has joined the American Farm Bureau in suing California to overturn Proposition 12, the 2018 ballot initiative that sets space requirements for pregnant sows, veal calves and egg-laying hens….Their argument: California’s rules are misguided and, more importantly, violate the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article238253259.html
From Napa Valley to Australia, advancing the science behind smoke taint in wine grapes [Napa Valley Register]
Smoke taint is a phenomenon dreaded by the wine industry, and one scientists say they’re researching at length….As harvest after harvest is plagued by evacuations, power shut-offs and smoke, wildfires in wine country have become an increasingly pressing concern for the industry….Oberholster, at Davis, does research similar to ETS in St. Helena. She cites “predictive power” as the most important tool for growers and vintners with product potentially impacted by smoke taint.
