Washington Trade Delegation & Ice Cream recall

Washington Trade Delegation & Ice Cream recall plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

A recent trade delegation from Washington spent time in both India and Korea to try and keep the trade pipeline open between all concerned. Mark Powers, Vice President of the Northwest Horticultural Council was a member of that delegation

POWERS: We visited two countries, India and Korea, and distinctly different in the sense of opportunities for apples, pears and cherries. I think we did hit on all the things we were intending to raise. The Governor on these missions it’s always a mixture of relationship building and problem solving.

Oregon Ice Cream company out of Eugene has issued a voluntary recall linked to the Sunland, Inc recall to minimize the risk to the public health. A number of production lots are being recalled due to their potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Distribution of these products was nationwide. Anyone who has the recalled product in their possession should not consume it and should destroy or discard the product. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-282-2202.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

October 11 was the final day to submit comments on a waiver of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard. Several thousand comments were submitted from both sides of the fence on this issue. Major players in the ethanol industry say such a waiver would not bring down feed prices, or reduce retail meat prices, and would only discourage farmers from planting corn next spring, thus hindering the biofuels industry. The RFA also stresses that the RFS itself is not causing the harm, but rather that waiver requests point to the drought. On the flip side, national representatives for livestock producers have pointed out that it’s a combination of the drought and the federal requirement for corn ethanol production that has resulted in a major squeeze on feed grains, pushing feed prices sky high, therefore causing severe economic strain on livestock producers. The RFS requires 13.2 billion gallons of corn based ethanol be blended into gasoline in 2012, and 13.9 billion gallons in 2013; using roughly 4.7 billion and 4.9 billion bushels, respectively, of the nation’s corn crops. In comparing the latest USDA crop estimate of 10.7 billion bushels of corn being harvested this year, nearly half of this year’s corn crop is expected to be used for corn ethanol production.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.