USMCA in wake of Tariff Agreement Pt 2

USMCA in wake of Tariff Agreement Pt 2

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today's Fruit Grower Report, I'm Bob Larson.

Ratification of the NAFTA replacement, the USMCA got a boost recently when the U.S., Canada and Mexico removed or eased tariffs on incoming goods. That was welcome news to American farmers and ranchers.

U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse says it's top of mind here in Washington state ...

NEWHOUSE ... "This is probably one of the biggest issues I get asked about by producers in Central Washington. We need to have this agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico. It would be a great step in getting our trading situation back to where we need it to be."

But, the Sunnyside Republican says USMCA is not the only trade agreement still up in the air ...

NEWHOUSE ... "We still have ongoing work with Japan, with the European Union and as you know, even though the talks are somewhat at a standstill or stalled with China, that effort continues. And, this passage of the agreement with Canada and Mexico would be a great step."

So, Newhouse says let's hope this puts the wheels in motion ...

NEWHOUSE ... "I hope that next week or the week after, we can have some better news on trade. It's a tough one. The trade representatives are continuing to work hard. We've got some work here in Congress to convince leadership to bring up the agreement with Canada and Mexico, but the negotiations with China, we're all very hopeful that we can make that happen."

Many in the Ag community hold out hope the U.S. and China may announce a new trade pact next month after the two nations meet at the G-20 Summit.

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BL: Welcome back to another "Fruit Bites" brought to you by Valent U.S.A. Joining us as always is Valent's Allison Walston. And this week Allison, we're talking about leafrollers? What are they?

AW: Leafrollers are a type of Lepidopteran insect (butterfly & moth), in which the caterpillars or larvae, use their silk (like what they use for cocoons) to roll the leaf around themselves while eating it. It helps protect the larvae while being surrounded by the food source.

BL: Sounds like they might be pretty hard to find and control ...

AW: Once you find the cigar shaped curled leaf, you can start to spot them easier. If you open the rolled leaf, the leafroller abandons ship and uses the silk to repel out of there. If you don't disturb too much, the larva will climb back up the silk and repair it's leafroll.

BL: So, Leafrollers can eat leaves but what about the fruit itself?

AW: Yes. In addition to eating leaves, they also feed on the fruit surface causing damage. They can deform fruit if feeding early in the season and leave huge bite marks or etched feeding trails on fruit surfaces.

BL: Thanks Allison. Join us again next time for Fruit Bites, brought to you by Valent. I'm Bob Larson.

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