South Korea Trade Agreement & Florida Weather

South Korea Trade Agreement & Florida Weather

South Korea Trade Agreement & Florida Weather plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

 

Last weeks announcement of a Free Trade Agreement with South Korea could boost U.S. sales of livestock products to that country. USDA’s Economist Shayle Shagam says that this agreement is an important one.

 

SHAGAM: To some extent they have seen some recovery in their economies. The dollar is relatively weak which tends to favor exports. There will be opportunities for the U.S. to increase their exports as the tariffs come down. Also to the extent that it does lay down a framework for resolution of disputes it is beneficial for U.S. exports.

 

The President said “This deal is a win for American workers.  For our farmers and ranchers, it will increase exports of American agricultural products.  From aerospace to electronics, it will increase our manufacturing exports to Korea, which already support some 200,000 American jobs and many small businesses. “

 

Last year about this time I was in Florida for an ag meeting and was not wearing the typical Florida uniform of shorts and a t-shirt but an overcoat. It appears that again this year the sunshine state is getting a shot from the deep freeze as a Canadian high pressure system pushed a blast of winter weather through the Southeast. Some fruit growers are scrambling to once again protect their strawberries from the freezing temps. Floridians are expecting lows in the upper 30’s with wind chill making it feel even colder.

 

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

 

The order that 256 acres of genetically modified seed beets be pulled out of the ground this past week by Judge Jeffrey White shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone, especially those farmers who grow GM beets. White as much said his ruling would be in favor of the organic sugar beet growers, the plaintiffs in this on going litigation, long before he made his formal announcement. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack while not taking sides, has stated the questionable validity  of “ a single judge essentially deciding if someone gets to farm or doesn’t get to farm.” Thankfully however,  the order was for the beet stecklings to be removed from the ground, not destroyed. The impact of removing the genetically modified seed beets will take the USDA more than a year to evaluate, but the average beet grower could probably tell you right now that by that time the impact would be devastating, considering ninety-five percent of the sugar produced in the US comes from GM beets. Of course the USDA and the industry hope to appeal the ruling. In the mean time, perhaps the fundamental rule guaranteeing the right to an  impartial judge should be revisited.

 

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

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