Agribusiness Update for Tuesday 02/17/15

The White House appears to have finally taken notice of the port issue and has sent U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez to try to bring West Coast port labor contract negotiations to a close. Contract talks have been going on for over nine months now with little progress between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Port congestion is causing major problems for U.S. exporters who rely on West Coast port operations to serve key Asian markets.

On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration released its long-awaited proposal for governing small commercial drones, setting a plan for remote-controlled aircraft to share the skies with passenger planes. The proposal would allow drones weighing up to 55 pounds to fly within sight of their remote pilots during daylight hours. The aircraft must stay below 500 feet in the air and fly less than 100 mph. A drone pilot would need to be at least 17 years old, pass an aeronautics test and be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration, but a certificate wouldn't require the flight hours or medical rating of a private pilot's license.

That's today's Agribusiness Update from the Ag Information Network of the West.