Plastic Packaging Survey and New China Tariffs
From the Ag Information Network, I'm Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.**Consulting firm Category Partners surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers and found that 72% said they don't mind buying produce in plastic packaging or they actually prefer it.
According to produceretailer.com, 36-percent of consumers say it doesn't matter to them whether produce comes in plastic packaging or not, while 19% of people say they prefer to buy fresh produce in plastic packaging.
On the flip side, 17% say they avoid buying produce in plastic packaging whenever possible.
https://www.produceretailer.com/article/news-article/survey-most-shoppers-are-okay-plastic-packaging-produce?mkt/
**Data from the 2017 USDA Ag Census is proving how dramatic the growth of U.S. Dairies has become and the effect it's having on the industry.
Milkbusiness.com reports, 55-percent of milk cows in the U.S. reside on dairies with more than 1,000 cows, while just 12-years ago the same operations accounted for less than 20% of the U.S. dairy herd.
Several factors impact the drive to larger dairies, including production costs.
https://www.milkbusiness.com/article/how-consolidation-has-changed-dairy-industry?mkt/
**China has announced it will raise tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. products in retaliation for President Trump's planned September 1st tariff increase on Chinese products.
Agrimarketing.com reports, China will impose an extra 5% tariff on U.S. soybeans and an additional 10% tariff on U.S. beef and pork starting September 1st. An additional 10% tariff on U.S. wheat, corn and sorghum will start on December 15th.
A Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman warned new U.S. tariffs would result in the "escalation of trade frictions."
https://www.agrimarketing.com/s/125787