Chilean Riots & Fruit Exports and Japan on GMO Wheat
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.**Rioting in Chile and near Chilean ports has not held back fruit exports so far.
Thepacker.com reports demonstrations began in mid-October over an increase in metro transportation rates, and they’ve escalated into clashes with security forces that have resulted in at least 20 deaths.
The Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile reports that ports of Chile were at a standstill October 29th and 30th because of a union strike, but gave no prediction when normal activity would resume.
https://www.thepacker.com/article/unrest-chile-no-threat-exports-so-far?mkt/
**President Trump was hoping to sign the "phase one" trade agreement with China at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Chile next month, but Chile has cancelled the summit due to that domestic unrest.
President Trump has since Tweeted, "China and the USA are working on selecting a new site for signing of Phase One of the Trade Agreement."
China's commerce ministry responded saying talks between the two countries continue and lead negotiators from both countries will speak on Friday.
**No gene-edited wheat is commercially grown in the U.S., yet, but that could change, thanks to Japan’s apparent acceptance of the technology.
According to agrimarketing.com, Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency has decided food made from gene-edited plants does not need special labels, good news for U.S. farmers who count on massive Japanese demand.
Delaware-based Calyxt is using gene editing to develop wheat that will produce flour with three times as much fiber as traditional flour.
https://www.agrimarketing.com/s/127085