Congress Fund Ag Inspectors and USMCA to Senate

Congress Fund Ag Inspectors and USMCA to Senate

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.

**Congress recently approved a $1.4 trillion spending package that prevents a government shutdown and funds the federal government through September 30th.

As part of the funding, an additional $19.6 million was provided for more agricultural inspectors at land, air and sea ports to prevent African swine fever and other foreign animal diseases from entering the U.S.

National Pork Producers Council, President David Herring says NPPC has advocated for an increase in ag inspectors for over a year.

**The National Watermelon Promotion Board’s Foodservice Program has helped the fruit gain traction with operators over the past five years, and more is expected in 2020.

In May, the Winter Springs, Florida-based board reported MenuTrends research showing watermelon on menus grew by 54% in the past four years.

So far in the 2019-20 marketing year, the board deployed several initiatives to further raise awareness of watermelons on foodservice menus.

https://www.thepacker.com/article/watermelons-sees-big-menu-growth-over-five-years?mkt/

**Now that the House has passed a revised North American Free Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement moves on to the Senate for a vote in this New Year.

Agrimarketing.com reports, the legislation passed before the Christmas break with a bipartisan vote of 385 to 41, winning over even the most ardent trade skeptics.

The Republican-controlled Senate is expected to vote on the agreement sometime early this year, but only after Trump's impeachment trial concludes.

https://www.agrimarketing.com/s/127983

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