Wineries Make Adjustments and Farm Share Higher
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.**Vines have started budding for 2020 winegrape crops, at the same time as wineries alter their marketing practices to accommodate stay-at-home protocols that have closed tasting rooms and reduced restaurant sales.
Wineries have taken steps such as offering free or low-cost shipping, or curbside pickup, for online orders, with some offering virtual wine-tasting sessions.
Analysts say the market pressures will ultimately filter down to grape growers.
**In fields, orchards and vineyards around California, farmers and their employees have been observing the new social-distancing protocols to avoid spread of the coronavirus.
Training sessions have been held to reinforce the need for additional precautions.
Where necessary, farmers have adjusted operations to allow for distancing.
Hand washing and other sanitary procedures are already routine to ensure food safety.
**On average, U.S. farmers received 14.6 cents for farm commodity sales from each dollar spent on domestically produced food in 2018, up slightly from 14.4 cents in 2017.
Known as the farm share, this amount rose for the first time since 2011.
The increase coincides with a flattening in average prices received by U.S. farmers, as measured by the Producer Price Index for farm products, in 2017 and 2018, after steep declines the two previous years.
The marketing share covers the costs of getting domestically produced food from farm to points of purchase.