Online Grocery Sales Higher and USDA School Lunch Flexibilities
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**Representative Dan Newhouse introduced H.R. 2613, the Conservation and Innovative Climate Partnership Act of 2021.
The bill will allocate funds for land-grant institutions to partner with local farmers to boost conservation and innovative climate practices.
The Washington state Republican says farmers are already responsible stewards of the land, and this legislation empowers producers to voluntarily adopt practices that suit their individual needs while enabling the federal government to build on the successes in ag communities.
**The U.S. online grocery market finished March with $9.3 billion in sales, a return to January’s record spending levels.
This, as over 69 million households placed an average of 2.8 online orders during the month, according to Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey.
www.thepacker.com reports, the 43% jump in sales, versus a year ago when sales were $6.5 billion, quantifies the disruptive impact of a pandemic that continues to alter the way people get their groceries.
www.thepacker.com/news/retail/total-us-online-grocery-sales-march-2021-43-versus-year-ago?mkt
**The USDA has issued a broad range of flexibilities to allow school meal programs and childcare institutions across the country to return to serving healthy meals this fall.
Several meal service flexibilities that enable social distancing are now extended through June of next year.
The waivers continue the Administration’s commitment to provide safe, healthy meals free of charge as the pandemic continues to threaten food and nutrition security.
