Fruit-Vegetable Imports Hit Record and Farm Numbers Continue Decline
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**Top Ag Committee Republicans want the EPA to “cease politicization of crop protection tools.”
Pennsylvania Representative Glenn Thompson and Arkansas Senator John Boozman sent a joint letter “about the concerning trend of disregarding scientifically-sound, risk-based regulatory processes, and denying access to a range of crop protection tools.”
Russia’s war in Ukraine has hit the global food system hard with increased energy prices, fertilizer cost spikes and shortages, and worsening food shortages.
**In fiscal year 2021, the value of U.S. fruit and vegetable imports rose to record levels.
And, the USDA’s Economic Research Service says it’s projected to rise another 9% in FY 2022, and import VOLUMES are expected to grow 3%.
This would further extend the trend seen from 2000 to 2021, when U.S. import volumes increased 124% while inflation-adjusted value increased 208%.
**The number of U.S. farms peaked in the mid-1930s before undergoing a steep decline over the next four decades as farms became fully mechanized.
www.agrimarketing.com reports, decline since the 70s has been gradual, with an estimated 2,012,500 farms with gross annual receipts over $1,000, the minimum to be counted as a farm.
51% have gross revenues of $1-10,000 and 30% have revenues of $1-100,000.
Meaning, about 19% of the farms are commercial size.
www.agrimarketing.com/s/141620
