Blueberry Demand Grows and SCOTUS Hears Prop 12 Case
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**The demand for blueberries is growing around the world.
According to RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness, blueberry consumption is up and is expected to keep increasing.
The U.S., European Union and United Kingdom are the hottest global markets, and the “super fruit” is gaining popularity in China and other regions as well.
Blueberry plantings in California have totaled between 8,700 and 9,100 acres in recent years, compared to 5,900 acres in 2012.
**Ag groups, last week, argued against California's Proposition 12 to the Supreme Court.
The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Pork Producers Council challenged the ability of one state to set agricultural standards for the entire country.
Prop 12 bans the sale of pork from hogs that don't meet the state's arbitrary production standards, even hogs raised outside of California.
AFBF President Zippy Duvall says, "Prop 12's misguided approach will ultimately cost every family through higher food prices."
**New data from USDA’s Economic Research Service shows global food insecurity increased nearly 10% in fiscal year 2022.
USDA’s International Food Security Assessment model estimates how food prices and incomes affect food demand and access in 77 low-to-middle-income countries.
Of the people included in the ‘22 assessment, almost 119 million more are estimated to be food insecure compared to 2021.
