Farmer to Farmer Education Act and Fruit & Vegetable Imports Higher
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**The "Farmer to Farmer Education Act" was recently introduced in the Senate.
The legislation would leverage existing technical assistance resources by supporting farmer-led education networks and build capacity for new ones, as a key strategy to increase adoption of conservation practices.
The bill could fill a critical gap in federal programs to support and provide guidance to those networks.
**Imports are vital and increasingly important in ensuring fresh fruit and vegetables are available year-round in the U.S.
Between 2007 and 2021, the percentage of U.S. fresh fruit and vegetable availability supplied by imports grew from 50 to 60% for fresh fruit and from 20 to 38% for fresh vegetables.
Thanks to the USMCA, Mexico and Canada contribute the lions share of the fruit and vegetable imports.
**The 2023 Precision Agriculture Dealership Survey shows continued growth in technology to streamline and increase the efficiency of operations.
These are possible reactions to input costs and skilled worker shortages, according to Purdue University and CropLife America, organizers of the survey.
The enthusiasm also continues for applying crop inputs with drones.
More dealers will offer drone imagery, but fewer dealers are offering satellite or aerial imagery, and dealers say imagery use is declining on farms.
