Blueberries Partner with Pickleball and Beef Exports Down
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**As pickleball’s popularity soars, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council announced its partnership with “Major League Pickleball” for their 2024 season, promoting blueberries as “the official fruit of MLP.”
One in five adult Americans have played pickleball, and is growing each year at a rate of 64%.
The Council aims to increase awareness of blueberries’ benefits, encouraging pickleball enthusiasts to eat more for a healthy and active lifestyle.
**The U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization’s Food Price Index reached 119.1 points in April, up 0.3 points from its revised March level.
The increase in the Meat Price Index and smaller upturns of Vegetable Oil and Cereal slightly offset decreases in those for Sugar and Dairy.
The second monthly rise in April follows a seven-month lower trend when the Index was down 9.6 points, or 7.4%, from its year ago value.
**U.S. Meat Export Federation data shows beef exports below last March’s large volume, but the highest since last June.
March beef exports were down 10% from last year but still the highest of 2024.
Export value was $889.9 million, down slightly from last year but the highest in nine months.
U.S. pork exports in March were up 0.1% from a year ago.
That’s up 2% year-over-year and the seventh highest on record.
