Southern Blight Disease and New School Meal Options
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**Spurred by moisture and warm soil temperatures, the fungal disease “southern blight” has been a perennial problem for processing tomatoes in the southern San Joaquin Valley.
But for the past two years, growers and pest control advisors have seen it in scattered Sacramento Valley fields.
Kurt Richter, who grows processing tomatoes in Colusa County, is among those who found southern blight in his fields for the first time this season.
**The USDA joined the Education Department and other parent and school meal groups to celebrate new school meal options.
The organizations held a virtual pep rally to celebrate the back-to-school season and thank those who educate and nourish our nation’s children.
Beginning this year, schools have more options to serve protein-rich breakfast foods like yogurt, tofu, eggs, nuts, and seeds, which offers less sugary foods while also supporting vegetarian and other diet preferences.
**The Panama Canal is lifting restrictions that caused a global shipping bottleneck as water levels get back to near normal after a recent drought.
Farm Policy News says the Panama Canal Authority increased the draft in the waterway to a maximum of 50 feet and will allow 36 vessels a day, still below capacity, to cross after recent rains lifted water levels.
The Authority is also expecting rains to continue through November.
