Mercy Chefs Feed Helene Victims and Helene Impacts Every Crop
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.**Mercy Chefs, a Virginia-based disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, is serving hot, chef-prepared meals to the victims, volunteers, and first responders of Hurricane Helene.
The nonprofit, founded in 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is serving lunches and dinners in several locations across Florida.
Mercy Chefs founder, Gary LeBlanc says they have the capacity to produce upwards of 20,000 meals per day wherever they are needed most.
**Floodwaters from Hurricane Helene swamped the Southern U.S., with virtually every commodity impacted.
Farm Policy News says cotton, pecans, poultry, and timber were the hardest hit.
It brought chicken processing plants to a halt and caused severe damage to some flocks.
A USDA official says hurricane damage to crops could trigger $7 billion in insurance payouts.
Moody’s Analytics says it expects $15 to $26 billion in property damages.
**American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall says America is bracing for the impact of the massive dockworker strike that threatens to paralyze goods in and out of the U.S.
He points out our nation relies on international trade for everything from electronics to machinery, but families also count on the imports of foods.
He adds it’s even tougher because the dockworker strike started at the same time the farm bill extension expired.