USDA Specialty Crop Programs and AG Trade Trip to Morocco
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the creation of new programs to help farmers who grow fruits, vegetables, and nuts overcome market barriers.
The programs will also help producers access necessary pre-market storage for their crops following severe weather events, like recent hurricanes.
The new Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops Initiative will provide $2 billion to assist specialty crop growers in maintaining a strong domestic supply and expanding market opportunities.
**Representatives from 50 U.S. agribusinesses and trade groups and 14 state departments of agriculture will travel to Casablanca, Morocco, December 2-5.
Foreign Ag Service Administrator, Daniel Whitley says this mission offers a crucial opportunity for U.S. agribusinesses to enter into Morocco’s dynamic market and leverage its strategic position for wider American access.
Topping $619 million last year, Morocco is the second-largest export market for U.S. agriculture in Africa.
**In a battle over how much red meat Americans should consume, beef groups are slamming recommendations for consumers to increase their protein intake with beans, peas and lentils, calling the proposal “unhinged.”
Drafted recommendations are set to call for greater intake of plant-based foods while limiting consumption of beef and starchy vegetables like potatoes.
The scientists behind the recommendations also proposed moving “meats, poultry, eggs” to the last group listed in the protein-foods category.
