Winegrape Sector Shrinking and USDA's Bird Flu Funding
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**California’s winegrape sector continues reeling from a shrinking market that’s left the state with too much vineyard acreage and an oversupply of grapes.
According to Unified Wine and Grape Symposium estimates, more than a tenth of the state’s crop was left unpicked last season.
Allied Grape Growers president, Jeff Bitter says he doesn’t think there’s ever been a time when we left that many acres of grapes on the vine.
**Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a $1 billion comprehensive strategy to curb bird flu, protect the U.S. poultry industry, and lower egg prices.
As the Secretary outlined in a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece, she has a five-pronged strategy that includes an additional $500 million for biosecurity measures, $400 million in financial relief for affected farmers, and $100 million for vaccine research, action to reduce regulatory burdens and explore temporary import options.
**A lot is happening at the Environmental Protection Agency, including Endangered Species Act changes that will impact farmers everywhere.
Trump’s EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin says it’s unclear yet how funding cuts will affect the agency but look for plenty of movement within the agency.
Aside from a physical move of EPA’s headquarters out of Washington, D.C. and cutting of existing regulations when new ones are added, he says expect to see budget cuts.
