Rollins Surveys North Carolina Damage and Tariffs and Price Concerns
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins surveyed damage from natural disasters and recently met with U.S. Forest Service members in western North Carolina.
Recent wildfires and hurricanes have caused significant destruction throughout the region.
During her visit, Rollins toured the Blue Ridge Parkway to witness the devastation left by Hurricane Helene.
She then received a wildfire operational briefing and participated in a U.S. Forest Service Roundtable with local leaders in Asheville, North Carolina.
**While inflationary concerns have been persistent in recent years, the back-and-forth tariffs have prompted additional concerns about prices.
Results from the Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey find most consumers across both political parties expect tariffs to increase the prices for food.
85.4% of Democratic voters expect prices to increase, while 74.6% of Republicans and 74% of Independents also expected prices to rise.
Results show consumers are bracing for the impact.
**All cattle and calves in the U.S. and Canada combined totaled 97.6 million head on January 1st, down 1% from a year earlier.
All cows and heifers that have calved inventory was 41.6 million head, also down slightly.
All cattle and calves in the U.S. totaled 86.7 million head, 1% below last year’s 87.2 million head.
All cows and heifers that have calved was down slightly at 37.2 million head.
