Imported Seafood Products have the Most Pathogen/Toxin Violations

USDA’s Economic Research Service says about 70 percent of pathogen violations came from two sources over the last 20 years. Food imported into the United States from other countries may contain pathogens such as bacteria or toxins, which are mostly produced by microorganisms. From 2002 to 2019, a total of 22,350 pathogen violations occurred from imported foods, and a majority from fishery and seafood products and the spices industry. Fishery and seafood products had 9,857 pathogen violations over this period, accounting for 44.1 percent of the total refused imports. This category was followed by spices, flavors, and salts, which had 5,886 violations, or 26.3 percent of the total. Cheese and cheese products accounted for 7.1 percent of the total, followed by fruits and fruit products with 6.2 percent, nuts and edible seeds with 5.1 percent, and vegetable products with 4.1 percent. In total, the top six food industries accounted for 93 percent of the total pathogen violations over the period.

USDA Announces Four New Members of the National Organic Standards Board

The Department of Agriculture last week announced the appointment of four new members to the National Organic Standards Board. The board includes 15 volunteer members representing the organic community. The new members will serve five-year terms, through January 2027. Organic farmer Elizabeth Graznak (Graze-nack) of Missouri joins the board on the environmental protection and resource conservation seat. USDA Appointed Allison Johnson of the Natural Resources Defense Council to a public interest or consumer interest group seat. Meanwhile, Dr. Dilip Nandwana (nand-wand-dee) of Tennessee State University will serve on the scientist seat of the board, and Javier Zamora of California’s JSM Organics takes a seat on the board as an organic farmer. The National Organic Standards Board is a Federal Advisory Board established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. The board assists in developing standards for substances used in organic production and advises the Secretary on aspects of the National Organic Program.

Fuel Prices Spike as Oil Surge Continues

For the sixth straight week, the nation’s average gas price is up, rising eight cents from a week ago and stands at $3.42 per gallon. The national average is up 12.3 cents from a month ago and 97.5 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel increased 8.3 cents in the last week and stands at $3.78 per gallon, the highest since September 2014. Gas prices saw their sharpest rise in months last week as oil surged to $93 per barrel, on continued concerns over Russia invading Ukraine and that there won’t be enough supply to meet demand come this summer. GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan says, “Motorists should expect even more price increases, with the larger jumps coming later this spring as a confluence of seasonal factors and the potential flare up in geopolitical tensions.” De Haan adds the national average could be pushed to record territory by the start of the summer driving season.

Ocean Shipping Reform Act Introduced in Senate

Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar and South Dakota Republican John Thune introduced the Ocean Shipping Reform Act into the Senate last week. It’s the Senate’s response to the House version that passed by a wide bipartisan vote in December. Farm groups and other industry stakeholders are complaining that ships coming to the West Coast from Asia are going back to China and its neighbors empty. Those ships are heading back to Asia to bring more goods to get sold in the U.S and not picking up products they would normally take to Asian customers. A trade association executive told the Hagstrom Report that the Senate bill in some instances is stronger than the House bill. However, some aspects are weaker, but if it gets passed, it will help improve the overall supply chain situation. Klobuchar says the bill would “prohibit ocean carriers from unreasonably declining opportunities for U.S. exports, as determined by the Federal Maritime Commission in a new required rulemaking.”

Minnesota Cattleman is New NCBA President

Don Schiefelbein (SHEEF-el-byne) of Minnesota is the new president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The central Minnesota native was named to the post during the 2022 Cattle Industry Convention in Houston. Schiefelbein and his family run a seed stock breeding and cattle feeding operation in Kimball, Minnesota. “I’m very fortunate to have been involved in the cattle industry through several avenues and have seen the positive results when people come together,” he says. “As incoming NCBA president, I will continue bringing people together for the benefit of the industry.” As he looks ahead to his year as president, Schiefelbein is serious about helping lead NCBA’s fight for policies and a business climate that supports cattle-producing families and their opportunity to make a living on the land. The 2022 officer team took office at the end of this year’s convention. Todd Wilkinson of South Dakota was named president-elect, and Mark Eisele of Wyoming was elected vice president.

USDA, Justice Department Launch Online Anti-Competition Reporting Tool

Farmers and ranchers can now anonymously report potentially unfair and anti-competitive practices in the livestock and poultry sectors. The USDA and the Justice Department launched an online tool to make it easier for farmers to file those reports. “This new online tool will help USDA and the Justice Department address anti-competitive actions and create livestock and poultry markets that are fair to our nation’s producers,” says Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack. “I encourage producers who are aware of potential violations of competition laws to submit information to the portal so we can take appropriate actions to create more competitive markets in the agricultural sector.” The online reporting tool is at farmerfairness.gov. Vilsack calls it a “one-stop-shop” to report violations of competition laws that will allow the departments to collaborate early, vigorously enforce the law, and ensure economic opportunities and fairness for everyone. Users can submit information with or without their names and contact information.

Missouri River Basin Runoff Forecast Low in 2022

The updated 2022 runoff forecast for the Missouri River basin above Sioux City, Iowa, continues to be below average. “Despite January’s runoff being slightly above average, we expect 2022 runoff to remain below average,” says John Remus, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division. “Both plains snowpack and mountain snowpack continue to lag behind seasonal averages, and soil moisture continues to be much drier-than-normal.” January runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City was just under one million acre-feet, 111 percent of average. Runoff was near-average due to warmer-than-normal temperatures in the upper Basin. Precipitation in January was below normal for most of the upper-basin except for North Dakota, which saw above-normal precipitation. “The Corps is aware of the importance of our operations to the water supply,” Remus adds. “There is and will be enough water in the river to serve the water-supply needs.”