Dec. 10 - Top headlines

Still haven't seen the third quarter retail numbers from United Fresh and the Perishables Group, but a discussion with Gary Lucier of USDA ERS makes me think we could see some volume declines in fresh produce movement in the third quarter and into the fourth. Of course Gary is a vegetable specialist, but one might think that fruit shipments may also be inhibited in the current economic climate. More on that later.

Also, I was browing the Foodsafe discussion group list and saw this item:

EggSell, the UK based egg marketing Co-operative has introduced an insurance scheme for producers. The policy is designed to protect producers against the loss incurred by salmonella infections and the threat of Avian Influenza. The policy has been prepared by a leading insurance business and any producer who is interested in protecting their business from these commercially damaging threats can contact the team at EggSell to arrange
an assessment and quote.

A follow on comment wondered if the insurer is requiring any preventive measures from policy holders and when a policy like this will come to the U.S......

Meanwhile, here are some headlines snatched from the Web...

Organic farming may be best route to global food security Story based on this Rodale Institute report, "The Organic Green Revolution."
This news release touts the organic agenda. From the story:

An Organic Green Revolution, using integrated farming practices such as cover crops, organic no-till and composting, not only substantially improves yields but it also protects and restores soil and environmental health."Yield data just by itself makes the case for a focused and persistent move to organic farming systems," explains Dr. Tim LaSalle, co-author of the report and CEO of the Rodale Institute, a 60-year-old research and education nonprofit.

NRA Menu Trends News release covering highlights of NRA Food Trends survey.

FreshDirect producing fail-safe method for choosing the best fruits and vegetables Story details rating system that give online buyers more direction. From 5 star- never better, to 4 - great, delicious, 3 - good, reliably decent, 2- average inconsistent quality, generally OK, 1 - below average, expect wide inconsistency in quality, probably out of season. I like this concept, but really, I wonder how many consumers will buy "1 star" produce and how often FreshDirect will slap that label on a luckless carton of produce?

UK retail market share: the latest numbers

Dole agrees to pay EU fine in installments Expected to pay EU banana price fixing fine in installments by April; deadline had been January.



Banana prices up AP story says banana prices in October and November rose 35% in North America on generally flat volume. Revenue from Fresh Express salads rose 8% year over year in October November and volume fell 1%.

Recession prompts some couples to delay having kids LA Times does a good job with this piece, and quotes upset and anxious parents who struggle to pay bills and don't want to think of another mouth to feed.

Worst of recession is upon us Two forecasters believe the worst part of the recession is here. Should that make us feel better for 2009?

U.S. recession to span 2009 OECD says housing finance needs to be reformed. High income countries will contract by 0.1% next year; developing countries will grow 4.5%.

Britain a worse credit risk than McDonald's In Big Mac we trust. From the story in The Independent: The cost of buying insurance against default on UK five-year government debt became more expensive than the equivalent cover for the US burger chain

U.S. economy may trump Obama immigration pledge Rising unemployment could make the issue dicey, though some believe the Obama Administration will make a hard run at the issue at the end of next year. Ag gets ignored in this SF Chronicle article, amazingly.

Krogers warns of decline in fourth quarter profit One of better performing retailers forecasts growth next year from 3 percent to 5 percent, down from earlier projections of 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent.

Roubini and the liquidity trap Deflationary expectations have caused investors to accept zero returns on T-bills, being satisfied with merely getting their money back. He write the government's TARP program has been ineffective: Nevertheless, banks continue to hoard all the liquidity the central bank is injecting directly instead of lending it out (i.e. Fed is 'pushing on a string').

Housing market will roar back in 2009 So says one research report...

Regulators scratch head over housing crisis On the other hand....

Australian market open again to NZ tomatoes, peppers