National Retail Report - Jan. 4

The USDA's weekly national report can be found at this link. Here is today's report on retail produce promotions, revealing that indeed healthy resolutions are being amply catered to:

Advertised Prices for Fruits & Vegetables at Major Retail Supermarket Outlets
Dec. 29 to Jan. 12
Retailers encourage new beginnings and healthy resolutions. Early week promotions focused on party items such as fruit, vegetable, cheese, and deli platters and a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for toasting in the New Year. Most mid to late week ads had the common theme of new beginnings and healthier habits. A wide variety of items were featured to aid in resolutions to eat more healthfully and lose weight. These ads most often included frozen meals, fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, and canned), and a variety of vitamins and supplements. Many retailers also featured special “organic” and “natural” items including fresh
produce in their promotions to encourage a more health-oriented lifestyle. Overall this week, produce ads were more prevalent and fruits and vegetables were nearly equal in activity. Many retailers were highlighting fresh produce with the “More Matters” logo to promote adequate fruit and vegetable consumption. The top featured items this week included: cherries, cucumbers, green peppers, cantaloupes, and avocados. When compared to last week, fruit ads decreased by more than 7 percent and vegetable ads increased by about 14 percent. The most notable declines in activity were seen on: avocados, cabbage, limes, lemons, and sweet potatoes. The most notable increases were seen on cucumbers and green and red peppers.

Fruits as Percentage of Total Fruit Ads - Jan. 4
Strawberries 7%
Plums 0%
Pineapple 4%
Peaches 3%
Pears, Bartlett 3%
Oranges, navel 4%
Limes 2%
Watermelon, mini 3%
Grapefruit, red 8%
Lemons 2%
Mangoes 8%
Nectarines, yellow flesh 3%
Honeydew 2%
Apples, red delicious 4%
Bananas 2%
Avocados, hass 9%
Bananas, organic 2%
Blueberries 8%
Grapes, green/red 0%
Clementines 6%
Cherries 12%
Cantaloupe 9%

Vegetables as Percentage of Total Vegetable Ads - Jan. 4
Tomatoes 1%
Sweet Potatoes 1%
Peppers, bell green 10%
Cucumbers 11%
Lettuce, iceberg 5%
Lettuce, romaine 1%
Mushrooms, white 6%
Onions, yellow 6%
Onions, sweet 7%
Squash, zucchini 4%
Potatoes, russet 4%
Peppers, bell red 5%
Tomatoes on the vine 5%
Celery 5%
Carrots, baby organic 6%
Carrots, baby 7%
Cabbage 3%
Beans, round green 3%
Tomatoes, grape organic 3%
Asparagus 2%
Tomatoes, grape 8%

Blue crush

California's in for a ton of rain, as evidenced by the weather image above, at the bottom of the blog and this Accuweather story. Looks like the U.S. is getting bookended by weather events, from the freeze in Florida to potential floods in California. Accuweather also notes it is not just rain; winds of over 70 mph are noted over the ridges in the Sierra.

Sweet! Digital archive of The Packer

I just got a first peek at the new digital archive of The Packer, which offers access to stories, pictures and ads since the beginning of 2006. This, of course, is different than the editorial library which offers only text of past stories.

This is a premium service on The Packer's Web site. You can find the link below:

http://epaper.thepacker.com/Archive/Skins/ThePackerA/navigator.asp

You can use the system to see what page a story appeared on and what photos accompanied a story, not to mention search ad content. Very nice.

Small step.gov

This Web site, www.smallstep.gov, offers the complete list of steps that teens and adults can do to stay healthy. Here is the site for kids. If you have never been there before, it's worth a look. Here's a link to their PSAs for teens and adults, and here for the kid-oriented PSAs.
Part ambitious, part wishful thinking; here are some produce-related small steps.

(# 33) More carrots, less cake.
(# 38) Eat more celery sticks.
(# 83) Snack on fruits and vegetables.
(#124) Top your favorite cereal with apples or bananas.
(# 129) At sandwich shops, ask for leaner cuts and smaller amounts of roast beef, turkey, or ham; extra lettuce and tomato; and whole-wheat, oatmeal, or rye bread.
(# 134) Swap your usual sandwich side for crunchy broccoli florettes or red pepper strips.
(# 136) Focus on fruits. Bag some fruit for your morning commute. Toss in an apple to munch with lunch and some raisins to satisfy you at snack time.
(# 137) Never be fruitless! Stock up on peaches, pears, and apricots canned in fruit juice or frozen so they’re always on hand.
(# 139) Snack on low-fat or fat-free yogurt. Try it as a dip for fruits and veggies and a topper for baked potatoes.
(# 141) Go lean with protein. Eat lean or low fat meat, chicken, turkey, and fish. Try dry beans and peas as your lean protein.
(#154) Keep a bowl of cut-up vegetables in the refrigerator for snacks. Carrot and celery sticks are traditional, but consider broccoli, cucumbers, or pepper strips


TK: There are more tips where those came from. Smallstep.gov seems like it would be a good site to link in with any consumer oriented produce Web site.

Land grab worries Ducks Unlimited

An email just slid across my inbox that highlights the concern conservationists have about the boom in commodity prices:

BISMARCK, ND, January 4, 2008 – The conservation organization Ducks Unlimited says it’s as if someone plowed up a three-mile swath of wildlife habitat across North Dakota, from its southern border to Canada. That’s how many Conservation Reserve Program grassland acres were lost in just this one state this past fall.

New federal figures show almost 420,000 acres of North Dakota CRP were converted to cropland in 2007. That’s more than 12 percent of all CRP acres in the state.

“If this trend holds for CRP contracts across the country, we won’t have many acres of CRP left in a few years and wildlife populations will suffer serious declines,” said Scott McLeod, Farm Bill specialist with DU’s Great Plains Regional Office.

US Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency statistics compiled by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department shows 16 North Dakota counties have CRP losses greater than 15 percent. Stutsman County had the highest loss with 65.3 square miles.

“We expected extensive losses, but this is about double what FSA originally indicated would be lost this year,” McLeod said.

With today’s high commodity prices and focus on crop-based biofuels, Ducks Unlimited and other conservation groups have been concerned that restored wildlife habitat would go back into crop production when CRP contracts expired in 2007. CRP offers producers payments through 10 to 15 year contracts to convert highly erodible cropland to grass.

“The rental rates paid for enrolling in CRP simply do not compete with what producers can get today by renting out the land for cropping or by farming it themselves,” McLeod said.

The US Fish and Wildlife Services credits CRP with producing more than 2 million ducks a year. This steady stream of lost habitat will mean significantly lower production of ducks that migrate through or winter in all of the contiguous 48 states and provide and an important part of the hunters’ bags in those states.

DU’s director of conservation programs in the Prairie Pothole Region says conservation-minded people are concerned the country’s new energy policy will wipe out billions of federal dollars invested in natural resources. “Conservation is in for a long swim against a strong current when trying to fight the tide of land rolling out of CRP,” Jim Ringelman said.

McLeod says the number of CRP acres going back into crop production further emphasizes the need for a strong Sodsaver in the 2007 Farm Bill. “The loss of CRP is certainly a severe blow to waterfowl and other grassland-dependent wildlife, but native prairie cannot be replaced,” he said. “Native prairie and wetland complexes are critical habitats for nesting waterfowl and ranchers alike.”

CRP encourages farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or other environmentally sensitive acreage to grass. Annual rental payments based on the agriculture rental value of the land are paid to the landowner under 10 to 15 year contracts.

With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with almost 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands − nature’s most productive ecosystem − and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.

TK: The loss of native prairie is troubling, but it is hard to see a way to completely avoid it given high grain prices. There are some who believe oil, copper and gold will see a sell off soon, but many think grains will continue to be pushed higher by ethanol demand and China's growing appetite for meat, which fuels demand for feed grain.

CRS comparison of House and Senate farm bills

Here is a link to a 32-page pdf from the Congressional Research Service, dated Dec. 21, on a comparison between the House and Senate farm bills, passed along by the always helpful Kate Cyrul of Sen. Harkin's staff. I posted it to the industry discussion group.

The report is a must-read for anyone looking for a more complete understanding of specific provisions in the farm bill. For example, here is what the CRS said about the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Market Access Program.

House version:

MAP changes: organic agricultural commodities eligible for MAP promotions; increased annual MAP funding from $200 million (FY2007) to $225 million (FY2008- FY2012).
— FMDP funding authorized at $34.5 million for FMDP from FY2008 through FY2012.
— Reauthorizes EMP through 2012.
— Reauthorizes EEP through 2012.
— Reauthorizes DEIP through FY2012 (Commodity Title)


Senate version:

— Reauthorizes MAP: $210 million (FY2008), $220 million (FY2009), $230 million (FY2010), $240 million (FY2011), $200 million (FY2012). Organic commodities eligible; and 50% of funds over $200 million allocated to specialty crops.
— Reauthorizes FMDP: $39.5 million (FY2008 and FY2009), $44.5 million (FY2010), and $34.5 million (FY2011-FY2012)
— Reauthorizes EMP through FY2012.
— Repeals authority for EEP.
— Reauthorizes DEIP through FY2012 (Commodity Title)



TK: This CRS report has plenty of detail about horticultural provisions in the farm bill, and I recommend it heartily. From what I understand, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance is drawing up its strategy this week how to push for the maximum return to the industry from the farm bill conference process, and this document succinctly defines the starting positions. By the way, Kate Cyrul also notes the floor passed version of the Senate farm bill is now available at http://agriculture.senate.gov.

An OK push against obesity

Guest blogger Lance Jungmeyer chiming in ....

Fans of meddling but good-intentioned politicians will find some New Year's cheer in this story from Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett has a challenge for his populace -- shed 1 million pounds as the city's New Year's resolution.

As the story's lead notes, "With a button-popping spread of cornbread, sausage and gravy, chicken fried steak and pecan pie designated as Oklahoma's official state meal, it's no surprise that Oklahoma City's mayor wants to put the city on a diet."

As of Jan. 3, more than 2,600 residents had registered for the push.

Oklahoma City retailers need to get on the bandwagon and install placards promoting this inside the produce departments. A few smart ones might be able to schedule the mayor to come visit their stores and talk about the importance of diet and exercise.

Bob Dole (He ain't no pineapple)

Well, this is perhaps why Bob Dole never made it to the White House; his campaign slogan wasn't exactly magical. But check out this Web site - www.retropresident.com - selling T-shirts with old Presidential campaign slogans.
Who can forget "Nixon: Now more than ever" or "I like Ike."

TK: This year, Iowans have seemed to endorse "I like Mike." Here is a nice link to a history of all presidential campaign slogans.

Cancerproject.org

Have you noticed ads on the radio touting a vegetarian approach to help prevent cancer? It's the type of bold approach that I think the industry could benefit from as a part of its portfolio of messages. Here is a link to the The Cancer Project, which has sponsored some radio ads I've heard. From the Web site:

What we eat and how we treat our bodies on a daily basis have a very powerful effect on our health and quality of life. Although cancer can affect many different parts of the body, the foods that prevent cancer and deter cancer growth are generally the same. Fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes all have important nutrients and other cancer-fighting substances like phytochemicals and pectin that strengthen immune function and destroy cancer-causing substances before they cause harm. Research has shown that people who eat a diet free of animal products, high in plant foods, and low in fat have a much lower risk of developing cancer.

Here is what the organization says about itself:

The Cancer Project has two main goals: First, we aim to make cancer prevention a top priority. Just as important, we want to improve survival after cancer has been diagnosed by providing comprehensive information about the role of dietary factors in keeping people healthy.

With over one million people being diagnosed with cancer in the United States each year—and many more cases in other countries across the globe—there is an urgent need for a new direction in battling this disease. The Cancer Project provides classes, books, video programs, fact sheets, brochures, and other educational materials on cancer prevention and survival. We also conduct clinical research studies to investigate dietary issues and publicize the need for cancer prevention and the value of healthy diet changes. The Cancer Project’s hands-on nutrition classes have become incredibly popular, helping cancer survivors and their families learn new tastes and easy food preparation skills. Staff members are regularly interviewed by the media and often give public lectures.

For more information about The Cancer Project, please e-mail info@cancerproject.org.

An independent, separately incorporated affiliate of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, The Cancer Project advances cancer prevention and survival through nutrition education and research. The Cancer Project began in 1991 as a program of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and became a 501(c)(3) organization in 2004. All gifts are tax deductible.

TK: Some claim that this group and others cherry pick research implicating red meat as a cancer risk when the real focus should be on obesity as a cancer risk. At a minimum, however, the fresh produce the industry can tout a vegetarian message as a dietary approach to reduce overweight and obesity.