Florida citrus: Dodging the proverbial bullet

From Florida Citrus Mutual:

Cold weather swept across Florida’s citrus belt last night, however, temperatures didn’t get low enough for long enough to cause significant damage to the crop.

“We feel like we dodged the proverbial bullet,” said Michael W. Sparks, executive VP/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. “There will probably be spot damage here and there but in terms of large scale problems, we came through okay.”

Temperatures must reach 28 degrees for a four-hour period to cause damage to the oranges, grapefruit and tangerines grown in Florida. Although there were reports of sub-freezing temperatures around the state, in most cases they weren’t sustained for four hours.

The Agricultural Weather Information Service (AWIS) out of Auburn, AL, which Mutual uses as a forecaster, accurately tracked last night’s temperatures.

“We are still assessing scattered freeze damage to citrus crops from the January 22 event so I’m relieved that Mother Nature cut us a break this time,” said Fran Becker, Mutual’s president and VP of Fruit Procurement at Peace River Citrus Products Inc. in Arcadia. “Looking ahead to tonight we should be okay as temperatures are forecast to be a few degrees higher, however, we will have good radiational cooling conditions across the citrus belt and the usual cold spots could see lower temps and heavy frost. We still expect to produce the quality crop that Florida is known for.”

The USDA is scheduled to issue its latest crop estimate on February 10 which will most likely account for the freeze damage Florida citrus has experienced in the past month. For more information on the estimate visit http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Florida/Publications/Citrus/index.asp

The Florida citrus industry creates a $9.3 billion annual economic impact, employing nearly 76,000 people, and covering more than 576,000 acres. Founded in 1948 and currently representing nearly 8,000 grower members, Florida Citrus Mutual is the state’s largest citrus grower organization. For more information, visit www.flcitrusmutual.com.

Kansas City produce promotions - Feb. 4 to Feb. 10

Food ad circulars this week in suburban Kansas City followed the value theme closely, with a splash of Valentine red. Hen House featured front page treatment of whole chickens (Save Money! Buy a whole chicken and learn how to cut it up yourself!) boneless beef chuck roast, 5-lb bag of Idaho russet potatoes at 2 for $4 and Chilean grapes for $1.18 per pound.

Price Chopper featured country style pork for 99 cents per pound and canned vegetables for prices at 49 cents each (store label). California Cuties clementines received front page treatment at $4.99 per five-lb box.

Hy-Vee's three day ad (Feb. 5-7 featured Tony's pizza at $1.99 each, beef brisket at $2.48 per pound, and fresh blueberries at $1.68 per6-ounce package, amid other deals for cereal and detergent.

Hy-Vee's Feb. 4-10 ad featured strawberries on the lead page and other deals for citrus, tomatoes, melons and salad inside.

The bugs of war - ecoterrorism and other top headlines

The Times of London splashes with a Drudge-featured article this morning about the bugs of war, and potential use of pests in agro-terror. From the piece, by Jeffrey A. Lockwood is the author of Six-Legged Soldiers: Using Insects as Weapons of War (OUP). Educated as an entomologist, he is a professor of philosophy and creative writing at the University of Wyoming:

The terrorists' letter arrived at the Mayor of Los Angeles's office on November 30, 1989. A group calling itself “the Breeders” claimed to have released the Mediterranean fruit fly in Los Angeles and Orange counties, and threatened to expand their attack to the San Joaquin Valley, an important centre of Californian agriculture.

With perverse logic, they said that unless the Government stopped using pesticides they would assure a cataclysmic infestation that would lead to the quarantining of California produce, costing 132,000 jobs and $13.4 billion in lost trade.

The infestation was real enough. It was ended by heavy spraying. It is still not known if ecoterrorists were behind it, but the panic it engendered shows that “the Breeders” were flirting with a powerful weapon.

The history and future of insects as weapons are explored in my new book, Six-Legged Soldiers. As an entomologist, I was initially interested in how human beings have conscripted insects and twisted science for use in war, terrorism and torture. It soon became apparent that the weaponisation of insects was not some quirky military footnote but a recurring theme in human strife, and quite possibly the next chapter in modern conflicts.

Insects are one of the cheapest and most destructive weapons available to terrorists today, and one of the most widely ignored: they are easy to sneak across borders, reproduce quickly and can spread disease and destroy crops with devastating speed.

A great strategic lesson of 9/11 has been overlooked. Terrorists need only a little ingenuity, not sophisticated weapons, to cause enormous damage. Armed only with box-cutters, terrorists hijacked aircraft and brought down the World Trade Centre. Insects are the box-cutters of biological warfare - cheap, simple and wickedly effective.

Am I being an alarmist? I wish I knew.

TK: Conventional pest challenges are scary enough without layering in the threat of terrorism. May diligence and our plant health defense prevail...

Other headlines snatched from the Web:

On the trail of tainted food From Newsday and Caroline Smith Dewaal

The company ignored 12 positive test results in a two-year period showing the presence of salmonella. Instead of stopping production and thoroughly cleaning, Peanut Corp. continued to ship its products to market when retests did not confirm the findings. The Food and Drug Administration hadn't inspected the plant in eight years. It's particularly troubling that the FDA didn't seek either the company's records or the Georgia inspection reports - information that might have prevented the outbreak from occurring - even after it found that some of the products had been rejected by a firm in Canada.

Putnam to run for Florida agriculture commissioner From the AP

U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, who quickly rose to power in Congress after being elected as a 26-year-old, said Sunday he will run for Florida agriculture commissioner.

Putnam will file paperwork to officially enter the race on Monday, he told The Associated Press. Putnam will serve out his final two years in Congress.

"Agriculture is in my DNA," Putnam said. "It's my professional background, it's my academic background, it's what my family is involved in to this day."

Downturn diet Consumer Reports chimes in on the food budget. A couple of their misguided missives:

Buy in season:
That means no strawberries in December in Maine, when you'll pay for shipping from some far-off warm place. Seasonal picks include cherries, melon, peaches, tomatoes, and peppers in summer; snow peas, spinach, and strawberries in spring; and carrots, cauliflower, citrus fruits, and cranberries in fall. For a list, click on "Save at the Supermarket" from the August/September 2008 issue of our ShopSmart magazine, free at www.ShopSmartMag.org.

For produce, go frozen
Frozen fruits and vegetables, often flash-frozen soon after picking, can be more nutritious than "fresh" items that have sat on store shelves for a while. And you don't have to worry about the frozen variety spoiling before it's eaten.


TK: It is always in season somewhere, and the idea that consumers should "shop in-season" is one the great farces perpetrated on the American consumer. If consumers see Chilean grapes on sale for $1.18 per pound, they should by all means purchase the grapes. Also, there is not a love for Wal-Mart or hard discounters like Aldi in these stretch your budget stories; instead it is advice urging consumers to shop local and support CSAs. Come now, there may be reasons to shop local and join a CSA, but to foist this advice as a "downturn diet" is a disservice to the downtrodden.

Beetle could post threat to Florida avocado industry
The redbay ambrosia beetle, which was first detected in Georgia in 2002 and has been moving its way southward to Florida, could be a threat to Florida’s avocado industry, and to homeowners who have the trees in their yards.

Super Bowl success: Mexican avocados

Australia and climate change Is heat wave evidence of pending implosion?

Dole to sell 1,000 acres in California Coverage from The Packer

GM potatoes will be used by Scottish farmers within 10 years Biotechnology needed to help control blight since Europe is removing some pesticide options

APEAM's marketing surge pays off big Coverage from The Packer


Child protection services should be called in for some obesity cases, say some
"What we are saying is that we need to start having some options because we get to a stage where our options are running out and we are not able to help these families for whatever reasons - either the parents are unable or unwilling to follow the advice from the weight management program."

Bird flu in China claims another victim

Climate change may shuffle Western weeds

CRS report: FDA authority over labs and other top headlines

It has often been said by food safety pundits, "You can't test your way to food safety." This is particularly so when you fail to heed test results showing that the food you produce is tainted.

Following that theme, Luis of the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group uploads this CRS report titled "FDA authority to oversee private laboratories that analyze imported FDA-regulated food." From the summary:

Industry observers have raised concerns about perceived gaps in food import safety over the past few years. One particular area of concern focuses on imported goods that are released into the United States market after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) detains them under an import alert. Generally, these goods may be released into the market after an importer “provides evidence that the entry is in compliance with federal laws and regulations.” Currently, the FDA
does not have express statutory authority to regulate the private labs that test these imported goods for compliance, although the FDA has authority over the importer and imported products. This report focuses on obstacles to and legislative proposals for FDA regulation of the private laboratories that analyze imported FDA-regulated goods. It will provide background to that relationship, as well as present information about agency and Bush Administration proposals and legislative responses from the 110th Congress (particularly the Dingell Draft, S. 2418, H.R. 5904, and H.R. 5827) to the lack of regulation.


Other headlines snatched from the Web:

Feds rarely file charges in tainted food cases Passed along by Doug Powell of the Food Safety Network. Feds/ state vow to go after peanut butter manufacturer but precedent isn't with them

Food safety watchdogs and legal experts say criminal charges have only been brought against a handful of companies involved in high-profile outbreaks though federal law allows cases to be prosecuted without proof the company knew it was distributing contaminated food. They say the law is not used often because NRDC calls for ban of 2,4-d herbicidethere has been little will to pursue criminal charges in all but the most noteworthy and outrageous cases, and that has put the public at risk.

Bring me some wrinkle reducing jam
--THE OPRAH-IZATION OF FOODS. We want our food to come with compelling stories, says the Guru of New, aka Sarah Browne. A perfect example, she says: Dole organic bananas. Each one is branded with a number you can enter on the company's Web site and be transported, via Google Earth, to where it was picked -- and even find out by whom. The cooler your story (Ancient herbs! Long-lost tribes! Rare harvest!) the better.

Organic is good but too costly, consumers say Relating to use of organic inputs for gardening

Costa Rica expects EU offer on bananas in February From The Guardian
Costa Rica expects the European Union to make a new offer on bananas next month in an attempt to resolve the world's longest-running trade dispute, Foreign Trade Minister Marco Vinicio Ruiz said on Friday.

Settling the row would end a decades-long dispute that has poisoned relations among dozens of countries and remove an obstacle to an overall deal in the World Trade Organisation's Doha round to free up global commerce.

Figuring cherry supply and demand Also talk in this piece about the TSA's Certified cargo screening program

Mark Powers, vice president of the Northwest Horticultural Council in Yakima, Wash., said that part of the equation facing shippers of produce in the Northwest is simply what the market is going to be this year and how much capacity will be available. The biggest crop shipped by air out of the Northwest is cherries, with roughly 50 percent going out on passenger aircraft. If there is a significant drop in capacity without an equal drop in demand, an alternative would be to go with freighter airlines. While using freighters is less expensive, they are not as reliable, he said. He also noted that the cherry crop in 2008 was less than normal, reducing the amount of capacity needed. The big question for cherry growers is how big the crop will be this coming summer.


Little chance of a turnaround this year From Fortune. It's worse than you think, probably.

Recession can change a way of life From the NYT. Are we going to be a more stay at home, board game playing nation?

In addition to trying to get out of the recession — our first priority — many of us will be making do with less and relying more on ourselves and our families. The social changes may well be the next big story of this recession.

Not your father's recession From Oregon
"This is not your father's recession; this is your grandfather's recession," Krugman says. "That's what's extremely frightening, because your grandfather's recession was the Great Depression."

Adult fast food diets tied to too much TV as a teen From the Washington Post
Five years out, high-school students who had watched more than five hours of TV a day and were now young adults ate less fruit, vegetables, whole grains and calcium-rich foods. Instead, they ate more snack foods, fried foods, fast food, sugar-sweetened beverages and foods containing trans-fats.

A tomato a day From The Modesto Bee
Growers of processing tomatoes, meeting in Modesto this week, heard about a marketing effort that includes research into the cardiovascular benefits of the food.


Bee, mandarin decision may wait for bloom From Capital Press
Sometime in February, California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura is expected to issue a draft of rules designed to keep the bees away from the seedless oranges. Because that draft is then subject to a mandatory 45-day public comment period, the final resolution may come too late for any changes before mandarin trees bloom and are once again vulnerable to cross-pollination by the bees.

The long-simmering dispute between mandarin growers and beekeepers led to 2007 legislation that called for formation of a Seedless Mandarin-Honeybee Coexistence Working Group.

The group, made up of growers and beekeepers, was charged with coming up with an agreement that would protect seedless mandarins from bees that carry pollen from seeded varieties of citrus and cause seeds to form in the fruit. The rights of beekeepers to place hives was to also be protected.

The group had a deadline of June 2008 or the matter would be settled by CDFA. The law called for a rule to be in place by Feb. 1 so both sides would have time to adapt, but CDFA spokesman Steve Lyle said the need for a comment period was more important than meeting the deadline.

Growers blame honeybees for carrying pollen from seeded varieties of citrus to their seedless varieties, causing the fruit to develop seeds. One or two seeds in every few pieces of fruit are acceptable, but multiple seeds in large numbers mean lower prices for growers.

The citrus industry has also sought to limit the number of hives placed near vulnerable citrus plantings. Beekeepers have been adamant about their right to place hives where permission is given or on their own property.

In the past several years the problem has grown because of the number of hives coming into the state for almond pollination. Many remain in the state and are placed near citrus for honey production. Acreage of seedless mandarins has also grown.

Door to door organics A network of CSAs?

Door to Door Organics, serving Colorado, Michigan and the East Coast is one of many produce delivery services growing in popularity. Here’s how it works: Each week, you receive a box containing a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables based on arrivals from participating organic farms. You choose the quantity and variety that will meet your needs, and fresh produce arrives at your door with the click of your mouse.

Obama's FDA pick within days From Reuters

Tracking down a salmonella outbreak

Groups aim to protect U.S. jobs in stimulus bill From the LA Times
An amendment to the House bill, sponsored by Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), would require contractors that receive federal funds through the bill to verify the immigration status of their employees using a controversial program called E-Verify.

At least two senators have indicated they will push for a similar measure in the Senate version of the stimulus bill.

NRDC call for ban of 2,4-D herbicide

EPA spokesman Dale Kemery said the agency will accept comments through Feb. 23 about National Resources Defense Council's request to stop the use of 2,4-D in the United States. Comments can be submitted on the Internet via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at regulations.gov. The docket identification number of the 2,4-D petition is EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0877.

Dieting on a dime Another in an endless series of saving money with the food budget, and sure enough, this story plainly advises: substitute frozen fruits and vegetables for fresh.

Organic outrage and other top headlines for Jan. 29

Luis of the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group links to this UK story about air-freighted produce and the organic lobby. From the piece:

The Soil Association proposed last year to ban suppliers and retailers from putting its certification label on fruit and vegetables that arrived in Britain by air, arguing that air-freighting produce generated 177 times more greenhouse gas than sending the same produce by sea. But the association has retreated after being lobbied by supermarket chains including Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose and Asda, which want to continue selling air-freighted organic food. The decision to approve air freight, which the association posted discreetly on its website, will provoke uproar in the wider organic movement.

TK: The Soil Association is right. There is no justification for this higher standard for air-shipped organic produce.

China turning to the humble potato
China is the largest producer of potato in the world; they produce over 70 million tons of potato. And the Chinese government is looking to increase that to 120 million tons in the next five years to be able to feed their growing population. So yes consumption is increasing in China.

How green is my wallet? Organic food growth slows From Reuters

Typical growth rates of 20 to 30 percent for organic food sales in the United States eased in the second half of 2008 as middle- and upper-income families felt the strain of layoffs and declining investment portfolios, said Tom Pirovano, director of industry insights at market research firm The Nielsen Co.

Sales in December were up 5.6 percent, year on year, against a 25.6 percent rise a year earlier.

Even though growth is slowing, Pirovano noted that most people who purchased organic foods were very committed.

"I'm not convinced that we are going to see big declines in organics any time soon," he said.

Spinach the cure for citrus greening? From The Palm Beach Post

Gore urges action on economy, global warming

Save money at the grocery story Another in the long line of similar stories
Buy fresh produce in season -- citrus fruits in winter, asparagus in spring, tomatoes in summer and apples in fall. While we're fortunate to have access to most fruits and vegetables year-round, in-season produce is typically less expensive and more flavorful.

Choose canned or frozen fruits and vegetables when fresh is too expensive or unavailable. Just be sure to select those without added sugar and salt.

Trimming fat from the food and budget

14 day shelf life for fresh cut fruits and vegetables Hefestus Ltd. to unveil system at Fruit Logistica

Why more matters? Coverage from Great Falls, Montana

Where does agriculture stand in the stimulus package? Good breakdown of funding, based on Congressional Research Service report

2008 Annual Summary - Vegetables USDA NASS report
Fresh market vegetable and melon production for the 24 selected crops estimated in 2008 totaled 449 million hundredweight, down 2 percent from last year. Harvested area covered 1.73 million acres, down 3 percent from 2007. Value of the 2008 crop is estimated at 10.4 billion dollars, up 4 percent from a year ago. The three largest crops, in terms of production, are onions, head lettuce, and watermelons, which combined to account for 37 percent of the total production. Tomatoes, head lettuce, and onions claim the highest values, accounting for 32 percent of the total value when combined. For the 24 selected vegetables and melons estimated in 2008, California continues to be the leading fresh market State, accounting for 44 percent of the harvested area, 49 percent of production, and 50 percent of the value.

USDA nears decision on food safety chief Marler apparently not in the mix

Update on Taiwan's organic regulations USDA FAS report

UN chief warns of food shortages in poor countries
Sheeran said that more people are going hungry as remittances to poor countries fall and exports from developing nations slow because importers are buying less. Credit, which is vital to small farmers for buying seeds and fertilizer at the beginning of the season, has become inaccessible for many, she said.

Retail banana price wars bad for workers Coverage from the UK

Avocado commission to meet in Fallbrook
The California Avocado Commission is to meet in Fallbrook Thursday, its first meeting since a state audit uncovered questionable spending practices by staffers and commissioners.

Commission members are likely to get an earful from local growers angry about a California Department of Food and Agriculture report released earlier this month that outlined more than $1.5 million spent on clothes, ball games, home improvements and other dubious expenses.

236,000 foreclosures in Cali last year
In California, the areas that have been hardest hit by foreclosures include the Inland Empire, the Antelope Valley and the Central Valley, where many first-time homeowners flocked to buy new homes.

Feds again push back E-verify deadline
The federal government has agreed to postpone implementing the E-Verify regulation for federal contractors until May 21, 2009 at the earliest, a business group said today. The regulation requires contractors to check with the E-Verify system to ascertain whether workers are legally eligible to work in the United States.

Federal officials agreed to a request by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to postpone enforcement of the regulation so that the rule can be reviewed by the Barack Obama administration, the organization said in a news release.

Activists keep heat on Obama over immigration
Opponents say Obama is unlikely to tackle comprehensive reform until the second or third year of his term. Advocates say he could raise the issue as early as September if a stimulus package currently before Congress succeeds in stemming the economic slide, and if progress meeting other policy goals such as healthcare reform is made.

U.S. consumers will help determine future world growth
Economists say the fiscal-stimulus packages from Washington to Beijing will cushion the downturn but fall short of preventing a world-wide recession. And global growth, when it comes, will still be powered in part by U.S. consumers -- though they'll spend far less than they did in the debt-fueled years of the recent boom.

New global climate change deal urged Which is it - global warming or climate change?

"This is almost certainly our last chance to get climate change under control before it passes the point of no return,” said EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas, who noted that President Obama’s early statements on climate change were “tremendously encouraging”.

Mr Dimas was speaking at the launch of the EU’s draft negotiating position, which the commission has prepared for this year’s Copenhagen climate summit, where countries will gather under the auspices of the UN to agree a successor to Kyoto.

The EU proposal, which must still be approved by EU leaders, calls for the creation of an OECD-wide emissions trading system to enable world powers to trade carbon permits by 2015. “It appears Obama prefers cap and trade,” said Mr Dimas, who added that many states, such as New Zealand, Australia and Japan, were already moving in that direction.

Kroger and Cellfire use of digital coupons expands


The food industry made us fat Review of the book "Stuffed" A fast food nation-esque book about food manufacturers

Loving Wal-Mart and other top news for Jan. 26

I was in Wal-Mart today with my wife, picking up an order of photos and I struck up a conversation with a sales floor clerk. (I kept my high profile blogging status on the down low) She had much good to say about Wal-Mart ("It's the best kept secret," she told me. "It pays better than any other retail.") She told how well heeled suburbanites who formerly turned up their nose at Wal-Mart are now shopping at the store ("Where have they been for the past ten years?"). And she noted that Wal-Mart will match any advertised special, even in the produce department."Aldi has lower prices for avocados," she allowed, but she noted no other grocery retailer she visits honors the ad prices of competitors. She was such a great PR rep for Wal-Mart ("We get a bonus based on how the store does," she confided.) that I almost wanted to sign on right there on the spot. There is no more important customer to please than your own employee, and Wal-Mart has apparently accomplished that and more with Sue in Olathe.

Other top news for today:

Vilsack withdraws proposed $3 million cut to fruit and vegetable program From the USDA:
Vilsack also announced that the Department does not plan to implement a proposal developed by the previous Administration that would have cut more than $3 million from the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, a popular program that promotes the growth of healthy fruits and vegetables.

Tough times for tators Coverage from Washington state and KEPRTV.com
Suddenly, growers and processors scrambled to scale back. Dozens of orders had to be re-arranged. And too few acres of potatoes were now too many.

"There's a lot of uncertainty because people don't know what commodity prices going to bring," Clay Allen said, a sales representative for Double L.

Then last week, processors quietly announced they were immediately cutting the amount of potato contracts. French fry demand was way down. They blamed increased costs, a weak economy and changes in fast-food menus.

The big three processors, Lamb Weston (the potato- processing division of Con-Agra Foods), J.R. Simplot and McCain Foods could cut back as much as 20 percent.

Local food plea to supermarkets (UK) From The Press in York

That is the plea from the Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humber (RFG) It argues that while the recession is affecting people’s shopping habits, buying local food “can bring significant benefits to regions’ economies”.

Jonathan Knight, chief executive of the RFG, listing the benefits, said: “First and foremost local food production creates jobs in the local community, which in turn will have a positive impact on future investment and opportunities in the area.

Future food items may be a challenge to copywriters From Ad Age
We want our food to come with compelling stories, says the Guru of New, aka Sarah Browne. A perfect example, she says, is Dole organic bananas, each one branded with a number you can enter on the company's website and be transported, via Google Earth, to where it was picked -- and discover by whom. The cooler your story (ancient herbs! Long-lost tribes! Rare harvest!), the better.

A seed in time Brief history and appreciation of the apple

Organic options From the story, on "why organic"?

"Basically I see it as premium fuel," Krieger said. "It's better for you. It's better for the Earth, and it's better for the animals that are involved." Studies on the impact of organic foods in the diet have been small and are not yet long-term enough to be a good gage, but the impact on the environment seems to be more immediate.

EU's false insecticide fears post threat to Africa

You might assume that the EU could demonstrate some threat to humans or the environment, that it had found viable alternatives to the banned pesticides and that it had assessed the consequences of this ban to farming, to food prices and to the poor whose only defence against disease is pesticides. But you would be wrong on all counts.

Farmer's market to fight obesity, diabetes From the UPI in Brownsville, Texas:
A voucher system, funded by a grant by the Texas Department of State Health Services, allows low-income families to receive $10 in vouchers to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.The vouchers can go a long way at the market.

Citrus workers imperiled by carbon monoxide forklift apparently left running was the cause.

Obama promises to lead the world on climate change yet some say some damage from climate change is irreversible. Will that fact make more or less eager to sacrifice our lifestyles for lower CO2 emissions?

New Rio Queen citrus packing shed to open soon in south Texas

Two grocery stores label with nutritional information

Markets solve the immigration problem Sort of.

Vilsack promises to tackle food safety


More cheery news here: California controller discusses budget deficit.


Chile retail sales tumble 9% in December

Roubini: the worst is not over

Retail sales figures just published, Roubini reckons, demonstrate that the debt-burdened U.S. consumer is now panicking as job losses, income losses, declines in home wealth, and a severe credit crunch take a severe toll on their ability to spend.

"The reduction in spending and deleveraging of the U.S. consumer will take years to rebuild," said Roubini.

Economic stimulus and contraceptives - the weekend update

The idea that stimulus package pushed by the Democrats has hundreds of millions for contraceptives and family planning is astounding. How does this create jobs? How does this get the economy moving? Aren't people our greatest resource? From Drudge today, this exchange:

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi boldly defended a move to add birth control funding to the new economic "stimulus" package, claiming "contraception will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government."

Pelosi, the mother of 5 children and 6 grandchildren, who once said, "Nothing in my life will ever, ever compare to being a mom," seemed to imply babies are somehow a burden on the treasury.

The revelation came during an exchange Sunday morning on ABC's THIS WEEK.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Hundreds of millions of dollars to expand family planning services. How is that stimulus?

PELOSI: Well, the family planning services reduce cost. They reduce cost. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children's health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those - one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So no apologies for that?

PELOSI: No apologies. No. we have to deal with the consequences of the downturn in our economy.


TK. Can't buy Pelosi's argument. This has got to go if the stimulus package advances, IMHO.

More headlines snatched from the Web over the weekend:

Florida citrus faces tax war From The Ledger: It appears the industry is on the horns of a dilemma, a Hobson's choice that may leave it no alternative but to leave the idea of an import tax alone.

Florida Department of Citrus officials have been warned a proposed new tax on orange juice imports faces a certain legal challenge, but foreign importers have threatened a much bigger fight against the federal tariff on OJ imports if the Florida Legislature approves the new tax.
Later...

Citrus Department officials have asked Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, to sponsor the new imports tax bill, but he told The Ledger he is reluctant because of a threat to the federal tariff on OJ imports.

"I'm concerned if the efforts to collect the tax could jeopardize the federal tariff," he said. "I'm trying to understand where everybody is and the relative risk."

The federal government collects a tariff equal to almost 30 cents a gallon on OJ imports to the U.S.

Without the tariff, Florida citrus growers say, Brazilian juice processors could undercut the price of orange juice from Florida and drive them out of business.

Green light specials, now at Wal-Mart From the NYT: Good story taking the measure of Wal-Mart's sustainability efforts in recent years, and reference to the irresistible low hanging fruit. From the story:

While environmentalists give Wal-Mart kudos for the changes it has made, they say that much of what it has achieved so far amounts to collecting low-hanging fruit. The company sells tens of thousands of products, and has demanded the overhaul of only a handful, they say. “

Seven Houston pallet firm officials face immigration charges From The Houston Chronicle

Seven executives and managers at IFCO, a Houston-based pallet company, were charged Friday with conspiring between 2003 and 2006 to harbor illegal immigrants.

Honey bees could be in short supply Calif. almonds at risk?

Mapping out pesticide use Maine considers a controversial proposal to allow public to search an online database to see where and when farmers applied pesticides.

Asian psyllid threatens Calif. citrus From the LA Times
The psyllid alone won't hurt California orange groves. The threat comes when the bug lands on a tree already infected with the bacterium that causes the greening disease, also known as huanglongbing or yellow dragon disease. It will feed on the diseased tree and then carry the pathogen to nearby trees. The psyllid will reproduce -- like aphids, they are asexual and don't need to find a mate -- creating whole colonies of citrus greening carriers.

State and local inspectors are tracking the bug, hoping that it doesn't find a citrus tree already infected with the disease, which has no cure.

Citrus pest moving closer to Yuma County From The Yuma Sun
Found in Tijuana last summer, the psyllid soon was also found across the border in San Diego County. It since has been found in Mexicali and in Imperial County in Ocotillo, Calexico, Seeley and Westmorland. So far, the disease it can carry has not been found in this region.

WIC food lists changing to help with health From the Louisville Courier Journal
Kentucky is among the first states working through the federal approval process, which gives states a say in how the changes are made. New York and Delaware have already made the changes; all states must roll them out by October.

California farmers idle crops; veggie prices may rise From AP: Where are those homegrown deals when you need them?

This year, officials in Fresno County predict farmers will only grow about 6,000 acres of lettuce, roughly half the acreage devoted to greens in 2005.

That alone could cause a slight bump in consumer prices, unless lettuce companies can make up for the shortage by growing in areas with an abundant water supply, or the cost of cooling, packaging and shipping the crop suddenly goes down, experts say.

Rain not enough to fix water woes From The Mercury
With salmon disappearing, water managers and regulators must discuss how to balance salmon's cold-water needs with deliveries for cities and farms, according to court documents filed Wednesday.


Forget green! Purple is color of new superfoods From ABC15.com

Fruit / Antioxidant rating
1. Maqui berry Chile (juice) / 820
2. Acai berry S. America / 160 - 300
3. Blueberry N. America / 61
4. Raspberry N. America / 21
5. Grapes N. America / 14

It's possible: eating healthy, cheaply From Midwest Ag Net, another story about eating well and cheaply. Some of the ideas: buy potatoes instead prepackaged mashed potatoes. Buy a head of lettuce instead of a bag of lettuce. Whole carrots instead of baby carrots.

Penny pinching consumers boost German chain From German news site. From the story:

Aldi accounts for only about one percent of the entire $900 billion food-retailing sector, according to Jim Hertel, managing partner of Willard Bishop Consulting.

But the global slowdown is slowly but surely changing American retail attitudes, other analysts point out, making consumers previously wary about no-name private grocers adopt a more open attitude toward low-price shopping options.

“Private labels used to have a reputation of being cheap, but of poor quality. Now the quality and perception of quality have improved to Aldi's benefit. Then add factors like inflation in the last year and the recession. The convergence of all these factors are opening up peoples' minds to Aldi,” Hertel said.

Will big chill wreak havoc on Lake citrus crop? From the Orlando Sentinel


Our sustainable diet: how to start greening your diet The Wenatchee World


Meeting of the minds to solve Salinas gang issue



Which came first - the egg or the gourmet egg? From the AP

COOL under review and other top headlines for Jan. 23

This story from the NYT The Obama Administration may seek to tighten up labeling rules in the COOL rule, recently put under review by the new president.

President Obama has frozen an Agriculture Department rule set forth by the Bush administration requiring country-of-origin labeling on meat and other perishables. Opponents of the rule say that by allowing meat produced in domestic facilities that also process animals from abroad to carry a "multicountry" designation, it will blur the distinctions between U.S. and imported meats. It is expected that the new administration will seek to tighten the measure.

Here are some other headlines snatched from the Web today:

Citrus commission okays its own stimulus
The Florida Citrus Commission has agreed to spend nearly $7 million on advertising programs to increase sales of orange and grapefruit juices this year.

California stands to gain most from stimulus
In its current form, the plan would give California $4.46 billion for investment in water, roads, public transportation, highways and bridges, according to the House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Fitch downgrades Dole From the story:

The downgrade is due to growing uncertainty surrounding Dole's string of significant near-term maturities, the company's negative free cash flow and the absence of a concrete plan to repay or refinance its obligations.

California farmers slash acreage to deal with drought Some Central Valley growers have credit frozen until they can show banks they have water. Processing tomato acreage to be cut, plus lettuce and melons. From the San Jose Mercury News:

Computer models of the state's parched reservoirs and this year's patchy snowfall showed shortages so extreme that federal officials could slash supplies down to zero, managers at the Westlands Water District told their members in an emergency conference call.

Costa Rica backs Ecuador in battle against EU From the Tico Times:

Ecuador and Costa Rica, the world's second- and third-largest banana exporters respectively, after Philippines, have condemned the EU's preferential treatment toward former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific in allowing duty-free, quota-free access into the European market, while maintaining tariffs for Latin American countries.

Last year, countries in this region signed an agreement with the EU that says Europe would reduce its tax on bananas imported from Latin America from €176 ($229) to €114 ($148) a ton from 2009 to 2014.

The tariff was supposed to drop to €148 ($193) on Jan. 1, but the EU argued that the agreement was no longer binding as it was reached during a Doha round that broke down. Ruiz said the issue will be key during a meeting between Central American trade officials and the European Commission representative Catherine Ashton set for Monday in Brussels, Belgium.

Public yawns at climate change Just as I suspected. From The New Republic:
Andy Revkin passes along a new Pew report showing that very few people seem to care much about global warming—just 30 percent of respondents listed it as a "top priority," down from 38 percent two years ago.


Even good borrowers may face foreclosure soon From The Dallas Morning News

During the next couple of years, loans on billions of dollars in local commercial properties will expire, and the owners will have to find new financing.Unless the lenders change their approach, they can expect to foreclose on hundreds of local commercial properties.

A stimulus package for the world Economic crisis has already pushed 100 million into poverty, NYT says.

Wal-Mart completes takeover of Chilean grocer its biggest acquisition in Latin America

Wal-Mart's green store prototypes

Massachusetts f/v snack program feature

"Our students were thrilled to learn about the fruit and vegetable grant. The student response was very positive," Butts said. "We hope by introducing fresh fruit and vegetable snacks, our students will develop healthier eating habits and an interest in trying healthy new foods. With concerns about obesity and junk food consumption, this program has the potential to be a very positive move toward better health."

Fresh & Easy lets patrons shop for schools

Japan launches greenhouse gas rocket

In praise of pesticides Truth about Trade and Technology

There is still time to reconsider the EU’s ill-thought out new pesticide rules. Unless more people learn not to pillory pesticides but to praise them - or at least to acknowledge the good they do - there will be a big price to pay. The currency of that price will be higher European food costs and soaring death rates in developing countries.


FDA crackdown cuts back availability of Asian food for new year celebration

Exporters face new Canadian requirements Coverage from The Packer

Paying the price of obesity

Recent research by Adam Drewnowski, director of the Nutritional Science Program at the UW, has linked rising obesity rates in the United States with economic factors. The rise comes not from the amount of fats or sugars consumed, but is in conjunction with income level.

Drewnowski’s research found that obesity levels tend to increase as income levels and education decrease. Racial and ethnic minorities and areas of high poverty are also associated with higher obesity rates.

According to the study, the reason for the link between income and obesity is attributed to the fact that high-energy foods simply cost less to produce compared to healthier options such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

Victory gardens to bloom again? More on the unlikely popularity of vegetable gardening. From the story:

During World War II, "victory gardens" planted at the behest of the federal government helped Americans cope with food shortages. (In World War I, they were called "liberty gardens.") By 1943, Americans had planted more than 20 million victory gardens and reportedly produced 8 million tons of food that one old film called "America's hid den weapon."

Now, in a fractured economic climate, a new victory-garden movement has captured the attention of people who want to lessen their reliance on mass-produced or imported food, reduce their carbon footprint, foster a sense of community or save on grocery bills.

Crop damage in Florida - news roundup

Florida's freezing temperatures are grabbing headlines this morning. Here is a list of what's out there so far:

Florida freeze nails beans and other vegetables From The Packer's Doug Ohlemeier

A freeze that struck south Florida growing areas caused extensive damage to the region’s winter green beans and sweet corn.

Florida grower-shippers were assessing damage after temperatures plummeted to subfreezing levels — between 26 and 30 degrees — in the Homestead, Belle Glade, Immokalee and Plant City growing regions during the early morning hours of Jan. 22.

Florida strawberry growers, who spray their fields with water to form ice domes that protect the tender berries from freezing, in initial reports appear to have escaped serious damage.

While damage estimates weren’t available Jan. 22, some Belle Glade-area corn and green beans fields in initial reports sustained losses of at least 80%.

Emergency order in effect to speed harvest, crop transport From Marco Island Sun Times

Agricultural producers as far south as Lake Okeechobee are assessing crop damage caused by the frigid temperatures of the past two nights. Seventy million citrus trees and tens of thousands of acres of fresh fruits and vegetables were in regions where temperatures remained below 30 degrees for several hours.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said that while initial reports are coming in, the extent of the damage will not be known for several days.

Florida freeze threatens orange, blueberry crop From the AP

Freezing weather strikes Florida citrus groves From Reuters

Fearing frozen foods From Gainesville.com

National Agricultural Law Center and PACA

Bruce Summers of USDA AMS passed on a nice resource to look at when considering the issue of PACA trust rights and relevant court decisions over the years. This link highlights the American Banana case from several years ago that resulted in a produce seller losing rights to statutory trust due to a post-default agreement. Also find this helpful commentary here. More coverage coming on that in The Packer...

Here are some headlines snatched from the Web this morning.

Obama's first day After 10 inaugural balls the day before, Obama active on war in Iraq, bailout

Possible FDA head: more staff needed to inspect food From Newsday

Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic - and reported to be on President Barack Obama's short list to become FDA chief - said food inspection is swamped by the FDA's other responsibilities: the approval of medications and medical devices.

"Here's one of the problems: Foods have two major inspection agencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the FDA. I think all of it needs to be under one roof," Nissen said yesterday.

Immigrant activists call for end to raids

European pesticide battle rumbles on Grower groups want negative impact measured before new rules are implemented next year

State auditors question avocado commission's payouts Coverage from The Packer

World running out of water Pacific Institute and Water Footprint Network produces scary numbers and has ag in its sights:

A significant part of the problem is the huge, and often deeply inefficient, use of water by industry and agriculture. UN calculations suggest that more than one third of the world's population is suffering from water shortages: by 2020 water use is expected to increase by 40 per cent from current levels, and by 2025, according to another UN estimate, two out of three people could be living under conditions of “water stress”.

Florida growers work to save crops from freeze

Rio Queen citrus founder dies Coverage from The Packer

CDC warns of program cuts The now familiar theme: how will state budget cuts affect services to consumers and industry?

Supply, weather factors lift lettuce prices Coverage from The Packer

Colder winter actually proof of global warming Could it be any other way?

Greek farmers maintain highway blockades

Potato shippers avoid national oversupply Coverage from The Packer

South Korea's economy shrinks Fourth quarter results show GDP contracted 5.6%, more than double what was predicted

Foreclosures spread from sub prime to prime

Changes to credit limits influence consumer behavior
A report on website Internet Retailer suggests that falling credit limits could impact the average person's spending behavior.
While many people reported they planned to voluntarily cut back on purchases over the holiday season, others may have found their hands tied due to credit concerns.

Deeper housing woes this year, say economists

Hotels trim amenities Fewer cookies and hand lotion