Cup of cheer and other headlines

If turning the page to a new year can't make us optimistic, nothing will. Don't look for a pick me up in the following headlines, though....


2009: the year the economy changed your life And you thought 2008 was bad... this piece is not a cup of cheer we need for the new year.... by end of 2009, real unemployment rate predicted near the all time 1930s Depression high of 25% says one gloomy economist


Local food supplants organics and what's ahead for 2009 From the piece:

That fast food may not offer the best nutrition. But, sadly, some will ignore nutrition in favor of calories as money gets tighter.

I wouldn’t be surprised if a setback in healthy eating becomes the top food story of 2009.

Produce supplier saw recession coming From the Des Moines Register, some coverage of Brendan Comito, 41, chief operating officer of Capital City Fruit.

Two more stand trial in China milk scandal
At least six babies in China died this year and 294,000 fell ill after drinking milk laced with melamine, which is normally used to make plastic.

Colorado must plan for its water future East slope v. west slope

Mexico's economic troubles grow

Is sustainability the worst example of official jargon? From coverage of the Centre for Policy Studies report on "newspeak"

Few words have become more heavily used or abused in government or corporate affairs than "sustainable". It now occupies a lofty position in the towering hierarchy of buzzwords. It is commonplace today to stick the word "sustainable" in front of almost anything, to talk of "sustainable development", "sustainable transport", "sustainable housing", "sustainable communities" and so on.

And more...

Companies now devote large sections of their ever-expanding annual reports to voluminous
jargon-ridden environmental reports and updates with impressive sounding statistics and targets. Annual reports ballooned to a colossal size as the credit crisis approached. But now shareholders and even ‘stake-holders’ may be thinking that perhaps it would have been better if more effort had been put into ensuring a business model that worked than that the canteen coffee cups were made from fibres from sustainable forests.

Five tips to help families eat right on a budget in 2009
Fresh vs. frozen rekindled.."Don't assume fresh is best." ?!??!

Agricultural Prices - USDA's December report

October home prices fall 18% in 20 metro areas
The 20-city index is down 23 percent from its 2006 peak. Fourteen of the 20 metropolitan areas showed record declines in the year ended in October.

Parents accused of killing with kindness New UK program aims to reach parents and modify their behavior so they scare their kids skinny. Graphic examples of children dying early from diabetes, heart disease and cancer will be publicized, say report.

Earthbound Farm to verify liquid organic fertilizer

Chile threatens to sue disappeared tricksters

Nebraska illegal immigration bill to include E-verify

Economy seen behind lagging behind immigration renewals Cost of renewals seen as factor

Mexican apples and Chinese citrus

There are a couple of reports worth nothing from the USDA FAS this morning:

Here is a report on China's citrus prospects:
China’s MY 2008 citrus production is forecast at 21 MMT, up 10 percent from the revised MY
2007 figure, the result of favorable weather conditions throughout the major citrus producing areas during the crop development period. Orange production is forecast at six MMT in MY 2008, up 10 percent from the previous year, as new plantings from a few years earlier have gradually reached full production. Production costs continue to rise in the wake of increased prices for inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides, electricity, fuel, water, and labor


Here is a link to the USDA FAS report on Mexican apples. From the summary:

Apple production for MY 2008/09 (August/July) is forecast at 540,000 MT, a 1.8 percent increase compared to MY 2007/08. Apple imports are forecast to decrease approximately five percent as a result of decreased demand and adverse exchange rates with the U.S. dollar. It is anticipated that the United States will remain the largest supplier of apples to Mexico. Pear production is forecast at 28,000 MT for MY 2008/09 (July/June), which is a marginal increase compared to MY 2007/08. Pear imp orts are forecast to decrease 4.7 percent due to lower demand and the depreciation of the Mexican Peso. Table grape production for MY 2008/09 (May/April) is forecast to decrease 3.8 percent compared to MY 2007/08 due to adverse weather conditions. Likewise, table grape imports are forecast to decrease roughly four percent due to decreased demand.


EU Food assistance

USDA FAS reports of note: Mexico border entry points, China's emerging market

Here are some USDA FAS reports of note:

Mexican entry ports for U.S. agricultural imports
This report contains an overview of Mexico’s primary inland border entry points, which are listed based on their geographic location from West to East. In terms of import permits issued, the top point of entry for agricultural products is Nuevo Laredo (including Colombia), which represents about half of all imports. Tijuana is second, followed by Reynosa, Ciudad Juarez, Nogales, Mexicali, Piedras Negras, and Matamoros.

Hefei: an emerging city in central China
As a key city in the government's proposed expansion plan of the Yangtze River Delta Economic Region, Hefei is well-positioned to capture the industrial shift from coastal areas into China's interior.


Other reports:
Canada's exit strategy for tobacco growers, aid for potato growers hit by nematodes
Hong Kong biotechnology annual 2008
Nut market in Korea
Canada disappointed in U.S. COOL
Technical requirements of the Canadian marketplace

Mexico - mirror policies?

It is helpful to remember: "what is good for the geese is good for the gander, turnabout is fair play and if you can do it, so can I. " And so on. (By the way, what is a "gander"? )

In the context of U.S. trade relations with Mexico, Kelly Jones, chairman of the board of Pico Largo SPR, Chihuahua, Mexico. gave a presentation at the U.S. Apple Association's Outlook and Marketing Conference Aug. 22 that pointed to a possible warning flags for U.S. apple sales to Mexico.

For one thing, Jones mentioned that the spread of the light brown apple moth in California is grabbing the attention of Mexico's phytosanitary authorities. The pest is a threat not only to fruit, but also to crops like corn and beans. Secondly, he noted that Mexico is none too pleased about the treatment that Mexican tomatoes and peppers received from the U.S. FDA. Mexican authorities, Jones said, have promised "mirror policies" for U.S. imports.

How this translates to trade friction in the upcoming year is difficult to say, but it represents yet another reason why FDA must exercise their power responsibly. If not - and our trading partners are provoked by arbitrary actions - it will be U.S. exporters who will have their goose cooked.

Mexico's next move

Luis of the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group posts this story from Mexico about what Sinaloa tomato producers in Mexico are considering in view of the "commercial problem" in the U.S. market. It certainly sounds as if new, mandatory self-imposed quality/food safety regulations are coming in Mexico. What follows are are a few graphs from the post, representing another example of the value of the discussion group and the valuable work of some of its most faithful contributors. To read the full post, sign up with the discussion group:

New Tomato Regulations Proposed
Claudia Beltrán 14-06-2008
http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?id=384790&id_seccion=10

The Mexican authorities must take advantage of the commercial problem that is being experienced with tomatoes in the United States to formulate regulation that requires all producers to comply with minimum quality rules for tomatoes and the rest of the vegetables.

Sergio Esquer Peiro, grower and president of the Council for the Economic Development of the State of Sinaloa, emphasized that it is important for Mexican agricultural authorities to formulate tomato specific norms to regulate the food safety parameters of this product.
It is urgent, he declared, to elaborate these norms and to make very clear that nobody is being discriminated. However, any packer that handles a certain amount of production or works certain acreage must comply with these safety rules.