Wall Street Journal writer Kirk Maltais reported this week that, “Consumers’ rush to buy groceries is fueling a rally in orange-juice prices, making the usually sedate asset the best-performing commodity in the first quarter of 2020.”
Coronavirus and Ag
During COVID-19 Outbreak, Some Countries Restrict Ag Exports– WTO / UN Stress Importance of Keeping Supply Chains Open
Wall Street Journal writers Kirk Maltais and Joe Wallace reported this week that, “Consumers are loading up on pasta, rice and bread. Farm supply lines are disrupted. Countries are restricting agricultural exports.”
COVID-19 and Oil Prices Taking Toll on Ethanol Plants
Bloomberg writers Isis Almeida, Fabiana Batista, and Michael Hirtzer reported on Friday that, “The coronavirus and cheap oil are hitting the fuel business so hard that ethanol plants are shutting down. Some may never come back.”
Federal Stimulus Includes Money for Agriculture, as Farm Suppliers Accelerate Planting Input Deliveries
Wall Street Journal writers Siobhan Hughes and Natalie Andrews reported on Friday that, “President Trump signed a roughly $2 trillion stimulus package into law, hours after House lawmakers hustled back to the Capitol to pass the aggressive response to the coronavirus pandemic that has staggered the U.S. economy.”
Despite Ample Global Supplies, Concerns About “Food Nationalism,” and Supply Chain Restrictions Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
Earlier this week, Bloomberg writers Isis Almeida and Agnieszka de Sousa reported that, “It’s not just grocery shoppers who are hoarding pantry staples. Some governments are moving to secure domestic food supplies during the conoravirus pandemic.”
Progress in U.S., China Phase One Trade, as COVID-19 Logistical Hurdles Impact Markets
Reuters writers Andrea Shalal and David Lawder reported this week that, “The United States and China have made progress in implementing the agriculture-related provisions of a Phase 1 trade deal that took effect on Feb. 14, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Trade Representative said on Tuesday.”
COVID-19 Has “Dimmed” Economic Prospects for Corn Belt Farmers
Wall Street Journal writers Jacob Bunge, Kirk Maltais, and Jesse Newman reported on Saturday that, “The new coronavirus is dealing another blow to the struggling U.S. agricultural sector, driving down crop and livestock prices and threatening labor shortages for farms.”
COVID-19 Impacts: Plenty of Food “In the System,” But Guest Worker Concerns Persist
Ryan McCrimmon and Catherine Boudreau reported on Wednesday at Politico that, “Don’t be fooled by the barren grocery store shelves: There’s plenty more food on the way.”
Seasonal Labor, Transportation, Financing, and Food Inflation (China) Among Outbreak Issues in U.S. and Abroad
Reuters writer Chris Walljasper reported on Tuesday that, “U.S. fruit and vegetable producers are bracing for dramatic disruptions to their labor force after the U.S. government said it was suspending visa interviews in Mexico to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.”
During Outbreak, USDA Ensures Food Safety While Protecting Health of Inspectors
Reuters writer Tom Polansek reported this week that, “The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking to reassure meat producers it will keep slaughterhouses staffed with federal inspectors as fears about potential shutdowns due to the new coronavirus hammer livestock prices and fuel concerns about food supplies, meat industry groups said on Monday.”