Ag News: California LGMA E. coli Outbreaks
**The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement has made more than 50 changes to rules as they continue a review of its practices following recent E. coli outbreaks.
CEO Scott Horsfall tells thepacker.com, the LGMA established subcommittees this year to address specific parts of the food safety process, and the ones for farm water use and field/equipment sanitation have met numerous times in recent months.
The Arizona LGMA has made similar changes.
**A recent announcement by the World Organization for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations calls for a global response to African swine fever.
The three primary objectives, according to agrimarketing.com, are to improve the capability of countries to control ASF, establish an effective coordination and cooperation framework for global control of ASF, and facilitate business continuity to ensure safe production and trade.
**China is stepping up its purchases of U.S. farm exports, but will not meet the sales goals of the “phase one” agreement.
In their quarterly forecast, USDA analysts say China, the farm sector’s No. 1 customer before the trade war, will remain in third place for exports in 2021, behind Canada and Mexico.
According to agriculture.com, USDA estimates ag exports to China will total $14 billion this fiscal year, and $18.5 billion in fiscal 2021, short of the $36.6-billion the phase one deal called for.