Ag News: Carbon Market Interest and Vilsack on China’s Ag Purchases
**Irrigation districts in several of California’s Central Valley farm communities are suing the State Water Resources Control Board over its recent water curtailments order.
Lawsuits, filed in Fresno and Sacramento County superior courts, claim state officials overstepped their legal authority in halting diversions from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The August 20th water board action effectively cut off surface water supplies to 4,500 California farms.
**A new survey shows participation levels and interest in the Carbon Markets from ag retailers, a top source of farmer information, aren’t ideal.
According to www.agrimarketing.com, the study by Axiom Marketing found 70% of retailers don’t understand how to verify carbon to participate in the carbon markets.
50% say they’re unsure if they’ll participate, with just 8% saying the current incentive levels are enough to gain grower interest.
The first Carbon Offsets were paid to farmers this year.
www.agrimarketing.com/s/137943
**Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says China’s adherence to its commitment to buy mammoth quantities of U.S. farm exports will be a test of their place in global relations.
www.agriculture.com reports, while China has helped commodity prices with its purchases, it is not on track to meet the goal of importing $43.6 billion worth of U.S. food, ag, and seafood products by the end of December.
Through July, China had imported just over half at $23.2 billion.
www.agriculture.com/news/business/ag-purchases-are-a-test-of-chinese-credibility-says-vilsack