Ag News: China Allows Tariff Exemptions and Potato’s Health Benefits
**Beijing announced it will allow importers to apply for tariff exemptions for nearly 700 U.S. products including farm and energy goods, as China continues grappling with the coronavirus.
Agrimarketing.com reports, China is also removing an import ban on all U.S. poultry because of the H5N1 bird flu threat to Chinese farms.
Thousands of containers of meat products are piling up at major Chinese ports because of labor shortages and transport restrictions due to coronavirus.
**Potatoes are often equated with refined grains due to their carbohydrate content, but potatoes also contain fiber, resistant starch, and key micronutrients.
According to potatogrower.com, crossover study at Penn State University including 50 generally healthy adults directly compared the nutrient quality and impact on cardiometabolic risk factors of non-fried potatoes to refined grains.
The findings show potatoes can support a healthy diet. Daily intake of one serving of non-fried potato did not affect markers of glycemia and was associated with better diet quality compared to refined grains.
**More frequent and damaging wildfires have heightened the need for updated research on how livestock grazing helps reduce fire hazard, and the University of California Cooperative Extension says it’s beginning such studies.
A UC livestock advisor says grazing is the most widespread practice to lessen grasses and reduce the speed and intensity of fire, but some public land management agencies don't allow grazing.