Ag News: Fresh Produce Exports Mixed and Match.Graze Website
**USDA numbers show exports of U.S. fresh produce showed mixed trends over the past year.
According to thepacker.com, for the 12-month period from September 2019 to August 2020, the USDA reports fresh fruit exports totaled $4.38 billion, up 1% from the same period a year ago.
U.S. fresh vegetable exports from year-long September to August period were $2.57 billion, down 5% compared with the same period the previous year.
**A new, online service attempts to match landowners who want to reduce wildfire fuels with livestock owners whose animals could graze the land.
Called Match.Graze, the website was developed by University of California Cooperative Extension.
The extension service says grazing can provide an affordable alternative for decreasing grasses and other fire fuels, especially on steep, rocky terrain or land in the urban-wildland interface.
**The USDA will award $10 million in grants to strengthen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training programs, which help participants gain the skills, training, or work experience needed to gain employment.
That’s according to a statement from Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue last week.
USDA is providing more than $6.7 million in SNAP E&T National Partnership Grants to help four national non-profit organizations expand program capacity to serve SNAP participants and over $3.2 million in SNAP E&T Data and Technical Assistance Grants to support improved E&T data collection and reporting.
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