Ag News: House Ag Chair Lists Priorities

**Agricultural priorities are being set in Congress in this new session.

House Ag Committee Chair, David Scott of Georgia, says at the top of his list of most important matters are food security, racial equality, the farm bill, and climate change.

According to www.agrimarketing.com, Scott also aims to set up an independent disaster aid fund to help farmers.

Scott says farm bill discussions are also starting and meetings are planned with industry stakeholders.

www.agrimarketing.com/s/134610

**China failed to meet its “phase one” target for imports of U.S. food, agriculture, and seafood products despite a surge in purchases that began late last summer.

The Peterson Institute for International Economics tells www.agriculture.com, Chinese customs data show food and ag imports totaled $23.5 billion in 2020, or about two-thirds of the goal of $36.6 billion.

For 2021, the target rises to $43.5 billion.

www.agriculture.com/news/crops/china-gets-to-two-thirds-of-phase-one

**The California Walnut Board and University of California, Davis have announced a new walnut variety called “UC Wolfskill” …. designed with growers in mind.

As reported in www.thepacker.com, the research was funded by the CWB through annual funding of the UC Davis walnut breeding program.

UC Wolfskill was bred by UC Davis researchers in 2003 from a cross of Chandler with the earlier harvest Solano walnut.

UC Wolfskill can be harvested 12 to 14 days earlier than Chandler and provides consistently lighter color.

www.thepacker.com/news/produce-crops/california-walnut-variety-designed-growers-mind?mkt/