Ag News: Pear Harvest Positive Outlook
**Pear farmers expect the California harvest to begin in about a month, and say early prospects for the crop look positive.
The California Pear Advisory Board reports the crop should be “more plentiful than the last two years,” but pears must reach optimum maturity before harvest begins.
The MARKET outlook for the pear crop also appears positive, although the board expresses concern about South American imports.
**Farmers who insured their crops this year and made the decision to plant cover crops will now be eligible for a financial bonus from USDA.
According to www.agweb.com, USDA's Risk Management Agency announced the Pandemic Cover Crop Program, which allows certain farmers who planted cover crops to be eligible for a $5 dollar per acre crop insurance premium discount.
Farmers have until June 15th to report cover crop acreage to your Farm Service Agency office.
**After rising for 12 months during the pandemic, international food prices are their highest since September 2011, according to the monthly FOOD PRICE INDEX.
Maintained by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the index surged 4.8% in May, its largest monthly increase in nearly 11 years.
Vegetable oil, grain, and sugar prices were sharply higher due to the resurgent global economy and concerns harvests could run later or this year’s crops could be smaller than expected.
Dairy and meat prices held firm.
www.agriculture.com/news/business/highest-food-prices-since-2011-may-persist-for-months
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