Just $70 million in Coronavirus Financial Assistance Program dairy payments were made the first week of July, but it’s unknown what was the real cause of the slowdown.
Grocery stores and farm groups have been urging people to buy only the food they can use, but a number of staple products have seen surges of demand, including dairy.
Certified farmers’ markets are now defined as an essential service for distribution of food supplies. Many of the markets were temporarily closed, have now reopened.
The California Strawberry Commission reports acreage in Oxnard was down slightly this season, but higher-yielding varieties have resulted in record levels of production.
The hits keep on coming for U.S. fruit exporters as China’s tariffs on U.S. apples, pears, cherries and other U.S. commodities increased an additional 10% yesterday.
A survey shows consumers wants the FDA to enforce existing regulations and prohibit non-dairy beverage companies from using the term "milk" on their product labels.
The USDA is still working through rates for the second round of the market facilitation program. That announcement is expected to come after December 3rd.