Welcome to the Friday edition of the HOT BARN REPORT
Heard ONLY on American radio stations across the nation and online at hotbarnreport.com!
Karina Jones, Field Director for R-Calf USA joins us each Friday from her ranch in the heart of Nebraska covering what’s new and important to the family farm and ranch.
Avocados from….NOT MEXICO!
Undoubtable the hot news to hit grocery store aisles this week is the news that USDA has halted imports of all things…. avocados from Mexico??? When cattle industry groups were begging to halt imports of Brazilian beef when they were riddled with BSE issues recently the USDA flat ignored us! What gives???
While Mexico is the world’s largest producer of avocados, for a long time it was shut out of the U.S. market and banned for phytosanitary reasons. Partial restrictions were lifted in 1997. Full market access to all 50 states will be permitted beginning January 2007. California’s share of total U.S. avocado consumption decreased from 77.8% in 1997 to only 12.9% in 2018. This dramatic growth in U.S. avocado imports and consumption with the accompanying change in market shares and structure has impacted both California acreage and production practices, according to a report from UC Davis. Well, you don’t say!
As we have seen over and over again our own government continues to place American ag industries on the altar of global trade as the sacrificial lamb. So, when The United States decided late last week to temporarily block all imports of avocados from Mexico after a verbal threat was made to U.S. safety inspectors working in the country, it will leave the American consumer caught in the crossfire. We have imported our domestic avocado growers out of a market and they exited a long time ago. This is nothing new for the US produce industry who has literally been run out of town or their own market by cheap imports.
So, let’s get back to the business of beef! 20% of beef consumed in the United States is imported. As a consumer, you would have no way of knowing that because the Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling laws are exempt on beef. And with the number of herd dispersals and the trajectory of the US cow inventory, we are also looking to import ourselves out of the domestic cattle industry. Are you upset that have handed control of our nation’s food supply off to countries that are riddled with social, economic, and flat out rampant criminal activity?
Tell your Senators and lawmakers about it! A hungry nation is going to be a crabby nation! We thank Senator Tester for introducing S. 3230 and Senator Rounds for co-sponsoring the legislation that would suspend Brazilian beef imports to the United States until experts can conduct a systematic review of the commodity’s safety. Light up that capitol switchboard 202-224-3121 and urge your senator to stand up for the American cattle industry and consumer by co-sponsoring S. 3230! Don’t waste your call, ask for them to sign on to The American Beef Labeling Act, S. 2716 and the 50/14 Spot Market Bill, S. 949 also!
Tune in, today, to cattleusa to bid on the hot run of bred heifers at cows at Crawford Livestock Market!
The HOTTEST sale barns in America
See more at HOT BARN REPORT
As always buy ’em up online at CattleUSA.com
Creighton Livestock Market
Lemmon Livestock, INC.
Presho Livestock Auction
Mobridge Livestock
Platte Livestock Market
Stockmen’s Livestock
Crawford Livestock Market
North Platte Stockyards
Bassett Livestock Auction
