-July 26,2020-
Grocery shoppers gobble up dairy
When COVID hit full force in the middle of March, total grocery store sales shot up 61% with dairy sales up 59%, reports Larry Levin, executive VP of Market and Shopper Intelligence with IRI. Levin spoke at The Dairy Experience held virtually in mid July.
Post panic, from the end of March through most of June, dairy retail sales are still up 17% and up 22% for the year
Good year for California Avocados
Consumers like to buy them in a bag
California avocado growers have a big crop to stretch out over the year. Shipments in 2020 may nearly double last year by December.
A industry report says “Rob Wedin of Calavo Growers Inc., Santa Paula, CA, said the avocado industry also is experiencing the same preference for bagged fruit that its colleagues in other sectors of the industry are noticing. While bagged avocados have been on an upward trend for the last few years, Wedin believes the fears generated by COVID-19 have accelerated the pace. He theorized that shoppers are less comfortable picking up bulk fruit handled by other shoppers. In addition, he said buying a bag of avocados that contains four to six pieces of fruit aligns with new shopping habits that see consumers going to the supermarket less often. A bag can ll their avocado needs until the next time they venture out.”
California strawberry harvest up over last year
California strawberry growers are producing more fruit this year despite COVID 19.here are the latest numbers including the Sant Maria district.
FARM BUREAU …”something is wrong when consumers are paying higher prices for meat and at the same time America’s farmers and ranchers are being paid less.”
The USDA released a report on its investigation into disparities between prices paid to farmers and beef prices at grocery stores in the past few days. The following statement may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall:
“We appreciate the USDA’s thorough examination of the beef markets. There’s little doubt that something is wrong when consumers are paying higher prices for meat and at the same time America’s farmers and ranchers are being paid less.
“We are pleased the USDA responded to our call for an investigation, but it’s important to note the scrutiny of the markets is not concluded. USDA indicates their examination continues and investigations by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as well as the Department of Justice, are ongoing.
UFW Decert’ election held at Foster Poultry Farms
The United Farm Workers replaced the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at the Foster Poultry Farms in Livingston in 2017. In July 2020, the NLRB held an election to determine if the 2,400 employees wanted to decertify the UFW.
The election is being conducted by United States mail. The mail ballots are mailed to employees employed in the appropriate collective-bargaining unit. At 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, ballots were mailed to voters from the National Labor Relations Board. Results will be known in August,collected August 5.