Category: Produce

The presidential campaign of Democrat Kamala Harris has named Matt Hildreth, the founder and executive director of RuralOrganizing.org, as its national rural outreach director.

Shawn Sebastian, director of organizing at RuralOrganizing, which is based in Columbus, Ohio, said on X that Hildreth will take a leave of absence from the group.

“For over a decade, Matt has been working to build an empowered, thriving, and equitable rural America,” Sebastian said, citing as an example the RECOMPETE grants program in the CHIPS and Science Act passed in 2022, which he said “is now giving local leaders the opportunity to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in projects that work for their communities.”

“RuralOrganizing.org has been committed to increasing good-paying jobs and wages, decreasing daily expenses, and improving the quality of life for rural communities experiencing economic distress, and we know Matt will continue that work with the Harris-Walz campaign,” Sebastian said.

“The Harris-Walz campaign’s rural operation is in very good hands,” he added.

On its website, the group touted its involvement in last year’s successful campaign to pass an Ohio referendum guaranteeing abortion rights in the state.

“RuralOrganizing was crucial in the passage of this constitutional amendment that enshrines into Ohio law the right for every individual to make their own choices when it comes to reproductive choice,” the group said on its website. “A cornerstone of our approach was the strategic door-to-door campaign and conversations from placing yard signs. Our canvassers and Vocal Locals engaged in meaningful conversations with voters, bringing the conversation about abortion access to people’s doorsteps.”
 

The campaign hopes to cut into Donald Trump’s support in rural areas in its bid to win battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia and North Carolina.

Kylie Oversen, Rural Council chair for the Democratic National Committee, said she hasn’t had extensive contact with Hildreth but added, “I know [he’s] been doing really good work across the country in organizing in rural communities, particularly with state and local races, and I think that experience will be really valuable.”

She said she wished only that the hire “would have happened sooner, not just obviously the Harris campaign, but the Biden campaign,” which did not have a rural outreach director.

She said her understanding is that Hildreth “will be a one-person operation for rural,” but will work within the political team, which includes communications and fundraising. “He just will be focused directly on whatever rural outreach they have,” she said.

For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com.

On January the 1st, 2025, Ron van der Knaap, founder and CEO of Van der Knaap Group, is stepping down. He has found his successor in Jelte Veenstra, who will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the organization. As founder, Ron has been involved with the organization for over 40 years.

The decision to step back followed a period in which the management of the organization focused on further professionalization and establishing a future-proof structure for Van der Knaap Group. Rejuvenation of the board and management played an important role in this.

When looking for a successor, Ron did not take any chances: “I find it important that my successor has a lot of knowledge of the organization and of the market in which we operate. Someone with broad interests and a lot of experience in an international production environment. In Jelte we have found such a person and I have every confidence that he can take Van der Knaap Group to an even higher level.”

Ron van der Knaap (left) and Jelte Veenstra (right)

As shareholder, Ron will remain closely involved in developments within Van der Knaap Group. He will assume the role of ambassador, with a focus on innovation and customer contact.

New CEO Jelte Veenstra is no stranger to Van der Knaap Group. He joined the company over twenty years ago. Jelte has held various positions within the company and has been responsible for the supply chain of coco substrate as a director since 2016. In this role, he has gained international experience.

Jelte said of his appointment: “The challenge of leading the company in a rapidly developing market, driving innovations and tapping into new markets makes me take this opportunity with both hands. It is fantastic to be able to give direction to an organization that greatly contributes to a sector that is responsible for important issues such as sustainable food production.”

“Our organization has a clear growth ambition for the coming years,” Ron and Jelte explain. An important focus is on backward chain integration in order to ensure delivery reliability and high quality of products. In addition, innovation is one of the pillars of the company. This recently led to innovations such as the organic water system (OWS) and circular raw materials and fertilizers.

“Furthermore, we find it important to offer continuity to our customers, but also to our staff and other stakeholders. We want to keep the beautiful aspects of a family business, but also want to grow and continue professionalizing to be ready for the future,” Jelte commented.

For more information:
Van der Knaap
www.vanderknaap.info

The Agriculture Department has sharply raised its forecast for farm earnings this year, projecting that net farm income will fall by close to 7% from 2023, a far smaller decline than USDA economists had estimated in February.

The new forecast reflects wide variations in earnings by sector. Stronger than previously estimated profits in the cattle, dairy and egg sectors are expected to partially offset price declines that are hammering many row crop producers this year, according to the latest farm income outlook from USDA’s Economic Research Service, released Thursday.

Net farm income for 2024 is now estimated at $140 billion, a decrease of $10.2 billion, or 6.8%, from 2023 when adjusted for inflation. Despite the drop, net farm income would still be 15.2% above the 20-year average, ERS says.

Net cash farm income, which more closely tracks farmers’ cash flow, is forecast at $154.2 billion. When adjusted for inflation, that would be a decline of 9.6%, or $16.3 billion, from 2023 and 6.2% above the 20-year average.

Net cash farm income is based on cash receipts from farming, plus government payments and other farm-related income, minus cash expenses. Net farm income also factors in depreciation and changes in inventory values.

USDA’s February forecast had projected net farm income at $116.1 million this year, or 1.7% below the 20-year average when adjusted for inflation. Net cash farm income was projected to decline 25.8%, or $42.2 billion, in 2024.

The latest forecast doesn’t provide an explanation of the differences between the two forecasts.

ERS economist Carrie Litkowski said the two largest factors in the net income revisions from February were increases in projected animal and animal product receipts, based on market prices, and a reduction in estimated production expenses. In February, USDA economists thought production expenses would actually be higher this year. Instead, they’ve dropped. 

USDA still estimates commodity cash receipts will decline by $9.8 billion this year, but the February forecast projected they would drop by $21 billion. Total receipts from crops are still expected to drop by $27.7 billion, or 10%, led by falling prices for corn and soybeans, but sales of livestock and livestock products are expected to increase by $17.8 billion, or 7.1%, “following increases in receipts for eggs, cattle/calves, milk, and broilers,” ERS says.

The February forecast estimated animal and animal product receipts would drop $4.6 billion.

Sales from corn and soybeans are expected to fall about 21.9% and 16.7% respectively in the latest forecast, while receipts from wheat and cotton are projected down 14.5% and 25.5% respectively in USDA’s latest forecast. Sales of fruits and nuts are projected down 4.3% while receipts from vegetables and melons are expected to be 7% higher. 

Direct government payments are expected to be $1.8 billion, or 15.1%, lower this year because farmers are getting less disaster assistance and payments through the Dairy Margin Coverage program.

Total production costs this year are expected to fall by $4.4 billion, or 1%, with the largest declines in feed, fertilizer and pesticide expenses. 

While labor costs are expected to be 6.9% higher this year, farmers are expected to spend 9.7% less on fertilizer, 10.4% less on pesticides and 12.3% less on feed. 

Average net cash farm income for farm operations is forecast to fall 8.9% to $106,200 in 2024. But farm sector debt and equity are both expected to increase this year by 4.2% and 5.3% respectively.

The revised forecast comes as farm groups are pushing Congress to pass a new farm bill and Republicans are using the downturn in commodity markets the growing agricultural trade deficit to criticize the Biden-Harris administration’s stewardship of the farm economy.

In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack noted that “2024 iis expected to close out a four-year streak of net farm income that’s above the 20-year average. For the prior four years, net farm income was consistently at or below that historic average, even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Without question, despite a softening of input costs, returns to crop producers remain a challenge as we recover from shocks in the market, such as Russia’s war in Ukraine. However, in other areas the report improves the difficult picture the last forecast painted in February: This forecast projects that income for livestock producers will rise, and farmers will continue to see declining production expenses led by feed, fuel and fertilizer helping to offset lower commodity prices.”

But Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said in an interview that producers still need a new farm bill despite the better numbers in the latest forecast, which he described as “very troubling” since it shows net farm income 27.6% below the 2022 record.

“We need a farm bill now and not later. We’ve been kicking the can down the road,” Duvall said. “We’re not seeing more action on the House side, and we see nothing happening on the Senate side, which tells me the Senate side doesn’t care about rural America.”

The House Ag Committee approved a farm bill in May, but it hasn’t been put on the floor yet, and the Congressional Budget Office says it has a $33 billion funding shortfall. Senate Ag Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., has taken no action on a bill in her committee.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said earlier this week that he expected another one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill to be attached to a continuing resolution that’s needed to keep the government funded after the new fiscal year starts Oct. 1.

Today, September 4, marked the first exhibition day of Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong. More than 600 exhibitors from 38 different countries are coming together this week to showcase a wide array of fruit and vegetable products. It was a good and busy start to the show with China standing out as the largest exhibiting country and the number of Chinese exhibitors increased with 12 percent compared to last year. Despite an increase in exhibitors from China, the country’s economic downturn is being felt by countries around the world exporting to China. In addition to the economic downturn, many countries are still waiting to get protocols to export to China, further complicating exports.

Other Asian markets seem to be doing well. For India, exporting grapes to Europe has been challenging due to the Red Sea situation, but the country has found a good alternative in Russia. With less grapes making their way over to Russia from other countries, it was a good market for India. Some Italian apple and pear exporters said demand from China and Asia as a whole is good, but the Red Sea challenges prevent them from sending fruit.

Exporters from Latin America continue to see opportunities to expand in Asia. For the Asian market, quality and appearance of the products are key, including size, shape, color, and flavor. Certifications on the other hand, as required in Europe and the U.S., are less important.

Vaihav Vedak, Country Manager India for Salix Fruits.

The Aartsen mascot is entertaining visitors at the stand.

Alejandra Sandoval and Vladimir Kocerha of Clavet Peru.

Tasting is key
On display at the show were lots of exotic fruit and vegetable items. For the Asian market, it is very important potential buyers get to taste the different products. As a result, most companies brought samples, and exhibitors were busy getting the displays in their booths ready and making sure their products appealed to the audience.

Apart from exotic produce items on display, this year’s exhibition also stands out for the presence of companies specializing in seeds, variety research and development, breeding technology, and nursery cultivation. Many exhibitors are showcasing their cutting-edge innovations in the fruit and vegetable seed industry.

Different exotic produce items on display.

All in all, exhibitors from China as well as other countries reported a strong start of the trade show with considerable interest for their products from across Asia. Several companies said they were satisfied with potential customer leads and new orders they had already received.