Consumer Brands CEO: Tinplate Steel Tariffs Would Be a Burden

Cleveland-Cliffs' petition to impose tariffs of up to 300% on tinplate steel imports from eight countries would endanger American manufacturing jobs and raise costs for consumers, especially impacting the most vulnerable populations -- the more than 53 million US residents who rely on food bank donations and lower-income consumers, writes David Chavern, president and CEO of the Consumer Brands Association. "Americans shouldn't have to subsidize multi-billion-dollar steel companies at the grocery checkout." MORE

Source: CBA

Note: MWFPA joined a coalition led by the CBA & CMI that submitted a letter to the US Department of Commerce and US International Trade Commission to urge for a review of proposed duties on tinplate steel imports. See more HERE

U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against EPA In Wetlands Regulation Challenge

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday put another dent in the regulatory reach of the Environmental Protection Agency, ruling in favor of an Idaho couple in their long-running bid to build a home on property that the EPA had deemed a protected wetland under a landmark federal anti-pollution law. The justices in a 9-0 decision overturned a lower court's ruling against the couple, Chantell and Mike Sackett, that had upheld the EPA's determination that their property near a lake contained wetlands protected by the Clean Water Act of 1972. MORE

Source: MBS

How White House And GOP Leaders Are Working To Sell The Budget Deal

After President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) signed off on a final budget agreement and a raise of the debt ceiling, the two sides moved onto a difficult task: selling the legislation to their respective parties to get it passed through Congress. Conservative Republicans and progressive Democrats have been quick to voice concerns with certain aspects of the deal, with each side expressing worry that their leadership gained too little or conceded too much in negotiations. MORE

Source: MBS

Lakeside Foods Appoints Several Senior Leaders

Lakeside Foods has appointed several senior leaders to new positions due the company’s continued growth and business integration of subsidiaries Riverside Foods and Cher-Make Sausage. Mark Smith has joined Lakeside Foods as Chief Financial Officer. Kevin Lien has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Nick Brisch has been promoted to Vice President-Supply Chain. MORE

Source: FoodProcessing.com

House Overwhelmingly Supports Satellite-Driven Precision Agriculture

The House of Representatives recently passed H.R.1339, or the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act, co-sponsored by Reps. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) and Robin Kelly (D-Ill.). The legislation, which passed by an overwhelming margin of 409-11, would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review current U.S. rules for its satellites -- specifically, to determine whether U.S. satellites can be used to enhance the practice of precision agriculture. MORE

Source: MBS

Supreme Court Ruling on Prop 12 Is A Big Loss for Agriculture

The United States Supreme Court ruled on May 11, 2023, on a case that says California may set the standard on how we raise pork in the United States. A lot has been written about this case. (I will look at the bright side.) The case involved the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation, represented by the smartest lawyers in the land. Despite the ruling, not all was lost. MORE

Source: MBS

Supreme Court Ruling Upholding CA's Animal Welfare Law Could Lead More States to Act

A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last week to uphold a California law banning the sale of pork from farms that confine pregnant pigs in gestation crates could have a widespread impact on the way states regulate the production of meat and eggs, according to legal experts. In a brief this week distributed by legal intelligence website JD Supra, law firm Hogan Lovells said the ruling on Proposition 12 may embolden other states to enact their own state-specific requirements. MORE

Source: MBS

The US Economy Grew Faster in the First Quarter than Previously Reported

US economic growth in the first three months of the year was faster than previously estimated, the Commerce Department reported on Thursday. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic output, increased at an annualized rate of 1.3% in the first quarter, up from an initial estimate of 1.1% reported last month. GDP is adjusted for inflation and seasonality. The change was mostly driven by an upward revision to private inventory investment, which includes finished goods, materials, and works in progress being saved for a later date. That means inventory investment had less of a drag on GDP earlier this year. MORE

Source: MN Chamber

Specialty Crop Producers Seek Farm Bill Recognition, Support

House and Senate members writing the 2023 farm bill face pressure to do more to accommodate specialty crops, an array of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery plants and flowers that account for less than 10 percent of acres in production. The cause also has a powerful advocate in Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., who is quick to note Michigan’s production of specialty crops ranging from apples to squash and who wants to expand the Agriculture Department services and programs available to the sector. MORE

Source: MBS

Private Label Products Hold Their Own as Retailers Leverage Brand Recognition, Shopper Loyalty and Distribution Networks

Private label products have transitioned from price-focused to standalone brands for retailers to cater shifting consumer preferences and trends. MORE

Source: CLFP



Legislation To Rebuild Aging Agricultural Roads in Wisconsin Gets Public Hearing

Aging rural roads with posted weight limits are causing Wisconsin’s agricultural industry to make often expensive and inefficient adjustments to avoid hauling milk, feed and equipment over crumbling pavement and dangerously unsafe bridges. Farmers and haulers are forced to take long detours or only fill trucks halfway, causing the added expense of multiple trips and the added danger of a tanker truck only half full of milk — which increases the risk of rollovers because the liquid has more room to slosh around in an unfilled tank. MORE

Source: MBS

NOTE: MWFPA is registered in favor of this rural road legislation.



Annual Organic Food Sales Surpass $60B for First Time in 2022

For the first time, sales of organic foods in the U.S. topped $60 billion for the year, according to the 2023 Organic Industry Survey released by the Organic Trade Association (OTA). Total organic food sales hit $61.7 billion in 2022, despite pressure from inflation, supply chain disruptions, growing competition at grocery and an extreme labor shortage. Certified Organic now accounts for 6 percent of total food sales in the United States, OTA said. MORE

Source: CLFP

IL Business Groups Oppose Legislation that Adds Punitive Damages in Select Court Cases

Opposition is growing over a piece of legislation advancing in Springfield that would allow for punitive damages in wrongful death cases. The Illinois House passed House Bill 219, which would reverse current law that prohibits insurers from paying punitive damages in wrongful death cases. Many states that do allow for punitive damages also limit both punitive and non-economic damages in some way, which Illinois does not. MORE

Source: IMA

CA's Food Label Legislation Sees More Movement

California’s AB 660, which is aiming to mandate specific terminology around date labels on food packaging, took another step forward May 18, 2023, as it passed through the House Assembly Appropriations Committee. The bill passed earlier this year out of the Assembly Health and Agriculture Committees. The entire Assembly will cast its vote by June 2 to determine if the bill moves on to the Senate. AB 660 would require the phrases “Best if used by” or “Best if used by or frozen by” to indicate quality, or “Use by” or “Use if frozen by” to indicate safety. And brands would no longer be able to use consumer-facing “Sell by” dates. MORE

Source: MBS



New Study Claims Cultivated Meat’s Current Path Is Significantly Worse for Environment Than Beef

A new life-cycle analysis by researchers at UC Davis has concluded that the current path of the cultivated meat industry’s commercialization process is potentially orders of magnitude worse for the environment than beef produced through animal agriculture, potentially producing anywhere from 4 to 25 times more CO2 than traditionally produced beef. MORE

Source: MBS

Americans Test Positive for Marijuana After Workplace Accidents at Highest Rate in 25 Years

American workers are testing positive for marijuana following on-the-job accidents at the highest level in 25 years, according to a new report released Thursday. The report from Quest Diagnostics found that 7.3 percent of workers tested positive for marijuana after being involved in an accident at work in 2022, up from 6.7 percent in 2021. This was the highest positivity rate since 1997, the report noted. Keith Ward, the general manager and vice president for employer solutions at Quest Diagnostics, said in a statement that the data suggested that “changing societal attitudes about marijuana may be impacting workplace behaviors and putting colleagues at risk.” MORE

Source: IMA

MWFPA would like to thank the Sponsors of the 2023 Scramble!

Alliant Energy (Presenting Sponsor)

Del Monte Foods (Beverage Cart)

Lyco Manufacturing (Gold Sponsor)

Lakeside Foods (May 31 Member Reception)

Seneca Foods (19th Hole Reception)

Forberg Smith (Golf Cart Sponsor)

SILVER SPONSORS: Bush's Brothers, HOH Water Technology, Oxbo, Silgan Containers

BREAKFAST SPONSOR: McCain Foods

LUNCH SPONSORS: Gallatin Valley Seed, ISG, Sonoco, WDS Construction

SCHOLARSHIP HOLE SPONSORS: Hydrotex, Syngenta, Trivium Packaging

BRONZE SPONSORS: Anderson Chemical Company, ChemStation, Crown Cork & Seal, Excel, Hydrite, Lodi Canning Company

HOLE SPONSORS: Anderson Chemical Co., Brotherton Seed, Inc., Brown & Brown, Crown Cork & Seal, Cushman & Wakefield, Doral Corporation, Harris Moran, Hygieneering, Innovative Waste Recycling, JAX INC., Lubriplate Lubricants, M3 Insurance, Oxbo, Pearl Engineering, Plainfield Trucking, ProEx Food, Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Seneca Foods, SERVPRO of Evergreen Park/South Chicago, Viresco, and Watertech of America.



View 2023 MWFPA Sponsorship Opportunities - HERE!

May 31 & June 1 - MWFPA Annual Summit & Scramble - Agenda

Trappers Turn, Wisconsin Dells

https://mwfpa.org/events/golf-2023

2023 Raw Products Committee Haltvick Meetings

• Waseca Pea Trial - July 6
• Hancock Snap Bean and Sweet Corn Trial - August 10
• West Madison ARS - September 7

SAVE THE DATE! October 10 - Sporting Clays Classic

Woods & Meadow Hunting Preserve

Warrens, Wisconsin

https://www.woodsandmeadow.com

November 28 - 30 - 2023 Convention & Processing Crops Conference

Kalahari Resort & Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells

Registration Opens July 1 - MWFPA Convention Website

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