Drugs Found in Fresh Carrots and COVID Relief from Congress
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility, near McAllen, Texas, intercepted alleged methamphetamine and heroin worth nearly $3 million in a commercial shipment of FRESH CARROTS arriving from Mexico.
According to thepacker.com, a semi hauling the carrots arrived November 24th when customs officials found and removed 113 packages, or roughly 111 pounds, of what’s believed to be meth, and 31 packages, or 34 pounds, of heroin.
https://www.thepacker.com/news/industry/us-customs-officials-seize-hard-narcotics-fresh-carrot-shipment?mkt/
**With a must-pass government spending bill on the horizon, there was renewed interest this week in getting agreement on a new COVID relief package.
Earlier in the week, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a $908 billion package that among other provisions includes $26 billion for nutrition and agriculture and $288 billion in new funding for the Paycheck Protection Program.
With negotiations dormant for several weeks, President Trump says he’d sign a COVID relied package if Congress could complete it by the end of the year.
**Growing demand for local wheat, whole grains and heirloom varieties has encouraged some California farmers to try to serve those specialty markets.
The California Wheat Commission has been attempting to develop the state’s local grain markets, and created an online database to connect farmers with small millers, bakers and other end users.
Although California has large wheat milling capacity, relatively little of it is dedicated to specialty milling.
