Ag News: Bagged Avocados and AFBF Dicamba Request

**Sales of bagged avocados have taken off since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and suppliers of Peruvian fruit say there’s a couple of reasons why.

First, safety-conscious shoppers feel safer taking home bagged fruit rather than avocados other shoppers may have handled.

Second, shoppers are buying more avocados because of the health benefits, but are making fewer trips to the market, so they tend to take home a bag rather than one or two.

**The American Farm Bureau Federation is calling on the EPA to allow farmers who have already purchased dicamba products to use existing stock this season.

Last week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals prohibited the use of three dicamba products, effectively taking them off the market as of June 3rd.

Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall tells agrimarketing.com, an unexpected and immediate ban on dicamba not only puts substantial farm investments at risk, but also leaves farmers wondering how they'll protect their crops.

https://www.agrimarketing.com/s/130846

**April proved a relatively strong month for U.S. beef and pork exports despite COVID-19 related interruptions in production and economics in some key markets.

Beef exports were below last April’s large totals but still topped $600 million in value.

U.S. Meat Export Federation CEO Dan Halstrom notes Japan is a major bright spot for exports in 2020, due in part to tariff relief delivered by the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement.