Thousands of Workers Hired in SE Region and Ocean Shipping Reform Act
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**32,000 workers were hired directly by farms in the Southeast Region of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina during the week of April 9-15.
www.morningagclips.com reports, the workers were paid an average gross rate of $14.69 per hour and worked an average of 42.1 hours.
In Florida, 27,000 workers were hired and paid an average of $15.36 per hour for an average of 41.6 hours.
www.morningagclips.com/southern-region-farm-labor-3/
**The Ocean Shipping Reform Implementation Act is designed to help with slowdowns and other issues at U.S. ports and follows the Ocean Shipping Reform Act passed a year ago.
The first bill gave the Federal Maritime Commission the power to address the actions of foreign carriers leaving U.S. ports empty and not carrying American goods back home.
The goals are to streamline port logistics, reduce disruption, and address the influence of Chinese companies on shippers’ operations.
**The USDA’s quarterly Outlook for U.S. Ag Trade states, "U.S. agricultural exports in fiscal year 2023 are forecast at $181 billion, down $3.5 billion from the February forecast.
This revision is driven by decreases in corn, wheat, beef, and poultry exports.
U.S. wheat export volumes are forecast down significantly due to smaller-than-expected winter wheat production on higher acreage abandonment and reduced yields amidst drought conditions.
