Georgia's AEWR Explanations and Food-at-Home Prices Up 5%
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has joined the call for Department of Labor to provide meaningful explanations of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate and to hold off on scheduled increases to allow for a long-term solution.
The Georgia Farm Bureau reports, in a letter, Carr wrote, the lack of transparency can only lead our constituents to reasonably assume these mandated wage increases were established arbitrarily and without regard for the wellbeing of Georgia farmers.
www.gfb.org/news/ag-news/post/georgia-attorney-general-joins-ag-groups-seeking-aewr-transparency
**USDA’s Economic Research Service says food-at-home prices increased by 5% in 2023, much lower than the growth rate in 2022 of 11%.
However, that was still double the historical annual average growth rate from 2003 to 2022, which was 2.5%.
Food price growth slowed last year as economy-wide inflationary pressures, supply chain issues, and wholesale food prices eased from 2022.
In 2023, prices for fats and oils grew the fastest at 9%.
**Two senators introduced legislation intended to boost the ag industry’s resilience against cyber-attacks.
If passed, the bipartisan measure would shield America’s supply chain from technological attacks.
Supporters say America’s adversaries are looking for any advantage they can use against us, including targeting critical industries like agriculture.
The bill would require the USDA to conduct a twice-yearly study on cybersecurity threats to the agriculture industry.
