Ag News: Protected Agriculture in Mexico
**It's called "protected agriculture" and it's coming on like gangbusters in Mexico.
As of 2018, there were about 126,000 acres of protected agriculture in Mexico, a huge jump from the 325 acres planted in 2003.
According to the Mexican Association of Protected Horticulture, Greenhouse production accounted for 27%, shade houses 45%, and macro tunnels, used primarily for berries and anti-hail meshes for apples, equaled 29%.
Thepacker.com reports, about 78% of the vegetables grown under protected agriculture are destined for the U.S.
**Even as the White House tries to work out a deal with the biofuel industry on refinery exemptions, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler tells lawmakers the waivers do NOT affect ethanol consumption.
In a meeting with the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, Wheeler denied the small refinery exemptions are causing "demand destruction" for ethanol, saying "We've seen an uptick in ethanol over the last two years."
Wheeler tells agrimarketing.com, he's not sure when the White House will announce a proposal to fix the long-running dispute.
**China has reportedly granted export licenses to some Argentine meat-processing plants to plug a pork supply gap as African swine fever continues to devastate China's pig herds.
Reuters reports China is also inspecting Argentine meat plants and cattle ranchers are looking to get more local meat-packing plants approved by Beijing.
According to agweb.com, seven Argentina poultry plants have also been approved by China for exports.