20/03/13: USDA deputy secretary resigns; Mexico and Canada join TPP; UK wheat update

Agriculture deputy secretary Kathleen Merrigan has announced her departure from the USDA. In a statement, Merrigan said, "It has been an ambitious first term. From implementing the 2008 farm bill, improving school meals, expanding opportunities for American farmers, spending countless hours in the White House situation room, to shepherding USDA budgets through challenging times, it has been an honor to play a small part in history."I hope that during my tenure, I was able to help open USDA's doors a little wider, inviting new and discouraged constituencies to participate in USDA programmes."
Read more...

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has invited Mexico and Canada to join its trade negotiations.
Currently TPP includes nine countries: Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, United States, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Peru, Chile, and Vietnam. 
The TPP negotiations encourage economic growth through trade among Pacific economies. The agreement will lead to employment growth as well as enhanced economic opportunity. It is estimated that every $1 billion in agricultural exports supports 9,000 jobs.
Cargill, which has existing investments in eight of the TPP countries, has welcomed the news.
“Cargill has supported the inclusion of Mexico and Canada in the TPP from the start.  We also support Japan’s entry into the negotiations,” said Greg Page, Cargill Chairman and CEO.  “We have believed all along that in order for the agreement to be commercially meaningful, TPP must include other significant trading partners, and we are pleased with the decision on Mexico and Canada’s entry.”
More information…
What is the TPP?

UK production of wheat is forecast to fall to its lowest level in more than a decade, forcing imports of bread-quality grain, reports Reuters. England saw its wettest year on record on 2012, with high disease levels in arable crops and low wheat yields.
Read more…

Wheat. Español: Trigo. Français : Blé. Magyar: Búza. Tiếng Việt: Lúa mì. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)