The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today has delayed the effective date of Federal Order DA-2021, which was announced May 27. It initially was scheduled to take effect on Monday, June 21, but now it officially has been pushed back to Monday, July 19. The order requires West Coast states to pre-notify […]
Trucking glut turns into a shortage
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It was predicted more than a year ago that as the economy recovered, a trucking shortage would develop due to truck owners having sold their idled trucks overseas. Now, according to Packer, that is exactly what has happened. For the first time in a long time, carriers may have the leverage rather than their customers. […]
Rainy weather can weigh heavily on freight costs
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For the last several days, Oregon has been experiencing a barrage of wind and rain. For the nursery grower, heavy springtime rain often is considered a blessing. More moisture from the sky means reduced irrigation costs and more gorgeous-looking plants. For the retail garden center, a rainy spring is normally considered a curse. When the […]
Study: Trucking dispute proves costly
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Americans are paying a very high price for their government’s ugly dispute with Mexico over cross-border trucking – $2.3 billion in higher costs, $2.6 billion in foregone exports, and 25,000 jobs, according to a study released Sept. 15 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Under the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, existing restrictions on […]
Small nurseries hope to pool ideas, resources
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How can small nurseries work cooperatively to become more effective and more profitable? The OAN Small Nurseries Group will meet to discuss this issue at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19 at the Oregon Association of Nurseries, 29751 S.W. Town Center Loop West, Wilsonville, Ore. OAN President-elect Kevin Klupenger, who is a nursery business consultant, will […]
APHIS considers regulating wood in shipping
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The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is considering proposed rule changes involving wood packaging material used in domestic commerce, such as crates, pallets and sticks. Nurseries commonly use pallets and sticks when shipping plant material, but such wood material unwittingly could transport unwanted and dangerous hitchhikers, such as the emerald ash borer and […]
Farm to market
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The Oregon Legislature this week approved a $300 million per year transportation package designed to upgrade roads statewide, create new capacity, and loosen bottlenecks that currently cost businesses time and money. The move was applauded by the Oregon Association of Nurseries as an important step towards helping growers move their goods to market. The improvements […]
Schrader’s help enlisted in trade dispute
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Major agricultural producers from Oregon met today with U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) to ask for his help in resolving a costly trade dispute between Mexico and the United States. There’s a press release about it here (PDF). The issue came to a boil in March, when Congress voted to scrap a pilot program that […]
Governor’s chief of staff visits nursery leaders
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Chip Terhune, chief of staff for Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, visited with members of the OAN Government Relations Committee yesterday. Association officials deemed it significant that the governor’s top aide would come to listen to the views and concerns of green industry leaders. “It speaks to the strength and credibility of our organization,” OAN Director […]
Fewer trucks on the road
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Bad news for nurseries and others who are dependent on the trucking industry. Massive bankruptcies and shutdowns have taken some 127,000 trucks off the road, with many being sold to companies in Eastern Europe and Russia, the Capital Press (Salem, Ore.) reported. According to Donald Broughton, an analyst with the Avondale Partners research firm: “A […]