Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced Jan. 31 that the United States Department of Agriculture would be teaming up with California's Port of Oakland to set up a pop-up site at the port to combat shipping disruptions.
Set to begin operation in early March, the pop-up will be a 25-acre site along the Californian port to provide space for agriculturists to fill empty containers with their goods.
This is necessary because there are currently few containers are available for U.S. agricultural goods. This is because, over the past two years, ocean freighters have reportedly increasingly left the country with empty containers and have suspended service to the Port of Oakland.
"This creative partnership with USDA and the Port of Oakland will help American farmers and agricultural producers move their product to market while also making better use of empty containers that are causing congestion at the ports," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
The USDA hopes that the pop-up will be able to reduce the disruptions in the U.S. agricultural market by providing space to prepare empty containers.
American farmers have reportedly been left been struggling to sell their wares, causing the industry to lag and suffer supply chain issues through the nation's economic recovery. The pop-up aims to aid farmers, ranchers and companies alike through increased export capacity.
The USDA will cover 60 percent of startup costs and will cover logistic costs of $125 per container. The Port of Oakland pop-up follows the successful implementation of a pop-up at the Port of Savannah in Georgia.
