After U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins closed the southern border to livestock crossings last year due to the threat of New World Screwworm, Secretary Rollins indicated at a recent event that a partial reopening of the border is being considered. We caught up with USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden to learn what factors they are considering. Deputy Secretary Vaden …
USDA On Time And Budget For Construction of New World Screwworm Domestic Fly Production Facility
The USDA is headlong into the construction of a domestic sterile fly production facility in Texas and we caught up with USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden to get an update on the department’s efforts. Deputy Secretary Vaden said, “So we are on track and on time with regard to that, and even more exciting, with regard to the New World Screwworm, …
Eggs Taking Center Stage This Weekend Across The Country
Eggs are taking center stage this weekend across the country and especially earlier this week as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins made a trip to North Carolina to a layer operation who donated the eggs for the upcoming White House Easter Egg Roll. Secretary Rollins said, “We were all together in North Carolina on Monday loading the 30,000 eggs …
Hog Inventories Up According to USDA’s March Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report
The USDA has released the March Quarterly Hogs and Pig Report and USDA Livestock Analyst Michael McConnell shares the details from the report. McConnell said, “As of March 1st, an estimated 74.3 million hogs were in the United States. That was fractionally higher than March 1st a year ago. 5.89 million hogs were in the breeding herd, which is 1% lower …
Review of Agricultural Commodities in First Quarter of 2026
We track 48 commodities on a daily basis at the Bottom Line Report. Grains, livestock, energies, financials, and more. Now with three months in the books as we begin the second quarter, our list showing that energy is clearly leading the way. Heating oil, crude oil, gasoline, and natural gas. One, two, three, and four on that list of 48. But right behind and …
FSIS Proposes Rulemaking On Establishment Sizes
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is considering revising the definitions for establishment sizes for meat and poultry establishments, as well as egg products plants. According to a posting by the Department on X, “Small processors keep rural America running. For nearly 30 years, USDA has used outdated definitions that don’t always reflect how these businesses …
USMEF Working to Bolster In-Home Use of Pork in Mexico
The U.S. Meat Export Federation has been working to increase the consumption of pork in homes in Mexico, especially as exports to Mexico have set records for the past five years with greater demand through restaurants. USMEF Regional Director for Mexico and Central America, Gerardo Rodriguez explains, “The percentage is lower than what we thought. So we get to find …
USDA Unveils New Product of USA Label
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has announced a new Product of USA label for meat, eggs and poultry producers as part of a voluntary labeling standard that became effective on January 1, 2026. Secretary Rollins said, “Our great patriot ranchers and producers grow, raise, and harvest the world’s safest, most affordable, and abundant food supply. American consumers want to …
Nebraska Wildfires Donations
A farm wife from central Nebraska puts into perspective the help that’s coming to areas affected by the wildfires that continue. She did some math and says that a loaded semi can carry about 28 tons of hay, mostly alfalfa, and at today’s market prices that equals about $2,500 donation for each semi. Officials are trying to keep track of a count of how …
USDA Releases Beef and Pork Production and Pricing Forecasts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the Beef and Pork production and pricing outlook for March. World Agricultural Outlook Board Chairman Mark Jekanowski explains, “Beef production, we lowered down to 25.8 billion pounds and this reduction is just based on recent slaughter data, seeing a little bit of a slowdown in the rate of slaughter, which isn’t too surprising given the …









