NCBA Update on Trade Issues

A trade deal has been reached between the United States, Canada and Mexico. The new pact is being called the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, basically replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement. Last week, another trade deal made the news, as the United States signed a new deal with South Korea. Kent Bacus, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) director of international trade, says …

USDA Back to The Drawing Board on GIPSA

When the U.S. Ag Department (USDA) sets its 2019 regulatory agenda, it will deal with the unsettled matter of rules governing interactions between contract producers and meatpackers. USDA is looking at bringing back the rulemaking process designed to balance the power between the two sides. Last year, Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue made the decision to withdraw the final rule drafted …

Farm Groups Keep Pressure On to Formalize Meat Definition

The National Farmers Union has sent a second letter to the Food and Drug Administration regarding the labeling of cell-cultured meat. The letter calls for officials to finally formalize the definition of protein products that don’t come from livestock and are currently labeled as cell-cultured “meat.” The industry website Meating Place Dot Com says the group wants the FDA to …

Legislators Call for NAFTA Negotiation Slowdown

Three state representatives are asking U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to slow down the pace of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations. They feel that gives the U.S. the best opportunity to come to a fair agreement on dairy exports. Representatives from Wisconsin, Washington, and New York all represent states that need open-market access to Canada in order …

Demand is Strong for Beef, Not so Much for Turkey

There’s more meat in the country this year compared to last year, but according to a story from Stephanie Ho, demand is not the same for the different kinds of meat. Demand is Strong for Beef, Not so Much for Turkey Sponsored ContentStrong Relationship Exists Between the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board and UF-IFASApril 17, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Funding …

NMPF Mulhern on FDA Request for Comments on Dairy Food Labeling

“We welcome the public comment request announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that we hope will finally curtail the misleading labeling practices of plant-based foods imitating real dairy products. NMPF will provide additional perspective explaining why the agency must enforce its own labeling regulations and limit the use of standardized dairy terms to products that come from an animal. …

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on Modernizing Standards of Identity and the use of Dairy Names for Plant-Based Substitutes

Consumers should be able to know at a quick glance what type of product they’re purchasing for themselves and their families. Implementing clear and transparent food labels and claims is an issue I’ve made a high priority. We’ve outlined these goals in a new, multi-year Nutrition Innovation Strategy released earlier this year. As part of this plan, we promised to address issues …

Maximize Cattle Production and Help Bobwhites

You may be familiar with the northern bobwhite and its decline, and while many of us call them quail, there’s been a population dip of more than 80 percent over the past 60 years. But USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants cattle farmers to know they can greatly help the species with a few tweaks to their operations. Maximize Cattle Production and Help Bobwhites …

EU Chef Team Learns about U.S. Beef

A team of chefs from Poland, Finland, Germany, Romania, Italy, France, Holland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria recently spent a week in Colorado learning about U.S. beef as part of a U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) program designed to make them advocates for U.S. beef back in their home countries. Ralph Loos has the story. EU Chef Team Learns about …