Owners of Beef Products Inc. have established a $10 million fund to benefit former BPI employees impacted by plant closures. The fund will help employees who were laid off when sales dropped stemming from a series of reports about the company’s Lean Finely Textured Beef product broadcast by ABC News. BPI laid off roughly 750 employees and closed facilities in …
UF Expert Helps Ensure “Grain Train” Gets Through
As Hurricane Irma barreled toward Florida in early September, she threatened to starve thousands of dairy cows by delaying the grain train – two dozen freight cars of feed commodities bound for the Lake Okeechobee area. The crisis was resolved by a team that included a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) expert and representatives of …
Higher Supplies Keeping Consumer Meat Prices Lower
Higher supplies of meat will continue to pressure consumer prices lower, according to a forecast by the Department of Agriculture. The USDA Economic Research Service Food Price Outlook predicts beef and veal prices to decrease one to two percent in 2017 but increase the same amount in 2018. That’s because, in August, the U.S. cattle herd was at its highest …
Preparing for October Beef Month in Alabama
The beef checkoff program in Alabama is busy preparing for October Beef Month. And in its beef checkoff report, Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Erin Beasley says the association has a lot of things planned for the annual event. Sponsored ContentValley Helps Growers Get The Most Out Of Every AcreMarch 19, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Builds Relationships …
A Bit of a Surprise in USDA Cattle on Feed Report
USDA’s September Cattle on Feed report shows the number of cattle and calves on feed for the U.S. slaughter market was 10.5 million head on September 1, 2017, four percent above September 1, 2016. But when it comes to placement numbers, Gary Crawford reports there was a little bit of a surprise. Sponsored ContentValley Helps Growers Get The Most Out …
FMD Language Included in Defense Authorization Act
The National Defense Authorization Act approved last week includes language to require an analysis on Foot and Mouth Disease or FMD. Language included in the bill by Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst includes a provision “recognizing the risk of FMD, or other foreign animal diseases, to U.S. food production, the economy, and national security,” according to the Senator. The provision …
U.S. Yet to Propose NAFTA Dairy Fix
The United States has yet to propose changes to the dairy issue between the U.S. and Canada as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation. And, Canada’s lead NAFTA negotiator doesn’t expect the United States to make demands for the dairy sector during the current set of talks that conclude Wednesday in Canada, according to the Toronto …
Weekly Livestock Market Report
Here are the Alabama, Florida, and Georgia livestock market reports for the week ended September 22, 2017, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions for the week ended September 22, 2017, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 21,900 head compared to 6,777 last week and 14,706 …
Cattle Producer Prepares for Sommet de l’Élevage in France
The Sommet de l’Élevage is holding its 26th annual event, October 4–6, in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The event is the European Union’s (EU) largest livestock exposition, featuring competitions and a tradeshow. This year, the Sommet is especially exciting for U.S. cattle producers because, for the first time ever, Americans have been invited to the event. Reneé Strickland of Strickland Ranch and …
Dairy Producers Can Opt Out of MPP Coverage
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) wants to remind dairy producers you can enroll for 2018 coverage in the Margin Protection Program (MPP-Dairy). But there is something new this year, in that you can opt out of the program. In order to opt out, a producer should not sign up during the annual registration period. By opting out, a producer would …