(SLE) — Due to the City of Montgomery’s closing of all its venues, including Garrett Coliseum, the Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) Rodeo announced the postponement of its 63rd annual Rodeo and Livestock Week in response to the growing concerns of the coronavirus. Livestock Week was scheduled to take place March 14-22 at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Alabama. SLE leaders will …
NPPC Seeks Labor Solutions for Potential COVID-19 Impact on Pork Supply Chain
(NPPC) — The fallout from an ongoing labor shortage facing the U.S. pork industry and other agriculture sectors could significantly worsen due to the impact of COVID-19, the National Pork Producers Council said in a letter to U.S. government officials today. NPPC’s concerns regarding COVID-19 are labor specific. There is no evidence that pigs can contract the virus. In a letter to …
Good 2020 Start for U.S. Pork and Beef Exports
(NAFB) — Following a record-breaking performance in 2019, U.S. pork exports maintained a torrid pace in January, while beef exports were also higher year-over-year. The U.S. Meat Export Federation says January pork exports cooled slightly from the volume and value records established in December 2019, but still far exceeded year-ago levels. Both the January export volume of 273,603 metric tons, …
CRP Grasslands Signup Begins on March 16
(NAFB) — Farmers and ranchers can start applying to enroll grasslands in the Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands signup on March 16. “This CRP Grasslands signup allows farmers and ranchers to protect grasslands, rangelands, and pastures, while they maintain the land as working grazing lands,” says Farm Service Agency Administrator Richard Fordyce. “The program emphasizes support for grazing operations and plant …
U.S. Poultry Entering China without Retaliatory Tariffs
(NAFB) — Beijing recently made U.S. poultry shipments eligible for exemptions from extra tariffs and poultry shipments to China are on the rise. A Reuters article points out that the additional tariff relief may give China a greater ability to follow through on promises to buy significantly more American agricultural goods as part of the Phase One trade deal. U.S. …
USDA Announces Action Plan at Pork Forum
(USDA/APHIS) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Greg Ibach announced additional measures to control and eradicate African Swine Fever (ASF) if the virus is ever detected in the U.S. “First and foremost, USDA is committed to doing all it can to prevent ASF from entering the U.S. and we greatly appreciate the …
Annual Meat Conference Exhibitors Donate to Nashville Food Project
(NAMI) — Exhibitors at the Annual Meat Conference , co-hosted by FMI, The Food Industry Association and the North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute), this week in Nashville, Tennessee, donated 28,000 pounds of meat and poultry products to The Nashville Food Project , a nonprofit that seeks to increase access to healthy foods in homeless and working poor communities across Davidson County, Tennessee. The donation will provide 90,000 …
USDA to Open Signup for Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands
(USDA/FSA) — Farmers and ranchers may apply to enroll grasslands in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands signup beginning March 16. The signup runs through May 15. “Through this CRP Grasslands signup, farmers and ranchers can protect grasslands, rangelands and pastures, while maintaining the land as working grazing lands,” said Richard Fordyce, Administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). “The …
Protein Exports Piling up in U.S. Due to Coronavirus
(NAFB) — The spread of coronavirus is causing a glut of protein in U.S. cold-storage facilities. The Wall Street Journal says the protein backup includes pork, chicken, and beef intended for export to overseas markets that have been hit by the outbreak. The quantity of breasts, thigh meat, and drumsticks has grown by 12 percent through the first month of …
Analysis Finds Demand for Meat Strong
Represents $50.5 billion in Sales for 2019 Meat Institute and FMI Release 2020 Power of Meat Analysis (FMI) — The Food Industry Association (FMI) and the Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education, the foundation for the North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute), released their 15th-annual in-depth study of meat and poultry through shoppers’ eyes. The Power of Meat 2020 explores …