A federal judge has delayed the Smithfield Foods trial in North Carolina as the case is another victim of the government shutdown. The start of the case was postponed because juror’s pay could not be guaranteed, according to meat industry publication Meatingplace. A federal judge delayed the trial scheduled to begin this week, and noted the hearing would be rescheduled …
Government Shutdown Causing ELD Confusion
According to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the Federal Government shutdown has caused uncertainty for livestock haulers operating under the electronic logging device (ELD) exemption. Misleading media reports touting the ELD delay as “permanent” further confused the situation. NCBA clarified that the ELD delay is only temporary and Congress needs to take additional steps to provide haulers with regulatory relief. Here is what NCBA Vice President of Government …
Poultry Production Likely Slower in 2019
U.S. broiler markets are still weak, and prices are depressed. As a result, Rabobank says poultry production is likely to slow down in 2019. Nan-Dirk Mulder, a senior analyst for animal protein at Rabobank, says the outlook for the global poultry industry will gradually improve as the year progresses. The biggest improvements will likely arrive in the second half of …
Second Round of Trade Aid Payments Underway
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is moving forward on the second and final round of trade mitigation payments to farmers hurt from retaliation by America’s trading partners. Commodity producers are now eligible to receive market facilitation payments (MFP) on the second half of their 2018 production. USDA has been sending out the first round of MFP payments to producers …
Livestock Haulers Freed From ELD Requirements
The U.S. Department of Transportation officially suspended the requirement that livestock haulers use electronic logging devices (ELDs) in their trucks. Back in 2012, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act mandated that drivers of commercial motor vehicles replace their paper logs with ELDs by Dec. 18, 2017. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) requested a waiver from the requirement on …
Signing of Farm Bill Is Huge for Animal Agriculture
President Trump has signed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The signing of the 2018 farm bill Thursday afternoon is a huge win for not only crop farming, but animal agriculture as well. National Pork Producers spokesman Dave Warner notes that for livestock producers, the farm bill includes authority to fund a new animal vaccine bank. Warner says live vaccine can’t legally be stored …
USDA Animal/Plant Protection Continues if Government Shuts Down
There has been a lot of talk about a possible federal government shutdown again. But according to a story from Gary Crawford, U.S. Crops, Livestock and Food Supply protection programs would continue unabated if there were to be a shutdown. Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares Origins of Florida Cattle Enhancement BoardNovember 14, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 8, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board …
African Swine Fever in China Could Affect Trade
African swine fever continues to be a significant problem in China. Craig Morris, National Pork Board vice president of international marketing, said if the issue continues, or possibly gets worse, it could affect pork markets across the board. Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares Origins of Florida Cattle Enhancement BoardNovember 14, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 8, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Plays Critical Role To …
USDA Highlights Opportunities for Producers and Vendors
Apples, Grapes, Oranges, Pork, Fluid Milk and more Earlier, a new USDA Foods vendor delivered 2,000 gallons of fresh milk to the D.C. Capital Area Food Bank. The delivery was one of many taking place at food banks across the country resulting from purchases made by the USDA to provide market support to the dairy industry. USDA Foods are a …
Record U.S. Beef Exports; Pork Exports Slightly Lower
U.S. beef exports remained on a record-shattering value pace in October, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). October pork exports trended seasonally higher compared to recent months, but were still below the results posted in October 2017. October beef exports totaled 117,800 metric tons, up 6 percent …