Over the past year, we’ve talked about Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) cases that have popped up across the country. Today, Rod Bain looks at some of the numbers associated with HPAI. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator Kevin Shea discusses cases of HPAI over a one-year period and trends connected to transmission to poultry via migratory and wild …
Groups Call for Checkoff Reform in the 2023 Farm Bill
This week, a coalition of 131 groups representing farmers, the food system, the environment, animal welfare, and antimonopoly advocacy called on Congress to restore accountability and transparency to commodity checkoff programs by supporting inclusion of the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act (S.557 and H.R.1249) in the 2023 Farm Bill. Checkoff programs are funded through mandatory fees on farmers and ranchers producing …
Nomination Open for American Lamb Board Members
Nominations for new members of the American Lamb Board must be submitted by certified nominating organizations and are due to the USDA’s Ag Marketing Service by May 5. The Secretary of Agriculture appoints the board members from the nominations. USDA is looking for a producer with 100 or fewer lambs, a producer with more than 500 lambs, a feeder with …
African Swine Fever Surging Again in China
African Swine Fever (ASF) is making a resurgence in China and will potentially push prices higher for the most popular protein in that country. Bloomberg says multiple outbreaks have shown up in different parts of the country throughout the winter. Rabobank expects the most recent wave of ASF to significantly lower production capacity and push prices higher during the second …
2023 Power of Meat Research Released at Annual Meat Conference
During the recent Annual Meat Conference, research from the latest Power of Meat Study showed consumers’ meat usage, attitudes, and trends was released. The report says 2022 meat sales rose 5.7 percent versus 2021, and almost 87 percent of all home-prepared dinners featured meat or poultry. Also, more than 98 percent of shoppers make meat purchases. Inflation is becoming an …
Grant Awarded to the Alabama Agricultural Development Authority for Meat and Poultry Processing
(ADAI/MONTGOMERY, AL/March 17, 2023) — The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $15 million to the lender Alabama Agricultural Development Authority (AADA) to support meat and poultry slaughter and processing businesses in Alabama. The USDA Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) is awarded to the lender, AADA, in the form of a grant. Businesses engaged in the processing of …
FFA Members Prepare for Careers in Animal Systems Pathways
Students prepare for careers with animals. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Future Farmers of America (FFA) members from across the country this spring traveled to Denver, Colorado, to explore careers in the animal systems industry. The 73 FFA members attended the Next Gen Conference, which began in 2020 and focuses on specific pathways, from animal systems to …
Alabama Starts Black Vulture Depredation Permitting April 1
Cattle producers across many areas of the county recently welcomed the introduction of the bipartisan Black Vulture Relief Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. It’s a bill designed to give producer’s greater flexibility on black vulture management. But in Alabama, a new program through the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) starts April 1. ADAI Deputy Commissioner Hassey Brooks explained to Southeast AgNet’s Randall …
Meat Plants Employed Nearly 31% of U.S. Food Workers in 2021
The latest federal data shows that in 2021, the U.S. food and beverage manufacturing sector employed 1.7 million people, or more than 1.1 percent of all U.S. nonfarm employment. Within the U.S. manufacturing sector, food and beverage manufacturing accounted for the largest share of employees, 15.4 percent. USDA’s Economic Research Service Monday announced the data, noting that these employees help …
USDA Announces Investment in Meat and Poultry Processing Research, Expansion and Innovation
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an investment of more than $43 million in meat and poultry processing research, innovation and expansion in support of its ongoing efforts to transform the food system at every stage along the supply chain. This investment is funded through the American Rescue Plan and the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). “Farmers rely …