USDA-NASS Reports 2 Percent Drop in Sheep Inventory

Dan Sheep-Goats, USDA-NASS

Increased slaughter of mature sheep in 2021, thanks to drought and high mature ewe slaughter prices, played a role in a 2 percent decrease in the American sheep inventory as reported by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). As of Jan. 1, the American sheep and lamb inventory totaled 5.07 million head. Breeding sheep inventory was 3.71 million head, down 2 …

USDA Providing Disaster Assistance

Dan Cattle, Livestock, Pasture, USDA-FSA

USDA provided an update on upcoming disaster assistance during last week’s Cattle Industry Convention. The assistance is for agricultural producers impacted by weather-related disasters in 2020 and 2021. While speaking at the annual event Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Robert Bonnie, said “Over the past two years, as agricultural producers have struggled with the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have …

New Anti-Competition Reporting Tool

Dan Cattle, Livestock, Poultry, USDA

Last week, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Justice (DOJ) launched a new tool where farmers and ranchers can anonymously report potentially unfair and anticompetitive practices in the livestock and poultry sectors. This can be done online at farmerfairness.gov. “This new online tool will help USDA and the Justice Department address anticompetitive actions and create livestock and poultry markets that …

Foreign Agriculture Service Working to Break Down Trade Barriers

Dan Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Exports/Imports, Field Crops, Fruits, Livestock, Marketing, Peanuts, Pork, Poultry, Specialty Crops, Trade, Vegetables

Foreign Agriculture Service has led USDA’s day-to-day efforts to break down trade barriers and generate export opportunities for U.S. agriculture for 2021. They have tried to get peanuts accepted back into the European Union. These efforts also resulted in market access for U.S. pork to India, poultry to Venezuela, and apples and pears going into Argentina, among others. Tyron Spearman …

Global Efforts Underway to Combat Hunger and Poverty

Dan Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Field Crops, Peanuts, Pork, Poultry

U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service team together to lead global efforts to combat hunger and poverty and build more sustainable equitable, and resilient, food systems through the United Nations and others. According to the USDA they have invested $248 Million dollars in new school feeding projects through the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition …

U.S. Customs Seizes Prohibited Meat at the Mexican Border

Dan Exports/Imports, Pork

Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that their agriculture specialists seized prohibited meat products at the U.S.-Mexico border. Customs agents seized 243 pounds of prohibited pork bologna in two separate and unrelated incidents. Officials seized 55 pounds of pork products on January 13 and another 188 pounds of bologna on January 21. “Pork products have the potential to …

Poultry Industry on High Alert for Avian Influenza

Dan Poultry, USDA-APHIS

In the wake of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) being found in wild birds in the U.S., poultry producers here in the Southeast and across the country are asked to be on high alert. Gary Crawford has more details. HPAI is a serious disease and requires rapid response because it is highly contagious and often fatal to chickens. APHIS works with its federal, state, …