An event at the White House Monday focused on competition in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Justice are working together to enforce federal competition laws that protect farmers, ranchers, and other ag producers from unfair and anticompetitive practices. AgNet Media’s Sabrina Halvorson has more. The new plan includes issuing new and stronger rules under the …
Industry Reacts to Meat Supply Chain Action Report
Farm groups mostly welcomed the Biden administration’s meat supply chain action plan Monday. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says his organization “appreciates the Biden administration’s continued work to ensure a fair and competitive meat processing system.” The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association also welcomed the action plan, which they say will bring transparency and true price discovery to the cattle …
Agriculture Department and Justice Department Issue Shared Principles and Commitments to Protect Against Unfair and Anticompetitive Practices
(WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2022)Â — Speaking at a White House event focused on competition in agriculture, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Merrick B. Garland expressed their shared commitment to effectively enforcing federal competition laws that protect farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural producers and growers from unfair and anticompetitive practices, including the antitrust laws and the Packers and Stockyards …
Record Prices for Sheep & Lamb
According to a report from the Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC), the sheep and lamb industry is shaping up to have a record setting year for prices in 2021. This is news that pleases the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI). Feeder lamb prices have tracked above 2020 levels every week this year except for one week back in March. In February, a record price was …
China’s Pork Production Increases Mean More Grain Imports
A recent Bloomberg report says China, which consumes half the world’s pork, has a goal to be mostly self-sufficient in pork production. That means it will need more grain imports to feed the world’s biggest pig herd. China’s agriculture ministry says the country will maintain a target to produce 95 percent of their protein at home by 2025. It wants …
ASI Convention Registration Deadlines Approaching
The deadline for the early bird registration discount for the 2022 American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) Annual Convention is Dec. 31. The convention will be held January 19-22, 2022, at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, and those wanting to attend also need to book hotel rooms by Dec. 29 to receive the guaranteed room rates. The ASI Annual Convention is …
Hog Inventory in the U.S. Drops Four Percent
According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the U.S. hog inventory dropped four percent. As of December 1st, 74.2 million hogs and pigs were found on U.S. farms, which is down 4% from December 2020 and down 1% from the September Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report. Of the 74.2 million hogs and pigs, 68.0 million were market hogs, while 6.18 million …
A Cowboy’s Christmas Prayer
As we celebrate Christmas this year, Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman brings back an old favorite, “A Cowboy’s Christmas Prayer” written by S. Omar Barker. A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS PRAYERby S. Omar Barker (1895-1985) I ain’t much good at prayin’,and You may not know me, Lord —For I ain’t much seen in churches,where they preach Thy Holy Word.But you may have observed …
New H-2A Labor Wages Effective Dec. 29
A recent issue of the Florida Citrus Mutual Triangle newsletter provided information about the wage that growers must pay H-2A labor, effective Dec. 29. H-2A workers are foreign agricultural workers who are allowed to work in the United States temporarily. In recent years, the vast majority of Florida citrus has been harvested by H-2A workers. The Employment and Training Administration …
Various Issues Pushing Up Pork Prices but Not Profits
A report issued this week notes retail pork prices are rising, but not industry profits. Economists with Iowa State University, North Carolina State University and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) says prices are rising due to increased transportation costs, supply bottlenecks and delays and increased labor costs throughout the pork chain. Those factors were either caused or exacerbated by …