New numbers show that U.S. pork exports reached nearly 3 million metric tons last year, topping the 2019 record by 11%. According to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), pork export value also climbed 11% to a record $7.71 billion. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom discuss the year-end pork export results in more detail. …
What Americans will be Eating by the BILLIONS During the Big Game
What Americans will be eating by the BILLIONS during the big game this weekend. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. If there is one thing that the pandemic didn’t change this year:  America’s love for chicken wings. In restaurants, servings of chicken wings were up 7% in 2020 versus 2019 despite an 11% decline in trips to commercial …
Facial Recognition May be the Future of Livestock Identification
We’ve heard about facial recognition technology, something that is used for various human applications. But according to a story from Gary Crawford, a simple smart-phone app paired with facial recognition technology may also be the future for livestock identification and traceback. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Producers Proactive In Research Efforts Funded by the Florida Cattle Enhancement BoardJanuary 16, 2026Florida Cattle Industry …
Ag Secretary Designate on Pandemic Lessons-Learned
The Agriculture Secretary-designate recently said responses to the ongoing human pandemic provide basic lessons for dealing with infectious animal disease. Stephanie Ho has the story. During that talk with a coalition of land-grant universities, Ag Secretary-designate Tom Vilsack listed some of the top issues he’s concerned about. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Producers Proactive In Research Efforts Funded by the Florida Cattle …
DIRECT Act of 2021 Introduced in U.S. House
There are many states across the nation that have State Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs that are approved by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). But under the existing framework, state-inspected products can only be sold interstate if approved to do so under the Cooperative Interstate Shipping Program (CIS). So this week a bill was introduced in …
Contract Poultry Growers Now Eligible for CFAP Funds
(ACES) — Changes to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) announced earlier this month is good news for Alabama’s contract poultry growers. “The USDA changes mean that relief funds are available to contract poultry and other contract growers affected by COVID-19 market changes,” said Dennis Brothers, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System agricultural economist. Brothers said contract poultry growers need to understand …
Tyson Agrees to Price-Fixing Settlement
(NAFB) — Tyson Foods this week agreed to $221.5 million to settle claims related to price-fixing lawsuits. The settlements are with three consumer and commercial purchasing groups who bought chickens directly from Tyson and require a federal judge’s approval. Tyson did not admit liability in agreeing to settle and said the payments will be reflected in its first-quarter financial statements, …
COVID-19 Impacts Mental Health on the Farm
A strong majority of farmers and farm-workers say the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their mental health, according to a new American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) poll. The poll also indicates that more than half say they are personally experiencing more mental health challenges than they were a year ago. The survey of rural adults and farmers/farmworkers reveals how the pandemic …
USDA Forecast Calling for Lower Meat Production, Higher Prices
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has lowered its expectations for meat production in most categories. But according to a story from Stephanie Ho, USDA is forecasting higher prices across all meat categories this year. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Producers Proactive In Research Efforts Funded by the Florida Cattle Enhancement BoardJanuary 16, 2026Florida Cattle Industry Supports Administration of Florida Cattle Enhancement …
Secretary Perdue Comments on MOU on Animal Biotechnology
(USDA) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Assistant Secretary for Health and Head of the Public Health Service Admiral Brett Giroir, M.D., establishing a regulatory environment at the Department of Agriculture for agricultural animal biotechnology innovation: “Today’s Memorandum of Understanding clears a path to bring our regulatory framework into …