(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 …
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 …
Pork Exports Robust in January; Slow Start for Beef Exports
According to new data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), U.S. pork exports maintained momentum in January after a strong finish last year. But U.S. beef exports, after a record-breaking 2022, slowed late in the year and that trend continued in January. Shipments of U.S. beef were well below the large totals from a year ago. …
NPPC Leads Effort to Overturn EPA’s New Proposal on Rodenticides
EPA announced a proposal to overturn decades-long policies regulating farmers’ and ranchers’ use of rodenticides. The proposed changes would enhance current restrictions, create new certifications and trainings, add more requirements to labels, reclassify some products to restricted use pesticides and, if not the most important aspect, presents a major biosecurity risk to farms. A challenging, time-consuming and expensive proposal for …
USDA Developing New Ways to Track COVID in Wild and Domestic Animals
Scientists with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are developing new tests to identify and track the COVID virus in wild and domestic animals. Funded by the American Rescue Plan, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is implementing $300 million to conduct monitoring and surveillance of susceptible animals for the COVID virus. Through the initiative, ARS, in partnership with …
NPPC Economic Update Gives Snapshot of Current Pork Industry Opportunities and Challenges
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) released its latest pork industry economic update that summarizes key pork industry market indicators through January 2023. The takeaways include: The U.S. pork industry is a pillar of the U.S. economy, supporting jobs, sales, and value-added activity throughout the pork supply chain,” said Lori Stevermer, NPPC vice president and pork producer from Easton, Minnesota. “It is important to raise …
2022 Beef Exports Set Annual Records; Strong Finish for Pork Exports
According to year-end data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), U.S. beef exports set annual records for both volume and value in 2022, while pork exports finished lower year-over-year but their value was the third largest on record. Despite slowing toward the end of the year, beef exports reached 1.47 million metric tons (mt), …
It Could Be Another Year of Declining U.S. Meat Production
2023 could bring another decline in overall U.S. meat production. Gary Crawford has more on this story. Sponsored ContentWhat Sets Provysol® Fungicide ApartJuly 8, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024
USDA Announces New Investments to Improve the Meat Supply Chain
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack says USDA is making more investments to diversify the nation’s meat supply while boosting incomes for small and mid-sized livestock producers. Gary Crawford has more details. Sponsored ContentWhat Sets Provysol® Fungicide ApartJuly 8, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024