African Swine Fever One Reason for Stopping Food Smuggling

Dan Exports/Imports, Pork, Poultry

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported last week that Federal agents had seized and destroyed more than 1,900 pounds of prohibited pork, poultry and ruminant products from New York City-area retailers in the past three months. Smuggling of prohibited foreign food products into the U.S. does pose a threat to U.S. agriculture, but USDA and other agencies are …

Pork Exports May Top 2020’s Record Amount

Dan Exports/Imports, Pork

Numbers from the U.S. Department of Commerce say exports of U.S. pork are on pace to top 2020’s record total of $7.7 billion. From January through November, the U.S. pork industry shipped more than $7.5 billion worth of products to foreign destinations, compared to just over $7 billion from the same period in 2020. The top five markets for American …

India Agrees to Allow Imports of U.S. Pork

Dan Exports/Imports, Pork, Trade

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced Monday that the government of India has agreed to allow imports of U.S. pork and pork products into India, removing a longstanding barrier to U.S. agricultural trade. This news follows the successful revitalization of the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum held in New Delhi in November 2021. The National …

November Beef Exports Set New Value Record

Dan Beef, Cattle, Exports/Imports, Pork

According to data released late last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that was compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), beef export value reached another new high in November. It actually topped the $1 billion mark for the second time in 2021. November pork exports, while a bit lower than a year ago, saw year-to-date export values …

Hog Inventory in the U.S. Drops Four Percent

Dan Pork

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

Dan Alabama, Aquaculture, Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Corn, Cotton, Dairy, Equine, Field Crops, Florida, Forestry, Fruits, General, Georgia, Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC), Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC), Hemp, Herbs, Industry, Labor and Immigration, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Peanuts, Pecans, Pollinators, Pork, Poultry, Seeds, Sheep-Goats, Soybeans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Vegetables, Wheat

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

Dan Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Dairy, Equine, Field Crops, Forestry, Fruits, Hemp, Herbs, Industry, Labor and Immigration, Legislative, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pecans, Pork, Poultry, Regulation, Sheep-Goats, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Vegetables

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

Dan Economy, Pork

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 …

Port Problems Plague Producers

Dan Aquaculture, Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Corn, Cotton, Dairy, Equine, Exports/Imports, Field Crops, Fruits, Hemp, Herbs, Livestock, Marketing, Nursery Crops, Organic, Peanuts, Pecans, Pollinators, Pork, Poultry, Seeds, Sheep-Goats, Soybeans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Vegetables, Wheat

The ongoing supply-chain crisis is a big headache to businesses and consumers alike, with no end in sight for the immediate future. Perishable products are particularly at risk, as even a week or two delay can affect product quality. The port delays that caused the supply-chain crisis began on the West Coast with labor shortages due to the pandemic. These …