National Farmers Market Week Underway

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture proclaimed this first week of August as National Farmers Market Week. It is a way to champion the direct-to-consumer producers, market managers, and customers that make their communities come alive during market days. According to a story from Rod Bain, highlights of the week are not only the markets themselves, but the innovations that allow these institutions to …

Dominican Republic Confirmed Positive for African Swine Fever

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Wednesday that the Dominican Republic (DR) has confirmed cases of African swine fever (ASF). The cases were confirmed as part of a cooperative surveillance program between the U.S. and the DR. The U.S. remains free of ASF, which is an animal disease affecting only pigs with no human health implications. USDA notes there …

Pork Producers Urge Congress to Address Comprehensive Labor Reform

According to the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), the U.S. pork industry is suffering from a labor shortage that could increase production costs and consumer food prices if not addressed through visa reform to provide better access to the foreign-born workers on which it depends. And NPPC President Jen Sorenson testified Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee about this shortage. …

Animal Ag Organizations Launch Protein PACT

U.S. animal agriculture groups Monday announced the Protein PACT. The coalition is the first joint initiative designed to accelerate momentum and verify progress toward global sustainable development goals across the animal protein sector. The Protein PACT was submitted to the UN Food Systems Summit as a sustainability game changer, and sustainable livestock and poultry production will be featured in a …

Clarifying the Product of the USA Label

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced a top-to-bottom review of the “Product of the USA” label, which will inform a forthcoming rulemaking on this topic. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said “American consumers depend upon accurate, transparent labels to obtain important information about the food they consume. American farmers and ranchers depend upon those same labels to convey information about …

Meat Institute Opposes Government Intervention in Meat Market

The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) opposed recent action to make changes to the Packers and Stockyards Act. In a statement, the organization says, President Biden’s executive order calling for the Department of Agriculture to change the Packers and Stockyards rules will have unintended consequences for consumers and producers. Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts states, “Government intervention …

Deadline Nearing to Apply for ADAI Relief Program

Back in April, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) announced they were administering the Alabama Agriculture Relief Program (AARP) to provide USDA relief funds to farmers who suffered losses due to Hurricane Michael in 2018. While the original deadline to apply was June 25th, they want to remind those who experienced necessary expenses related to losses of beef …

USDA Supporting Expanded Meat Processing Capabilities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced intentions to make significant investments to expand processing capacity and increase competition in meat and poultry processing to make agricultural markets more accessible, fair, competitive, and resilient for American farmers and ranchers. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says USDA will be investing $500 million in American Rescue Plan funds to expand meat and poultry processing …