USDA Receives Delivery of First Significant FMD Vaccine Bank Purchase

Earlier this year, the Department of Agriculture announced the first significant purchase for its Foot-and-Mouth vaccine bank. This month, the purchase worth $27 million was delivered. The establishment of a robust FMD vaccine bank has been a top, long-term priority for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), which was instrumental in advocating for its establishment as part of the 2018 …

Meat, Poultry, Farm Workers High Priority for Vaccine

Federal guidance suggests essential workers should be next to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, including meat packers and farm workers. A Centers for Disease Control advisory committee voted in favor of a blueprint for essential workers and people older than 75 as recipients of the vaccine in the next phase. In a news release, North American Meat Institute President and CEO …

Ag Groups Applaud Regan Nomination to Head EPA

(NPPC) — President-Elect Joe Biden on Thursday nominated Michael Regan as the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Regan most recently led the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The following statement may be attributed to National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Howard “AV” Roth, a hog farmer from Wauzeka, Wisconsin. “NPPC congratulates Michael Regan on his nomination. …

APHIS Reopens Comment Period on Request to Produce FMD Vaccine

(USDA/APHIS) — In July 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) sought public comment on a petition from a vaccine manufacturer seeking approval to produce foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine consisting of a modified non-infectious and non-transmissible strain of the virus on the U.S. mainland. Today (12/1/2020), APHIS is reopening the comment period for …

Chilled and Ground Seasoned Pork Major Drivers for U.S. Pork in Japan

During the recent U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Strategic Planning Conference, USMEF Vice President of Marketing, Jesse Austin, updated pork producers and exporters on two product categories that are critical to U.S. pork’s success in Japan – chilled pork and ground seasoned pork. Joe Schuele has more details. Japan has traditionally been the leading value market for U.S. pork, with …

U.S. Pork Producers ‘Give-a-Ham’

(NPPC) — The National Pork Producers Council launched the “Give-a-Ham” challenge, a national social media campaign encouraging hog farmers and those involved in the industry to donate pork to organizations serving the food insecure, and challenging others to follow suit. The “Give-a-Ham” challenge begins today and runs through the end of the year. “With so many Americans struggling with COVID-related …

Amino Acid Helps Shore Up Defenses of Swine

(USDA/ARS) — A third round of feeding trials conducted by a team of USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists has again shown that a dietary supplement called L-glutamine can naturally promote growth and wellness in pigs. Jay S. Johnson, an animal scientist with ARS’s Livestock Behavior Research Unit in West Lafayette, Indiana, and his Purdue University collaborators are …

U.S. Meat Production Poised for More Growth

Producers of every commodity in the meat sector will likely boost production in 2021. But according to a story from Gary Crawford, the U.S. beef industry is likely to post only a modest increase in production. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World …