Pork Producers to Visit Washington D.C. this Week

On April 11-12, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) will host its spring Legislative Action Conference (LAC) in Washington, D.C. The biannual fly-in draws from around the country about 125 pork producers. Producers will lobby congressional lawmakers on issues of importance to the U.S. pork industry, including the importance of maintaining and expanding export opportunities, and funding a Foot-and-Mouth Disease …

Loss Of Foreign Workers Would Hurt Agriculture

Given a tight labor market, particularly in rural areas, the loss of foreign-born workers would lead to a drop in agricultural jobs, according to a study commissioned by the National Pork Producers Council. Economists with Iowa State University (ISU), using a study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, determined that a reduction in the foreign-born workforce – …

China Enacts Tariffs Targeting U.S. Pork

China is moving forward with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products, including the 25 percent tariff on U.S. pork. China’s Ministry of Finance announced Sunday it will suspend duty reductions on select imported goods from the United States. In the announcement, China says the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum imports to the U.S. violate World Trade Organization rules, and “did not …

Meat Exports on the Rise for U.S.

Last week, President Trump requested a three-year extension of trade promotion authority, but the request comes amid growing concerns over the direction of the administration’s trade policy. And despite what we are hearing about trade issues, USDA is projecting that U.S. meat exports will rise this year just as production rises. Gary Crawford has the story. U.S. Meat Exports on …

Agri View: Elimination of Slaughterhouses

Everett Griner talks about eliminating slaughterhouses not such a good idea in today’s Agri View. Elimination of Slaughterhouses It is a very large group of people who don’t like the way animals are processed for food. In other words, they want to do away with slaughterhouses. That is a term that has a very wide identification. You don’t process chickens …

USDA Trims Red Meat Production Numbers

USDA slightly reduced its projections for red meat and poultry production in 2018. The forecast is slightly lower than last month, primarily due to a drop in beef production, which will more than offset increased pork and turkey production. The latest World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates Report says broiler production remains unchanged. USDA sees lower cattle slaughter and weights, …

Paraguay Market Now Open To U.S. Pork

Under an export certificate recently negotiated between the two countries, the United States now can ship pork to Paraguay. The National Pork Producers Council welcomed the news. “Paraguay won’t be a huge market for U.S. pork, but given the current trade climate, the U.S. pork industry needs all the new markets it can get,” said NPPC President Jim Heimerl, a …