How the agriculture department works to keep animals healthy. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. USDA has a multi-layered approach to protecting our livestock industry from high-consequence foreign animal diseases. Dr. Julie Wallin with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), says that’s the key role the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). “That’s a network of …
Updated USDA Milk and Meat Production Forecasts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released the August numbers for milk and meat production along with new price forecasts. Rod Bain runs through the latest numbers. World Agricultural Outlook Board Chair Mark Jekanowski discusses some of the adjustments to livestock price projections made by USDA this month.
Excellent First Half for U.S. Pork Exports; Beef Exports below Record Pace
According to new data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), U.S. pork exports concluded an excellent first half of 2023 with another strong performance in June. As for beef exports, while well below the record pace established in 2022, June exports topped $900 million in value, pushing first-half export value to …
U.S. Suppliers Meet with Latin American Red Meat Buyers
Red meat buyers from Central and South America and the Caribbean recently met with U.S. suppliers in Cartagena, Colombia, during the 11th edition of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Latin American Product Showcase. With 70 U.S. exporting companies exhibiting at the showcase, 220 importers had the opportunity to meet U.S. suppliers and arrange purchases of a wide range of U.S. red …
Smithfield Foods Closing 35 Missouri Hog Farms
We told you earlier this week that Tyson Foods had announced the planned closure of four of their chicken processing facilities in the U.S. Now, Smithfield Foods has announced they will close 35 hog farm operations in Missouri. According to a state-required workforce adjustment notification, 92 employees would be affected by the closures slated for this month. Murphy Brown LLC, …
Large Pork Producers Don’t Favor Overturning Prop 12
Legislation has been introduced in Congress that would overturn California’s Prop 12. Reuters says some of the country’s biggest pork producers who’ve already spent money to comply with the California requirements don’t favor throwing out Prop 12. The Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act would curb states’ ability to regulate agricultural products sold within their borders. The bill was introduced …
Pork Producers Sue Massachusetts over Animal Housing Law
Triumph Foods and a group of Midwest pork producers are suing the state of Massachusetts over its Question 3 law and others that set minimum housing requirements for livestock. The plaintiffs are challenging the constitutionality of the Q3 law and seeking immediate relief from the law before it takes effect on August 24. They also want enforcement stayed until the …
American Pure Pork Campaign Expands into Mexico’s Foodservice Sector
For the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), a primary market development objective in Mexico is to strengthen U.S. pork identification in the retail and foodservice sectors. John Herath has more details.
Concentration and Competition in Meat Packing Industry
A recent USDA study looks at trends of concentration in agribusiness and what that means regarding competition within certain industries, like the meat packing industry. Rod Bain has more details.
Tracking Agricultural Markets
With July ending, Mark Oppold looks at how some of the agricultural markets did this month.