Cargill and the Continental Grain Company Monday announced a joint-venture agreement to acquire Sanderson Farms, the third-largest poultry producer in the U.S. The all-cash purchase totals $4.53 billion, or $203 per share, a 30.3 percent premium to Sanderson Farms’ share price of $155.74 on June 18, 2021. Cargill and Continental Grain will combine Sanderson Farms with Wayne Farms, a subsidiary …
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 …
Forecast for Beef Production Unchanged, Poultry Production Lowered
USDA’s latest forecast for beef production is virtually unchanged from a month ago. But according to a story from Stephanie Ho, USDA expects lower poultry production and slightly higher prices for broilers and turkeys, compared to last month. Sponsored ContentStrong Relationship Exists Between the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board and UF-IFASApril 17, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Funding For Quicker Response …
Sign-up Begins for New Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program
We told you last week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had announced a new program for certain livestock and poultry producers, called the Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP). This was designed to help producers who suffered losses during the Covid-19 pandemic due to insufficient access to processing and the cost of depopulation and disposal of those animals. Signup for this program begins today …
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 …
Strong Variety Meat Demand Drives Record Month for Red Meat Exports
We told you last week that for the month of June, both U.S. beef and pork export values shattered previous records that were set back in May. Joe Schuele, with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), has details on how strong variety meat demand helped drive the record month. A detailed summary of red meat export results is available on …
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 …
NIFA Invests $14 Million in Animal Health and Disease Research
The Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced an investment of $14 million in research to protect agricultural animals from disease. The grants are part of NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s Diseases of Agricultural Animals program area priority. NIFA director Carrie Castille says, “This research will help better understand, diagnose, control and prevent diseases in …