Grassley, Tester Urge USDA to Defend Small Livestock Producers

(NAFB) — A letter from ag-state senators urges the Department of Agriculture to provide protections for livestock and poultry farmers against unfair and deceptive practices by meatpackers. Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and John Tester of Montana, calling themselves the only farmers in the Senate, outlined key to help farmers compete with large corporations. The comments come as USDA begins …

Record Number of Poultry Facilities Recognized for Outstanding Safety Performance

Destin, FL (USPOULTRY) – During the 2019 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry in Destin, Florida, a record 230 chicken and turkey facilities received safety awards by the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council. The companies were honored in recognition of their outstanding performance through the implementation of innovative and effective employee safety and health programs. “We received the …

Plan to Use Farm Bill Funding to Support Animal Disease Prevention and Management

(USDA/APHIS) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing initial plans to carry out new animal health activities using resources provided by the 2018 Farm Bill. Section 12101 of the 2018 Farm Bill established a three-part program to comprehensively support animal disease prevention and management. The bill included funding to create two …

Poultry Outlook is Bullish

(NAFB) — Despite a recent increase in the cost of feed and softness in the price of breast meat, chicken producers are expected to prosper over the rest of 2019. An industry analyst who spoke with the website Meating Place Dot Com, said turkey prospects are progressing, albeit at a slower pace. Poultry supplies are remaining manageable in 2019, with …

Perfect Turkey for Small Scale Farming

If you may be considering getting into farming turkeys, Cathy Isom gives some pointers about the perfect turkey for the small scale farmer. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Many people don’t have space or money to keep up with a 30-45 pound turkey until processing time. That’s what makes the Beltsville Small White Turkey perfect for a …

Cobank: Poultry Well Positioned to Withstand Profit Pressure

Poultry profitability is coming under pressure as prices decline amid growing supplies. A new report from CoBank says the U.S. chicken industry has experienced an unprecedented run of historic profitability since 2012 and responded by significantly increasing production and processing capacity. Six new poultry processing plants are expected to be operating by 2020, while production and supplies of competing animal …