Nomination Open for American Lamb Board Members

Dan American Lamb Board (ALB), Sheep-Goats

Nominations for new members of the American Lamb Board must be submitted by certified nominating organizations and are due to the USDA’s Ag Marketing Service by May 5. The Secretary of Agriculture appoints the board members from the nominations. USDA is looking for a producer with 100 or fewer lambs, a producer with more than 500 lambs, a feeder with …

2023 Power of Meat Research Released at Annual Meat Conference

Dan Beef, Cattle, Livestock, Marketing, Pork, Poultry, Sheep-Goats

During the recent Annual Meat Conference, research from the latest Power of Meat Study showed consumers’ meat usage, attitudes, and trends was released. The report says 2022 meat sales rose 5.7 percent versus 2021, and almost 87 percent of all home-prepared dinners featured meat or poultry. Also, more than 98 percent of shoppers make meat purchases. Inflation is becoming an …

Grant Awarded to the Alabama Agricultural Development Authority for Meat and Poultry Processing

Dan Alabama, Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI), Beef, Cattle, Livestock, Marketing, Pork, Poultry, Sheep-Goats

(ADAI/MONTGOMERY, AL/March 17, 2023) — The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $15 million to the lender Alabama Agricultural Development Authority (AADA) to support meat and poultry slaughter and processing businesses in Alabama. The USDA Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) is awarded to the lender, AADA, in the form of a grant. Businesses engaged in the processing of …

Meat Plants Employed Nearly 31% of U.S. Food Workers in 2021

Dan Agri-Business, Beef, Cattle, Livestock, Marketing, Pork, Poultry, Sheep-Goats, USDA-ERS

The latest federal data shows that in 2021, the U.S. food and beverage manufacturing sector employed 1.7 million people, or more than 1.1 percent of all U.S. nonfarm employment. Within the U.S. manufacturing sector, food and beverage manufacturing accounted for the largest share of employees, 15.4 percent. USDA’s Economic Research Service Monday announced the data, noting that these employees help …

Pork Exports Robust in January; Slow Start for Beef Exports

Dan Beef, Cattle, Exports/Imports, Livestock, Pork, Sheep-Goats, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF)

According to new data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), U.S. pork exports maintained momentum in January after a strong finish last year. But U.S. beef exports, after a record-breaking 2022, slowed late in the year and that trend continued in January. Shipments of U.S. beef were well below the large totals from a year ago. …

ASI Spring Trip Dates Set for March 27-29

Dan American Sheep Industry Association (ASI), Sheep-Goats

The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) spring trip to Washington, D.C. is set for March 27-29. Sheep producers from state and national associations across the U.S. will visit our nation’s capital to meet with their congressional delegations on issues of interest to the industry. The trip will also include meetings with our ASI partners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture on lamb …

USDA Developing New Ways to Track COVID in Wild and Domestic Animals

Dan Beef, Cattle, Coronavirus, Dairy, Equine, Livestock, Pork, Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep-Goats, USDA-APHIS, USDA-ARS

Scientists with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are developing new tests to identify and track the COVID virus in wild and domestic animals. Funded by the American Rescue Plan, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is implementing $300 million to conduct monitoring and surveillance of susceptible animals for the COVID virus. Through the initiative, ARS, in partnership with …

2022 Beef Exports Set Annual Records; Strong Finish for Pork Exports

Dan Beef, Cattle, Exports/Imports, Livestock, Marketing, Pork, Sheep-Goats, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF)

According to year-end data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), U.S. beef exports set annual records for both volume and value in 2022, while pork exports finished lower year-over-year but their value was the third largest on record. Despite slowing toward the end of the year, beef exports reached 1.47 million metric tons (mt), …

Lamb Board Releases New Strategic Plan

Dan American Lamb Board (ALB), Sheep-Goats

The American Lamb Board (ALB) released its fiscal year 2022 Annual Report to inform Mandatory Lamb Checkoff stakeholders of its work to mitigate outside forces and challenges and take advantage of opportunities ahead. “Even though many challenges were out of our control, it’s critical that we keep driving forward as hard as we can to promote American lamb and the U.S. sheep …

Pork Exports Continue to Gain Momentum; Beef Export Value Sets Annual Record

Dan Beef, Cattle, Economy, Exports/Imports, Livestock, Marketing, Pork, Sheep-Goats, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF)

According to new data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), November exports of U.S. pork were the largest of 2022 in both volume and value, while beef exports were below the large year-ago totals. But, 2022 beef export value already set a full-year record of nearly $11 billion. USMEF President and …