Livestock
An unprecedented meeting held in May among major cattle industry representatives, typically at odds, has produced plans for change and calls for answers from U.S. lawmakers. Keep up with the latest on this page.
Despite grain prices softening the past two weeks, corn and soybean prices are still at levels not seen in years. And that has livestock producers facing some difficult decisions, including pork producers.
Calls for change came to a head this month, as cattle groups held an industry-wide meeting made history. And the groups say the first meeting is just the start.
During the event, a diverse cross-section of U.S. dairy farmers shared the progress they’re making on animal well-being, environmental stewardship and more.
World Pork Expo is making its grand return to Des Moines this week. This marks the first time since 2018 the event is being held. The National Pork Producers Council says this will mark the 33rd annual event.
After a two-year hiatus, World Pork Expo has returned to Des Moines, Iowa for its 33rd annual event.
Australian and North American units of the world’s largest meat works were hit over the weekend by an organized cyber attack on its information systems, Brazil’s JBS SA said in a statement.
After JBS confirmed a cyberattack shuttered some of its processing plants, USDA’s daily cattle slaughter estimates revealed 94,000 head of cattle were processed on Tuesday, a drop of 27,000 head compared to last week.
As World Pork Expo enters its second day, a policy priority for the pork industry continues to be the issue of line speeds at pork plants. Just this week, Agriculture Secretary said no final decision has been made.
Union workers voted overwhelmingly to go on strike if a new contract is not reached. Leaders with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union say they hope to avoid a work stoppage as they meet with company reps.
2021 seems to be the year of pork. From growing exports to a change in taste for U.S. pork products at home, pork demand is helping drive higher prices for producers today.
While some signs point to a recovery for China’s hog herd, analysts say reliable and consistent data out of China is absent today after China clamped down on traditional sources of information.
Cargill’s CEO says the company is in the middle of a major shakeup as it says consumers will continue to demand more plant-based protein products.
A big concern for dairy farmers is preventing foot and mouth disease (FMD) on farms. Thanks to new technology, there’s now a real-time test that could get farmers answers quickly.
Talks between Argentine policymakers and meat industry officials are on track to reach a deal on re-opening exports, officials said, days ahead of the expiration of the government’s month-long suspension of shipments.
The National Pork Producers Association (NPPC) is calling on Congress to help fix the shipping container fiasco, which the Association says is causing bottleneck issues, including major shipping delays.
Fresh data from China’s state media indicates the world’s largest pork producer is recovering from multiple years of ASF outbreaks. The news comes after the disease wiped out 40% of China’s hog herd in 2019.
Calls from Congress to address issues within the cattle markets continue. The Senate Ag Committee announcing a June 23 hearing to examine markets, transparency and prices from cattle producers to consumers.
After six-year-old Louie Leseberg fell 70 feet into a dark well, his father jumped in to save him. What happened next, and the dramatic rescue that ensued, left even those who witnessed the rescue unable to explain.
Pork shipments from a North Carolina pork processing plant are now blocked from entering Mexico. The plant located in Tar Heel, N.C., is a Smithfield foods plant and is the largest in the world.
T.J. Atkin, a cattle rancher in Arizona and Utah, says the drought is worse than he’s ever seen, as area ranchers cull or relocate cows from reservoirs running dry.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Sand County Foundation a grant to empower farmers with real-time data about their conservation practices.
An unprecedented meeting held early this month among major cattle industry representatives has now produced plans for change. It’s happening while a group of U.S. lawmakers are also asking the DOJ for answers.
Grain prices are already historically high, and a possible weather scare could produce even higher feed prices. Now with a price imbalance in cattle prices, producers are faced with a double dose of bad news.
The latest U.S. Drought monitor indicates drought is gripping pastures, with 60% of the nation’s cow herd is now in some level of drought or dryness, and it’s causing cow slaughter numbers to climb.
Secretary Vilsack flatly denied there is any effort by President Biden to reduce meat consumption to meet proposed cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. “Sometimes in the political world, games get played,” he said.
When hunter Michael Bennett bought eight pigs at a sale barn, the wheels began turning on one of the most bizarre feral hog stories on record, and unleashed questions over guilt, innocence, and state power.
Domestic demand and use of dairy products continues to increase. The news comes as the U.S. continues its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Members of the National Pork Producers Council sent a letter to USTR Katherine Tai about trade with Vietnam. The group says that ASF is impacting the hog herd, but trade barriers are impacting exports.
China is continuing to make big imports of feed grains and pork. Numbers released by China’s Customs Administration Sunday shows the country imported 16% more pork in March.