Brian Mehlhaf, who custom feeds hogs in Parkston, S. D., decided to head online to try to make a profit. He thought posting hogs for sale on Facebook would be a last resort. Now, the response is overwhelming.
One of the most high-profile events in farm country affected by coronavirus concerns is the Houston Livestock show and Rodeo. Some producers had to pack up and leave for home while others didn’t even make the trip.
Trade with China is also a topic on Capitol Hill. The Senate Ag Committee holding a hearing on the state of the livestock industry. It was a hearing from representatives throughout the livestock sector.
News outlets reporting China proposed to buy roughly $70 billion worth of U.S. ag and energy products if the US lifts its tariffs. However, some in the administration say the number is flawed.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Hogs and Pigs report on Thursday shows the hog herd is growing. The total herd size comes in at 73.5 million head. The number is the highest for the quarter since the government started its data tabulation nearly 30 years ago. Hogs on U.S. farms during the June through August quarter are up 2.5 percent last year at that time. The growth is now an all-time high for the quarter. The pork industry is adding and modernizing its plant space due to the expansion. AgDay national reporter Betsy Jibben looks the plants coming online and global demand.
We talked to pork industry leaders about domestic and international demand for the meat and the hurdles the industry is working through to make sure the world eats more pork.
Washington County, Iowa is a large pork producing state. Any disruption like the risk of African Swine Fever on U.S. soil would be a crisis for producers and their communities. AgDay national reporter Betsy Jibben has the story from Washington County, Iowa.
