Latest News From Industry

Ohio Pig Population Booming After Last Year's Deadly Virus
Ohio Pig Population Booming After Last Year's Deadly Virus

A rebound in Ohio's swine population since the loss of hundreds of thousands of pigs to a virus last year in the state is expected to continue to help lower pork prices for consumers.

Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle Adds British Pork Supplier to Ease Carnitas Shortage

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has added a British pork supplier, helping ease a monthslong shortage of the meat used in its popular carnitas burrito and taco filling.

wet corn field cc 0530
Higher Feed Costs Could Mean Pork Industry Losses

Weather-damaged corn and soybean fields are also harmful to hog producers.

livestock
Extension Publication Delves Into How Public Views Animal Agriculture

A new Purdue Extension publication presents local and state leaders with research findings on the similarities and differences in how people in rural and urban Indiana perceive animal agriculture.

BT_German_Meat_Counter
U.S. Beef, Pork Exports Sluggish in May

After an encouraging performance in April, exports of U.S. beef and pork lost momentum in May, falling below year-ago levels in both volume and value according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF)

Arbys_Hotline
Arby’s Trolls Vegetarians with Support Hotline

Fast food chain Arby’s launched a support hotline for vegetarians and it has non-meat eaters up in arms.

BT_Holstein_Feedlot_Cattle
Will All Livestock Production Be Antibiotic Free?

Consumer perceptions, retailers and legislation are changing the way livestock are raised in the U.S.

TheAndersonsCornPile
Corn Market Seen Tighter as Pigs Erode Reserves at 27-Year High

U.S. corn inventories are the highest since 1988, and that still won’t be enough of a cushion to keep supplies from tightening as demand for livestock feed surges and farmers cut back on acreage.

05 04 12 Hogs
Iowa Hog Inventory of 21 Million is Second Largest on Record

The latest report on the status of the Iowa hog industry shows the state with 21 million hogs on Iowa farms as of June 1.

BT_Cow_Calf
Large-Animal Vets in Short Supply

If you are one of the estimated 10,000 cattle producers in Mississippi, you may have faced a challenge in finding a veterinarian to treat a sick or injured animal right away.

17496239549_9ee48b3a51_z
Stretching Dollars at the Meat Counter

K-State specialist discusses flavorful, but Less expensive cuts.

BT_Meat_Grocery_Store
Meat Substitution Effects

Among the many issues generating anxiety for some industry stakeholders is the possible impact on retail beef prices (and hence derived prices at wholesale and live animal levels) of changes in available supplies of competing meats.

bbqfeat-300x200
Barbecue Camp Brings University Meat Science to Consumers

A first-of-its-kind workshop series may have been called North Carolina Barbecue Camp, but its topics went beyond the state’s traditional Eastern and Lexington styles as presenters delved into the cuisine of other national barbecue hot spots such as Memphis, Kansas City and Texas.

BT_Beef_COOL_Label
COOL: Canada Seeks $3 Billion in Retaliation

Canada seeks $3 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports, while Mexico targets $653 million in trade.

BT_COOL_Ground_Beef
WTO says Country-of-Origin Labeling Isn’t COOL

Canada and Mexico will be able to impose tariffs on American products if the U.S. doesn’t change its rules on country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for meat.

CAFO pigs
Pork Producers Buoyed by New Sioux City Plant

Seaboard Foods and Triumph Foods have formed a joint venture to build a $264 million pork plant in the Sioux City, Iowa.

breakfast_bacon_eggs_fruit_pancakes
Time for Breakfast: Egg and Bacon Prices Go Opposite Ways

To track the changing prices paid by consumers for five staples at the breakfast table— eggs, bacon, cereal, bananas, and coffee—we looked at the components of the Consumer Price Index from April 2014 to March 2015.

05 04 12 Hogs
Nebraska Inches Closer to Allowing Packer-owned Hogs

Nebraska lawmakers are one step closer to lifting the state's ban on hogs owned by meatpackers.

Analysts Predict Continued Strong Meat Demand This Summer
Analysts Predict Continued Strong Meat Demand This Summer

Beef prices may be climbing, but as summer grilling season begins, Americans are showing little sign of sticker shock at the butcher shop so far.

applegate_farms
Hormel Foods Agrees to Buy Applegate Farms for $775 Million

Buying Applegate will give Hormel a brand that sources meat from about 1,800 family farms and sells a range of products from turkey deli slices and chicken strips to bacon and corn dogs.

Applegate_Farms
Hormel Buying Meat Producer Applegate Farms for $775M

Hormel Foods is paying $775 million to add natural and organic meats producer Applegate Farms to its roster of food brands that include Spam canned ham, Dinty Moore stew and Jennie-O turkey.

summer_grill
Retail Pork Prices Fall as Summer Grilling Season Begins

As grillers welcome cheaper pork now, money managers are betting that costs will climb again as demand strengthens.

Department of Ag to Hold Hearing on Adams County Hog Farm
Department of Ag to Hold Hearing on Adams County Hog Farm

The Illinois Department of Agriculture will hold a public hearing on a proposed hog confinement facility in western Illinois.

With Bacon So Cheap, Even Veggie Burgers Get Two Strips on Top
With Bacon So Cheap, Even Veggie Burgers Get Two Strips on Top

Bacon is having its moment. It’s always been popular, but now, driven by reduced cost, that popularity has exploded.

March Pork, Beef Exports Show Positive Momentum
March Pork, Beef Exports Show Positive Momentum

Exports of U.S. pork and beef gained momentum in March after starting the year slowly, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

Chicken_Plant_3_Poultry
Chicken Beats Beef as Emerging-Market Protein, Top Producer Says

JBS SA, a bovine slaughterer that became the world’s biggest meat company, now sees chicken as a better way of tapping emerging-market demand growth than beef.

BT_Beef_Packer_Roasts
Iceland Running out of Burgers as Vet Strike Causes Meat Crisis

A strike of veterinarians in Iceland is depriving meat lovers of their burger fix.

Strong Cattle Prices Continue; Hog Markets Drop

Cattle prices remain high, though they are down from the record set last October.

Time to Revamp Livestock Pricing?
Time to Revamp Livestock Pricing?

At a livestock industry conference last week, the main topic covered was outlook—both for feed and livestock/meat. However, the most lively discussions revolved around price reporting.

Japanese_flag
Japan’s Farm Minister Has Firm Message on U.S. Rice Imports

Earlier hopes that Japan would accommodate more imports of agricultural products with lower tariffs took a beating this weekend when the nation's negotiator made it clear rice, wheat, barley, beef, pork, dairy products, sugar and starch crops are considered politically sensitive products that have to be protected.

Vintage_alarm_clock
Weekly Wakeup: Reports Shift to Meats

Attention shifts back toward livestock in the week ahead after last week’s most notable data issue was the March NOPA soybean crush.

bull_bear
Bullish Scenario Brewing?

Mother Nature is playing tricks already with excessive rain, says Jerry Gulke, president of The Gulke Group. Add to that, farmers are cutting back on inputs. Too soon to tell, but maybe the nail isn't yet in farm bank account coffins!

2015 Scientific Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: A Meat Industry Perspective
2015 Scientific Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: A Meat Industry Perspective

There is a recommendation in the report advising Americans to limit their intake of red meat.

Déjà vu All Over Again?
Déjà vu All Over Again?

The general negativity in the market feels frightening familiar to many producers. This week, all the ag markets were lower with the exception of cotton and soybean oil. The live cattle market, which lost more than $4 this week, "is like trying to catch a knife," says Jerry Gulke of the Gulke Group. "Producers really have to lock in a margin.

Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle Carnitas Woes Linger, Showing Lack of Premium Pigs

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is still struggling to keep popular menu items from disappearing.

February Meat Exports Lower Year-over-Year, but Show Improvement
February Meat Exports Lower Year-over-Year, but Show Improvement

While still impacted by severe congestion in the West Coast ports, February exports of U.S. beef, pork and lamb bounced back to some degree from the totals posted in January.

CurlysRedesign_PulledBeef-308x325
Iowa Specialty Meat Plant Planning $9 Million Expansion

A Sioux City, Iowa specialty plant that processes ribs and other pre-cooked meats is planning a $9 million expansion that will result in 30 new jobs.

JBS-logo
JBS Said to Weigh U.S. Unit IPO as Valuations Eclipse Brazil

JBS SA, the world’s biggest meat producer, is considering reviving plans for an initial public offering of its U.S.-based unit as North American stock valuations rise relative to Brazil, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

Vintage_alarm_clock
Weekly Wake-up: USDA Reports on Meat

Traders spent the weekend digesting last week's Federal Reserve comments and Cattle on Feed; next week the biggies will be Cold Storage and Hogs & Pigs.

Japan Pork Group Proposes Halving Tariffs for TPP Agreement
Japan Pork Group Proposes Halving Tariffs for TPP Agreement

As negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Trade agreement continue, the Japan Pork Producers Association says it could tolerate a cut in pork duties to as low as 240 yen ($2) a kilogram from a maximum 482 yen at present. Japan is the top export market for U.S. pork. Other Asian nations also might be more accessible under the TPP.

Rika-with-Brook-Kerns-Jennifer-Houston-aps
USMEF Market Expo Offers Firsthand Look at Abundant Opportunities in Japan

The USMEF Market Expo, a market education program that allows producers and other USMEF members to observe international market development activities for U.S. pork and beef.

Port_Picture
Port Congestion, Economic Headwinds Slow January Meat Exports

Shipping delays caused by the West Coast labor dispute combined with a number of economic factors to drive export volumes for beef and pork to four-year lows.

BT_Meat_Grocery_Store
Meat Industry Fights New Dietary Proposal

The meat industry is seeing red.

16568324637_8922398772_z
Meat and Poultry Recalls: What Food Firms and Investors Should Know

A K-State study used stock market prices to determine costs of recalls to food firms and what recall factors are most impactful economically.

RT-Mart-tour2-422
USMEF Market Expo Underway in Shanghai

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Market Expo, a market education program that allows producers and other USMEF members to observe international market development activities for U.S. pork and beef, began last week in Shanghai, China.

March of the Wild Pigs
March of the Wild Pigs

Wild pigs are responsible for an estimated $1.5 billion in agricultural damage and control costs each year in the United States, not including the costs from environmental damage, property damage, vehicle collisions, and water quality impacts. They are established in 36 states and population estimates place wild pig numbers at 6.3 million nationwide.

hogs
Pork's Boom and Bust Price Pattern

Markets can take your breath away and the hog market over the past year has left many breathless.

Profit Tracker: Feedyard Losses Exceed $150 Per Head

Cash cattle prices dipped nearly 50 cents per cwt.

Cattle_Grazing_Corn_Stalks
Farmer-Legislator Calls For Stiffer Farm Theft Penalties

Iowa is widely known for its corn and hogs. Less well known is that livestock and farm commodities, most often at remote rural locations, often are an easy target for thieves.

Fire Investigators: Huge Minnesota Swine Farm Fire Was Accidental
Fire Investigators: Huge Minnesota Swine Farm Fire Was Accidental

State investigators have concluded an investigation into a huge fire that killed more than 12,000 pigs and hogs at a southern Minnesota swine farm.