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The National Pork Producers Council has been in overdrive to garner much-needed support for hog farmers, says Nick Giordano, NPPC vice president and counsel, global government affairs.

More pork processing plants are idling production due to COVID-19 cases. The news sending shockwaves through the industry, with producers wondering how long the processing sector can make adjustments and accept hogs.

Smithfield Foods, Inc., announced an indefinite closure on Sunday of its Sioux Falls, S.D., pork processing plant amid a COVID-19 outbreak.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken sent a letter to Smithfield Foods on Saturday recommending the closure of the Sioux Falls pork processing plant for 14 days.

The number of COVID-19 cases related to the Smithfield Foods’ pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., is now up to 190 cases, making it the fourth largest COVID-19 hotspot in the country. 

With Easter plans changing this year for many, the National Pork Board has launched an #EasterToGo Instagram sweepstakes for consumers who don't want to cook on Easter weekend.

While your Easter celebration may look a little different this year, you can still cook and eat a delicious ham with these tips.

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Chesterfield County, S.C.

The focus is on zoonotic-based diseases, a result of pathogens passed from animals to humans.

Agribusinesses re-evaluate employee retention efforts.

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of at least three employees of America’s protein processing industries, one in Colorado and two in Georgia.

From the outside, Pig Hill West looks like most large sow operations in western Iowa. But, when you walk inside the break room, you’ll notice something a little out of the ordinary.

Chet and Cassie Mogler open up about their journey to become foster parents and how they are sharing the gift of farm life.

Who says hog barns aren’t attractive? With the technology that more producers are implementing, barns have become a more attractive work environment than ever before, says Tim Kurbis, president of New Standard US Inc.

The Trump administration issued new guidelines Wednesday to make it easier for essential workers who have been exposed to COVID-19 to return to work if they do not have symptoms.

Smithfield Foods’ pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., is closing for three days starting on Saturday, April 11, and will remain closed on Sunday and Monday while essential employees clean the plant. 

Emily Byers, DVM, with Prestage Farms, is frequently asked: How do you know if PCV3 is real? She says the more important question may be: How do you know if or when you should intervene?

Chris Hoffman, currently America’s Pig Farmer of the Year, says Proposition 12 will affect the pork industry across the nation, regardless of whether or not their farm is based in California.

At a time of massive production, the thought of shuttering plants is the unspoken fear on everyone’s mind. African swine fever and now COVID-19 seem certain to hasten a technological restructuring of the industry.

More than 80 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Smithfield Foods processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D.

University of Illinois researchers set out to see if including rye in diets containing corn and soybean meal without or with microbial phytase improves the apparent total tract digestibility of phosphorus and calcium. 

These are challenging times for all of us, but it’s important to remember that our own stress reflects on our children, too.

Research from the Friedrich Loeffler Institute in Germany shows that pigs and chickens are not susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans). 

Cargill has closed its processing plant in Hazelton, PA, which employs 900 workers, indicating it will reopen when "it is safe" to do so.

The ripple effects of COVID-19 are forcing pork producers to face heartbreaking realities. The shuttering of one U.S. pork plant due to workers contracting COVID-19 has sent shocks through the industry. 

With the recent market dynamics, the ability to slow down pig growth may be beneficial. Omarh Mendoza and Caleb Shull share options to consider when it may be beneficial to control or reduce the rate of pig gain.

From the outside, Pig Hill West looks like most large sow operations in western Iowa. But, when you walk inside the break room, you’ll notice something a little out of the ordinary.

As pork prices fall, some economists and analysts fear more plant processing closures could come soon. That's as producers explore ways to reduce costs and weather this market headwind in order to not repeat the 1990s.

Domestic animals do not pass the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 on to people, current research shows.

U.S. companies that export red meat to Canada now face simpler and clearer requirements, thanks to a joint initiative by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

SwineTech, a company that leverages voice recognition, computer vision and behavioral tracking to safely raise pigs and reduce production inefficiencies, raised $6.3 million total for its farrowing management platform.

Although the weaned pig has changed a lot over the past 10 years, up and coming leader Jenny Morris says research hasn't kept up. She is studying ways to improve the environment of the newly weaned pig.

The Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have approved the materials.

Find out more about the 2020 winner of Pulled Pork Madness, a bracket-style social media contest presented by the Iowa Pork Producers Association.

One of the changes brought about by the quarantine and social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic is that many parents suddenly became in-home educators.

Cash-traded weaner pig volume was above average this week with 56,695 head being reported which is 110 % of the 52-week average. Cash prices were $10.23, down $5.86 from a week ago.

U.S. pork exports posted the third largest month on record in February while U.S. beef exports also recorded double-digit gains from a year ago, according to data released by USDA and compiled by USMEF.

Three U.S. schools are included in the list.

No one wants to think about what would happen if an outbreak of African swine fever would take place in the U.S. Fortunately, in addition to experts working to keep it out, many are working to prepare for if it does. 

Economists take a close look at two scenarios revealing the economic impact of ASF in the U.S.

AgDay’s Clinton Griffiths shares the top headlines in the pork industry this week.

China will closely monitor swine fever prevention measures as it pushes farmers to restore hog production to achieve its full-year target, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday.

Tyson Foods, Inc, announced on Tuesday it will pay approximately $60 million in “thank you” bonuses to its 116,000 frontline employees and Tyson truckers in the U.S.

This spring has brought many unexpected challenges as the world reacts to the spread of COVID-19. In addition, animal agriculture also has to prepare for an additional challenge: a rise in online animal rights activism.

Beef packer margins increased another $45 per head for the week ending March 27 while a rally in cash prices pulled feedyard closeouts into the black.

When Chris Hoffman realized that his neighbors truly didn’t understand pig production, he decided it was time to start talking about the We Care initiatives more. But sometimes talking about it isn't enough.

The world knows how quickly a virus can spread, as COVID-19 extends its tendrils throughout the globe. COVID-19 reminds U.S. livestock producers how critical it is to have a vaccine bank in advance of a FAD threat.

“Although the number is down 1% from last December, it is generally a continuation of the industry expansion that has been ongoing since mid-2014,” says Jason Franken, ag economist at Western Illinois University.

A semi hauling 86 pigs overturned on Monday in Winston-Salem, N.C. The driver wasn’t hurt but several pigs were injured, reports the Winston-Salem Journal.

The hog herd is expanding. That’s according to the USDA Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report. Numbers are increasing in all categories compared to one year ago. How expansion continues amid COVID-19 is anyone’s guess.