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Perdue Farms to Acquire Chipotle Pork Supplier Niman Ranch

Perdue Farms Inc. agreed to buy Natural Food Holdings and its Niman Ranch brand, a pork supplier for Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., as part of its goal to expand into organic and antibiotic-free meat.

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Keep It Clean: Biosecurity and Disease Prevention in Finisher Hog Barns

Biosecurity is a vital part of keeping a herd healthy and protecting your investment. A few simple changes and rules can mean the difference between a clean group of healthy market-weight hogs ready for shipment and months of backbreaking work trying to fight some pathogen that snuck its way into your barn.

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Proposed Pig Farm Draws Concerns about Smells, Water Quality

A plan to put 4,800 pigs on a farm in Shiawassee County, Mich., is drawing concerns about smells and water quality from nearby residents.

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We’ve Hit Peak Barbecue, and Steak Prices Are Partly to Blame

If you’re planning to fire up your grill in the backyard on Labor Day weekend, spare a moment to consider that you’re partaking in a tradition in slow decline.

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Bringing Home The Bacon: Top 10 Pork Producing States

Ag exports are down slightly in 2014 but are still enjoying historically high levels. Pork has been a part of that success story, driving nearly $7 billion in exports in 2014. Here are the top 10 states producing the most pork.

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China Pork Price Jump Seen Faltering as Big Farms Boost Output

The surge in Chinese pork prices in July that pushed up inflation is likely to falter as domestic hog supply expands, according to the nation’s biggest maker of animal feed.

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Profit Tracker: Feeding Margins Plummet

Cattle feeding losses nearly doubled last week as cash fed cattle prices declined another $2 per cwt. 

Lower Pork Costs Also Driven by Lower Soybean Meal Costs
Lower Pork Costs Also Driven by Lower Soybean Meal Costs

Soybean meal is an important, but economically, a secondary feed ingredient in hog diets compared to corn. So how much have lower meal prices contributed to lower hog production costs?

Temporary Ban on Hog Farms in River Watershed Approved
Temporary Ban on Hog Farms in River Watershed Approved

The Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission has approved a five-year ban on new medium and large hog farms in the Buffalo National River watershed.

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EPA Seeks $177,000 in Fines From Tennessee Lawmaker

A state lawmaker is facing up to $177,500 in fines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for discharging waste from his northwestern Tennessee hog farm without a permit.  

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Kapowsin Meats Recalls Pork from Washington, Oregon, Alaska

Kapowsin Meats based in Graham, Wash. is recalling more than 520,000 pounds of pork shipped to Washington, Oregon and Alaska after food inspectors found that it may be contaminated with salmonella.

Economic Impact of the Pork Industry on South Dakota
Economic Impact of the Pork Industry on South Dakota

The pork industry in South Dakota makes a significant contribution to economic output and development in the state. 

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Pork, Pig Iron Offer Clues to China's Economic Future

As incomes rise in China, people are spending more on consumer products from luxury handbags to baby food. Already the meat of choice in many Chinese households, pork demand is growing.

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Smithfield Ups Pork Exports to China

Smithfield Foods Inc. has increased its pork shipments to China by almost half in the first six months of 2015, Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Sullivan said.

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Will All Livestock Production Be Antibiotic-Free?

Livestock producers share how it can be done.

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Profit Tracker: Packer Margins Surge

Beef packers saw their margins jump $51 per head higher last week, ending with profits more than $83. 

Arkansas Lawmakers Advance 5-Year Ban on New Hog Farms
Arkansas Lawmakers Advance 5-Year Ban on New Hog Farms

Arkansas lawmakers have advanced a proposed five-year ban on new hog farms in the Buffalo National River watershed, after an effort by opponents to reject the new regulation stalled before a legislative panel.

Arkansas Lawmakers Advance 5-year Ban on New Hog Farms

Arkansas lawmakers have advanced a proposed five-year ban on new hog farms in the Buffalo National River watershed, after an effort by opponents to reject the new regulation stalled before a legislative panel.

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Profit Tracker: Another Ugly Week

Cattle feeding losses jumped back into triple digits last week on softer fed cattle prices

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Coalition: Measure Aimed at Humane Treatment of Farm Animals

Animal rights activists launched a campaign Wednesday to put before Massachusetts voters a proposal that would prohibit raising certain farm animals in small cages and crates and would effectively ban the sale of eggs, pork and veal from animals kept in such tight spaces, wherever they are raised.

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What's Manure Worth?

UMN Extension has developed a new web-based calculator to determine the value of manure.

Safety Measures to Prevent Barn Explosions During Pit Pumping
Safety Measures to Prevent Barn Explosions During Pit Pumping

Extra care is needed to avoid accidents while pumping hog manure from pits. Experts have developed recommendations to help producers deal with the potential for danger and keep everyone (and every pig) safe this season.

China Culling of 100 Million Hogs Means Pork Imports at Record
China Culling of 100 Million Hogs Means Pork Imports at Record

China, the world’s biggest pork consumer, will import 45 percent more of the meat this year after one of the largest reductions of its hog and sow herds for several decades, according to Rabobank International.

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Sides Agree on Lawyer Fees in Arkansas Hog Farm Case

Two federal agencies have agreed with attorneys for environmental groups on a proposed settlement for attorney fees in a lawsuit over a hog farm near the Buffalo National River.

Rain Crow Ranch Temporarily Shuts Down Processing Plant
Rain Crow Ranch Temporarily Shuts Down Processing Plant

A Missouri beef processor has shut down, leading to shortages of its grass-fed beef as well as heritage-breed pork and pasture-raised chicken for the St. Louis groceries and restaurants that sell and serve them.

Wisconsin: Ashland County Moves Toward Moratorium on Large Animal Farms

The Ashland County Board in Wisconsin has voted to direct its staff to develop a proposal for a two-year moratorium on large animal farms amid concerns about pollution from a huge proposed hog farm just a few miles from Lake Superior.

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JBS Shares Slide as Hedging Losses Eclipse Quarterly Gains

JBS SA tumbled the most in a week as second- quarter profit slumped after currency-hedging costs at the world’s biggest meat producer erased gains from its poultry and beef businesses.

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NFL Lineman Turned Vegan...and Animal Rights Activist

A 300-lb. NFL lineman thinks his diet change has helped him prolong his career. He's also turned into an animal rights activist.

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U.S. Beef and Pork Entering China Not as Hard as Conquering the Great Wall

Breaking down China's market access wall could be quite profitable for beef and pork producers.

Health Officials say 134 Cases of Salmonella Linked to Pork
Health Officials say 134 Cases of Salmonella Linked to Pork

Washington state health officials say a salmonella outbreak linked to pork products has grown to 134 cases in 10 counties.

Estonia to Cull Pigs to Stop Spread of African Swine Fever
Estonia to Cull Pigs to Stop Spread of African Swine Fever

Estonian authorities say they will cull about 3,700 pigs to prevent the spread of African swine fever.

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WASDE: Meat Production Lower, Milk Unchanged for 2015

The forecasts for total meat production in 2015 and 2016 are lowered from last month. The milk production forecast for 2015 is unchanged from last month, but weaker milk prices in late 2015 and 2016 result in lower production for 2016 than forecast last month.

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Pigs Using Muscle Drug Means U.S. Missing China Pork-Import Boom

Hog farmers in the U.S., the world’s biggest exporter, are losing out on a big payday because of a feed ingredient that many have been giving pigs for the past 15 years.

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Animal RIghts Group Wants Cruelty Charges Against Hog Farm

An animal rights group is calling on prosecutors to file criminal charges against workers and managers at a southwestern Minnesota hog farm.

Pork Belly Prices Sizzle on Growing Demand for Bacon
Pork Belly Prices Sizzle on Growing Demand for Bacon

Bacon is finally getting a bump as Americans add the fatty strips to everything from corn dogs to french fries, boosting demand while inventory shrinks.

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Profit Tracker: Feeding Losses Under $50

A $4 per cwt. rally in cash fed cattle prices reduced losses for fed cattle to less than $50 per head last week.

Latest Study Finds Arkansas Hog Farm Poses No Big Risk to Watershed
Latest Study Finds Arkansas Hog Farm Poses No Big Risk to Watershed

The latest draft environmental assessment over a northwestern Arkansas hog farm has determined the facility isn't likely to have a significant detrimental impact in the Buffalo National River watershed.

First-half Results Reflect Tough Business Climate for U.S. Meat Exports
First-half Results Reflect Tough Business Climate for U.S. Meat Exports

June export data, released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), reflected a challenging first half of 2015 for U.S. pork, beef and lamb exports.

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Pork Production on the Rise, But Will Chinese Demand Stop Falling?

USDA is forecasting U.S. pork production to outpace beef for the first time in 75 years. China continues to decrease its pork imports substantially since last year. We look at whether demand could pick up and the hurdles standing in the way.

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Access to China Key Factor in Maintaining Meat Export Growth

The U.S. red meat industry has achieved outstanding export growth in recent years, enhancing profitability for all members of the supply chain.

Smithfield Joins Green Groups in Clean-Energy Fight
Smithfield Joins Green Groups in Clean-Energy Fight

With North Carolina’s renewable energy mandate under assault from legislators, green groups seeking to save it have found an unlikely ally: the state’s hog industry.

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Tyson Slumps as Higher Cattle Prices Eat Into Beef Margins

Tyson Foods Inc. fell the most in six years after the largest U.S. beef processor cut its full-year earnings forecast as higher cattle prices erode margins.

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Profit Tracker: Packer, Feeding Margins Rebound

Beef packer margins jumped into the black last week while cattle feeders saw their margins improve $88 per head, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker.

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Tyson Hit Hard in 3Q by Rising Beef Costs and Export Issues

Tyson Foods' third-quarter-profit leapt 32 percent, but that was still short of expectations and the company cut its outlook with high cattle costs expected to continue to weigh on revenue growth.

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Profit Tracker: Feeding Margins Slip

Cattle feeding margins took another tumble last week as cash fed cattle prices declined $2.40 per cwt.

Record Hog Production Puts Plenty of Pork on Menu
Record Hog Production Puts Plenty of Pork on Menu

With so much cheap pork around, demand is growing, potentially preventing prices from dropping much further, said John Nalivka, president of Sterling Marketing Inc. in Vale, Oregon.

Pair Propose Law Designed to Revive Local Meat Processing

Two U.S. representatives are introducing legislation they say will make business easier for small farms by giving individual states more freedom about intrastate distribution of meat.

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Food Labeling Measures Draw Praise from Farm Groups

For farmers and ranchers worried about food labeling rules hurting their businesses, Thursday proved to be a good day on Capitol Hill.

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Largest-ever USMEF Latin American Product Showcase Held in Costa Rica

The fifth edition of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Latin American Product Showcase, held July 15-16 in San Jose, Costa Rica, was the largest and most productive to date.

Smaller Hogs, But Bigger Prices
Smaller Hogs, But Bigger Prices

Hog futures climbed the most in almost six years as hot weather in the U.S. Midwest led to smaller pigs.