Latest News From Coronavirus

Chicken wings have been a hot commodity the past decade, but as the trend changes post-pandemic, red meat producers may want to take note. John Phipps explains why.

The North American Meat Institute says a House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis’ report distorts the truth about the meat and poultry industry’s work to protect employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Increased regulation and the search for better work-life balance are two factors leading to a shortage of truck drivers in the U.S. Walmart is now increasing the starting salary for drivers to try to attract new people.

The commodity markets came under pressure to start the week as traders tried to shed risk over shipping concerns in China as COVID-19 concerns caused officials to shut down transportation amid a two-pronged lockdown.

A red zone is defined by the White House as an area with 100 or more new infections over a one-week period. The good news is the rate of new cases is dropping, says Alan Morgan, CEO, National Rural Health Association.

If international trade were an Olympic sport, then the U.S. would have lost this latest round of competition by more than a mile.

Rural communities are likely to see an outbreak of the COVID-19 variant omicron later than big cities but Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci says the pandemic will eventually end.

The White House says 95.6% of USDA employees have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or filed for an exemption, but the number who've received the vaccine is the lowest among reported federal agencies.

As labor woes continue to cripple meat processing plants, Missouri is rolling out a unique concept to answer many processors’ biggest need. The classroom on wheels will provide workforce development at a pivotal time.

Cases and deaths from COVID-19 among workers at the leading U.S. meatpacking plants were three times as high as previously estimated based on an investigation by the House Select Subcommittee.

Tyson Foods has achieved a 96% vaccination rate for COVID-19 among its 120,000 American workers.

USDA said late last week it’s not approving a vaccine mandate exemption for Farm Service Agency (FSA) employees, and now there are fears the next shortage farmers will face will be with FSA local field staff.

Supply chain issues are becoming one of the biggest concerns for agriculture, and some economists say as the bottlenecks reach a critical point, it could take at least a year to remedy chaos in the global supply chain.

CNH Industrial announced this week its temporarily shutting down several of its European manufacturing plants that produce agricultural equipment. CNH says it plans to shut down the facilities for eight days this month.

The White House’s executive order signed in September requires all USDA employees to be vaccinated by Nov. 22, and includes county FSA offices and employees, as well as elected county committee members who are paid.

"Pipeline" is used to describe processes from petroleum refining to manufacturing X-boxes. Stuff can go in only as fast as it comes out, but when one pipeline part has a problem, it gets complicated, says John Phipps.

Tyson Foods said Friday labor unions have agreed to support its requirement for U.S. employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by November, and the company will offer new benefits to workers including paid sick leave.

In an effort to help employers protect workers from COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued updated guidance for meat industry workers, among others.

COVID-19 testing and cases are on the rise as the push to get America vaccinated continues. New data shows rural vaccination rates are up in 19 states, while questions remain about the new Delta variant.

The company says it will also provide $200 to fully vaccinated frontline team members.

Foodservice spending at restaurants and bars totaled a record $67 billion last month. That's up more than $1 billion from February despite analysts saying the issue of finding restaurant staff is holding back sales.

A Nebraska bill has been delayed that would have extended COVID-19 protections for meatpacking workers for another year.

More than 44,000 Tyson Foods employees have been vaccinated, the company reports. Tyson recently hosted League of United Latin American Citizens CEO Sindy Benavides to an on-site COVID-19 vaccination event.

Tyson Foods, Inc. is partnering with Marathon Health to pilot seven “Bright Blue” health centers near company production facilities as part of its efforts to boost the overall health and wellness of its workforce.

“We know rural areas are different from urban areas, people are more spread out, it's not always as easy to travel to one location that's close to everyone to get a vaccine," Dr. Murthy says.

A new study from the University of California-Davis estimates 334,000 cases are attributable to packing plants. The study says that resulted in more than $11 billion in economic damage.

When the supply chain faced unprecedented challenges causing unpredictable markets and temporarily bare grocery store shelves, Jared Achen and Katie Olthoff were able to turn an obstacle into an opportunity.

Veterinary technicians, podiatrists, dentists and paramedics are also being authorized to administer the vaccine.

A virtual FFA community can only fill the gap so far. I am grateful FFA has found solutions during the pandemic, but I believe the things FFA members have missed drive home the reasons why FFA is so important today.

On Wednesday, USDA shared its plan to deploy 119 qualified personnel across several states to assist in the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Ohio State University scientists are looking for SARS-CoV-2 in animals and the environment.

Tyson Foods, Inc., is piloting a new Matrix Medical Network program that assesses, addresses, verifies and monitors the effectiveness of Tyson’s efforts to protect its workforce from COVID-19. 

A U.S. Congress panel is investigating COVID-19 outbreaks at meatpacking plants nationwide. Here's how some of the packing plants responded.

A U.S. congressional panel is investigating three large meatpacking companies for possible worker-safety violations following reports that hundreds of industry workers have died of COVID-19.

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught the country anything, it’s that there is a tremendous amount of synergy between the circumstances of a pandemic involving humans and those involving animals. 

COVID-19 vaccine development is progressing at an unprecedented pace. A new vaccine candidate has produced a strong antibody response in mice and pigs that could be vital to further development of COVID-19 vaccines.

Efforts to protect the men and women working to keep Americans’ refrigerators full are working, says Meat Institute president and CEO Julie Anna Potts.

China has suspended imports from a Brazilian pork plant operated by privately owned Aurora Alimentos over coronavirus concerns, according to a statement from a meat trade group.

The Centers for Disease Control agrees that frontline meat and poultry workers should be some of the first vaccinated after health care workers and those in long-term care facilities.

Don’t wait until you’re sick to do these three things that will support your immunity.

Tyson Foods Inc said on Wednesday it had fired seven managers at an Iowa pork plant after investigating allegations that they took bets on how many employees would catch COVID-19.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provides that eligible employees are entitled to paid sick time because of COVID-19, and employers are eligible for a tax credit to offset the expense.

No one denies the pandemic ramped up changes that needed to be made in the food supply chain. Will past hesitations be set aside as the industry seeks to find ways to be more resilient to avoid a repeat of the spring?

It doesn’t matter if your employees present clinical signs or if they feel “fine,” if they test positive for COVID-19, they need to leave the farm and self-isolate. Here are 4 steps to prevent future transmission.

As COVID-19 continues to run its course, farms need to not only work on implementing prevention practices, but also prepare for how to respond if one or multiple employees were to test positive for COVID-19.

U.S. states, cities and hospitals are scrambling to buy freezers that can safely store Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine at temperatures of minus 70 Celsius, significantly below the standard for vaccines.

The surge of COVID-19 cases across the country is hitting rural hospitals especially hard. Many aren’t equipped to handle critical patients. Now some hospitals are unable to send patients to urban hospitals for care.

New research published by the National Academy of Sciences ties livestock meat packing plants to 6% to 8% of U.S. COVID-19 cases, and 3% to 4% of the deaths through late July.

The organization partners with farmers and other members of the agricultural community to move food from the farm level to food banks and distribution centers around the U.S.

The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) at the University of Missouri set out to make sure in-person learning not only possible, but feasible for students in 2020.