A coalition of over 125 agricultural, conservation, environment, energy, forestry, human nutrition and rural groups are urging leaders in the U.S. Senate to move forward on the farm bill as soon as possible....More

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), along with six state pork producer associations and other national agricultural groups, have filed a legal motion to intervene as parties in challenging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water quality standards....More

New Zealand's High Court has issued its decision in favor of the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries to its Import Health Standard (IHS) for pig meat, products and by-products from countries with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS)....More

U.S. pork exports rose 8% the first quarter of 2012 by volume (657,864 tons) and were 20% higher in value at $1.66 billion than last year’s record pace, according to statistics released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). However, March pork export volume of 218,869 tons was 8% lower than a year ago, but 6% higher than February 2012. Export value at $570.5 million was 3% higher than last year and up 8% from the previous month....More

As PRRS has moved through the industry at an alarming rate, the disease has increasingly forced the pork industry down a long path of ever-improving biosecurity efforts. It has motivated often difficult and costly economic decisions concerning bio¬security measures, such as installing an air filtration system....More