Marketing

Canada Responds to COOL Rule

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:26:00 +0000

Source: Canadian Pork Council

The United States was required to come into compliance by May 23 with its World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations in relation to the WTO dispute on its country-of-origin labeling (COOL) regulations, according to the Canadian Pork Council (CPC).

The fact that the United States has not done so exacerbates discrimination against Canadian livestock exports and has denied much needed stability to Canadian hog producers.

"Reckless" COOL Rule Invites Retaliation

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:40:00 +0000

Source: American Meat Institute

The decision by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service to finalize a proposed rule on country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for meat and poultry products with no changes is being called incomprehensible and reckless by the American Meat Institute (AMI).

The move was made despite a massive outpouring of concern from affected companies and major trading partners and disregards the potential adverse retaliatory trade responses from Canada and Mexico, the AMI says.

NPPC Seeks ‘Comprehensive’ FTA With the EU

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:37:00 +0000

Source: National Pork Producers Council

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is leading a coalition of U.S. food and agricultural groups in urging the Obama administration to convince the European Union (EU) to negotiate a “comprehensive” free trade agreement, including addressing sanitary-phytosanitary (SPS) barriers to trade.

Lower Feed Costs Drive Pork Production Higher

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:38:00 +0000

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. pork production in 2014 is forecast to increase by 2.3%, driven primarily by lower feed costs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook released Thursday.

USDA projects that commercial pork production will climb to 24 billion pounds in 2014. Farrowings are expected to rise modestly (almost 1% compared to 2013), accompanied by about a 1% increase in litter rates and higher average dressed weights (about 1% higher than 2013), which altogether are expected to set another pork production record in 2014.

Smithfield Removes 50% Hogs off Ractopamine

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:28:00 +0000

Source: Smithfield Foods

Speaking at the BMO Capital Markets 2013 Farm to Market Conference Tuesday, Smithfield Foods CEO and President C. Larry Pope confirmed the company’s intent to take half its hogs off the feed additive ractopamine.

“We have two of our plants, which represent 43,000 hogs a day, a little over 10% of the industry, that we can ship into China and are shipping into China every day. On June 1, we will convert our third plant, and over 50% of our operations will have no ractopamine as part of their feed rations,” Pope says.

New Mandatory Reporting is Good, but not without Pain

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:11:00 +0000

By Steve Meyer, Paragon Economics, Inc., Adel, IA

The “big change” has been made and the pork industry is now trying to figure out just how to use it. The newly-minted mandatory reporting data for wholesale cuts will take some getting used to. Some are saying the change is huge; others think it is something that will just take time. To some degree, both are correct.

Expanding Pork Exports Remains a Priority

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:03:00 +0000

Source: National Pork Board

New opportunities and issues are emerging for U.S. pork exports, and producers have prioritized key tactics to put more U.S. pork on the world’s table.

“In challenging economic times, pork producers have had to become more efficient and find creative solutions,” says Tim Bierman, a wean-to-finish pork producer from Larrabee, IA, who chairs the National Pork Board’s International Trade Committee. “This is especially important in our international marketing.”

TPP Agreement Would Boost U.S. Pork Exports

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:35:00 +0000

Source: National Pork Producers Council

Increased pork exports resulting from a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement would create more than 20,000 direct and indirect U.S. pork-related jobs, with the vast majority generated by Japan alone, theNational Pork Producers Council (NPPC) said at a press conference held today.

Comments Criticize USDA’s COOL Proposal

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:07:00 +0000

Source: American Meat Institute

The American Meat Institute (AMI) has filed comments criticizing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed amendment to mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL). The deadline for filing is today on the proposed rule of March 12, 2013 issued by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.

In its letter of April 9, AMI suggests its member companies will be “significantly and adversely affected by the proposal” in that it would “force every supplier and every retailer to change its labeling information and systems.”

NPPC Calls for Compliance with Trade Rules

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:21:00 +0000

Source; National Pork Producers Council

In comments filed this week, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) expressed concern that Canada and Mexico could retaliate against the United States because proposed regulations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture may not make a meat labeling law compliant with U.S. international trade obligations. The World Trade Organization (WTO) last year ruled that the U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law violates U.S. trade obligations under the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. Canada and Mexico brought cases on COOL to the WTO in 2011.