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  • Apr. 29, 2013
    Article

    Baucus Announces Retirement

    Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, became the eighth senator to announce he would not be running for re-election in 2014....More
  • Apr. 29, 2013
    Article

    New Mandatory Reporting is Good, but not without Pain

    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....More
  • Apr. 29, 2013
    News

    USDA Launches Data Sharing Initiative

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, along with Bill Gates, and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park, today kicked off a two-day international open data conference, saying that data “is among the most important commodities in agriculture” and sharing it openly increases its value....More
  • Apr. 29, 2013
    News

    USDA Criticized for Budget Proposals

      The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a series of hearings this past week on budget requests for agricultural agencies....More
  • Grilled Porterhouse Pork Chop.
    Apr. 26, 2013
    blog

    Pondering the Pork Chop Identity Crisis

    A pork chop by any other name tastes just as juicy and delicious--and now has a new identity in the meat case. In an effort to make both pork and beef more consumer-friendly, new names such as porterhouse pork chops will help retailers differentiate and merchandise pork cuts more effectively, according to the National Pork Board....More
  • Apr. 26, 2013
    News

    Immigration Coalition Lauds Agricultural Worker Bill

    The Food Manufacturers Immigration Coalition, which includes the National Pork Producers Council, today praised the introduction of legislation that would assist in establishing a stable workforce, which  can help sustain the rural communities where farmers, ranchers and food manufacturers grow and process the nation’s and world’s food supply....More
  • Apr. 26, 2013
    News

    Meat Label Changes Bolster Consumer Confidence

    The changes in how cuts of meat are labeled in grocery stores, due out this summer, will clear up confusion and bolster confidence among consumers. So says Iowa State University’s Joseph Cordray, professor of animal science and the director of Iowa State University’s Meat Laboratory....More
  • Apr. 26, 2013
    News

    Supporting the Next Generation of Farmers

      A group of Midwest congressional members introduced legislation Thursday to help recruit and support individuals interested in starting farming. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Al Franken (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Reps. Tim Walz (D-MN), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and Collin Peterson (D-MN), ranking member of the Agriculture Committee, introduced the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, respectively....More
  • Apr. 26, 2013
    News

    Pork Production: Is It Up or Down?

    The latest estimates of U.S. beef, pork and poultry production released Thursday afternoon would have you believe that there have been notable reductions in output for all three species. But as Steve Meyer and Len Steiner point out in today’s Daily Livestock Report, the catch is that there was one less marketing day in March 2013 compared to March 2012....More
  • Apr. 25, 2013
    News

    Spring Return to Profitability Appears Possible

    Hog producers should return to profitability this spring because of lower feed prices, although delayed planting could still change that, a Purdue Extension agricultural economist says. Chris Hurt says the animal industries got an unexpected boost from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's grain stocks report at the end of March....More
  • Apr. 24, 2013
    News

    Spotlight Shines on MusicFest at World Pork Expo

    The spotlight will shine on MusicFest at World Pork Expo on Thursday, June 6, as the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) presents world-class entertainment by Transit Authority and Little Texas....More
  • Apr. 23, 2013
    News

    Economist Predicts Bright Future for Pork Producers

      More efficient land use, a stalled demand for corn ethanol and increased demand for meat in developing countries should help boost the livestock industry in coming years, according to a Purdue University agricultural economist. Farzad Taheripour, a research assistant professor of agricultural economics, used Food and Agriculture Organization and U.S. Department of Agriculture data, paired with Purdue's Global Trade Analysis Project model, to guide analysis of global economic issues. ...More
  • Apr. 23, 2013
    News

    Canada Hosts Meeting of North American Pork Industry Leaders

    The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) recently hosted a meeting of North American pork industry leaders, finding several areas of common interest and concern.  The meeting took place in Niagara Falls, Canada, where representatives of the CPC met with their counterparts from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the Mexican pork producer organization, the Confederación de Porcicultores Mexicanos....More
  • Apr. 23, 2013
    News

    Corn Planting Creeps Along

      USDA’s weekly crop progress and condition report was almost a re-run of the prior week, with corn planting progress increasing only from 2% last week to 4% for the latest report, according to blogger Stu Ellis at www.farmgateblog.com....More
  • Apr. 22, 2013
    Article

    What’s Caused Prices to Falter: Demand or Supply?

    Is it demand or is it supply? That question has been kicked around ad-nauseum this year as meat and livestock prices have consistently fallen short of expectations. In typical economist fashion, the correct answer is “both.” But that brings very little satisfaction, so let’s look at the information we have....More
  • Apr. 22, 2013
    Article

    House Agricultural Committee to Consider Farm Bill

    Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK) has indicated the House Agriculture Committee will begin markup of the 2013 farm bill on May 15. The Senate Agriculture Committee is also expected to markup its farm bill in May....More
  • Apr. 22, 2013
    Article

    FDA Extends Food Safety Comment Period

    The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced it was extending the comment period for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) proposed rules for another 120 days....More
  • Apr. 22, 2013
    Article

    Bipartisan Immigration Reform Introduced in Senate

    The bipartisan gang of eight, Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), John McCain (R-AZ), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY)) introduced the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013.” This is the most comprehensive immigration reform effort in three decades....More
  • Apr. 22, 2013
    Article

    Livestock Disaster Legislation Introduced

    Congresswoman Kristi Noem (R-SD) has introduced the “Livestock Disaster Protection Act,” which would provide a safety net for livestock producers....More
  • Averaging 25 to 30 pigs weaned/sow/year is a key to success.
    Apr. 22, 2013
    Article

    Common Denominators of Successful Pork Producers

    The last eight months have been challenging for anyone involved in the swine industry. It’s been especially challenging for those who don’t have some sort of risk management plan in place or have not executed their plan to head off the drought’s impact on margins. Besides the need to manage risk, the need to be a competitive, low-cost producer is vital to establishing a platform that will allow you to be profitable....More
  • Apr. 22, 2013
    News

    Pork Management Conference Slated for June

      The Pork Checkoff is offering the 2013 Pork Management Conference, “Your Pork Industry Investment,” June 18-21 in Denver, CO. The conference brings together industry experts to speak on current business trends and challenges, helping pork producers gain important insight and financial sophistication they can use to help manage through tough economic times....More
  • Apr. 19, 2013
    News

    Ag Gag Laws Really Do Protect Animals, Producers

    Organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Mercy for Animals say they have stopped attempting to take undercover videos on farms in states that have laws that make this practice illegal. These laws, referred to as “ag gag” laws, have already gone into effect in states such as Iowa and Utah. Several other states are in the process of working to enact similar legislation. Meanwhile, the topic of ag gag laws is getting a lot of media attention, and the opinions about the merits…or lack thereof…of preventing undercover videos from being taken on farms differ widely. As I’ve read blog posts finding fault with these laws coming from within the agricultural community, I keep coming back to what I heard and saw when I attended a Mercy for Animals (MFA) press conference last summer where an on-farm video was “revealed.”...More
  • Apr. 17, 2013
    News

    Weigh Early Corn Planting Against Weather Factors

    Only 1% of the Illinois corn crop was planted by April 14, compared to 38% on that date in 2012. With soils still cool, more rain falling this week, and a forecasted drop in temperatures later in the week, corn planting is unlikely to be early in 2013, according to University of Illinois crop sciences professor Emerson Nafziger....More
  • Apr. 15, 2013
    Article

    The Question about Pork Margins Resurfaces

    Happy Tax Day! There’s an oxymoron if ever there was one. But look on the bright side – the marginal tax rate isn’t 100% yet. I had a pastor once who, from time to time, would begin a sermon with, “It’s time we had one of THOSE talks again.” What followed was never pleasant for him or for us as he would remind us of the difficult things the Bible teaches – help those in need, love those who are difficult to love, be careful to separate needs and wants, wear modest clothing. Well, it’s time for one of THOSE talks about how the value of pork is being spread among the people who create that value....More
  • Apr. 15, 2013
    Article

    New Pork Export Weekly Reports Offer Timely Feedback

    Implemented earlier this month, the weekly reporting of pork muscle cut volumes going into the international market will give the industry timely feedback on export trends that are critically important to a growing segment of the U.S. pork industry....More

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