Latest News From HOGS

The spread between cattle feeding margins and packer margins narrowed modestly last week. Pork producers remain profitable.

USDA is making more funding available for meat and poultry processors to expand operations, transform the food supply chain and create new and better markets for producers.

Arrested for approximately 45 thefts totaling over $9 million in loss, three Florida men have been sentenced for stealing semi-loads of frozen beef and pork from packing plants across six Midwest states.

More than 150 members of the U.S. House sent a letter to U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, R-Pa., and Ranking Member David Scott, R-Ga., on Monday citing their opposition to the EATS Act.

Access has recently been granted for Brazilian pork and beef imports to the Dominican Republic, reports the U.S. Meat Export Federation, following an announcement by Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock.

We try to be good parents by setting boundaries for our kids. We want to raise decent humans who are kind, make good choices and respect others. But let’s be real. During fair week, that all goes out the window.

The EPA has rejected two petitions seeking stricter regulation of animal feeding operations, and will be establishing a federal advisory committee to study the matter. 

"Basically, a pig has a 3-inch environmental vacuum on the front of his face. Anything in front of it is going down. A lot of that damage goes unseen by the public eye,” says William Futch in Feral Swine in America.

Featuring Ryan Goodman, known as "The Beef Runner," and Jen Sorenson, former president of the NPPC, as mentors, the 2023 College Aggies Online (CAO) program is set to kick off on September 11.

Just in time for school to start, in the midst of the Illinois State Fair, students across the state will no longer be penalized for participating in a 4-H or FFA event.

If we are being honest, showing livestock is for crazy people. Late nights, early mornings and little time for social lives. But I think most stock show families would agree they live for summer to do just that.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led 16 states in a letter to U.S. Congressional leadership, urging the passage of the EATS Act. "California’s radical-drafted requirements for farmers are hog wild," the authors wrote.

U.S. pork exports wrapped up an excellent first half of 2023 with another strong performance in June. Although numbers are below the record pace established in 2022, June beef exports topped $900 million in value.

Cattle feeders continue to gain market leverage as packers see pressure from declining wholesale beef prices. Pork producer margins remain solidly in the black.

As more consumers seek locally sourced products to connect with the land, many farmers and ranchers are stepping up to meet demand.

Tyson Foods missed Wall Street expectations for third-quarter revenue and profit on Monday, hurt by falling chicken and pork prices as well as slowing demand for its beef products.

Red meat buyers from Central and South America and the Caribbean recently met with U.S. suppliers in Cartagena, Colombia, during the 11th U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Latin American Product Showcase.

Packers have reduced harvest and employed other tactics in an effort to regain positive margins. Pork producer margins took another step higher as lean carcass prices advance.

Kansas State University beef cattle veterinarians share tips on disposing products, needles and syringes that are a risk to humans.

Charlie Besher, the chairman of NCBA’s Property Rights and Environmental Management Committee, told a U.S. House committee how predatory black vultures take a toll on cattle producers’ livestock and livelihoods.

New Jersey must "adopt rules and regulations concerning the confinement, care and treatment of breeding pigs and calves raised for veal," according to legislation signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy on Wednesday.

Everyone knows communication is key to animal agriculture's future success. That's why the Animal Agriculture Alliance and National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) are teaming up.

Raising teens isn’t for the faint of hearts. Raising teens is not easy and while many of those years are spent watching our children thrive on and off the farm, other times we are just trying to survive.

The spread between cattle feeding margins and beef packer margins has now reached $500 per head as packing losses increase. Pork producer margins are the highest of the year.

Animal activists look for ways to disrupt the livestock industry. However, in Missouri, interfering with the shipping of livestock is now considered a felony offense, with a fine up to $10,000 and prison time.

Do you know what the Top 5 targeted states are for animal rights activists? The answer may surprise you.

The July Ag Economists' Monthly Monitor showed several key changes from June including a bigger cut to corn and soybean yields, a drop in corn and soybean prices and more bullish cattle and hog prices.

The House Committee on Agriculture has established a bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group to address the pressing labor challenges faced by the agricultural industry.

There’s a $400 spread between cattle feeding margins and packer margins – now in the cowboy’s favor. Cattle harvest is lower as packers reduce hours, a signal their margins are in the red.

House Ag Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson, along with other members, is seeking additional funding sources for the bill, but that will likely be the biggest farm bill hurdle that may trip up lawmakers.

A recent study analyzed the probability of meat processing plant survival, finding that business diversification is most important for smaller plants and local context is more important for larger plants.

Canada's red meat sector expressed deep disappointment after the announcement that the United Kingdom joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). 

“I want you to know the importance of the people you allow into your life,” Ray Perryman said. “The company you keep has absolutely everything to do with where you end up. Be careful who you allow into your life.”

Last week produced the lowest feed costs and lowest break evens for pigs placed in the finish barns since December 2021. Cattle feeders also saw declining feeding costs.

USDA's APHIS is awarding more than $3.2 million to create antimicrobial resistance dashboards to improve access to information on antimicrobial resistance in domesticated animals.

A mid-year report from Farmers National shows land values are increasing by single digits instead of the double digits common in 2021-22. But the company says it has a strong roster of listings headed into late summer.

A new tactic by animal rights groups: Infiltrate and co-opt advocacy groups, politicians, and even farmers. "Phony Farm" groups present an ag face but have shared causes, and funders, with animal rights extremists.

OSU with Osage Nation recently concluded its inaugural Meat Mastery Program, a hands-on experience aimed to provide participants with comprehensive knowledge on multi-species meat harvesting and value-added processing.

Launching the new Center on Vaccine Evaluation and Alternatives for Antimicrobials, or CVEAA, Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine aims to support animal vaccine development and usage.

If a seasonal price decline develops as anticipated, this year’s starting point for cattle feeders is the best in a decade. Pork producers notch their second week of modest profits.

While the risk of malaria infection remains low, the CDC says Anopheles mosquito vectors, found throughout many regions of the country, are capable of transmitting malaria if they feed on a malaria-infected person.

Which cities have the best barbeque? The answer depends on who you ask, and two recent rankings provide different results.

While many tools for managing risk exist for livestock producers today, livestock risk protection (LRP) might be an option for producers to consider no matter how large or small the operation.

The Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor is a new survey of nearly 50 economists. Most ag economists agree the next 12 months could produce more financial pressure for agriculture, but their views vary depending on commodity.

Families can expect to pay $67.73 to host an Independence Day cookout for 10 people, the American Farm Bureau Federation reports, a decrease of 3% year over year, yet 14% higher than two years ago.

Wholesale beef prices continue to support packer margins even as negotiated cash cattle trade well-above the five-year average. Pork producers enjoy a market rally that has lifted margins out of the red.

Iowa State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) is set to revolutionize molecular diagnostic testing with the introduction of a cutting-edge machine—the “SmartChip.”

The anti-farmer movement now underway by fringe extremist groups is not pro-animal. It is extremism promoting regressive policies that will chip away at America's historically stable -- and affordable -- food supply.

Three California-based cultivated meat companies have received approval from USDA to begin producing and marketing lab-grown chicken.

Cattle feeders saw their margins shrink $70 per head last week as a modest increase in market-ready supplies led packers to sharply cut their negotiated purchases.