Livestock Articles
USMCA Implications for the U.S. Dairy Industry
Published July 1, 2020
Roughly 40 percent of U.S. dairy exports go to Canada and Mexico. International Dairy Foods Association President and CEO Michael Dykes says that adds to the significance of the newly implemented U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. There’s speculation Canada’s new Tariff Rate Quota…DIRECT Act Aims to Help Meat Processors and Producers
Published June 30, 2020
Congress has introduced legislation to create new direct-to-consumer options for livestock producers, processors and small meat markets. The Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions, or DIRECT, Act would amend retail exemptions to allow state-inspected meat products to be sold…Environmental Group Seeks Depopulation Database
Published June 29, 2020
A coalition of environmental activist groups wants USDA to produce a permanent, searchable database regarding the animals euthanized during the coronavirus pandemic. The Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Biological Diversity and Earthjustice are among the groups upset with…Additional Funding Approved for ND Meat Processing Facilities
Published June 29, 2020
An additional $2.7 million in funding has been approved by the North Dakota Emergency Commission for meat processing plants. The funding comes from the coronavirus relief bill to provide cost-share assistance to meat processing plants. The cost-share program started last…Turkey Growers Ask to Be Included in COVID-19 Aid
Published June 29, 2020
Turkey growers would like to be included in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. "We are working on being considered in the second round of CFAP that is coming down the line," said Sarah Anderson, executive director, Minnesota Turkey. "We are…All Eyes on July 1 for Forage Production
Published June 26, 2020
A large part of western and central portions of North Dakota have experienced dry conditions this growing season. Those areas have received less than 50 percent of normal precipitation since April 1, with extremely dry areas receiving only 20-to-30 percent…A Bearish Hogs and Pigs Report
Published June 26, 2020
There wasn’t a lot of positive news to be found in the quarterly hogs and pigs report. The inventory of hogs across the U.S. was up five percent from the same period one year ago. The market hog numbers are…A Wild Ride in the Dairy Markets
Published June 25, 2020
The dairy markets have seen wild swings including block cheese reaching a historic high over $2.70 per pound and Class III milk topping $22 per hundredweight. "The trends in terms of expansion of the dairy herd seems to be stalled…MN Beef Update
Published June 24, 2020
Meet Makenna Winkelmann, the Minnesota Beef Council and Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association summer intern. You can find out more in the latest edition of the MN Beef Update.