Livestock Articles
Greeley Beef Plant Reopening Its Doors
Published April 24, 2020
A JBS beef packing plant in Greeley, Colorado is reopening its doors today after closing on April 11 once more than 100 employees tested positive for coronavirus. During the closure, the company worked with the National Institute for Occupational Safety…An Alternative to DFA-Dean Foods Deal Proposed
Published April 24, 2020
Another option is on the table if the Dairy Farmers of America merger with Dean Foods is rejected due to antitrust concerns. Bondholders with Borden Dairy and Dean Foods filed a bid with the bankruptcy courts, positioning it as an…Poppe: 200,000+ Pigs May Need to be Euthanized
Published April 24, 2020
Worker safety takes precedence as the meatpacking industry deals with the COVID-19 crisis. Minnesota House Agriculture Committee Chair Jeanne Poppe says the food supply chain also needs to operate. With the closure of major packing facilities, Poppe says hog farmers…Peterson Asks White House to Help U.S. Pork Industry
Published April 23, 2020
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson sent a letter to the White House Coronavirus Task Force on Thursday. In the letter, Peterson asked the task force to address challenges facing the U.S. pork industry. Peterson also asked Vice President Mike…Local Farm Groups Give Feedback on COVID-19 Package
Published April 23, 2020
The USDA is putting together a rule for the $19 billion COVID-19 aid package. North Dakota Senator John Hoeven hosted a roundtable discussion to address with local farm groups. In the roundtable, North Dakota Stockmen’s Association Executive Vice President Julie…Cattle Industry Speaks Up on Payment Limitations
Published April 23, 2020
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, urging USDA against payment limitations for cattle producers in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Currently, the program caps payments at $125,000 per commodity with $250,000 per producer…Backed Up 400,000 Hogs Per Week
Published April 23, 2020
Due to COVID-19, eight percent of U.S. meat packing capacity is off line. With more employees staying home from work over concerns about the virus, many plants are operating at 50-to-70 percent of their normal production. That leaves the industry…MN Beef Update
Published April 22, 2020
Applications for the Minnesota Top of the Class Beef Program are being accepted through May 1. Hear more from Top of the Class participant Rachel Gray, a northern Minnesota cattle woman, in the Minnesota Beef Update.Tyson Meats Closes Waterloo Pork Plant
Published April 22, 2020
Tyson Fresh Meats will be indefinitely suspending operations at the Waterloo, Iowa pork plant. This is Tyson’s largest pork plant and it’s been running at reduced levels of production due to a low number of workers available. A hand full…