Ag in the News

01/14/2008

National and International

New Tyson cattle pricing program discounts heavier animals
Tyson Foods is phasing in a new cattle pricing grid designed to reward producers of animals that best meet customer needs — namely, animals that are not too heavy. MORE!

Ground beef recalled on E. coli concerns
Rochester Meat Company, a Rochester, Minn., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 188,000 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service has announced. MORE!

AMSA issues white paper on low-oxygen meat packaging
The American Meat Science Association has issued a new white paper titled, "Low-Oxygen Packaging of Fresh Meat with Carbon Monoxide: Meat Quality, Microbiology, and Safety." MORE!

Sara Lee opens $31.7 million cold-storage warehouse By Tom Johnston on 1/14/2008 for Meatingplace.com Sara Lee has opened a new $31.7 million cold-storage facility in Haltom City, Texas. MORE!

S. Korea aims to settle beef issue with U.S. for FTA's sake
South Korean officials say they will boost efforts to resolve a beef trade dispute with the United States as early as possible in the interest of ratifying a free-trade deal between the two countries, Yonhap News reported. MORE!

Wrap Up

No change on CRP for 2008. Acting USDA Secretary Chuck Conner says it's "too late" to change USDA's decision to not allow penalty-free early out for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contract holders. The matter arose in the wake of USDA's barrage of reports last Friday. Conner says the matter will be looked at relative to 2009 crops, but no change is coming relative to the 2008 crop year. Jim Wiesemeyer looks at the issue in his Inside Washington Today column on the Pro Farmer page.

Beef trade situation. U.S. officials are expressing optimism when it comes to beef trade issues, particularly with South Korea. That country appears to be the focus for the U.S. relative to expanding beef trade -- or at least it is the market where officials see the highest odds for broader beef trade terms. Meanwhile, Japan has halted imports from a U.S. meat plant for an errant shipment. This came just days after lifting a ban on another U.S. meat plant.

Schafer hearing set. The Senate Ag Committee will meet Jan. 24 to consider the nomination of former N.D. Gov. Ed Schafer (R) to be USDA Secretary. There is a push by some to get him confirmed prior to the State of the Union address Jan. 28.

Trade data today. USDA updates the latest trade data today and that will be watched to see how much of a trade surplus that U.S. agriculture still holds.