Ag in the News

02/20/2008

National and International

Smithfield to cut sow herd by up to 5 percent
Smithfield Foods said it will cut its U.S. sow herd by 4 percent to 5 percent — or 40,000 to 50,000 sows — a move that will ultimately result in production of 800,000 to 1 million fewer market hogs annually. MORE!

Worker arrested in Hallmark/Westland case
Daniel Ugarte Navarro of Pomona, Calif., a worker at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. charged with animal cruelty in a case that led to the largest beef recall in U.S. history, has been arrested, the Associated Press reported. MORE!

Undercover Hallmark/Westland videographer protecting his identity
The person who took a job at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. and videotaped workers using inhumane tactics to prod downer cattle granted an interview to the but declined to disclose his identity. MORE!

Hillary Clinton calls for more food safety funding, ban on downer cattle slaughter
Following the massive Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. beef recall, Hillary Clinton listed a series of food safety actions she would take as president, including a 50 percent increase in USDA's food safety budget and a ban on slaughtering downer cattle. MORE!

Listeria workshop for small businesses planned for April
The North American Meat Processors Association, the National Meat Association and the American Association of Meat Processors are sponsoring a Listeria monocytogenes control workshop for small businesses April 23 at the Hilton Ontario Airport in Ontario, Calif. MORE!

Wrap Up

Oil slips back from century mark. Oil futures close over $100 for the first time in trade Tuesday wasn't met with additional advances in Asian trade. Prices edged back but not before the situation had caused losses to build in Asian stock markets. The watch will be on today to see if the $100 mark is again hit.

Farm bill update. Work continues on getting a deal on the funding side of the farm bill. Work is focusing on just how much spending can take place beyond the budget baseline in the new farm bill. It appears the House and Senate are narrowing their differences, and Jim Wiesemeyer looks at the issue in his Inside Washington Today column found on the Pro Farmer page.

No continuation of EU pork export subsides and a cut in the U.S. sow herd. European Union farm ministers are expected to approve a continuation of a storage program to help pork producers in Europe, but not a continuation of export subsidies. Meanwhile, Smithfield announced they will be cutting their sow herd in response to high grain costs.

Wheat auction in China. Reports out of China say they are currently conducting an auction of 2.5 MMT of state-owned wheat, the largest since minimum grain purchase prices were imposed in 2006. The auction has also generated a lot of interest, with China's People's Daily reporting 2,700 bids were received for the supplies.