Federal veterinarians say the “single most important” improvement to the nation’s meat and poultry inspection system will be to restore their expertise in USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The National Association of Federal Veterinarians (NAFV) used the occasion of the release of a recent report urging Congress to update the federal meat and poultry inspection system to make their point. Read more
In partnership with the San Francisco 49ers and FOX Sports, Foster Farms has announced that the 2017 Foster Farms Bowl will take place on Wednesday, December 27th at Levi’s Stadium with a 5:30 p.m. PT kickoff. The 16th annual Bay Area bowl game, which features a matchup between top teams from the Pac-12 and the Big Ten, will once again be televised on FOX broadcast network, while being simulcast in Spanish on FOX Deportes. Read more
The USPOULTRY Foundation is now accepting applications from colleges and universities for the Industry Education Recruitment Funding program. The funding supports student recruitment at colleges and universities that cultivate careers in the poultry and egg industry. Read more
In what could be the most relatable news of 2017, chickens are getting too lazy to mate and we are going to have to pay more because of it.
Consumerist reports that a chicken shortage might be around the corner, as the world’s insatiable appetite for the bird has forced breeders to produce meat faster. In the past, larger roosters were made to mate with large hens so that their chicks would yield meat faster. That natural selection has gotten so out of hand that now chickens are too top heavy to even be interested in reproducing.
Now The Wall Street Journal estimates that the the U.S. needs about 750 million birds every month to sustain the constant demand. Analysts at WSJ found that a measly 1 percent decrease in viable chick births leads to a loss of $120 million across the industry. Read more
Missing Shell Beach already? Click here to view pictures from the golf tournament and the outdoor banquet.
Three more individuals will join Secretary Sonny Perdue’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) leadership team as Acting Deputy Under Secretaries. In accordance with a directive in the 2014 Farm Bill, USDA created a new Under Secretary of Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs as part of a realignment of several mission areas. The reorganization also included a reconstituted mission area reporting to a newly-named Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. The U.S. Forest Service, given its size and importance, will be the only agency to report to the Under Secretary for National Resources and Environment. Read more
California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross is far more than just an administrator. Ross grew up on a farm in Nebraska, where she and her husband still own an 800-acre farm and ranch. We sat down with her to talk about the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Golden State’s agricultural industry. Read more
Missing Shell Beach already? Click here to view pictures from the golf tournament and the outdoor banquet.
In a recent letter to the current administration, the North American Agriculture and Trade Coalition referred to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as a “bonanza for American Agriculture.” On June 13, the National Chicken Council (NCC), USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC), and the National Turkey Federation (NTF) echoed that sentiment in comments filed with the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The agency requested public comment on possible modernization of NAFTA in order to inform development of U.S. negotiating positions. Read more