Food Manufacturing

Cattle placements fell 9% in August, while New Mexico joined USDA’s meat inspection program, potentially expanding processing options for livestock producers.
RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney says talks between U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Canadian negotiators remain stalled, leaving producers and businesses watching closely for what comes next.
The Antitrust Division says it sent letters to Kroger, Publix, Walmart, Albertsons, Aldi, Ahold Delhaize, Costco, and Amazon.
Stronger mill use is providing a boost for extra-long-staple cotton demand, though overall volumes remain limited.
Washington should not try to manufacture a lower beef price. It should create the legal, tax, and economic environment that gives American ranchers a reason to produce more beef.
USDA’s Ranchers First Initiative includes new risk management tools, processing programs and efforts to rebuild the American beef herd.
New or reopened packing plants could struggle to operate efficiently until U.S. cattle inventories recover.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger recently sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins calling the policy “catastrophic” and raising concerns about its potential impact on cattle producers.
Persistent losses and tight cattle supplies are forcing beef packers to reduce processing capacity.
As beef prices have climbed roughly 9-13 percent, some shoppers are shifting toward pork and chicken, which remain more affordable per gram of protein.