The Environmental Protection Service (EPA) is withdrawing plans to reduce wastewater discharge at meat and poultry plants, citing concerns that many operations couldn’t afford to make the upgrades.
Mike Formica with the National Pork Producers Council joined us on Thursday on Market Day Report to share his reaction to the news.
The effort to reduce wastewater discharges came from the Biden Administration. However, a previous study by the EPA shows that as many as 16 meat manufacturing plants would be forced to close if the rules went into effect.
Related Stories
Applications are open through July 27, 2026, on Grants.gov.
Total red meat supplies were up 4 percent from March but down 4 percent from April 2025.
Year-to-date red meat production is down 2 percent, with beef lower and pork higher.
For producers, demand is strong, but drought, disease, and costs still shape supply.
Drought remains a major risk, with the ERS reporting that 98 percent of the U.S. cotton production area was affected by drought in early May.
The coalition says the program was designed to make cover crop enrollment faster and easier for producers.
