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
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that the move will save farmers and ranchers $2.5 billion each year. The group warns that new methods for calculating the adverse-effect wage rate would result in lower pay for foreign workers.
Higher rail tariffs and tighter Canadian supplies will keep oat transportation costs firm into 2026.
These “USDA Foods” are provided to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs, including food banks that operate The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and are a vital component of the nation’s food safety net.
Lower U.S. and Mexican production means tighter sugar supplies and greater reliance on imports headed into 2026.
Tyson’s closure reflects deep supply shortages in the U.S. cattle industry, tightening packing capacity, weakening competition, and signaling more volatility ahead for cow-calf producers and feedyards.
Gary Hall, co-founder of Hollywood Impact Studios Rehabilitation, joined the program to discuss using agriculture to provide opportunities and mentorship for at-risk youth in Southern California.
