China trade advisers push renegotiating U.S. trade pact – report Some Chinese trade advisers are arguing that Beijing should invalidate the “phase one” trade agreement that de-escalated the Sino-U.S. trade war as retaliation for a U.S. coronavirus blame campaign, reported a state-controlled Chinese newspaper on Monday. Pay hog… Continue reading
Most meat plants will be on line this week despite coronavirus, says Perdue Although beef and pork slaughter plants ran at less than three-fourths capacity last week, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says, “We think most of our facilities will be back on line” by the end of this week…. Continue reading
Food Box purchases will precede coronavirus checks to farmers Farmers and ranchers will begin signing up for $16 billion in coronavirus payments by the end of May if all goes according to plan, said a USDA spokesperson on Thursday. In that case, the payments would follow the USDA’s awarding… Continue reading
Midwestern hog plants ease back into operation; ‘We’ve turned the corner,’ says Perdue Three packing plants that account for 12 percent of U.S. hog slaughter are slowly resuming production this week after coronavirus shutdowns, potentially loosening a bottleneck among meat processors that is tightening supplies and raising prices… Continue reading
Shoppers could see less meat at higher prices due to coronavirus Beef and pork supplies at U.S. supermarkets could shrink by nearly 30 percent and prices may rise by a stunning 20 percent by Memorial Day, the result of coronavirus slowdowns and shutdowns at packing plants, said agricultural lender… Continue reading
USDA food boxes for charity called ‘inefficient’ The $3 billion “farmers to families food box,” part of the Trump administration’s coronavirus relief package, may not be the most efficient way to channel food to the needy, a panel of experts said Monday. Biden says meatpacking plant… Continue reading
As meat plants reopen, Iowa, South Dakota, Pennsylvania and Nebraska are coronavirus leaders As many as 18 percent of workers in meat and poultry plants are infected with the coronavirus in Iowa and South Dakota, while Pennsylvania and Nebraska account for one-quarter of the Covid-19 cases nationwide, said… Continue reading
Packing plant reopenings will begin ‘maybe by the end of this week,’ says Perdue Two days after President Trump ordered meat plants to operate during the pandemic, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said that some plants shuttered by coronavirus outbreaks will reopen “maybe by the end of this week, over… Continue reading
Three pork plants are top U.S. priority for reopening, says Peterson The Trump administration’s top meat-industry priority is reopening three pork plants, now shuttered due to coronavirus outbreaks, that account for 12 percent of U.S. hog slaughter, said the House Agriculture Committee chairman on Wednesday. Labor and public officials… Continue reading
Trump says he will order meat plants to operate during pandemic At the same time he said there is plenty of meat in America, President Trump said on Tuesday he would sign an executive order to keep meat processing plants open during the coronavirus pandemic and shield meat companies… Continue reading
USDA News & Features Organic Food Features