On his birthday, Biden lets freedom ring for two Thanksgiving turkeys
In an event that traditionally opens the holiday season in Washington, President Biden pardoned two Thanksgiving turkeys, briefly plugged his rural policies, and joked about his age — 81 — on Monday, his birthday. "I want you to know, it's difficult turning 60," he said, evoking laughter from a couple of hundred people on the South Lawn of the White House. "Difficult."
‘No fowl play’ as Biden pardons Thanksgiving turkeys
In a traditional moment of White House whimsy ahead of Thanksgiving, President Biden pardoned tom turkeys "Chocolate" and "Chip" on Monday. An outbreak of bird flu has driven up turkey prices and crimped supplies for the holiday season.
February storms put a hitch into U.S. poultry production
From hatching operations to processing plants, the mid-February winter storms disrupted the broiler chicken industry, said the USDA on Monday, with a lasting effect on broiler production. The monthly Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook estimated broiler meat production would be 100 million …
Lawsuit alleges turkey companies conspired to keep prices high
A new class-action lawsuit brought by two food distributors alleges that the country's top turkey companies conspired for most of the past decade to raise turkey prices. The allegations mirror those brought in recent years against beef, pork, and chicken companies, and all revolve around the use of reports on industry production and pricing made by a secretive data company called Agri Stats.(No paywall)
USDA pulls organic certification of Turkish grain exporter
The USDA's National Organic Program said it revoked the certification of a Turkish company because it exported soybeans certified as "organic" to the United States that had been treated with pesticides. The action came after the Washington Post last month revealed that significant imports of both corn and soybeans had been labeled organic when they were not.
‘Organic’ corn, soybean imports called fraudulent
Millions of pounds of corn and soybeans imported to the United States in the past year were labeled “organic” but actually did not meet the requirements of the USDA label, according to The Washington Post.
Hog and turkey farmers say they could suffer if NAFTA renegotiation blows up
After withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, President Trump's top trade objective is renegotiation of the 23-year-old U.S.-Canada-Mexico agreement known as NAFTA. Farm groups speaking for U.S. hog and turkey farmers told a House Agriculture subcommittee that their industries could suffer greatly if exports are disrupted.
U.S. meat exports surge this year, to hold steady in 2017
Some 16 percent of U.S. red meat and poultry will be exported this year, a 900-million-pound increase from 2015, according to USDA estimates, which call for a modest increase in the new year. Sales were constrained last year by the strong dollar and trade barriers due to the bird flu epidemic.
Turkey imposes anti-dumping duties on U.S. cotton
The National Cotton Council said it will try to reverse Turkey's decision to assess anti-dumping duties on U.S. cotton, including steps such as a WTO complaint and a lawsuit.
New study says foreign subsidies crimp U.S. wheat exports
Farm subsidies in China, India, Brazil and Turkey cost U.S. wheat growers nearly $1 billion in revenue annually, says a study commissioned by two U.S. wheat groups.
U.S. bird flu losses leap to 8 million birds with Iowa outbreak
Highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed in an egg farm with 5.3 million laying hens in northwestern Iowa, said the USDA. It was the largest outbreak yet in the United States and tripled the number of birds killed by the disease or destroyed to prevent its spread. Until the Iowa case, the USDA listed total losses from 53 other cases at 2.7 million birds, mostly turkeys. The Iowa Agriculture Department said state officials quarantined the farm in Osceola County, "and birds on the property will be humanely euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease."