Meat packers

For years USDA has published data on base and net prices for cattle transactions, but there hasn’t been a lot of information in between; until now.  Taylor Cox with USDA's Ag Marketing Service said the new online Cattle Contracts Library Pilot Program is up and running, giving contract information on more than just the base and net prices Packers are offering.  And Cox noted...

Many in the Northwest beef industry, not just southern Idaho, are eagerly awaiting the opening of True West Beef’s over 250,000 square foot packing facility outside of Jerome.  Cameron Mulroy, Executive Vice President of Idaho Cattle said many of the ranchers with whom he’s talked, are optimistic to have such as state of the art plant so close to home.   “Putting whe...

Senators Jon Tester, Chuck Grassley, and Mike Rounds recently reintroduced their Meat Packing Special Investigator Act, which they say is an effort to fight consolidation and enforce the national anti-trust laws.  The bill would create the “Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters” within the USDA.  The office would be...

On Wednesday, the Senate Ag Committee passed the Cattle Price Discovery Act, which prepares the legislation for a full Senate vote.  Todd Nash, President of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association said they recognize there is a problem in the industry, but he’s not sure if this legislation is the right fix.  He agreed that...

Plans are in development to construct a $1.1 Billion next-generation livestock processing facility in western South Dakota. The one-million-square-foot facility will process beef and include a specialty bison line. Kingsbury and Associates and Sirius Realty of Rapid City, South Dakota, are currently in the research and development phase of the project ...

Earlier this week, several senators introduced an updated version of the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act. Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Jon Tester of Montana, Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Iowa’s Chuck Grassley unveiled the update to the legislation first introduced in November. The ...

As Don Schiefelbein steps into his new role as National Cattlemen’s Beef Association president, he acknowledges there is no shortages of obstacles to navigate for the industry. Possibly the most talked-about topic from last year was the state of the cattle markets. Alt ...

Meat companies and union officials tell Reuters that rising COVID-19 infections among workers are forcing meat plants to slow production and the government to replace slaughter inspectors. Meatpacking was an early epicenter of COVID in 2020 and is now the latest sector to be disrupted by the Omicron variant ...

The lack of competition in the meat packing sector does limits many livestock producers to only one potential buyer, which can mean lower prices at the time of sale. But at last week's White House meeting working to address this problem, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the damage could be much broader in scope ...

Consumers notice it every time they’ve visit their local grocery store. Prices for meat, specifically beef have increased quite a bit over the past couple of years. But where is that money going? Tom Sharp, President of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association said consumers need to know those extra dollars they’re paying are not making it into the pockets of ranchers. “Those profit ...