Roger Johnson, President of the National Farmers Union (NFU), has urged the Obama administration to oppose a proposed rule that would make Namibia eligible to export meat to the United States. The opposition is due to a recent outbreak of Foot-And-Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Southern African nation. “The fear over FMD is warranted,” said Johnson in comments submitted to … Read More
Pork Industry Expresses Support for TPP
National Pork Producers Council President-elect John Weber referred to the Trans-Pacific Partnership(TPP) as “the biggest commercial opportunity ever for U.S. pork producers,” during a press conference this week on the recently concluded free trade deal. “America’s pork producers strongly and unequivocally support the TPP, and we urge Congress to quickly pass it,” said Weber, a pork producer from Dysart, Iowa. … Read More
Vietnam Lifts Restrictions on U.S. Beef
In this week’s USMEF audio report, technical services manager, Dr. Travis Arp discusses Vietnam’s recent removal of BSE-relatred restrictions on imports of U.S. beef. They now are accepting a full range of cuts from U.S. cattle of all ages. Dr. Arp explains, that Vietnam reopened to boneless U.S. beef cuts in 2005 and added bone-in cuts in 2006. But in … Read More
On Dairy MPCs – A Red Herring?
There’s been a lot of talk in dairy industry circles lately regarding the effect on imported MPCs to the farm milk price. Last week, Dairy Today’s editor, Jim Dickrell, tackled this issue, with some surprising insights. Read on to learn more aboiut MPCs. MPCs Aren’t Dairy’s Biggest Problem By Jim Dickrell At the risk of being labeled the anti-Christ, I’m … Read More
NMPF Asks For Border to Close
Last week, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) responded to the public release of a previously internal report by sending a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer. In a letter sent today to Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer, NMPF President and CEO Jerry Kozak noted that the USDA’s Office of Inspector General, in a report finished last March but now … Read More
Scotland's Seriously Cheese to Sell in U.S.
Scotland’s biggest cheese maker, the Caledonian Cheese Company, has announced that they will begin selling their leading product, “Seriously” in the U.S. There are four varieties of the Seriously cheese, vintage, strong, mild red and mild white. They are marketed by Lactalis McLelland. The launch, expected in the coming week, follows interest drummed up at a major food exhibition in … Read More
Canadian Milk No Longer Crossing Border
Four Canadian dairy producers will no longer be shipping their milk into the U.S., something that they had been doing illegally, potentially disrupting trade balances. “The milk that’s come over the border is a drop in the bucket,” said Jessica Chittenden, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. “But it’s the principle. Here are farmers producing milk … Read More
Alto Dairy Announces New Site
Alto Dairy announces their online store that features Black Creek® Classic Cheddar cheeses. The new site includes new packaging and product photos, stories highlighting Alto member family farms, Alto employees and recipes using aged cheddar as an ingredient. “We are excited that consumers can now purchase our great tasting Black Creek Cheddar cheese nationwide with the click of a mouse,” … Read More
Canadian Border to Open…
The USDA announced the lifting of its ban on Canadian cattle that are 30 months of age or older, starting Nov. 19. The U.S. has banned the older, or “cull cattle,” since Canada reported its first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease, in May 2003. The U.S. eased restrictions on cattle under 30 months old, which are the … Read More
…And NMPF isn't Happy About it
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) expressed their concern over USDA’s rule to reopen the Canadian border to cattle over 30 months of age. CEO Jerry Kozak says the concern is in two areas. For one, this will mean the border will again be open for replacement dairy heifers to come into the United States. Before the border was closed, … Read More