The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that while none of the slaughter or processing facilities implicated in the Brazilian scandal have shipped meat products to the U.S., they are still taking extra steps to keep food supply safe. FSIS immediately instituted additional pathogen testing of all shipments of raw beef and ready-to-eat products from Brazil upon hearing … Read More
USMEF Holds Sixth Latin American Showcase
This year marked the sixth annual U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Latin American Product Showcase. This year’s event was held in Panama City, Panama, and has become key for connecting exporters of U.S. beef, pork and lamb with buyers from Central and South America and the Caribbean. 120 buyers were in attendance this year representing 14 countries, and 42 USMEF … Read More
Catfish Farmers Urge Congress to Keep Catfish Safe
The Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) recently met with members of the congressional delegation to encourage Congress to oppose SJ 28, should the bill come to a vote. Since catfish inspection began at USDA in March, Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) inspectors detained two shipments from Vietnam that contained adulterated products. This is already more successful than FDA inspections … Read More
USMEF Board Meeting Stresses Value of Exports
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Board of Directors Meeting and Product Showcase kicked off last Wednesday in St. Louis, Missouri. Richard Fordyce, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, welcomed attendees to the event with a discussion of the important role exports have played in making agriculture Missouri’s largest industry. Fordyce also outlined several initiatives that have recently been … Read More
NFU Hosts Presser On TPP Opposition
While many United States trade officials are promoting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as an export-boon for agriculture, the National Farmers Union (NFU) continues to stand strong in their opposition of the free trade agreement. NFU, representing nearly 200,000 family farmers and ranchers, hosted a media teleconference this morning to talk about the TPP and announce a letter signed by 160 … Read More
Ag Industry Expresses Support For Cuba Relations
Leaders from across the U.S. agriculture and food sectors are expressing their support and excitement for the new opportunities for collaboration with Cuba that were announced during President Obama’s historic visit to the island this month. The neighboring Caribbean nation shares common climate and agriculture related concerns with the U.S., and the measures announced today in Havana will mutually benefit … Read More
Nebraska Makes Beef Agreement With Israel
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that a new agreement has been made with Israel to lift the ban on U.S. beef imports for the first time since 2003. The Middle Eastern country will receive beef shipments from Nebraska’s WR Reserve plant in Hastings. “Nebraska beef producers are the best in the world. This historic agreement with Israel … Read More
Indonesia Relaxes Beef Import Restrictions
This week’s U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Audio Report is all about Indonesia. While the country was once a top 10 volume market for U.S. beef exports, government efforts to bolster the country’s level of self-sufficiency in beef production have given exporters inconsistent access to Indonesia in recent years. Joel Haggard, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) senior vice president for … Read More
Global Beef Report from Rabobank
According to a new report from the Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory group, U.S. beef producers are seeing the nature of beef trade evolving as other countries have begun to produce beef under favorable export agreements. The new trade dynamics have resulted in the gaining value of the U.S. dollar, and domestic markets are making demands producers haven’t … Read More
USMEF Hosts Pork Workshop in UAE
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) conducted a series of workshops on pork in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The workshops, designed to promote U.S. pork and encourage chefs to feature more pork dishes on the menus of their hotels and restaurants, were attended by hotel and restaurant industry professionals and food retailers in the region. Along with educational workshops, … Read More