Although the organic industry generally has expressed support for USDA’s move in tightening the animal handling standards, there have been some concerns from certain sectors (such as poultry) that these new rules go too far. Animal Welfare for Organic Production Last week USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) issued a new 181-page proposed rule for animal handling standards for organic animal welfare. It is intended to bring widespread production practices in line with consumers’ expectations regarding organic production, prevent erosion “of consumer confidence in the organic label more broadly” and stop “unfair competition among producers.” The focuses of the rule are:
Animal health and well-being: minimizing stress and pain in...
What You Need to Know Today: After a period of limited activity, USDA reported a sizeable 613 KMT in soybean export sales, including 330 KMT to China and 283 KMT to unknown destinations, potentially also China. The purchases represent a meaningful pickup in demand and bring China closer to ful...
Key Takeaways: Consumer spending is a key driver of the U.S. economy, and the latest retail sales data indicate that spending remains robust despite inflation. In September, total retail and food service sales rose more than 6 percent year-over-year, with food service spending up 7 percent and...
The Trump import plan for 300,000 MT of beef supplies used for ground beef, i.e., lean trim, from September through November has, according to Secretary Brooke Rollins, brought some relief to beef prices. The Executive Order states that the Secretary of Agriculture will analyze and review the m...
