CHICAGO, (Reuters) – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue ordered an investigation into widening prices between cattle and beef on Wednesday after a recent fire at a Tyson Foods Inc slaughterhouse in Holcomb, Kansas, shut the plant. Cattle prices have tanked because the fire temporarily eliminated a key buyer of livestock. Farmers have worried that meat packers […] Read more
Stories by Tom Polansek
Farmer’s threat prompts USDA to pull staff from crop tour
HENRY COUNTY, Ill./CHICAGO, Aug 21 (Reuters) – The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday it had pulled all staff from an annual crop tour after an employee was threatened, and three sources said the threat came over the phone from an angry farmer. Farmers have complained this month that a government crop report did not […] Read more
Tyson Foods slaughterhouse fire ignites U.S. beef prices
CHICAGO, (Reuters) – Margins for U.S. beef processors climbed to a record high on Friday as the closure of a Tyson Foods Inc slaughterhouse due to a damaging fire last week fueled concerns about a shortage of hamburger meat and steaks. The indefinite shutdown sent meat buyers for restaurants, food service companies and grocery chains […] Read more
U.S. livestock dining on the finer things
U.S. farmers are feeding their livestock everything from outdated pet food and leftover bakery rolls to crops imported from South America after unprecedented spring planting delays boosted prices for locally grown corn. Corn is typically used to fatten hogs, cattle and poultry, but its high price has farmers in the $150 billion U.S. meat and […] Read more
China bought U.S. pork last week as Beijing declared halt in U.S. farm purchases
CHICAGO, (Reuters) – China made its biggest purchases of U.S. pork in seven weeks last week as Beijing said Chinese companies suspended purchases of American agricultural products, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data issued on Thursday. The world’s largest pork consumer bought 10,211 tonnes of U.S. pork between Aug. 2-8 for shipment in 2019 as a […] Read more
Tyson to rebuild plant after fire, assures weekly pay for full-time workers
(Reuters) – U.S. meat processor Tyson Foods Inc said on Monday it will rebuild a Kansas beef plant after a fire heavily damaged the facility last week and that full-time, active employees would be paid weekly until production resumes. The company said the plant would be down “indefinitely” after the Friday night fire, which idled […] Read more
Tyson Foods hits record high, prepares for China profit boost
(Reuters) – Tyson Foods Inc reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Monday and reaffirmed expectations it will profit from the spread of a fatal hog disease in China, sending shares to a record high. Tyson has not yet reaped major financial gains from the deaths of millions of pigs in China‘s outbreak of African swine fever, Chief Executive […] Read more
U.S. cows and pigs gorge on bakery rolls, pet food as corn prices surge
CHICAGO, (Reuters) – U.S. farmers are feeding their livestock everything from outdated pet food and leftover bakery rolls to crops imported from South America after unprecedented spring planting delays boosted prices for locally grown corn. Corn is typically used to fatten hogs, cattle and poultry, but its high price has farmers in the $150 billion […] Read more
Bayer cancels plans to sell U.S. crop product in 2020 over safety concerns
CHICAGO, (Reuters) – Bayer AG has scrapped plans for wide sales next year of a chemical that is intended to protect U.S. crops from yield-robbing worms, citing ongoing safety concerns. The decision is the latest setback for Germany-based Bayer following its acquisition of Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018. Bayer is separately battling thousands of […] Read more
U.S. pursues rule that would remove 3.1M people from food stamps
CHICAGO, (Reuters) – The Trump administration on Tuesday will propose a rule to tighten food stamp restrictions that would cut about 3.1 million people from the program, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials said. Currently, 43 U.S. states allow residents to automatically become eligible for food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, if […] Read more
