The Trump Administration announced bold action to put farmers and ranchers first by dropping criminal charges against Charles and Heather Maude, a South Dakota family who has a small cattle and hog operation. The Maude family visited Washington, D.C. on April 30th for an in-person press conference where further actions being taken by the Trump Administration to limit government regulation by prosecution were shared.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) commended U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for ending the overzealous criminal prosecution of family ranchers Charles and Heather Maude. Secretary Rollins’ announcement was welcome news both for the Maude family who have endured arduous court appearances, legal fees, and the threat of prison time, as well as for family ranchers across the West who feared heavy-handed legal pressure from the last administration.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that Mexico has committed to eliminate restrictions on USDA aircraft, and waive customs duties on eradication equipment aiding in the response to the spread of New World Screwworm (NWS). Due to this agreement the ports will remain open to livestock imports, however if at any time these terms are not upheld, port closure will be revisited. This agreement follows Secretary Rollins’ letter to Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Julio Antonio Berdegue Sacristan pushing for a resolution of the restrictions.
The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) premiered a new video series, intended to showcase the depth, breadth and diversity of the $267.1 billion U.S. animal food manufacturing industry. The videos encapsulate the important role that the over 5,600 U.S. animal food manufacturers play each day in improving livestock health and production, supporting food security and driving American ingenuity and economic progress abroad.
The Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN), National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) said they appreciated the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) decision to spotlight protection of common food names in the agency’s 2025 Special 301 Report.
Pigs produced to be resistant to one of the world’s most costly livestock diseases, using technology developed by the Roslin Institute, have been approved for sale to U.S. consumers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a gene-editing technology that makes pigs resistant to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) for the U.S. food supply chain. This landmark approval for animal genetics company Genus, following years of development, helps meet the challenge of a disease that is endemic to most pig-producing regions. Supported by Edinburgh Innovations (EI), the University of Edinburgh’s commercialization service, the team collaborated with Genus, who also licensed novel technologies from other institutions, to produce pigs with the specific DNA change.
National Pork Producers Council provided comments and testimony to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as it seeks once again to revise the agency’s long controversial Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. In both its written comments and oral testimony to EPA, NPPC noted that pork producers have been concerned about EPA’s overreach in defining WOTUS, including past efforts by prior administrations to expand federal jurisdiction over private property to capture remote drainage features, ditches, and ephemeral waterways – and millions of acres of wet spots or farmed wetlands in fields.
Join the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association for an insightful webinar on Thursday, May 8 at 6:00 p.m. CDT about the economic benefits of effective grazing management. Discover how strategic grazing practices can transform agricultural operations, boost productivity, and enhance profitability. Register here.
USPOULTRY’s 2025 Workforce Success and Engagement Conference addressed how industry human resource (HR) professionals can help improve employees’ belonging and connection to their organization, retention and recruiting best practices, ways to alleviate stress within the workplace and more.
