U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers (SPUR) Program that will provide temporary support for eligible beef processing establishments. Under SPUR, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide up to $500 million in payments to eligible entities to support stronger and more stable market opportunities for American ranchers.
As of June 1, there were 73.7 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, down slightly from June 2025 and down slightly from March 1, 2026, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Jace Thompson, a 23-year-old from Billings, Mont., was named the 2026 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion. With his victory, Jace and his father, Ty Thompson — the 2009 champion — became the first father-son duo to ever win the prestigious title.
The Meat Institute announced the promotion of Michael Schumpp to Vice President of International Affairs.
American Farmland Trust’s Beef Grazing Network is launching a redesigned Beef Producer Economic Resilience Initiative, now part of USDA’s Advancing Markets for Producers program. The $42-million project, with $30 million provided by NRCS, will support 700 beef producers across the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Texas in their transition to profitable, resilient operations through sustainable grazing systems, reduced inputs and stronger market access. The network will build market power through producer-led mentorship, peer networking and beef marketing groups.
The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) is pleased to announce that Meghan Dicks will transition from her current role as director of membership and engagement to director of regulatory affairs effective Sept. 1, following the retirement of Louise Calderwood. In her new role, Dicks will bring her strong background in regulatory affairs and association operations to the AFIA’s policy team, providing strategic leadership on regulatory, legislative and scientific issues affecting the animal food industry, with primary responsibility for animal food safety, pet food, equine and scientific regulatory affairs.
WiseLake, a Korean agritech company, launched PigOS, a free AI-assisted early-warning platform for pig farms — a new global service built on the company’s 27 years of experience running PigPlan. The moment a producer enters a farrowing, weaning, or mating record, PigOS compares it against country-level KPI (key performance indicator) reference ranges and flags loss risks — such as stillbirth, return-to-estrus, and pre-weaning mortality — before the month closes.
Safety professionals from across the poultry and egg industry will gather Aug. 17-19 for the National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Fla. Sponsored by the Georgia Tech Research Institute/ATRP and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the conference is designed for facility and corporate safety professionals seeking practical strategies, regulatory updates and innovative solutions to strengthen workplace safety programs.
The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) announced Heather Soubra has rejoined the association as senior vice president, strategic initiatives and industry relations. In this role, Soubra will lead IDFA’s highly successful NextGen Leadership Program, deepen collaboration with IDFA members and board leaders, and drive execution of the association’s new strategic plan, Vision of the Future 2.0. She will report to Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA.
