With feed prices lower now than they were in 2012, there is a lot of optimism in the U.S. poultry industry, but now producers are contending with another high input cost – energy. U.S. Poultry and Egg Association president John Starkey says the propane shortage and resulting higher prices are having a great impact on the poultry industry nationwide. “Particularly …
Expo Not Just For Poultry Anymore
Once it was just the International Poultry Expo in Atlanta this time of year, but with the addition of the feed expo a few years ago and the meat expo last year, it is now a much more breed inclusive show and pork was center of the plate in the Pig Pavilion. I had the chance to watch North American …
Novus Celebrates ALIMET Anniversary at IPPE
It was 30 years ago this week that the first load of ALIMET® shipped out of the Chocolate Bayou Manufacturing Facility near Alvin, Texas and Novus International was celebrating that at the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta. As an 88% active source of methionine, ALIMET® feed supplement has become the liquid methionine source most frequently used by …
Farm Bill Could be Final This Week
Agricultural groups hailed passage of the compromise farm bill by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday and look forward to swift action in the Senate. National Corn Growers Association President Martin Barbre of Illinois observed the floor vote from the House gallery while visiting the Capitol. “This legislation provides an adequate and flexible farm safety net, as well as …
IPPE Show Goes On Despite Weather
The International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) carried on Wednesday in Atlanta, despite the few inches of snow that nearly paralyzed the city. Attendance was still pretty good today considering and with so many flights cancelled lots of people are actually staying longer for the show than they planned. “Our crowd has held up today in spite of very severe …
North American Meat Unhappy With Farm Bill
Members of the North American Meat Association (NAMA) here at the International Production and Processing Expo are disappointed to see that Congress is likely to pass a farm bill this week with no changes to the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law being challenged in the World Trade Organization by Mexico and Canada. “It needs to be fixed and Congress …
Snow Hits the IPPE in Atlanta
For those of you who were in Atlanta in 2011 for the American Farm Bureau annual meeting and AG CONNECT expo, you know what Atlanta is like when it gets very rare snow. We have it again here for the International Production and Processing Expo. Restaurants closed, transportation not running, skeleton crews at the conference center, flights cancelled and communication …
Farmers in the SOTU
It is rare for agriculture to even be mentioned in a State of the Union address, but President Obama brought attention to the hardworking farmers of our country in the opening minute of SOTU 2014. “A farmer prepared for the spring after the strongest five-year stretch of farm exports in our history,” said the president, with a split screen image …
Farm Bill Could Draw Trade Retaliation
Livestock organizations and food associations are concerned that their members will face economic harm because the farm bill out of conference committee this week makes no changes to the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling law (COOL). Canada and Mexico filed a complaint over the law with the World Trade Organization, which is expected to rule on it next month. If …
Ag Groups React to Farm Bill Conference Report
House and Senate agriculture leaders on Monday released their conference report on a new five-year farm bill that pleases some agricultural interests who just want to get it done, but distressed others. According to a news release from the House Agriculture Committee, the compromise bill “contains major reforms, including eliminating the direct payments program, streamlining and consolidating numerous programs to …