Articles by Bill Tomson

The Trump administration is expressing confidence that the worst of the meatpacking disruptions is behind us. At a meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue predicted packing plants would be fully operational within 10 days. “I think we've turned the corner,” he said.

The U.S. exported record amounts of pork and posted very strong numbers for beef sales around the globe in March, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

The disruptions in U.S. meatpacking continue to ripple through supermarkets and now have reached Wendy’s, which once had one of the most famous retail slogans in America: “Where’s the beef?”

The door’s open. For the first time, the Small Business Administration is taking applications from farms for grants of up to $10,000 and low-interest loans through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

The USDA announced Monday that it will be spending an additional $470 million this year to purchase a wide variety of ag products, sparking cheers from farm groups and lawmakers.

Senators are due back in Washington with a to-do list that’s expected to include another giant coronavirus relief bill as well as confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nominees. It remains to be seen when a CARES 2 bill can pass, given the sharp partisan differences.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says meatpacking plants will be going back into operation through this weekend and into early next week.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is taking fresh aim at knocking down the European Union’s efforts to protect food names like black forest ham, feta, gorgonzola, fontina, roquefort and asiago cheese.