Campbell’s Acquisition of La Regina Announced Alongside Earnings

On December 9, The Campbell’s Company officials announced plans to acquire a majority stake in an Italian tomato processor called La Regina Di San Marzano, according to the company’s latest earnings report. By the second half of 2026, the acquisition will be complete after two payments toward the total $286 million valuation, according to Campbell's leaders. 

The company entered into definitive agreements to acquire a 49% interest in La Regina, the producer of Rao’s tomato-based pasta sauces...

ANALYSIS: Growing Cage-Free Supply Outpaces Demand

The cage-free market has come under renewed pressure this week as post-holiday demand has eased and expanding production continued to add volume to the supply chain. Retailers are focused primarily on replenishment, and while those needs remain moderately elevated by seasonal standards, they have not been strong enough to absorb the level of product now entering coolers.

Much of the week’s pressure stems from the supply side. With more birds back in production and conventional demand tapering, far fewer cage-free eggs are being down-packed—removing an...

Trump Admin Roundtable Discussion: Bridge Payments to Farmers, Soybean Purchases, Fair Trade, EUDR

On December 8, US President Trump held a roundtable meeting with members of the US farming community, Agriculture Secretary Rollins, Treasury Secretary Bessent, and others at the White House to announce monetary support to farmers impacted by the US trade policy. 

The administration announced plans to provide $12 billion in tariff income-fueled support for farmers, to address the high costs of farm equipment, and to examine anti-competitive behavior in the food supply chain...

Instacart App Launches in OpenAI ChatGPT 

Instacart (NASDAQ: CART), the leading grocery technology company in North America, today announced that it is the first grocery partner to launch an app on ChatGPT and the first to offer an embedded, end-to-end shopping and Instant Checkout -- all within the context of a ChatGPT conversation. This new integration makes it easier than ever for people to go from meal inspiration to doorstep delivery, using Instacart's real-time grocery network and fulfillment capabilities with the help of OpenAI frontier model capabilities.

"Instacart and ChatGPT are redefining what's possible in AI-powered shopping," said Anirban...

FDA’s 30-Month Traceability Rule Extension Draws Spotlight as January Deadline Nears

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first proposed in August 2025 to extend the compliance deadline for its Food Traceability Rule (FTR) by 30 months—a move that, if finalized, would push the date from January 20, 2026, to July 20, 2028.

As of now, companies are still required to comply by January 2026, which is just over a month away. This looming deadline, coupled with the proposal’s uncertainty, has sharply heightened industry anxiety, with some warning of possible operational shutdowns or severe disruptions for those unable...

Secretary Rollins Announces Major Investment for Rural Communities Across Georgia

Today in Georgia, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced $501 million in investments for 59 rural development projects and an additional $405 million in affordable housing in communities across the state of Georgia. These unprecedented investments, coordinated by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD), will help boost Georgia’s economy, develop rural infrastructure, and encourage private investment in America’s heartland.

“President Trump understands how important it is to have a safe, secure, and resilient farm economy. These USDA investments are a direct result of the promise President Trump made to make rural....

Global Appetite Drives Australian Beef and Goatmeat Exports to New Highs

Australia has officially broken the record for the highest volume of beef exported in a calendar year, with year-to-date exports reaching 1.398 million tonnes, up 15% year-on-year.

This milestone reflects broad-based global demand for high-quality Australian red meat and the strength of the industry’s domestic productive capacity. 

The United States remains Australia’s largest beef export destination, with 412,068 tonnes shipped so far this year, up 17% YoY. 

This growth is particularly significant given the implementation of a 10% tariff on Australian exports including...

ANALYSIS: US Cattle Live Weights Reach New Record Highs in Oct 2025

After starting the year with all-time-high average monthly live cattle weights of 1,439 lbs, average weights eased slightly through the spring and summer before moving higher again. October has now posted a fresh record at 1,448 lbs. Seasonally, weights tend to trend upward into late fall, with the possibility of a brief pullback in December depending on weather and marketing pace. The weekly estimated numbers from the USDA’s production report shows that figures will continue to increase for November, expected to be at...

ANALYSIS: Broiler Hatchability Climbs in Q4, Narrowing Gap With Historical Norms

Average broiler hatchability is still sitting below the 5-year average but is starting to rebound. During Q1 of this year, the average hatchability rate sat at 78.9%, 1.3 percentage points lower than the 5-year average. Throughout the year, slow gains have been made in hatchability, and Q4’s average rate is currently 79.8%. This is only 0.5 percentage points lower than the 5-year average of 80.3%.

Hatchability has been a major concern in the broiler industry for several years now. Poor hatchability decreases efficiency while also...

EU Updates Agricultural Import Procedures for Fruits and Vegetables

The European Commission has adopted Regulation (EU) 2025/2185. The measure amends Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/892. It simplifies procedures for fruit and vegetable imports. It also adjusts the calculation of standard import values. And it updates additional import duties. It was signed by President Ursula von der Leyen on September 10, 2025.

Under the new rules, standard import values are fixed weekly. Every Tuesday the Commission will set values for each product and origin. The figure equals the weighted average price notified by member states....

ANALYSIS: US Shell Egg Prices Retreat as Post-Holiday Inventories Build

Shell egg prices have begun to ease in the post-Thanksgiving period, with Midwest large slipping 3cts to $2.58/dozen on Tuesday—the first downward move since late September. While the holiday performed in line with expectations and, in some cases, exceeded them, early December often brings a natural cooling in demand. Many consumers enter the month well-stocked after the long holiday weekend, leaving retailers to pull lighter volumes as they assess sell-through before committing to fresh rounds of replenishment.

These softer retail pulls, combined with...

ANALYSIS: US Government Shutdown Effects at the Retail Level for Coarse Grinds

Coarse grinds are an item that people in the SNAP program tend to favor due to their affordability within the beef complex. During the government shutdown, when SNAP went unfunded and then eventually received partial funding, market participants began to wonder what effect this would have on coarse grinds at the retail level.

When comparing the shutdown period to the same time last year, distribution for 70-77% lean and 78-84% lean both experienced decreases. Many in the market anticipated this because the lower lean percentages are the more popular blends within the grinds...

The Retail Rundown: Holiday Shopping Lifts Foodservice and Grocery Demand 

December is when most consumers fully embrace the holiday spirit—and start spending accordingly.

This year's holiday spending is off to a strong start, with record shopper turnout and a surge in online activity. Adobe Analytics reports that total online sales from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday amounted to $44.2 billion, up nearly 8% from last year.

Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation reports that a record 202.9 million people shopped over the Thanksgiving weekend, up from 197 million last year. Supermarkets were the most popular destination at 47%, followed closely by online shopping at 45%...

ANALYSIS: Turkey Supply Constraints Drive Market Fundamentals

As the industry enters the final stretch of the year, market participants are watching production metrics closely to assess how 2025 ultimately unfolded. Year-to-date (YTD) data continues to affirm a structurally constrained supply environment, defined by persistent headcount erosion only partially offset by elevated live weights. These dynamics remain central to the challenges confronting both buyers and sellers, with implications that increasingly appear poised to carry into the new year.

Cumulative turkey headcount has fallen 11.3% from 2020 levels and 2.4% from a year ago, with 2025 totals landing at 170.2 million, a new historical low. The accelerating year-over-year (YOY) decline...

UNFI Reports Solid Start to Fiscal 2026

United Natural Foods (UNFI) has reported the results of its financial performance for the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year.

"We started fiscal 2026 with another quarter of solid execution and continued progress in delivering more value to our customers and suppliers as we strengthen effectiveness and efficiency. Our network optimization is proceeding ahead of schedule, and the benefits of recent supply chain investments, coupled with process improvements, is enabling us to strengthen service levels and increase throughput. This helped us deliver Adjusted EBITDA growth of nearly 25%...

ANALYSIS: Argentina’s Fresh Beef Exports Fall 7.9% MOM to 66,571 mt in October 2025

The latest data released by Argentina’s National Institute of Statistics and Census indicated that fresh beef exports (chilled and frozen) fell for the second consecutive month in October, further offsetting the gains accumulated during the steady upward trend observed from April to August. Shipments totaled 66,571 mt in October, down 7.9% compared to the previous month and 4.5% lower than...

ANALYSIS: Winter Buying Spurs Japan’s Oct 2025 Beef Imports to Six-Month Highs

Japan’s beef imports in October 2025 rebounded sharply to a six-month high at 49,185 metric tons (mt), according to the latest data released by Japan’s Trade Statistics.

Driven by seasonal winter restocking, inbound volumes vaulted 28.3% MOM (+10,841 mt) from September’s six-month low, climbing across major suppliers to a level not seen since April 2025. Japan also received its first shipment of beef from Sweden in over three decades, totaling just 2.25 mt...