ANALYSIS: Cage-Free Market Retreats Amid Weak Buying Interest

The cage-free market saw a steep decline this week as values fell sharply on the heels of evaporating demand along the West Coast. The rest-of-market quotation dropped 33cts to $3.98/dozen—a reversal that reflects the swift erosion of buyer interest and growing inventory pressure nationwide.

After weeks of promotional support, most major chains and independent retailers have now stepped away from active features, with some reportedly raising shelf prices in recent days. Summer heat continues to weigh on consumer behavior, dampening overall egg movement...

ANALYSIS: Tariff Concerns Driving Mexican Beef Cut Exports to the US

Mexican fresh beef cuts exports to the US have navigated fluctuating dynamics throughout 2025, with initial robust volumes giving way to moderated activity amid evolving demand patterns. Early in the year, shipments maintained steady momentum, building on the comparative stability observed in prior years, but faced different challenges as importer strategies shifted in response to market conditions. 

Exports experienced a notable decline from April through June 2025 compared to the volumes recorded in the first quarter of the year, reflecting reduced importer interest amid...

ANALYSIS: Heavier Lambs Offset Lower Slaughter

According to USDA’s weekly data, lamb and mutton production in the US reached 70.3 million pounds year-to-date as of July 25, 2025, which is 3.1% higher than the same point last year. So far this year, 1,099,000 total lambs and sheep have been slaughtered, slightly below the 1,103,000 head processed during the same period in 2024. Even with fewer animals being processed, heavier lamb weights have helped offset the decline. For the week of July 25, the average live weight was 123 pounds...

ANALYSIS: EU Pork Carcass Price Declines During July  

After reaching this year’s price peak at €2.13/kg on July 1st, the index for EU Pig deadweight grade S  EXW EU (BW56) has decreased continuously since then, with the last price assessment being at €2.03/kg on July 29th. However, while the price index decreased throughout the month, the market sentiment of the underlying countries was reported as main divers. While price decreases across the German, Polish and Spanish market drove the EU pork basket lower, the French market held steady during the month, limiting the downward 

Listeria, Metal Contamination, and Allergen Mislabeling Triggers Actions from FSIS

This week, the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a pair of public health alerts as well as one recall.

The first announcement was issued Sunday, July 27, for ready-to-eat ham salad products containing FDA-regulated breadcrumbs that have been recalled due to possible Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) contamination. The problem was discovered when Reser's Fine Foods, Inc. determined that the company had used breadcrumbs that had been subject to an FDA recall because that item may have been contaminated with Lm...

UNFI Unveils Top Industry Trends to Help Retailers Plan for the Holiday and Winter Selling Season

During its second Holiday and Winter Selling Show of 2025 in Uncasville, Conn., United Natural Foods, Inc. brought together more than 3,900 attendees, connecting more than 1,400 retailers and over 750 suppliers. Exhibitors showcased thousands of unique products, spanning the natural, organic, fresh, specialty, and conventional grocery categories.

Differentiation that Drives Results

During the show, UNFI experts shared the latest industry insights and emerging growth opportunities to help grocers stand out during the upcoming holiday and winter selling...

PODCAST: Agri-Food for Thought Ep. 32 - M&A in the Global Agri-Food Industry, July 2025 Overview

Expana presents Agri-Food for Thought, the podcast series for agriculture and food professionals.Today, we bring you up to speed with merger & acquisition activity in the global agrifood landscape that occurred in July 2025 as part of the monthly M&A focus series.

July 2025 M&A activity somewhat slowed down compared to previous months. The ongoing tariffs situation, the global focus on trade deals, other trade disputes, and market uncertainty, have a role to play here

Trump Signs Sweeping Executive Order Revamping US Tariff Rates; 15% Floor for Deficit Nations

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on July 31, unveiling a massive overhaul of US tariff policy, introducing a series of new import rates for US trading partners (find the full rate list below).

Under the new plan, countries with which the US has a trade deficit will face a minimum 15% tariff, affecting more than 30 nations. Meanwhile, the administration’s existing 10% “universal” tariff will remain in place for countries where US exports exceed imports...

Triple Typhoon Impact Disrupts Southeast Asian Agricultural and Aquaculture Supply Chains

A rare convergence of three powerful typhoons in July has battered key agricultural and aquaculture regions across China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Typhoons Wipha, Danas, and Co-May have collectively caused hundreds of millions in damages.  

Typhoon Wipha Deals Blow to Vietnam’s Rice and Shrimp Exports 

Typhoon Wipha formed on July 18 near the northern Philippines and intensified to Category 1 before making landfall in Guangzhou, China, and later striking northern Vietnam. Wipha lashed southern China with winds up to 75 mph, triggering floods and landslides

Farming at Risk After Two Storms Slam Northern Japan; No Expected Impact from Recent Tsunami

Two tropical storms struck northern Japan in quick succession this July, marking an unusually early and intense start to the region’s storm season and raising concerns about disruptions to agricultural production, aquaculture, and regional logistics.  

Tropical Storm Nari, which formed over the North Pacific Ocean on July 11, intensified to tropical storm status by July 13, with wind speeds reaching up to 60 mph. The storm made landfall near the southern tip of Hokkaido on July 14

Kroger Announces New Leaders in Key Roles

The Kroger Co. today announced leadership changes in several key roles across the company.

Kroger appointed Ed Oldham to Head of Sourcing. Oldham joins Kroger from PetSmart, where he was Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer. He led the company's distribution and transportation strategy across North America, overseeing an international distribution network and 2,500 associates. Oldham brings more than 25 years of experience in retail, CPGs, and consulting, where he led planning, buying, replenishment, operations and sourcing decisions across multi-billion-dollar categories. Before joining PetSmart...

ANALYSIS: June Turkey Harvest Breaks Record Low Streak

The turkey slaughter data for June is noteworthy, as it marks the first time since August of last year that a new record seasonal low has not been set. This June's total number of turkeys harvested was 5% above June 2024. Additionally, there was a month-over-month (MOM) increase of 7.4%, compared to a 5-year average MOM decline of 3.8% for this time frame.

This modest increase in production is a welcome shift for both buyers and sellers. Those on the...

ANALYSIS: Broiler Sector Recalibrates with Steady Growth and Demand

The chicken industry is not contracting; it is recalibrating. Broiler-type pullet chick placements for future hatchery supply totaled 9.38 million in June, down 4 percent from the prior year. While that headline suggests a slowdown, the decline follows an all-time high in 2024. Even with this year’s moderation, the current supply flock remains well above the ten-year average. The industry is not pulling back, it is operating near full stride and approaching physical capacity constraints.

June chick hatchings totaled 856 million...

ANALYSIS: Tight Freezer Pork Stocks Highlight Seasonal Strength and Trade Sensitivity

As of June 30, 2025, total pork in cold storage declined to 422.3 million pounds, representing a 6% decrease from May and an 11.1% drop from the same period last year. While this drawdown aligns with typical seasonal patterns, driven by stronger domestic demand and active export movement, especially for high-demand cuts like bellies and ribs, the current inventory level marks a ten-year low. This current position is further compounded by slightly reduced year-to-date slaughter totals, which have limited available product for cold storage...

Pilgrim’s Pride Soars with Strong Q2 Results and $400M Expansion

Pilgrim’s Pride released its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2025, reporting net sales of $4.8 billion and GAAP net income of $356 million, or $1.49 per share. Adjusted EBITDA came in at $686.9 million. The company attributed its strong performance to robust demand, improved operations, and product quality across key segments.

In the US Fresh Chicken segment, both sales and margins improved. Case Ready products outpaced market growth, while the Small Bird business...

White House Unveils 40% Additional Tariffs on Brazilian Imports; Orange Juice, Nuts Spared

On the afternoon of July 30, Brazil was assigned an additional 40% tariff rate, according to a White House statement. US President Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) which will add to the current baseline 10% tariff on foreign good imported to the US. However, Trump teased upping that rate for ~200 countries where a trade deal would not make sense to negotiate. For now, it’s clear that 40% is in addition to any currently applicable US tariff...

Inside the Mind of a Procurement Strategist: Former Kellanova CPO Looks at Key Trends

At Expana’s Agri-Food Americas event on September 23-24 in Chicago, procurement critical thinking and business solution finding will take center stage. Expert insights will be given and many networking opportunities will be enabled for attendees, who are all faced with disruptive trade shits and global agricultural commodity supply chain woes. 

The ambition is for agri-food leaders to unite, discuss, seek expert overviews, and gain some sense of direction and clarity they can ultimately take back home and apply to their procurement strategies.

The Retail Rundown: Retailers Push Protein as July Wraps

As July comes to a close and summer heat intensifies, retailers are pushing protein promotions to attract shoppers and encourage at-home grilling and cooking.

Seafood reclaimed the top spot in protein ad share this week, accounting for nearly 27% of all features. Pork followed at 24%, while beef and chicken trailed close behind at roughly 23% each. Egg promotions dipped slightly to around 1%.

Expana notes that retail egg demand has softened—typical for summer, when hot weather reduces in-home usage. Shelf prices are holding near $3.00 per dozen, well below early-year highs, but lighter consumption has dampened order volumes...

Report Finds Full-Service Restaurants are Winning Back Customers with Menu Updates

Full-service restaurants are hoping to make a comeback in 2025, thanks to menu updates and operational improvements, according to Chatmeter’s latest Full-Service Reputation Ranking Report. 

The report, based on over one million reviews from June 16, 2023 to June 15, 2025, analyzed customer feedback across 10 of America's largest casual dining chains. The findings suggest that restaurants introducing new menu items and enhancing the overall dining experience are seeing a spike in both demand and customer reviews.  

The Cheesecake Factory, which claimed the...

Inside the 2025 Food Manufacturing Landscape: Workforce Challenges and Investment Uptick

Global Location Strategies (GLS), a site selection advisory firm, unveiled its 2025 edition of the Best Places for Food Manufacturing Insights Report, which featured some intriguing takeaways about the impact of tariffs, immigration raids, and regulatory shifts on food manufacturing expansion.

The report features findings from the sector that spans animal food manufacturing, grain and oilseed milling, sugar and confectionery product manufacturing, fruit and vegetable preserving, specialty food manufacturing, dairy product manufacturing, animal slaughtering and processing, seafood product preparation and packaging, bakeries and tortilla manufacturing, and other food...

Chad Stine Tapped to Lead Seattle Fish Company and Lombardi Brothers Meats

Founders Group of Food Companies announced the appointment of Chade Stine as the new President of the Seattle Fish Company and Lombardi Brothers Meats, effective August 11.

Stine will follow Christian Maas, who has been named Chief Operating Officer for Founders. In the past year and a half, Maas led the integration of Seattle Fish Company and Lombardi Brothers Meats.

Stine enters the role with over two decades of experience in the meat and seafood sectors. His most recent role was with Meats by Linz in Chicago...

Sysco Delivers Strong Q4 and Solid FY 2025 Results

Sysco announced its fourth-quarter and full-year results Tuesday morning.

"Sysco's Q4 results exceeded expectations, as improved financial outcomes were driven by Sysco-specific initiatives and improved restaurant industry traffic. Specific to our business, USFS local volumes improved sequentially by 200 bps, including a strong exit rate in June. Importantly, drivers of our progress accelerated during the quarter, with the momentum continuing in July, an encouraging signal as we begin the next fiscal year of profitable growth" said Kevin Hourican, Sysco’s Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer...

ANALYSIS: New Zealand Beef Exports Fall 5.5% YOY in 1H 2025 as Cattle Turnoff Slows 

New Zealand’s beef exports fell 5.5% year-on-year (YoY) in the first half of 2025, shedding 15,545 metric tons (mt) to 266,770 mt, according to the latest data from Stats NZ. 

The decline was driven by reduced volumes to China and Japan, though gains to the US, Canada and Korea helped cushion the fall. Export growth remained constrained by lower cattle slaughter, as favorable pasture conditions and a strong dairy market continued to limit... 

US-EU Trade Announcement: Markets Open to American Food and Beverage Producers

As of July 27, the United States and the European Union reached a trade agreement: The US will charge a 15% tariff on all imports across-the-board (including sector-specific rates like those on autos) from the coalition of countries, according to a joint announcement between US President Trump and European Commission President von der Leyen. 

The trade deal will contain agreements whereby the EU will purchase $750 billion in energy from the US, invest an additional $600 billion into the US, open markets to...

71% of Consumers Shop for Groceries Online, But Grocers Must Eliminate Friction to Grow Loyalty

As online grocery shopping continues to gain traction, U.S. consumers are sending a clear message to grocers: make it easier, smarter, and more connected. A new national survey from VTEX (NYSE: VTEX), composable commerce platform provider, finds that 71% of consumers have shopped online for groceries, with 50% purchasing groceries online at least once a month, but many shoppers are holding back from deeper digital engagement due to persistent friction in the experience.

The findings reveal powerful insights for grocers...

USDA Seeks Nominations for American Egg Board

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is currently seeking nominees for the American Egg Board (Board) to fill three member and three alternate vacancies in Area I (AL,CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MS, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, TX, VT, VA, WV). They will serve a two-year term beginning March 2026 to March 2028. The deadline for nominations to organizations certified in Area I is Friday, September
12, 2025.

Egg producers who own more than 75,000 laying hens may...

Wayne-Sanderson Farms Acquires Harrison Poultry

Wayne-Sanderson Farms has acquired Harrison Poultry, a Georgia-based producer of chicken products, which was founded in 1958.

The acquisition, effective immediately, includes the full transfer of Harrison Poultry’s assets, spanning live production, a hatchery, a feed mill, manufacturing operations, transportation, and related facilities in the Bethlehem and Crawfordville regions of Georgia, Wayne-Sanderson Farms said.

Integrated operations between the two companies are expected to begin immediately, with minimal disruption to day-to-day business.

Wayne-Sanderson Farms said it began evaluating the acquisition earlier this year

FSIS Issues Public Health Alert For Ready-To-Eat Ham Salad Products

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for ham salad products produced by Reser’s Fine Foods. The alert follows a recall of FDA-regulated breadcrumb ingredients supplied by Newly Weds Foods, which may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes (Lm).

This public health alert is intended to ensure that consumers are aware these products, which bear the USDA mark of inspection, should not be consumed.

The affected products included in this alert are...

Coca-Cola Puerto Rico Bottlers’ Parent Company Buys Dairy Firm Gloria’s Assets in Puerto Rico

Peru-based Gloria Group has announced that it has divested from non-core markets like Puerto Rico to focus on regional efficiency. Its Puerto Rico business has been purchased by CC1’s subsidiary, Suiza Caribe. CC1 is also the parent company of Coca-Cola Puerto Rico Bottlers, Gloria Group announced to the Peruvian Stock Exchange.

Gloria Group is a Peruvian firm best known for its dairy brand Leche Gloria, which produces milk, yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products distributed mainly in South America...

UFCW Reaches Tentative Agreement with Albertsons Companies

On Sunday, UFCW 8-Golden State, along with UFCW Locals 5 and 648, announced a tentative agreement with Albertsons Companies, the parent company of grocery chains such as Safeway and Vons.

The agreement follows five months of intense negotiations and comes in the wake of a threatened walkout involving nearly 25,000 grocery workers. It includes significant wage increases, a strengthened and secure retirement plan, improved health care benefits, and improved job protection provisions aimed at fostering a safer and more respectful workplace.

UFCW 8-Golden State members working...

UK Meat Producer Cranswick Reports 9.7% Revenue Growth in Q1

UK’s Cranswick has reported a 9.7% increase in revenue for the 13 weeks up to 28 June 2025, or the first quarter in its financial year. Like-for-like revenue rose by 7.9%, driven by volume growth, the company said.

The recently acquired food service sausage manufacturer Blakemans on 16 May 2025, also contributed to growth, the trading report showed. And export revenue and volume increased following the reinstatement of the Norfolk site’s China export licence in December 2024.

The new retail business and strong demand at the cooked...

ANALYSIS: Cage-Free Market Stalls as West Coast Demand Cools

Cage-free wholesale values plateaued this week following a rapid run-up in recent sessions. The rest-of-market quote held steady at $4.31/dozen after climbing 15cts early in the week, while the West Coast quotation ticked down slightly from its most recent peak, settling at $4.65/dozen as regional demand eased.

The slowdown was most pronounced along the West Coast, where promotional activity that had fueled strong retail movement in recent weeks came to an abrupt halt. Several buyers indicated that shoppers may have stocked up...

ANALYSIS: Newcastle Disease in Poland Continues to Restrict Supplies on the Market

Poland’s chief veterinary authorities have confirmed three new outbreaks of Newcastle disease, according to a report submitted to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) on July 9, 2025. In response, approximately 180,000 birds have been culled to contain the spread of the disease. Control measures implemented at all affected sites include culling and safely disposing of infected birds, thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting facilities, and establishing both infected and at-risk zones.

Since the beginning of the year...

Trump Announces August 1 Tariffs — Here's the Complete List

UPDATE July 22, 2025: US President Trump States 19% for the Philippines, Indonesia

After a press conference with the President of the Philippines, Trump confirmed the 19% rates for the Philippines and Indonesia, when he posted to Truth Social.

UPDATE July 14, 2025: EU, Mexico Slapped with 30% Tariffs

President Donald Trump has expanded his administration’s tariff policy, targeting the European Union and Mexico with newly announced 30% tariffs on all products imported into the United States. Read Expana's coverage here.

UPDATE: July 10, 2025

President Trump imposed a 35% tariff...

President Trump Securing Market Access in Australia for US Beef Draws Praise

President Trump secured expanded access to Australia’s market for U.S. fresh and frozen beef, scoring a historic win for American ranchers. For over two decades, Australia imposed non-scientific barriers on U.S. beef, closing off a critical market. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, Australia opened its market to U.S. beef, scoring a major win for U.S. ranchers.

The announcement was immediately met with praise from American ranchers, stakeholders, and lawmakers:

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President and Nebraska Cattleman Buck Wehrbein: For 20 years...