ANALYSIS: Q4 Production Outlook: Broilers and Turkey Advance, Pork and Beef Contract

The October USDA Livestock, Dairy & Poultry Outlook paints a divided picture for fourth-quarter protein production. Poultry is expected to carry the growth, with both broilers and turkey projected to exceed year-ago output, while pork and beef head in the opposite direction. The shift is particularly notable for pork, which is now expected to contract in Q4 after recording production growth during the first half of the year.

Turkey leads the major protein categories in projected percentage growth. Fourth-quarter ready-to-cook (RTC) output is forecast at 1.32 billion pounds, a 6.28% increase from the...

NCC Updates Broiler Welfare Guidelines; Gains Certification from Leading Welfare Auditing Authority

Consumers want to be sure that all animals raised for food are treated with respect and are properly cared for throughout their lives. The people and companies who raise chickens for food share that commitment.

To support chicken producers and processors in this effort, the National Chicken Council (NCC) in 1999 developed the NCC Broiler Welfare Guidelines and Audit Checklist, which have been widely adopted across the industry to help ensure chickens are properly cared for and treated humanely. Reviewed regularly...

ANALYSIS: Q3 Production Outlook Points to Widespread Gains Across Key Protein Categories

As the industry gradually begins to adjust its focus to the start of the third quarter, protein market participants are navigating a shifting landscape, one that, unlike earlier in the year, now points to year-over-year (YOY) growth across all major protein categories. For stakeholders in the chicken sector, concerns around disease, low hatchability, and live weights persist, but the latest data suggests the industry has continued to adapt.

According to the Q3 Livestock, Dairy & Poultry Outlook, pork leads all major protein categories in year-over-year (YOY) growth...

ANALYSIS: EU Committee Votes to Ban Brazilian Poultry Imports from September 2026

A European Union committee comprising experts from member states voted on May 12, 2026, to ban imports of Brazilian poultry starting September 3, due to the use of antimicrobial substances for growth promotion in livestock. The decision to remove Brazil from the list of countries recognized as complying with EU food safety standards comes shortly after the provisional entry into force of the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement on May 1, involving the European Union and the Mercosur member states of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay...