PODCAST: Time for a Toddcast - Todd Thurman of SwineTex Consulting

This week on Market Digest we are joined by founder and consultant Todd Thurman of SwineTex Consulting. Laura and Todd speak about African swine fever in China, the state of...

JUST Egg Product to Be Served at Leading Fast-Food Chain in China

Eat Beyond Global Holdings Inc., an investment issuer focused on the global plant-based and alternative food sector, is announcing that Dicos, one of China's leading fast-food chains, has added Eat Beyond portfolio company Eat Just Inc.'s product JUST Egg to its menu at over 500 locations.

Dicos is one of the largest foodservice companies in China, with 2,600 stores across 32 provinces and autonomous regions serving 600 million consumers annually.

Dicos' conventional egg patty will be replaced with...

Urner Barry Releases January Soy and Wheat Protein Report

Following initially dismal reports on wheat consumption, the USDA recently lifted global wheat consumption estimations by 5.1 million tons to 757.8 million tons based on higher demand for feed in China. Driven by a recovering pork market, China poses a strong demand side pull on...

ANALYSIS: November’s Turkey Export Figures Paint a Mixed Picture

Last month’s uptick in in total year-over-year turkey export tonnage was short-lived, as November’s figures fell back in line with...

Hot Dogs and Sausages Market Expected to Reach $96.4 Billion by 2025 

According to Research and Markets, the hot dogs and sausages market are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.08% over the forecast period to reach a market size of US$96.405 billion in 2025 from US$75.839 billion in 2019.

The rate at which urbanization is taking place which in turn is buttressed by globalization and rural to urban migration is facilitating the adoption of new consumption trends which have accommodated the inclusion of sausages and hotdogs among others. As of 2018, North America was the most urbanized region of the world, wherein the urban areas constituted...

Poultry Quarterly Q1 2021: A Perfect Storm in 1H, Initial Recovery in 2H 2021

After the big disruption caused by Covid-19 in 2020, the poultry industry will face additional challenges in 2021, especially in 1H. Covid-19 will place ongoing pressure on foodservice and trade, and the consequent slow economic growth will lead to more price-driven market conditions. As market fundamentals appear challenging for 2021, the poultry industry should prepare for a tough year.

“Looking forward, we see four main challenges for the global poultry industry: ongoing Covid-19 impacts on markets, high and volatile feed prices, China’s African swine fever recovery, and...

ANALYSIS: Update on German Pork Exports in Wake of ASF Outbreak

African Swine Fever case counts in Germany have exceeded 200, according to some sources. Since finding the first case of ASF on...

Meat Industry Reacts to President-Elect Biden's Choice for U.S. Trade Representative

President-elect Joe Biden announced he will nominate House Ways and Means Committee trade lawyer Katherine Tai as U.S. trade representative. Tai’s career at USTR began in 2007 as an associate general counsel. In 2014, she was named chief counsel for China trade enforcement, overseeing disputes between Washington and Beijing at the World Trade Organization. She left that role in 2014 to join House Ways and Means and in 2017 was named chief trade lawyer for Chair Richard Neal (D-MA).

The North American Meat Institute supports the choice. Tai, who would become the first Asian American to hold the role of USTR, speaks fluent mandarin and has experience as...

Retail Imports Still Strong after Setting New Records for The Holiday Season

Imports remain strong after setting new records this fall as retailers stocked up both stores and warehouses for the holiday season and met new demands for quick delivery of online orders, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“The pandemic has made the past year one of the most trying the supply chain has ever seen, but retailers have met that challenge,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “We’ve gone from not knowing whether we would be able to...

ANALYSIS: Turkey Exports Find Some Q4 Lift

After nine months of consecutive year-over-year reductions in total turkey export volume, October marks...

Policy Issues Affecting the Meat Industry 

In a webinar hosted by the North American Meat Institute, experts explored what is on the horizon for trade policy, industry structure, and antitrust as President-elect Biden is set to occupy the White House come January. These Washington D.C. insiders shared a wealth of experience and valuable insights as the meat industry navigates new policy dynamics.

Panelists included Ambassador Darci Vetter, former Chief Agricultural Negotiator, USTR and Global Lead, Public Affairs and Vice Chair, Agriculture and Food, Edelman; and...

Election Results – Where Are We Now? 

With the Presidential election, the House, and a runoff election to determine the Senate Majority, the only thing certain in Washington is change. In a webinar hosted by the North American Meat Institute, a panel of experts provided insights and discussed the outcome of key races, the make-up of committees and leadership of Congress, pending changes of cabinet officials, and a new relationship between the White House and Congress, which together shape the agenda in Washington.

Panelists included the Honorable Blanche Lincoln, former Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry and Founder & Principal, Lincoln Policy Group; the Honorable Krysta Harden, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture; and...

Changed Beef Consumption Habits Following COVID-19 Create Opportunities

The global Covid-19 pandemic and African swine fever (ASF) have changed beef consumption patterns through 2020. While total beef consumption has not seen too much change, we have seen distribution channels change, benefiting some at the expense of others. As the impacts of ASF are overcome and disruptions from Covid-19 subside, old distribution channels will recover.

“It is likely that many consumers will revert to their previous habits, but we do see opportunities for...

PODCAST: Investing In the Future: John Manzella on American Capitalism

This week on Market Digest Laura speaks with John Manzella, nationally syndicated columnist on global business, trade policy, labor, and the latest economic trends. In this episode we discuss expected affects of the U.S. election results, the trade war with China, investing in young farmers, and...

ANALYSIS: Weighing in on Turkey Drums

With much of the turkey industry now focused on satiating whole-body bird demand, supply side tightness, particularly within...

Rabobank Global Animal Protein Outlook 2021: Emerging From a World of Uncertainty

After a year full of uncertainties, global animal protein is expected to rise again, as it looks for opportunities.

In 2021, Rabobank anticipates production growth in most regions, with the biggest change taking place in Asia, where the impacts of African swine fever (ASF) are fading. Pork is expected to lead that growth – with a gradual recovery process, as ASF is still active. Poultry and aquaculture are also forecast to grow, followed by beef. Wild-catch seafood, however, is expected to decline.

Global animal protein trade continues to create areas of opportunity and risk, with China...

Agrimoney Presents Ag Trade Following the U.S. Election Webinar

For this webinar Agrimoney’s Editor in Chief, Mike Verdin, will be joined by some of agriculture’s most prominent voices – including David Hightower, President of The Hightower Report, Dan Basse, President of AgResource, and Louis Rose, Co-founder of Rose Commodity Group – to discuss the future for ag now that Joe Biden is to become US president.

This will include...

ANALYSIS: How Bone-In Hams Perform Prior to Christmas

Hams, whether bone-in or boneless, take the limelight across domestic and export markets during the fourth quarter of the year as buyers...

Tyson Foods Announces Plans for Additional Production Facilities for Its International Business

Tyson Foods, Inc. announced plans to build new production facilities in China and Thailand, and expand its facility in the Netherlands. The latest expansions, adding over 100,000 metric tons of fully cooked poultry capacity, build on the company’s global growth strategy to become the leader in protein by serving emerging markets and strategic customers.

“Global population and income growth will continue to drive an increased need for protein,” said Dean Banks, president and CEO of Tyson Foods. “These investments allow us to increase our in-country operations and global export capabilities, helping us bring more safe, high-quality protein for...

ANALYSIS: Turkey Drums Find Their Rhythm

With November now upon us, whole body turkeys are commanding much of the seasonal spotlight, however...

Yum China Reports Third Quarter 2020 Results

Yum China Holdings, Inc. reported unaudited results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2020.

Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak and Mitigation Efforts

Third quarter operations improved, although still impacted by reduced traffic at transportation and tourist locations, the delayed and shortened school holiday and the other lingering effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. Dine-in volume has been recovering, while delivery and takeaway remained popular options. The Company's primary focus continues to be safety, efficiency and driving traffic. We launched attractive digital and membership campaigns with...

Rabobank: Pork Quarterly Q4 2020: Export Concentration a Potential Long-Term Risk

Global pork demand rebounded following Covid-19 disruption in most geographies, yet supply remains constrained in many Asian markets. This imbalance continues to support strong export demand from the rest of the world, resulting in sharply higher pork values.

Globally, processors’ ability to respond also remains constrained by labor availability, which limits packer capacity and efficiency. In Europe, new African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks add further limitations. “Hog producers face a challenging outlook, given rising feed costs, weaker economic trends, and slower export growth as China...

USTR and USDA Release Report on Agricultural Trade Between the United States and China

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a report highlighting the progress made to date in implementing the agricultural provisions in the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement, which is delivering historic results for American agriculture.

Since the Agreement entered into force, the United States and China have addressed a multitude of structural barriers in China that had been impeding exports of U.S. food and agricultural products. To date, China has implemented at least...

Soy Protein: An Introduction and Import Assessment

If you are like a growing number of shoppers across the globe, checking the ingredients label on the back of food items has become instinctual. One such ingredient, soybeans and further processed soybean powders (like flours, concentrates, and isolates), have garnered increased media attention partly associated with its use in a growing number of novel, plant-based products. Generally, goods containing soy are considered either “traditional soyfoods” which use whole soybeans in the creation of more obvious items like soy milks, tofu, and soy sauces or “formulated foods” which contain concentrated forms of soy protein in products including comminuted meats, protein bars, soups, cereals, frozen desserts, and meat analogues.

Like peas and lentils, the soybean (Glycine max) is a species of legume plant and has numerous invaluable production applications. Most widely grown in...

ANALYSIS: August Chicken Exports - The Devil is In the Details

What a difference a year makes. About this time in 2019, chicken processors and allied components of the industry were licking their chops in anticipation of...