Tyson Foods Completes Acquisition of Thai and European Businesses from BRF S.A.

Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) announced today the successful completion of the acquisition of the Thai and European businesses from BRF S.A. The purchase includes four production facilities in Thailand, and one each in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. These businesses build on the company’s growth strategy to expand offerings of value-added protein in global markets.

“The addition of this experienced and talented team combined with these businesses strengthens our capabilities and increases our reach to new markets. I’m glad to welcome them to the Tyson Foods family,” said Noel White, president and CEO of Tyson Foods. “We’re now strategically aligned to better serve customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, building on our global strategy.”

It’s estimated that approximately 90 percent of global protein consumption growth will occur outside the United States, with 60 percent of the volume growth coming from...

Whole Foods Market to Further Reduce Plastics Across all Stores

Whole Foods Market today announced that it will eliminate plastic straws from its stores in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada by July 2019, becoming the first national grocer to make this change. In addition, the grocer switched to smaller plastic bags in its produce department this year and is replacing hard plastic rotisserie chicken containers with new bags that use approximately 70 percent less plastic. Together, these packaging changes will reduce an estimated 800,000 pounds of plastic per year.

“For almost 40 years, caring for the environment has been central to our mission and how we operate,” said A.C. Gallo, President and Chief Merchandising Officer at Whole Foods Market. “We recognize that single-use plastics are a concern for many of our customers, Team Members and suppliers, and...

Brits Spent £12.3 Billion on Online Groceries in 2018

Brits continue to shop with the click of a button, as according to the latest research from Mintel, last year sales of online groceries in the UK hit £12.3 billion, up 9% from 2017.

One of the fastest growing channels in the UK grocery market, the online grocery sector is still adding to its share of total grocery retail sales, up from 6.1% in 2016 to 7% in 2018. What is more, consumers’ love of online shopping is set to continue as this year, sales are expected to reach £13.6 billion. Over the next five years, online grocery is forecast to account for 10% of all grocery shopping, with sales growing by ...

The Amazon Effect - Nine in Ten Brits Shop on Amazon 

Amazon is the retail phenomenon which started in a garage and now, nearly a quarter of a century later, new research from Mintel reveals that almost nine in ten (86%) Brits are Amazon users/shoppers*. Highlighting the ongoing popularity of the retail giant, according to Mintel, more Amazon shoppers have increased their shopping (21%) with the retailer than decreased it (13%) over the past year. Overall, most (70%) Amazon customers shop with the retailer at least once a month, while just under a fifth (17%) use the retailer on a weekly basis.

In terms of what’s in the basket, hardcopy media (books, DVDs or video games) (39%) remains Amazon’s most popular purchases. This is followed by electricals (30%), fashion/jewellery (30%), and toys (20%). An impressive 45% of ...

British Foodservice Industry Falls as Consumers Increasingly Prefer ‘Off-Premise’ Dining Options

Based on recent NPD research, after reaching its peak of 11.35 billion visits in 2017, we’re expecting the out-of-home or eat-out foodservice market will fall over the next two years in Britain. The pressures affecting on-premise eating and drinking is a big theme in British foodservice. The old habit of going shopping and finding a place to sit down is waning as more people shop online and opt for faster and more convenient ways of dining.

All of the meaningful growth in foodservice will be ‘off-premise’, which is where the industry will address the decline on the high street. The modest growth in the large takeaway and grab ‘n’ go channel, supported by the continuing delivery revolution, is enough to provide a significant majority of the growth in spend over the next two years for the entire British foodservice industry ...

BFREPA Finds Gross Imbalance in Egg Supply Contracts

The British Free Range Egg Producers Association is seeking to reform supply contracts between farmers and packers after lawyers found terms of agreements are grossly imbalanced in favour of buyers.

A team of legal experts from Birketts LLP examined contracts provided by producers and found numerous areas requiring improvement.

They include pricing and payment terms – which vary massively between agreements – and termination which, in some cases, is weighted entirely towards packers.

BFREPA chief executive Robert Gooch has today opened up a dialog with 41 packers outlining the organisation’s areas of concern and asking for ...

Rabobank: The EU May Export Less Pork to the UK after Brexit

The UK has a sizable pork production shortage. To address this shortage, the UK has increased production and imports around 1m tonnes carcass weight (cwt) annually from EU member states. With the EU’s estimated self-sufficiency rate of nearly 112%, approximately 2.6m tonnes cwt of pork needs to be exported outside the EU in 2018 to balance local supply and demand. After Brexit, EU self-sufficiency could grow to 120%. Consequently, in the future EU-27, pork processors will need to work harder to secure opportunities for exporting pork meat and by-products that are not consumed within the EU. In the short-term, increasing Chinese demand will probably compensate for any loss of access to the UK market.

UK production on an increasing trend since 2010

The UK has a large pork production shortage; only half of national demand is covered by...

Vaccine Shows Promise Against Widespread Chicken Disease

A new vaccine strategy could offer protection to millions of chickens threatened by a serious respiratory disease, research shows.

Infectious bronchitis virus is highly contagious and responsible for major economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide.

Infected chickens experience weight loss, decreased egg production and impaired egg quality. They are also left vulnerable to other diseases.

Current vaccines protect against some strains of the virus, but not others. Experts say these failures are possibly linked to differences in the spike protein – the protein which enables the virus to attach to and enter cells – between strains of the virus...

USMEF Statement on Upcoming Trade Negotiations with Japan, EU and UK

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has notified Congress that the Trump administration intends to negotiate three separate trade agreements with Japan, the European Union and the United Kingdom. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom issued the following statement:

“USMEF’s membership, which includes all sectors of the U.S. red meat supply chain, commends the Trump administration for its decision to move forward on trade negotiations with these key trading partners. Global demand for U.S. pork, beef and lamb is strong and exports are on the rise, but we must have a level playing field for this growth to continue. This is a critical step toward reducing tariffs and other trade barriers – especially in Japan, which is our leading value market for red meat exports. The importance and urgency of the U.S.-Japan trade negotiations cannot be overstated. Japan is... 

Trade News Has Pork Producers Feeling Optimistic

News on the trade front is getting better for U.S. pork producers as the Trump administration announced it wants to negotiate trade agreements with the European Union, Japan and the United Kingdom. The National Pork Producers Council commended the administration for its ambitious trade agenda.

The administration recently updated agreements with Canada and Mexico and with South Korea that maintained the U.S. pork industry’s zero-tariff access to those important markets, three of the top five destinations for U.S. pork exports.

“We’ve got the momentum on trade headed in the right direction now,” said NPPC President Jim Heimerl, a pork producer from Johnstown, Ohio. “Producers are hurting because...

BFREPA to Launch Model Contract to Ensure Fairness and Restore Confidence to Free Range Egg Producers

The British Free Range Egg Producers Association is to create a model supply contract for its members to use with packers to ensure fairness and confidence throughout the sector.

Speaking at the organisation’s annual conference in Coventry today BFREPA Chief Executive Robert Gooch said many of the contracts he had seen from producers “aren’t worth the paper they are written on”.

Mr Gooch asked BFREPA members to send him copies of their contracts so terms could be assessed by specialist contract lawyers.

With new entrants building their first sheds and existing businesses expanding, Mr Gooch said it was vital all producers had rock-solid agreements in place...

UK: Food Bills Set to Rise By 12% With a No-deal Brexit, Supermarkets Warn

This week, the UK’s largest supermarkets issued a stark warning in The Times that a no-deal Brexit would force up the price of the average weekly shopping trolley by as much as 12%.

That figure is an average expected price increase, but some staples are expected to rise considerably more because of tariffs. For example, beef is expected to rise 40%, chicken 22% and cheese 44%.

WTO tariffs that would be imposed after a no deal exit are just one cause of potential price increases. There are other, less obvious but equally serious drivers that could affect food prices depending on the deal we strike with the EU.

The plunge in the value of Sterling since the referendum has seen the cost of imported meat rise considerably. For some meat processors who import up to 40% of their raw materials, this is a significant increase in costs some of which are resulting in higher prices to the consumer...

UK: Fact-finding Mission for Pork Exports to Mexico

United Kingdom - Opportunities for exporting pork to Mexico will be explored when the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) arrives in the country next month.

AHDB’s export team will be attending the XVII National Pig Meeting in Puebla de Zaragoza, which is expected to attract hundreds of people who are interested to learn about innovations in the pork sector.

The three-day event, which has been organised by the Confederation of Mexican Pig Farmers (Confederación de porcicultores Mexicanos), will feature talks from a number of industry experts on pig production, best practice in livestock and future prospects for the pork industry...