Tyson Fresh Meats Leader Testifies About Beef Industry at Senate Hearing

Shane Miller, group president of Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork unit of Tyson Foods, testified about the beef industry during a hearing held today by the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Below is Miller’s written testimony:

Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Grassley, members of the Judiciary Committee, thank you for inviting me here today.

I proudly represent Tyson Foods, a company based in Springdale, Arkansas, and founded nearly a century ago by John W. Tyson, who started this business trucking chickens to markets across the Midwest...

ADM to Build New Soy Crushing Facility in North Dakota

ADM announced its plan to build North Dakota’s first-ever dedicated soybean crushing plant and refinery to meet fast-growing demand from food, feed, industrial and biofuel customers, including producers of renewable diesel.

Based in Spiritwood, ND, the approximately $350 million crush and refining complex will feature state-of-the-art automation technology and have the capacity to process 150,000 bushels of soybeans per day. Strategically located in a major soybean producing area, ADM’s global logistics network will enable the facility to access...

Low Parana River Level 'Trims' Argentine Farm Exports

Argentina's Parana River, the grains superhighway that takes soy and corn from the Pampas farm belt to the world, has gotten so shallow that it has started "trimming" international shipments just as the country's export season gets underway.

The level of the Parana at the export hub of Rosario, home to some of the biggest soy crushing plants in the world, was a scant 0.90 meters on Wednesday, according to the Coast Guard.

Between 1996 and 2020 the median depth of the river at Rosario in April was a much deeper...

Urner Barry Releases May Pulse Protein Report

On April 29, the USDA reported an average $30.00/cwt for U.S. #1 garbanzo beans compared to $28.00/cwt at the end of March. This represents a month-over-month increase of $2.00/cwt. North American green peas experienced a decrease from early April rates, and are now steady with prices seen in mid and late March. U.S. whole green peas averaged $10.50/cwt as of the end of April, a slight decrease of $0.50/cwt from mid-April rates. Purchases of North American yellow peas for animal feed in China have...

Montana Passes Landmark Bill Advancing Hemp as Animal Feed

Governor Greg Gianforte signs HB 396, a bill authorizing hemp food ingredients as commercial animal feed. This bill is a major step forward for the developing U.S. hemp grain industry, opening additional markets for farmers and again establishing Montana as a key leader in production and opportunities for industrial hemp grain. Features of this bill include:

• Clarifying hemp seed food ingredients and substances derived from hemp are included in the definition of commercial feed.
• Providing authority for hemp for use as commercial feed for pets, specialty pets, and horses.
• For other livestock, effectiveness contingent upon...

Urner Barry Releases April Pulse Protein Report 

On March 31, the USDA reported an average $28.00/cwt for U.S. #1 garbanzo beans compared to $21.50/cwt in early February. This represents a month-over-month increase of $6.50/cwt. North American green peas also experienced price increases from February rates. U.S. whole green peas averaged $10.25/cwt as of the end of March, a slight increase of $0.75/cwt from February rates. Purchases of North American yellow peas for animal feed in China have contributed to another consecutive month of increased yellow pea prices. The USDA reported an increase of...

Food Price Surge is Unlikely to Revert

Agricultural commodity prices have surged almost 50% since mid-2020, causing concerns over food price inflation around the world and sometimes resulting in increased export taxes and quotas by producers at a time when importing countries want to import more.

Rabobank can identify four major factors driving the surge across agri commodities that will remain active in 2021: 1) US dollar weakness: Rabobank forecasts the US dollar to remain soft through 2021 (US dollar index -7% lower since mid-2020), but no further weakness is expected. 2) Weather: La Niña could extend into the US spring planting season. 3) Global demand: Good global demand (either for animal feed or storage) to continue through...

Urner Barry Releases March Pulse Protein Report 

Purchases of North American yellow peas for Chinese pork feed formulations have contributed to yet another consecutive month of increased yellow pea prices. On February 16th, the USDA reported an average increase of $2.30/cwt to $12.30/cwt in whole yellow peas offering producers some of the...

Bell & Evans to Transition 50,000 U.S. Acres to Certified Organic with Cargill, Rodale Institute

U.S. grain farmers have a new incentive to transition from conventional to organic practices, and Bell & Evans banks on many making the change.

Premium poultry producer Bell & Evans is experiencing significant growth in its organic chicken program, increasing its need for U.S. grown organic-certified corn and soybeans used in its organic chicken feed. The family-owned producer finalized a long-term sourcing agreement with global ag leader Cargill to exclusively secure its organic grain and increase domestic organic grain supply. Under the agreement, Cargill will incentivize...

Urner Barry Releases February Pulse Protein Report

Purchases of North American yellow peas for Chinese pork feed formulations have contributed to another consecutive month of increased yellow pea prices. On January 19th, the USDA reported an increase of $1.25/cwt to $10.00/cwt in whole yellow peas- offering producers some of the highest prices to date. North American green peas and garbanzo beans have also seen similar price increases- though comparatively weaker green pea demand is expected to...

Grains Supply to Argentine Export Hub Normalizing After Truckers Strike

Delivery of grains and oilseeds to Argentine export hub Rosario was slowly returning to normal on Monday after a week of protests by truckers who blocked roads leading from the farm belt to port, two industry sources told Reuters.

Drivers are demanding a review of their costs, including tolls, insurance rates, taxes and fuel prices.

They were scheduled to meet with Sergio Massa, president of the lower House of Congress, to discuss their demands while the government news site Telam reported a delay in a proposed fuel tax increase. Both gestures appeared to help calm tensions, although...

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...

Cargill Opens Antibiotic-Free Premix Plant in Ohio 

During a virtual event for producers, customers and media, Cargill announced the opening of its new premix animal nutrition facility in Lewisburg, Ohio. The 220,000 square-foot, future-ready facility is deploying advanced technology not previously used in animal agriculture or pet food production that allows the use of less resources to produce feed, while ensuring the highest quality and traceability of its products for Cargill customers.

The Lewisburg West facility broke ground on November 8, 2018 and represents a $50 million investment in expanding Cargill’s existing feed production operations. The facility produces...

Alternative Protein Market for Animal Feed Worth $4 Billion by 2026

The global alternative protein market for animal feed is projected to cross USD 4 Billion by 2026, according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Growing animal feed business coupled with increasing livestock production across the globe are expected to have a positive impact on alternative protein industry for animal feed during the forecast period.

The alternative protein market for animal feed from the cattle livestock segment exceeded...