First Exports of UK Beef To the USA in 20 Years Underway

The first shipments of UK beef are to depart for the USA today, marking a historic moment for UK farmers and food producers.

Following the USA’s longstanding ban on EU beef – introduced in the wake of the BSE outbreak in 1996 – market access for UK beef was granted in March 2020. UK beef producers now have access to the US market for the first time in over 20 years.

Today’s news means the sector can now begin to reap the economic benefits of trade with the US – with industry estimating beef exports will be worth £66 million over the next...

Rabobank's Poultry Quarterly Q4 2020: The Challenge of Balancing Volatile Markets 

Moving through Q4 2020 and into 2021, the global poultry industry will operate in a volatile market context, with pressure coming from foodservice and wholesale markets. Possible new waves of Covid-19 will add to the market ups and downs, and the impact of a deep economic crisis will make markets more price-driven.

“Over the whole year, we expect a slight increase in global poultry production, mostly as a result of poultry expansion in China and Vietnam, where African swine fever has reduced pork availability, and also from expansion in the US. The rest of the world will be...

China Declares War on Waste in Food Catering

Ongoing anti-food waste campaigns in China aim to reduce food loss in catering. Although China seems to have no immediate worries about food shortage, the coronavirus pandemic, the geopolitical turmoil, and the escalating trade tensions with leading exporters have the potential to restrict China’s access to edible oil and protein meals. China is highly dependent on these imports, often in the form of oilseeds, which are then domestically processed.

Based on Rabobank’s analysis, eliminating waste in food catering (including restaurants, group dining and food deliveries) could make up to 5% of the nation’s soybean imports (5m metric tons) and 6% of the palm oil imports (0.4m metric tons) unnecessary. In addition, 10m metric tons of feed grains, mostly corn, could also be ‘saved’ this way. As China’s corn is experiencing...

UK Businesses Now Eligible to Export Beef to the USA

A significant step in the collective effort across the UK to restart exports of beef to the US market for the first time in over 20 years has been reached following access being granted in March this year.

The first four food businesses, based in Northern Ireland and Wales, have now been officially listed by the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service, as eligible to export UK beef to the USA.

This means that Kepak Group Limited (Merthyr) in Wales, along with Foyle Food Group (Foyle Campsie), WD Meats and Granville Food Care Ltd. in Northern Ireland, can now start production and export of UK beef for US consumers...

ANALYSIS: As Temperatures Rose, So Did Turkey Export Tonnage

Following three consecutive month-over-month reductions in total turkey export tonnage, July bucked the trend with outward volume increasing by 9.5 million pounds or 25.2% above...

ANALYSIS: Pork Trim Point Per Lean Comparison

Late seasonal domestic demand, export interest, lighter hog weights, and diminished availability of boning line workers have been noted as...

China and Japan Suspend Pork Imports from Germany Following African Swine Fever Case 

According to the German Food and Agriculture Ministry, China and Japan have suspended imports of pork and live pigs from Germany after a case of African swine fever was confirmed in a wild boar near the Polish border in the eastern state of Brandenburg, Germany. This comes as South Korea banned imports of German pork last week.

Pork imports of 40,230 tons from Germany last year accounted for about 3.3% of Japan's total imports of pork, the ministry reported. Japan did not import any live pigs last year, down from six in 2018. China's ban on imports comes as the country deals with its own spread of the disease. German pork exports to China total about...

ANALYSIS: ASF Reported in Germany; A Look at German Pork Exports

An African Swine Fever case has been identified and confirmed in one wild boar in Schenkendöbern, Brandenburg, Germany on...

Imports Spike as Economy Continues Recovery and Retailers Stock Up for Holidays

Imports surged to unexpected high levels this summer and may have hit a new record as the U.S. economy continues to reopen and retailers stock up for the holiday season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“It’s important to be careful how much to read into these numbers after all we’ve seen this year, but retailers are importing far more merchandise for the holidays than we expected even a month ago,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Some of these imports are helping replenish inventories that started to run low after...

July Beef and Pork Exports Rebound, but Still Below Year-Ago

July exports of U.S. beef rebounded from recent lows but remained below 2019 levels, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). U.S. pork exports, which are on a record pace in 2020, were also down from a year ago in July but increased compared to June. July lamb exports increased year-over-year and were the largest of 2020.

“With production returning to near-normal levels, we definitely saw an improvement in beef exports, though the recovery was not quite as strong as expected,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “China’s pork demand has moderated and we are also entering a time when year-over-year gains are not nearly as dramatic, as exports to China began...

Rabobank Beef Quaterly Q3 2020: New Faces Shaping Future UK Beef Imports 

Once outside the European bloc, the UK is expected to become the fifth or sixth largest beef-importing country. Consumer acceptance and non-tariff barriers will play significant roles in determining which countries ultimately supply the UK beef market in the future.

Brexit trade talks between the UK and EU continue to progress. “While pure economic reasoning and geopolitics normally play strong roles in trade negotiations, we believe that, in the case of the UK, consumer acceptance and non-tariff barriers will be equally significant in determining...

ANALYSIS: Digging Deeper into Chicken Leg Quarters

The uninspiring level of demand that sellers are currently contending with is nothing new for those with exposure to the back-half of the bird...

Maple Leaf Foods Provides Update on COVID-19 at Brandon Plant

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is continuing its rigorous safety efforts at its Brandon, Manitoba, plant to prevent workplace transmission amidst the recent COVID-19 cluster occurring in the community. The plant continues to operate safely, and Public Health experts have said on numerous occasions that there is no evidence of workplace transmission occurring at the plant.

The Company is extending its efforts to reduce spread of COVID-19 within the community by reinforcing the importance of precautions such as social distancing and by making 500,000 free masks available to community members.

Operationally, Maple Leaf Foods has temporarily suspended pork exports to China on a voluntary basis due to recent protocols adopted by...

Pork Exports Trend Lower in June but Remain on Record Pace; Another Tough Month for Beef Exports

June exports of U.S. pork fell below year-ago levels for the first time this year but exports remain on a record pace in 2020, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Beef exports were down sharply from a year ago in June, reflecting a lingering impact of a temporary slowdown in beef production combined with restrictions on foodservice and weakening economies in major import markets. June lamb exports trended higher, posting the second largest totals of 2020.

“We expected that the interruptions in red meat production would continue to weigh on June exports, but anticipated more of a rebound from the low May totals – particularly for...

ANALYSIS: Stairs Going Up, Elevator Going Down

While 2020’s chicken market has certainly had its fair share of ups and downs recently, it has also brought with it...

Rabobank Pork Quarterly Q3: More Uncertainties Ahead 

Covid-19 brings many uncertainties to the global pork market. With various disruptions to the supply chain, Rabobank has revised down pork production for 2020 in major producing countries.

“Labor shortages, operational suspensions, soft demand, and channel shifting will force industry players to increase automation, adopt digitalization, improve plant working conditions, streamline processing, and integrate along the supply chain in order to...

ANALYSIS: Turkey Exports in May: A Sign of the Times

Closely aligned with the real-world trade experiences of turkey market participants, May not only marks the second consecutive month of...

PODCAST: Calling All Pork People - ASF, Retail Demand, Exports, and More

In this week's segment Russell Barton discusses retail demand, slaughter, exports, African Swine Fever, and COVID-19...

Study Quantifies Value of Red Meat Exports to U.S. Corn, Soybeans

Since 2015, indirect exports of corn and soybeans through beef and pork exports has been the fastest-growing category of corn and soybean use, delivering critical returns for corn and soybean farmers. These producers support the international promotion of U.S. beef, pork and lamb by investing a portion of their checkoff dollars in market development efforts conducted by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

USMEF has released an updated version of the independent study aimed at quantifying the value red meat exports provide to U.S. corn and soybean producers. The original study was conducted in 2016 with updates also released in 2018 and 2019. Key findings from the latest version, which utilizes 2019 export data, include...

ANALYSIS: For Chicken Processors, “Normal” Can’t Come Soon Enough

Between the ongoing challenges associated with plant worker absenteeism, fluctuating slaughter figures and the unpredictable pull from both...

U.S., Japan Expand Organic Trade Opportunities; Livestock Added to Trade Arrangement

The United States and Japan announced the expansion of their organic equivalence arrangement to include livestock products. The arrangement goes into effect July 16, 2020 and reduces costs and streamlines the process for anyone involved in the organic livestock supply chain by requiring only one organic certification.

“Opening new markets for America’s organic farmers and ranchers continues to be a priority for USDA,” said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Greg Ibach. “Japan is already one of the top export markets for U.S. organic products. This agreement opens additional opportunities for everyone involved in the international supply chain for...

ANALYSIS: The Growing Price Gap Between Jumbo and Select Sized Boneless

Last year, we published an article titled, “Boneless Chicken Breasts and the New Norm” which shed light on...

Retail Imports Improving Slightly, but Still Far Below Last Year

Imports at major U.S. retail container ports are expected to remain significantly below last year’s levels into this fall as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“Economic indicators show that the recession brought on by the pandemic may be easing, but retailers are being conservative with the amount of merchandise they import this year,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “The outlook for imports is slowly improving, but these are still some of the lowest numbers we’ve seen in years.”

“U.S. imports are performing like a yo-yo, up one month and down the next with no apparent cause that can realistically point to either...

USDA Announces Initial Purchase of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced the initial purchase of vaccine for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank. APHIS will invest $27.1 million in foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, which the agency would use in the event of an outbreak to protect animals and help stop the spread of disease.

Foot-and-mouth disease is an infectious viral disease that affects cloven-hooved animals, including cattle, pigs and sheep; it is not a food safety or human health threat. The disease is endemic in many parts of the world and would have widespread, long-term fallout for livestock and crop agriculture, including...

Beefing Up Our Coverage: Enhanced Imported Beef Reporting

This week we answered your requests for a show around beef with none other than Urner Barry CEO Joe Muldowney. Laura and Joe discuss international trade and demand impact on the imported beef market, consumer trends related to COVID-19 and...

ANALYSIS: A Tenuous Year for Turkey Trade

Closely coinciding with the real-world trade experiences of market participants, the latest export figures bring with them no surprises as they continue to...