ANALYSIS: Renewed Retail Demand Brings Stability to the Shell-Egg Market

It appeared at the start of the week that the US shell-egg market was poised for a potential turn to the downside as spot market offers began to...

NPPC Urges Congress To Address Comprehensive Labor Reform

The U.S. pork industry is suffering from a labor shortage that could increase production costs and consumer food prices if not addressed through visa reform to provide better access to the foreign-born workers on which it depends, according to National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Jen Sorenson, who testified today before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

U.S. pork production is a year-round effort, requiring a hardworking and dedicated workforce on farms and in processing plants. Pork producers offer jobs with good pay and benefits...

Restaurant Sales Grew in June as Industry Recovery Continues

Restaurant sales continued to grow in June as consumers looked for a much-needed night out, according to the National Restaurant Association.

For the month, eating and drinking places netted $70.6 billion in total sales on a seasonally adjusted basis, per preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That total was a 2.3% rise from May’s volume and is the fifth increase in the first half of the year.

The Association said that sales in June were $4.4 billion (6.6%) above pre-pandemic levels in 2020...

Publix Named Among Fortune’s Best Workplaces for Millennials

Publix has been recognized by Fortune as one of the Best Workplaces for Millennials for the sixth consecutive year, ranking No. 76 out of 100 in the large companies category.

“Millennials are the largest age group in the workforce today and represent over one-third of our team at Publix, so we are keenly focused on creating a diverse, vibrant workplace where they can build successful careers,” said Publix Vice President of Human Resources Marcy Benton. “We are pleased they recognize our efforts, especially during the pandemic, and...

Smithfield Foods to Host Nationwide Hiring Event on National Hot Dog Day

Smithfield Foods, Inc. today announced it will host its first national hiring campaign on National Hot Dog Day, July 21. The Virginia-based food company will offer walk-in hiring events at 47 of its U.S. locations and conduct on-the-spot job interviews for up to 2,500 hourly positions across the company's facilities, farms and distribution centers. In celebration of National Hot Dog Day, event attendees will receive a coupon for a free pack of Nathan's Famous^® hot dogs...

Foodservice, Drinking Places Help Propel US Employment Boost in June

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said notable job gains were seen in the foodservice and drinking places sector for the month of June.

Overall, nonfarm payroll employment jumped 850,000 in June. In June, nonfarm payroll employment is up by 15.6 million since April 2020 but is down by 6.8 million, or 4.4%, from its pre-pandemic level in February 2020.

For the month, nearly half the job gain was seen in the leisure and hospitality sector (343,000) which has opened at a rapid pace as...

NPPC Launches Campaign Showcasing Contributions of Foreign-Born Workers

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) today introduced a campaign, “Year-Round Pork Needs Year-Round Workers,” highlighting the vital role of foreign-born workers across the U.S. pork industry and the critical need for comprehensive labor reform to address a labor shortage.

“The U.S. pork industry is highly dependent on foreign-born workers who make tremendous contributions in their jobs and communities,” said NPPC President Jen Sorenson, communications director for Iowa Select Farms in West Des Moines, Iowa. “Unfortunately, current visa programs don’t provide access to enough workers to meet...

NCBA Pushes Congress to Address Areas of Concern in the Cattle Industry

the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) led a letter with the support of 37 affiliate state cattle organizations, urging the leadership of the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committees to address critical areas of concern in the cattle and beef industry.

Specifically, NCBA pushed Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Rep. David Scott (D-GA-13), and Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA-15) to consider swift Congressional action to...

Sysco Offers Two New Foodie Solutions Toolkits as Summer Approaches

Sysco Corporation, a leading global foodservice distribution company, announced that it has launched two new online toolkits to its Foodie Solutions platform. The Labor & Hiring and Summer Solutions Toolkits are the latest in a series of carefully curated tools to help foodservice operators succeed while generating additional revenue and meeting consumer expectations.

Labor & Hiring Toolkit – As restaurants reopen amidst a tight labor market, the Labor & Hiring toolkit provides a comprehensive resource for hiring, training and retaining restaurant employees, including tips such as taking action on employee feedback and offering incentives to improve retention. This comprehensive toolkit also features...

Chipotle Increases Wages and Provides Path to Six Figure Compensation

Chipotle Mexican Grill announced it is increasing restaurant wages resulting in a $15 average hourly wage by the end of June. In addition to best-in-class benefits and a competitive hourly rate, Chipotle's crew members can advance to a Restaurateur, the highest General Manager position, in as little as three and a half years, with average compensation of $100,000 while leading a multi-million-dollar growing business.

The wage increases for new and existing hourly and salaried restaurant employees will be rolled out over the next few weeks and will result in hourly crew member starting wages ranging from $11-$18 per hour.

Chipotle has also introduced...

KFC and Franchisees Hiring 20,000 Restaurant Employees

Kentucky Fried Chicken announced strong Q1 earnings results last week, as customers increasingly chose the comfort and convenience of drive-thru, carry-out, and delivery of classics like KFC's Family Fill-Up and new offerings like the Kentucky Fried Chicken Sandwich. Now, as demand continues to grow, the fried chicken chain hopes to hire 20,000 permanent full-time and part-time company and franchisee restaurant positions across the nation.

KFC's strong earnings announcement highlighted 14 percent growth in Q1 and same-store sales growth of 11 percent on a two-year basis, highlighting the need to fill 20,000 permanent positions nationwide. The open positions will vary by restaurant but will include positions at all levels including...

ANALYSIS: Q1 Chicken Exports End on a High Note

After a choppy start to Q1, the USDA’s most recent export figures lend credence to the increased confidence that buyers...

Pork Quarterly Q2 2021: Production Setbacks Slow Growth, Boosting Prices and Returns

Global hog prices are sharply higher in most markets, as processors scramble to find adequate supplies. Higher disease losses in key growing regions, along with the lagged impact of industry liquidation during the pandemic, have limited available hog supplies. Rabobank expects a gradual recovery in the herd, yet higher raising costs and demand uncertainty are expected to moderate the pace of growth. Lower production expectations have left the market short of pork, just as demand is beginning to strengthen. The imbalance is driving pork prices sharply higher in many markets, which is slowly being passed through to consumers, contributing to overall inflationary trends.

China: Herd losses due to new ASF outbreaks and health challenges are slowing the recovery. While below earlier expectations, the sow herd is flat vs. 2020 and will expand through year-end as...

ANALYSIS: Chicken Hatchery: Rising from the Ashes, But is it Enough?

About a year ago, we published a broiler hatchery analysis titled: “Coping with Production Excess”, where we posed a question to our readers...

ANALYSIS: March Pork Cold Storage Remains Lackluster

According to the March cold storage report from the USDA, total pork in cold storage was 26.8 percent below a year ago and noted...

ANALYSIS: Pandemic-Related Issues Continue to Affect Slaughter Levels 

Pandemic-related issues including labor availability continue to affect cattle and hog processing levels more than a year after...

ANALYSIS: Will Chicken Ever Come Up For Air?

Fate has an interesting way of affecting the commodity markets. Chicken is arguably a frequent end beneficiary of "fate," both good and bad, and receives it in more volatile doses than...

ANALYSIS: Turkey Production and Cold Storage-As Goes One

In recent months, the turkey complex has experienced a surprising level of price volatility, most of which has pointed towards the upside...

ANALYSIS: Bellies Travel Upward into PEDv Levels

Bellies have done little but march higher since the beginning of 2021. Currently, rekindled interest at foodservice locations as some states relax COVID-19 restrictions, along with...

Retail Import Surge Expected Through Summer

The unprecedented surge of imports at retail container ports that began last summer is expected to continue at least through the end of this summer as retailers work to meet increased consumer demand, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“We’ve never seen imports at this high a level for such an extended period of time,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Records have been broken multiple times and near-record numbers are happening almost every month. Between federal stimulus checks and money saved by staying home for the better part of a year, consumers have money in their pockets and...

ANALYSIS: Turkey Thigh Meats Get a Leg Up

With springtime now in full swing, seasonal outreach is beginning to develop...

Taco Bell Plans for Major Hiring Push in April

Taco Bell is preparing for continued restaurant growth and reopenings by launching its fourth annual Hiring Parties event on Wednesday, April 21. Converting parking lots into job fairs, these one-day events with on-the-spot interview opportunities will take place at almost 2,000 participating company and franchise-owned locations across the U.S. The goal is to hire at least 5,000 new team members from this year’s Hiring Parties.

Adhering to COVID-19 safety precautions, this year’s Hiring Parties will be held outside, in creative locations like patio areas—some candidates may even be able to participate in...

ANALYSIS: Chicken Rearing to Go

For the second month this year, broiler type pullet placements have advanced considerably above 2020 levels...

What’s Next in Labor and Employment Law for the Meat and Retail Industries

Labor and employment issues including healthcare and immigration have immediate effects on the meat and retail industries. In a virtual panel titled ‘What’s Next in Labor and Employment Law’ during the final day of the American Meat Conference, two speakers shared their expertise in labor law and policy.

Panelists John Linker, Partner, Labor and Employment, Akerman LLP; and Frederick Miner, Shareholder, Littler, explored the goals of the Biden Administration and the potential impacts on business. 

Miner began the panel by talking about the current labor landscape. We are entering a significant period of change in the world of labor employment, in which President Biden has promised to be the strongest labor President in our nation’s history. Under the new Administration, the current National Labor Relations Board consists of...

ANALYSIS: Turkey Cold Storage: Lending Credence to the Strong Market Climate

The latest release of February’s Cold Storage Report further validates the strong seasonal performance that most key lines within the turkey complex have exhibited...

REPORTER: Industry Veterans Come Together to Open Colorado Lamb Processors

This article was originally featured in the Spring 2021 Edition of Urner Barry's Reporter magazine.

As Easter and Passover approach, one cannot help but to think about lamb when planning a holiday meal. This year, there’s a good chance you could be eating lamb that has passed through the country’s newest lamb harvesting facility—Colorado Lamb Processors in Brush, Colorado.

Colorado Lamb Processors, which opened in September 2020, is the first new lamb processing facility to be built in the...

NAMI: Infections in Meat Sector 85% Lower than General Pop.; Urgent Need to Accelerate Vaccination

Nearly one year after the first reported cases of COVID-19 among meat and poultry workers, comprehensive protections have brought case rates to just 2.67 cases per day per 100,000 workers - more than 85% lower than rates in the general population (18.25 cases per day per 100,000 people) and more than 98% lower than the May 2020 peak in the sector (98.39 cases per day per 100,000 workers).

North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) President and CEO Julie Anna Potts will discuss the latest COVID-19 data, effectiveness of protection measures implemented since spring 2020, and the sector’s advocacy for urgently expanded vaccinations during an executive roundtable March 23 at the Annual Meat Conference....

NPPC: Bill Addressing Agriculture Labor 'Step In the Right Direction'

Legislation introduced on Wednesday in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, would reform the H-2A visa program to address the agricultural labor shortage. Among other provisions, it would amend the H-2A program to allow a capped number of visas for farmworkers to work year-round. The following statement is attributable to National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Jen Sorenson, communications director for Iowa Select Farms in West Des Moines, Iowa.

“The U.S. pork industry is suffering from a serious labor shortage, negatively impacting farms and processing plants. Unfortunately, the current H-2A visa program is designed for seasonal agriculture, ignoring the needs of...

ANALYSIS: Pork Cold Storage Lingers at Low Levels

Total pork cold storage continues to linger around decade lows, creating a tight supply condition and a base layer of price support for a number of...

ANALYSIS: Q1 Production Outlook Lends Credence to Industry Expectations

The latest release of the USDA’s Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook Report is slow to raise any eyebrows as the ready-to-cook (RTC) production forecast of most key lines continues to...

National Restaurant Association Says Now is Not the Time for the Raise the Wage Act

The National Restaurant Association released the results of its survey of restaurants large and small, which asked what impact the proposed Raise the Wage Act would have on their ability to recover in 2021.

After hearing the response, the Association sent a letter to congressional leaders citing the survey results to urge that the measure be removed from the $1.9 trillion stimulus plan.   

“Passage of this bill this year would lead to job losses and higher use of labor-reducing equipment and technology,” said Sean Kennedy, executive vice president for Public Affairs for the National Restaurant Association...

Kroger Announces New Vaccine Payment for All Associates

The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) Family of Companies today announced that it will provide a one-time payment of $100 to all associates who receive the full manufacturer-recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

ANALYSIS: Boneless Chicken Breasts in the Crosshairs

One of the first things that any Econ student quickly gets acclimated with is how the quantity of a given commodity that manufacturers want to sell and the quantity of consumers who wish to buy, interact with one another...

Over 40 U.S. States Lost Restaurant Jobs in December as Pandemic Continues to Hit Industry

The National Restaurant Association said the downward slide in restaurant business conditions continued in December 2020 with the bottom dropping out on restaurant employment in the month, with 400,000 jobs lost across the country.

State-by-state, 42 states and Washington, D.C. had job losses in the month with only 8 states seeing employment increases. The biggest loss came in California, losing 85,800 eating and drinking place jobs.

Michigan (-46,600), New York (-33,000) and Minnesota (-32,800) also shed a significant number of restaurant jobs in December, the Association shared...

ANALYSIS: The Tug of War Between Chicken Wings and Boneless Breasts

During October of last year, we explored the growing price disparity between jumbo boneless breast quotations and jumbo-sized whole wings...

A Look at the Pandemic’s Impact on Restaurant Jobs in 2020

The National Restaurant Association provided a look at how the coronavirus pandemic impacted employment at eating and drinking places throughout 2020.

Overall, the restaurant and foodservice sector was expected to provide 15.6 million jobs in 2020, accounting for 10% of payroll jobs in the economy. Those numbers would take a turn for the worst as the pandemic began in March.

Starting in March, millions of people were left without work as lockdowns and stay-at-home orders were implemented, leading to mass layoffs and furloughs...

ANALYSIS: Chicken Wings Start Year Undefeated

With NFL playoff season at our doorstep, wing marketers are ordinarily gearing up as they prepare for one of the busiest quarters of the year...

REPORTER: Q3 Pork: Hot Prices and Frigid Freezer Inventories

With COVID-19 concerns continuing throughout the third quarter and into the fourth quarter of 2020, areas such as boning-line labor, foodservice and recreational activities, cold storage, and production were all affected. The Pork Carcass Cutout noted an uncharacteristic price rally between July and October 2020, increasing by around 31.6%. Looking at the past, the 5-year and 10-year averages saw declines around 12% during this timeframe, while in 2019 the cutout saw a moderate increase of 3.8% for the respective time period...

ANALYSIS: Turkey Cold Storage: A November to Remember

With November in the rear-view mirror, the time has finally come for turkey market participants to peer into the freezer and assess...

ANALYSIS: WOGs - A Year in Review

With 2021 right around the corner, chicken market participants are taking a step away from the day-to-day to assess how the year has shaped up...

A Look at Potential Regulatory Impacts on the Meat Industry Ahead of Biden Presidency

In the final session of the North American Meat Institute’s Post-Election Outlook Series, the discussion revolved around the regulatory implications of the incoming Biden Administration. A pair of experts explored what companies will have in store from a compliance perspective.

Carmen Rottenberg, former Administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Managing Director for Groundswell Strategy and Christopher DeLacy, Partner, Holland & Knight were the panelists for the discussion...

Whose Workers Are Most Essential? Meatpackers, Airlines Lobby for Covid-19 Vaccine Priority

The arrival of Covid-19 vaccines is sending big industries jostling to persuade public-health officials and state leaders that their workers are more essential than others.

Leaders in the food, restaurant, aviation and utility industries are calling on state and federal authorities to give their workers priority access to the shots, arguing that their employees are needed to keep the economy running and face high risks of contracting the virus. Though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance on which Americans should be first in line for the initial doses, state governors have the final say—meaning the makeup of the priority line could vary widely by state...

ANALYSIS: Pork Butts at Decade Lows for December

Bone-in pork butts have witnessed pressure in the market since the beginning of October, following almost...

ANALYSIS: What’s Next for Whole Body Turkeys?

After processors successfully marketed their whole body tom and hen production and the fruits of their labor are being enjoyed, they now shift their attention...

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...

Injuries and Illnesses in Poultry Processing Fall Below All Manufacturing for First Time

The incidence of occupational injuries and illnesses within the poultry sector’s slaughter and processing workforce has fallen below all manufacturing for the first time since the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) began recording injuries and illnesses information in 1994. The total recordable poultry processing illness and injury rate for 2019 was 3.2 cases per 100 full-time workers annually, down from 3.5 in 2018. The poultry industry’s rate of 3.2 was below the rate of 5.1 for similar agricultural industries in terms of injuries per 100 full-time workers and lower than the rate of 4.0 for the entire food manufacturing sector and all of manufacturing at 3.3...

ANALYSIS: The Ups and Downs of This Year’s Chicken Hatch

It has been a topsy turvy year for the chicken industry to say the least. Between highly volatile retail and foodservice demand patterns, the enduring inconsistencies in...

ANALYSIS: What’s Going On with Tom Breast Meat?

It’s safe to say that Thanksgiving and the whole bird centric activity which typically...

ANALYSIS: SpareRibs Lingering Around PEDv 2014 Levels

Like most items throughout the fresh pork complex, spareribs underwent a significant rally from...