NPPC
Scholarships for outstanding pork industry youth
The National Pork Producers Council is rolling out the application process for the 2012 Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship Program, designed to recognize outstanding youth in the pork community, with an emphasis on talented and thoughtful students who may emerge as industry leaders someday.
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U.S. House passes a 3-bill appropriations package
The U.S. House, late on Thursday, passed a three-bill appropriations package for Fiscal Year 2012. Known as the “minibus,” H.R. 2112 provides money for the Agriculture Department, Commerce-Justice-Science and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development.
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Tallying 25 years of NPB and National Pork Checkoff
While pork producers first organized in the 1940s under the umbrella of the National Swine Growers Council, the producer efforts and priorities have grown dramatically and become increasingly diverse over the years.
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Commentary: Traceability is like a bad penny
Animal identification is like a bad penny, it just keeps coming back around. But unlike that penny, animal ID/traceback is becoming increasingly valuable in the marketplace and not having an all-inclusive program is becoming increasingly risky.
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USDA redesigns and submits GIPSA rule
USDA has scaled down its proposed GIPSA rule and sent it on to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. OMB is the last step in the rulemaking process before a rule is finalized.
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KORUS FTA still in limbo
There’s still nervous tension surrounding the South Korea/U.S. (or KORUS) free-trade agreement. While the U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration both finally signed off on the aging FTA, now South Korean lawmakers are balking at the effort.
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Export attention turns to Thailand
There’s no shortage of global markets to investigate for potential U.S. pork sales and most recently, Nick Giordano, National Pork Producers Council vice president and counsel for international affairs travelled to Thailand. The goal was to visit with government officials to discuss Thailand’s restrictions on U.S. pork exports.
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Exports brighten U.S. pork’s long-term outlook
If you thought 2010 was a red-hot year for U.S. pork exports, you haven’t seen anything yet. In August, pork exports set a monthly volume record at 186,068 metric tons, and the prospects of the South Korea, Colombia and Panama free-trade agreements aren’t even part of that picture.
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Agriculture energized by FTAs' approval
While skeptics and critics remain over Congress’ long-awaited approval of the South Korea, Colombia and Panama free-trade agreements, it’s not a stretch to say that folks in agriculture are nearly giddy at the outcome.
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Vietnam, the next international pork market
With the three free-trade agreements finally closing in on approval, attention is turning toward other markets, most notably Vietnam. However, the Vietnamese have pork production plans of their own.
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NAEMS actions move forward
The National Air Emissions Monitoring Study (NAEMS) study began in 2007, but the momentum toward a conclusion is picking up steam.
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