Profit tracker: Pork producer and packer margins improve
Pork producer margins remain in the red, but they gained back $5.61 per head on the week ending Oct. 12, compared with the week before. Meanwhile, pork packers increased their profit margin by $2.19 per head on the week, according to Sterling Marketing, Vale, Ore.
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HSUS criticizes Tyson’s animal well-being audits
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is not impressed with Tyson Foods’ launch of a new animal well-being auditing program for its suppliers, but that should not come as a surprise. The activist group wants Tyson to eliminate gestation-sow stalls and will keep applying pressure.
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Tyson initiates FarmCheck auditing program
Tyson Foods is launching a program to audit animal treatment at the livestock and poultry farms that supply the company. Known as FarmCheck, the audits have already occurred on a trial basis on some of the 3,000 independent hog farms that supply Tyson Foods. Under the program, auditors visit the farms to check on such things as animal access to food and water, as well as proper human-animal interaction and worker training.
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August pork exports trend higher from July’s sales
U.S. pork exports in August slipped 6 percent in volume compared to year ago levels and were down 7 percent in value. However, the totals were up 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively, from July’s performance, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).
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Cheesecake Factory targets 2022 for gestation-stall elimination
The Cheesecake Factory is the latest restaurant chain to join 33 other food companies committed to eliminating gestation-sow stalls from their supply chains. Also this week, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) filed a shareholder resolution with Seaboard Foods for the company to report on its contributions for political and charitable purposes.
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Brumm Speaks Out: Slaughter plants as food processing companies
As people involved in the business of pork production, we tend to think of slaughter plants as the final destination for our production. In fact, the slaughter plants don’t view themselves as pork processors, but rather, food companies.
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JBS USA and ICE sign agreement to strengthen legal workforce
JBS USA, a leading animal protein processor with more than 60,000 employees in the U.S., voluntarily entered into an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to strengthen the company's legal workforce.
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AMI names industry leaders to guide organization in 2013
The American Meat Institute (AMI) has elected the six officers who will guide the organization through the next year. The election was held at AMI’s Board of Directors Meeting in Toronto. J. Patrick Boyle was reelected by the AMI membership to serve a 24th term as the Institute’s president and CEO.
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Calculating the benefits of lower market weights
With corn prices nearing the $8 level, hog market weights are receiving more scrutiny than ever before. As feed efficiency drops in the late finishing phase pork producers look for some relief from this costly gain at the end of the production cycle.
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Profit Tracker: Pork producer losses narrow
The improvement in production margins was registered prior to the release of USDA’s corn crop report issued Friday which resulted in a sharp jump in corn futures prices. Industry analysts believe pork production losses will persist for up to six months due to near-record corn prices and historically high hog slaughter levels.
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USDA report bullish for 2013 hog prices
“Deferred hog futures show profits if producers can just hold on long enough,” said Rich Pottorff, Doane chief economist. “We will just have to see if producers follow through on their intentions. If they do, pork production could be down 2 percent to 3 percent next year.”
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