Exports

 

 

China Trade Update:  According to USDA officials, the agency's recent visit to China did not result with a scheduled date for the equivalency audit of Chinese chicken plants to be conducted, which is the next phase in resuming full poultry trade between the two countries.  Additionally, China insists that the United States has submitted all needed information in regards to lifting the bans on turkey products from at least two states; however those bans remain in place.  NTF is working closely with USDA and USA Poultry and Egg Export Council on both of these issues.

 

India's Failure to Lift Restrictions on U.S. Poultry in Consultations:  NTF, along with the National Chicken Council, and USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, released a statement in support of the U.S. Trade Representative taking the next step in the dispute settlement process to lift restrictions on U.S. poultry. The statement was picked up by 23 media outlets, including Meatingplace and The Financial Times. Conservative estimates show that if the India trade barriers were eliminated, the value of U.S. poultry exports would surpass $300 million annually. 

   

PHIS Import Inspection Component Launched:  FSIS implemented the import component of the Public Health Information System (PHIS) on May 29.  Details on shipping internationally are posted on the FSIS website.  

  

 

Live Production and Environment

 

 

Chesapeake Bay Lawsuit:  NTF filed briefs against EPA on the establishment of a total maximum daily load for the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  The briefs demonstrated that NTF, because it has members in the affected area, has standing in the case and thus has right to bring suit against EPA. EPA may submit one more brief, which is due June 20, and then NTF may submit one more brief by July 13.  After the last brief is submitted, parties must wait for the court to set an oral argument date.   

  

 

  

District Court Strikes Down NLRB Quickie Elections Rule:  In a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the court struck down the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rule that amended the procedures for determining whether a majority of employees wish to be represented by a labor organization for purposes of collective bargaining. The rule was challenged because the NLRB lacked quorum when it voted to pass the rule.  The court did not reach a decision on the other procedural and substantive challenges to the rule, noting that had a quorum participated in its promulgation the final rule may have been found perfectly lawful. 

Pew Commission's Campaign Against Animal Antibiotics:  The Pew Commission and the American Academy of Pediatrics launched a campaign to "unite individuals across America working to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics. "The campaign began in D.C., where Pew hosted a "Supermoms Against Superbugs" advocacy day, which did not draw a large number of women.

 

Attendees were encouraged to visit their representatives in support of the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA). The campaign also encouraged parents to contact local school authorities and volunteers to gain support for ridding school meals of meat that comes from animals who have consumed antibiotics. Here is a piece that ran on the ABC news website. 

 

NTF received no media calls about the event, but will continue to monitor the campaign's activities and aggressively counter any misinformation about turkey industry practices.

 

NTF Attends the Animal Agricultural Alliance Summit: Last month, NTF attended Animal Agriculture Alliance's annual Stakeholders Summit in Arlington, Va. Nearly 200 industry leaders came together to discuss bridging the urban-rural divide and transparency in animal agriculture. Representatives from the Meatingplace and Food Safety News shared strategies for those in agriculture to build relationships with reporters through open, honest communication. Audio interviews with the speakers are available here.

 

 

Registration is Open for 2012 Leadership Conference:  Registration is now open for the 2012 Leadership Conference, July 8-10, in Washington. There are four easy ways to register: online, phone, fax or mail. Take advantage of the 25-percent pre-registration discount by registering before June 30. NTF members can also take advantage of the reduced room rate of $209 at the Washington Court Hotel by booking accommodations before June 8. For more information about the 2012 Leadership Conference and a schedule of events, click here.

 

 

Sherrie Rosenblatt, NTF's vice president of marketing and communications, has been appointed chair elect for the Animal Agriculture Alliance.

 

 

 

Adrienne Richards, NTF's former public relations manager, is the new director of industry and public affairs with the American Frozen Food Institute.

 

 

 

Jeff Stauffenecker is the new allied director for the board of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association. Stauffenecker is co-owner of Protein Alliance and represents Northern Pride Cooperative in sales of all its turkey products.

 

 

 

Hormel Foods Corp. had a second-quarter earnings climb of 17 percent based on a strong showing by its Jennie-O Turkey Store line of products, including turkey burgers.

 

 

 

Josh Kline is the new plant manager for Norbest, Inc.'s further processing plant in Salina, Utah.  Lela Hodges is Norbest's new quality assurance director.

 

 

 

DenYon Energy has partnered with the Department of Energy and the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center to develop gasifier technology that could lead to elimination of waste and help processors become more energy self-reliant.

 

 

 

USDA scientists have discovered a new virus in turkeys that may be used as an alternative to antibiotics to fight multi-drug-resistant pathogens in poultry. 

 

 

 

Jerk Turkey Breast is one of the new international flavors offered from the new Boar's Head Bold™ line.

 

 

 

Reed Alexander, actor on the Nickelodeon show iCarly, featured his favorite turkey burger recipe in People magazine.  He spotlighted the recipe as a healthy meal, with great flavor.

 

 

 

The southwest turkey-sausage bagel thin egg white sandwich, is a new menu option on Einstein Brothers Bagels "Smart Choices."

 

 

 

Based on first quarter trade data released by the Foreign Agriculture Service, March's U.S. turkey meat exports increased 9 percent since last year with the value up 24 percent.

 

 

 

USDA's monthly Cold Storage report shows total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 17 percent on April 30 from the previous month and up 20 percent from April 30, 2011.

 

 

 

According to USDA's latest Poultry Slaughter report, ready-to-cook turkey is up 4 percent from a year ago and live weight of turkey slaughtered is up 1 percent from April 2011 to April 2012.

 

 

 

The International Food Information Council's 2012 Food and Health Survey showed that the majority of consumers find it hard to know what to believe about nutrition. Consumers most often rely on their own research instead of third-party experts.