A Return to the Conversation Nick Papagni recently welcomed back Darren Hill, Sales Manager at JD Food and former five-star chef, to discuss the current state of the meat industry. …
Red Meat Production Slips in June as Beef Output Declines
USDA Reports Slight Drop in Monthly Red Meat Output According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), red meat production declined slightly in June 2025, falling …
Proposition 12 Drives Up Pork Costs, NPPC Warns
NPPC Testifies Against California Law’s National Impact Pat Hord, an Ohio pork producer and vice president of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), along with NPPC economist Holly Cook, testified …
Five-Point Food Safety Plan for Meat and Poultry Unveiled
In a major policy announcement, USDA Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins unveiled a new five-point food safety plan designed to enhance the safety of meat and poultry products in the …
USDA Lab Opens with Food Safety Focus
USDA Launches Bold Food Safety Initiative At the grand opening of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) newly modernized Midwestern Food Safety Laboratory, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a …
Senators Resist Effort to Override Prop 12
Democratic Senators Oppose Preemption of State Animal Welfare Laws A coalition of 32 Democratic U.S. Senators has sent a formal letter to the leadership of the Senate Agriculture Committee, voicing …
Canada’s Trade Moves Raise Concerns for U.S. Meat Exporters
Canada Rescinds Digital Services Tax, but Deeper Trade Frictions Remain The Canadian Department of Finance recently announced it will rescind its proposed digital services tax, a move welcomed by U.S. …
Agricultural Prices Rise 1.7% in May Amid Climbing Farm Costs
May Sees Modest Agricultural Price Increases Despite Rising Farm Costs In May, the United States experienced a modest but notable increase in agricultural output, with both crop and livestock production …
Prop 12 Sparks Pricing Concerns for Pork Producers and Consumers
California’s Proposition 12 (Prop 12) continues to raise concerns across the pork industry as new animal welfare regulations impact pricing and operations. Darren Hill, a seasoned sales manager at JD …
Darren Hill Explains Why Chicken and Pork Beat Beef on Price
JD Food Sales Manager Breaks Down Protein Market Differences Nick Papagni, “The Ag Meter,” sat down with Darren Hill, sales manager for JD Food in Fresno, to talk about the …
California’s Meat Industry Faces Historic Supply Crunch
Darren Hill of JD Food Discusses Beef Shortages, Rising Costs, and the Future of Meat in California In a candid conversation with “The Ag Meter,” Darren Hill, sales manager at …
U.S. Red Meat Exports Rise in March, Beef Hits Nine-Month High
U.S. red meat exports showed promising growth in March, with beef, pork, and lamb all trending higher compared to the same period last year, according to the latest USDA data …
Bipartisan Bill Aims to Strengthen Local Meat Processing Infrastructure
A reintroduced bill aims to help small meat processors around the nation. Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Tina Smith (D-MN) reintroduced the Strengthening Local Processing Act, a bipartisan initiative designed …
USDA’s World Ag Outlook Board Sees Tariff Hits to US Meat Exports
USDA’s World Ag Outlook Board expects US meat exports to take a hit the rest of this year due to President Trump’s tariffs and retaliation, mainly from China. China earlier …