From Washington with Karina Jones is brought to you by BillionAuto.com one of the nation’s largest automotive websites!
Karina Jones is a real-life ranch wife in the Nebraska Sandhills, Field Director for R-CalfUSA and one of the most highly sought-after speakers in the cattle industry nationwide!
And now the NEW VOICE of Farm & Ranch Country, Karina Jones –
Hello, everyone, out there in farm and ranch country.
Spring work is in full force, the tractors are tilling and planting, spring cattle work on ranches is in full swing from calving, to branding, to starting to think about breeding season. Moisture reports are all over the board while ample snow in the north has given those producers a drought reprieve as you work your way south of central Nebraska, much of the middle and southern heartland is still in a drought.
DC is still in their Easter legislative break but when they return it is time that they start working on the Farm Bill with as much energy as our farmers and ranchers are putting in to feeding this country. While I don’t have anything to report out of the legislative branch this week, there is some other important information coming out of our nation’s capital that affects all of you.
FSIS is extending the comment period on the proposed rule for a voluntary “Product of USA” labeling claim. Published on March 13, 2023, the deadline for comments was originally May 12, 2023. The proposed rule will be open for comments for an additional 30 days until June 11, 2023.
As announced in the March 10, 2023, Constituent Update, FSIS proposed new regulatory requirements to better align the voluntary “Product of USA” claim with consumers’ understanding of what the claim means. The proposal allows the voluntary “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” claim to be used only on FSIS-regulated products that are derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States.
I encourage everyone to share your opinion on the rulemaking but take note that this will only apply to the already in place, voluntary labeling system on beef and will only apply to domestic beef, not imported beef. This will not make it mandatory. For there to be full transparency for the American consumer that will require passage of the American Beef Labeling Act, S. 52, in Congress.
The most recent Livestock Report from the Economic Research Service at USDA revealed the expectation that Total red meat and poultry production in 2023 is forecast to decrease for the first time in nearly a decade. This is mostly due to the 6-percent decline in beef production that more than offsets forecast increases in pork (2 percent), broiler meat (1 percent), and turkey (7 percent) production. Tightening cattle supplies are expected to cause a significant year-over-year decrease in beef production, the first decline since 2015. After 2 consecutive years of decline, commercial pork production is forecast to increase in 2023 on higher slaughter and fractionally higher carcass weights. Broiler meat production is forecast to continue its longstanding upward trend into 2023, increasing marginally over last year’s record production. Turkey production is expected to increase throughout 2023, under the assumption that the sector recovers from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreaks.
It looks like the US has already been implementing their red meat contingency plan as ERS said in the same report that January beef imports were a record for the month at 365 million pounds, up 4 percent from last year and the third-largest monthly import level overall. Compared to the 5-year average, January imports were up 38 percent.
That is all I have for today. I will be right back here next week bringing you important farm and ranch news from our nation’s capital.
Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 4 children near Broken Bow, NE. She grew up in western NE, with roots also in southwest SD. The cattle industry and raising kids is her passion.
Tune in Fridays on The Hot Barn Report, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and highlights industry reforms or listen to Ranch Raised with Karina Jones a slice of daily life on the Jones Ranch.
