|
Written by Truth About Trade & Technology
|
|
Tuesday, 09 June 2009 19:01 |
Feedstuffs Foodlink
The H1N1 influenza outbreak - because news reporters erroneously mis-reported that it was "swine flu" - cost pork producers $50 million in lower prices from the onset of the flu on April 24 through mid-May, according to Craig Morris, deputy administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and director of livestock and seed programs.
Furthermore, in terms of prices that would have been forecasted over those 20-25 days as prices normally rally through spring but did not do so this year because of the mis-named virus, he said producers have lost more than $150 million in revenues.
The situation "has had an astounding impact on the industry," he said.
Morris noted that AMS has purchased 46 million pounds of pork in the federal government's current fiscal year that runs through September for its nutrition programs, with an estimated $78.2 million of value to the industry, compared with 40.6 million pounds and $65.1 million in the previous year.
He said the purchases are allocated to food banks and government programs so they do not replace pork purchases in other channels.
He said AMS currently is weighing the request by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) for another purchase of $50 million worth of pork but needs supplemental funding to finance the acquisition.
On other matters, Morris said AMS has started animal welfare audits of meat plants that it buys beef, pork and other meat from, a new process that was prompted by the animal abuse scandal at the Westland-Hallmark Meat Co. last year to make sure its suppliers are compliant with animal welfare and food safety standards. All plants have passed their audits, he said, indicating that Westland was an anomaly and not industry norm.
As for country-of-origin labeling, Morris said AMS has surveyed thousands of stores, but it still is "to early" to determine if consumers have a preference for USA-labeled product.
|
.png)
Follow us on Twitter