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Western South Dakota's Only Ranch Station
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – A federal judge in Minnesota has dismissed an antitrust lawsuit against major meatpackers, ruling the cattle ranchers’ claims lacked legal standing. Meatpacking giants Cargill Inc., JBS SA, Tyson Foods Inc., National Beef Packing Co., and Swift Beef Co. escaped a list of allegations by ranchers who indirectly sell them cattle through various […]
URBANDALE, IA – Pork producers will save some money with a reduced checkoff rate, but it means fewer dollars for the program to utilize. Effective Jan. 1, 2023, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is cutting the Pork Checkoff assessment rate by 5 cents per $100 of the market value of all pigs sold in the […]
SIOUX FALLS, SD – An ordinance to ban the construction of future slaughterhouses within the city limits of Sioux Falls, South Dakota was shot down Tuesday in the 2022 mid-term election. According to the South Dakota Secretary of State, Sioux Falls voting precincts rejected the measure with 55,690 total votes, 52% no (28,986) versus 48% […]
PIERRE, SD – The South Dakota Master Lamb Producers Association recognized sheep producers from Alexandria, South Dakota, and Wessington Springs, South Dakota, during this year’s South Dakota Sheep Growers Annual Convention. Kelly Froehlich, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Sheep and Goat Specialist, recognized Prairieland Farms and MB Genetics, of Alexandria, in the Purebred Division; and […]
NEW ORLEANS, LA – The 30th annual Cattlemen’s College will precede the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show on February 1-3 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The educational opportunity draws more than 1,000 attendees every year and includes two days of learning, idea sharing, and networking. Each year, the Cattlemen’s College agenda is developed based […]
VERNON, CA – Smithfield Foods, the largest pork processor in the world, will close its Vernon, California, plant and reduce its hog herd in the West, the company announced Friday. Owned by Hong Kong-listed WH Group Ltd, Smithfield Food is withdrawing from California by early next year, citing red tape like that from Proposition 12 […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The first Hemp Acreage and Production Survey is being sent to South Dakota producers. . The hemp survey will collect information on the total planted and harvested area, yield, production, and value of hemp in the United States. ” The Hemp Acreage and Production Survey will provide critical data about the hemp […]
WASHINGTON, DC – Livestock and poultry producers who suffered losses during the pandemic due to insufficient access to processing can apply for assistance for those losses and the cost of depopulation and disposal of the animals. Livestock and poultry producers can apply for assistance through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) July 20 through Sept. 17, […]
WASHINGTON, DC – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced  that USDA is establishing new programs and efforts to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions. The new initiative—USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers—will reach a broader set of producers than in previous COVID-19 aid programs. USDA is dedicating […]
