November 11, 2025
Meat Institute Reacts to DOJ Investigation
President Trump recently called on the Department of Justice to investigate the beef processing sector, and the Meat Institute issued a statement reacting to the announcement. “Despite high consumer prices for beef, beef packers have been losing money because the price of cattle is at record highs,” said Julie Anna Potts, the president and CEO of the Meat Institute. “For more than a year, beef packers have been operating at a loss due to a tight cattle supply and strong demand.” She pointed out that the beef industry is heavily regulated, and market transactions are transparent. The government’s own data from USDA confirms that the beef packing sector is experiencing catastrophic losses, and experts predict that it will continue into 2026. “U.S. beef processors welcome a fact-based discussion about beef affordability and how best to meet the needs of American consumers, who are the industry’s most important stakeholders,” Potts added.
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Soybean Groups React to EPA’s SRE Decisions
The National Oilseed Processors Association and the American Soybean Association expressed appreciation to the Environmental Protection Agency for continuing to address the backlog of small refinery exemptions it inherited. The groups thanked the agency for returning retired RINs for SRE petitions prior to 2023 and continue to urge the EPA to ensure all active RINs are reallocated into renewable volume obligations moving forward. “Another 500+ million RINs of lost demand is the last thing our soybean farmers and processors need right now,” said NOPA President and CEO Devin Mogler and ASA CEO Stephen Censky. “The time has come to finalize the RVOs with full reallocation of these eroded gallons, before the end of the calendar year, to provide market certainty.” NOPA and ASA strongly support 100 percent reallocation of exempted renewable fuel volumes as the EPA continues to finalize 2026-2027 RVOs and the supplemental rule on the treatment of SREs.
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World Food Prices Fall for Second Consecutive Month
Global food commodity prices dropped in October, the second-straight monthly decline. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said prices were weighed down by abundant supplies. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 126.4 points in October 2025, down 2.1 points, or 1.6 percent, from a revised 128.5 in September. After a peak in March 2022, the index remained 21 percent lower than the high from three years ago. Lower prices for cereals, dairy products, meat, and sugar outweighed gains in vegetable oils, keeping the overall Food Price Index below its October 2024 level and 33.8 points under the 2022 high point. The Sugar Price Index dropped 5.3 percent from September to its lowest point since December 2020, pressured by robust production in Brazil, Thailand, and India. The Dairy Index dropped 3.4 percent because of a steep decline in butter prices due to large imports from the EU and New Zealand.
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First U.S. Sorghum Shipment Heading to China
The National Sorghum Producers said the first shipment of U.S. sorghum is now on its way to China, which marks a long-awaited first step after months of stalled trade talks. The renewed flow of grain from American ports reflects significant progress following the recent U.S.-China trade announcement, which suspended retaliatory tariffs and reopened key channels for American farm commodities. NSP is continuing to advocate for a minimum purchase agreement of five million metric tons, which is the historical average for U.S. sorghum exports to China, as a baseline for future trade stability. “We’re encouraged by this progress and look forward to seeing it translate into significant commercial sales in the days ahead,” said Amy France, chair of the National Sorghum Producers and a sorghum grower from Scott City, Kansas. “True success will come when we see shipments moving and grain flowing again from U.S. farms to our customers in China.”
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Potato Industry Heading to Dallas in 2026
Potato Expo 2026, North America’s largest annual potato industry conference and trade show, will be in Dallas, Texas, January 6–8. The event is hosted by the National Potato Council and invites U.S. and international potato supply chain partners to connect, share insights, and collaborate to start the new year. “Potato Expo remains the industry’s essential meeting place,” said NPC President and Washington grower Ted Tschirky (SURE-key). “Bringing the entire supply chain to Dallas expands on the success of Potato Expo’s 17-year history and provides a powerful start to the business year, building relationships and driving the future.” This year’s event will feature over 30 educational sessions and 180 exhibitors filling up the 100,000-plus square feet of trade show space. This year’s programming will emphasize innovation and advocacy. Cutting-edge sessions include “Using Soil DNA, Tissue RNA, and AI for Potato Production,” and a live recording of the Eye on Potatoes Podcast.
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Vote for the National Anthem Contest Winner
Voting is open for a few more days to select the winner of the 13th annual National Anthem Contest, sponsored by Norbrook. Four finalists have been selected, and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is inviting the public to vote through November 15. The winner will perform the “Star Spangled Banner” at the Opening Session of CattleCon 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee, February 3-5, and will receive round-trip airfare, a hotel room for three nights, complementary registration, plus a pair of boots, jeans, and a shirt from either Roper or Stetson. The four finalists are Elle Glaser of Oregon, Gracyn (GRAY-sin) Stevens of Indiana, Zoey Symons of Louisiana, and Kendall Whatley of Texas. Videos of the finalists are available for viewing and voting at convention.ncba.org. The public can vote once per day per person through November 15, with the winner announced by November 21. Also, register for CattleCon 2026 by visiting convention.ncba.org.
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