The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently announced the purchase of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB).

The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the ag industry – disrupting supply chains, closing down critical processing plants and causing ag commodity prices to take a nosedive.

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the appointment of 33 members to the agency’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC). 

The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) was introduced a few weeks ago by U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue as part of the effort to aid ag producers affected by the market upheaval caused by COVID-19.

Falling cattle prices and both market and consumer unrest has increased the pressure from beef industry groups and lawmakers on the USDA to increase their investigations into the cattle markets.

It has occurred to me that we humans seem very attached to catch phrases, something short, snappy and easily repeatable. I remember when the Tyson fire happened last August, one news article called it a “black swan” and pretty soon, everyone was calling it a black swan which, personally, I think is too suave a name for something that shook up the beef industry so much. Better to call it a “black buzzard” or something equally unsavory.

Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 31, pouring $2 trillion into the economy and aid for those affected by COVID-19. Although some lawmakers balked at the hefty price tag, there was strong bipartisan support for the bill.

Tyson Foods announced on March 31 that it will pay out approximately $60 million in bonuses to front-line workers and truckers as “a ‘thank you’ for feeding the nation during [the] COVID-19 pandemic.”