September 11, 2009
USDA to buy more pork in 2010
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will buy more pork for government food assistance when the government replenishes its funding for fiscal year 2010, which begins October 1, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Thursday (Sep 10).
Vilsack did not say how much pork the USDA would buy in the coming fiscal year.
USDA is on track to purchase US$151 million of pork in fiscal 2009 to try to help support slumping pork prices for hog farmers, who have been losing money since October 2007.
The hog industry, which has been losing money since October 2007, has been battered by a slumping global economy at a time when some traditional importers, such as China, have been producing more of their own pork.
Producers were also hurt when some countries banned pork imports on AH1N1 flu fears, even though health officials said the virus, originally known as swine flu, is not linked to meat products.
Vilsack reassured consumers and trading partners that US meat is safe and would continue to be even if the virus is found later this year in swine.
He noted that there have been no reports that this 2009 AH1N1 virus is circulating anywhere in the US swine herd.
