Articles by Tom Polansek and P.J. Huffstutter

Worker Injuries Rise as Oklahoma Pork Plant Speeds Up Slaughtering

One of America’s leading pig slaughterhouses is running faster than ever as meatpackers hustle to keep pork in grocery stores during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plant worker Hector Ixquier says it’s time to slow down. Ixquier said he sought medical treatment …

U.S. to Research Transmission of COVID-19 in Beef Supply Chain

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is funding a $1 million research project to identify how the virus that causes COVID-19 might be transmitted in the nation’s beef supply chain, from cattle on the farm to the packages of meat inside …

OSHA Cites Smithfield Foods For Lax Coronavirus Safety for Meat Plant Workers

The U.S. Labor Department said on Thursday it cited Smithfield Foods for failing to protect employees from the coronavirus, making it the first major U.S. meatpacker to face a fine after outbreaks at slaughterhouses infected thousands of workers. The citation …

Some 10M Acres of Iowa Farmland Impacted by Derecho Storm

The Derecho storm that hit the Midwest on Aug. 10 potentially impacted some 10 million acres (4 million hectares) of Iowa farmland and millions of bushels of grain storage in the top U.S. corn growing state, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike …

Derecho Winds Tear Through U.S. Farmland, Leave 500K-Plus Without Power

A storm packing hurricane-force winds tore across the U.S. Midwest on Aug. 10, causing widespread property damage in cities and rural towns and leaving more than half a million homes and businesses without power. The storm compounded troubles for a …

U.S. Completes Overhaul of Biotech Farm Product Regulations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Thursday a rule that will simplify or waive agency reviews of certain biotech farm products, including plants and seeds that have been genetically modified or engineered. As a result, some products could be …

Despite China Deal, U.S. Farmers Still Dependent on Government Aid: Analysis

As U.S. President Donald Trump touted the signing of a U.S.-China trade deal in January, he told cash-strapped farmers they would soon need bigger tractors and “a little more land” to meet additional Chinese demand for U.S. agricultural goods. His …

1 Million Acres of Midwest Farmlands Flooded as Corn Planting Deadlines Approach

At least 1 million acres (405,000 hectares) of U.S. farmland were flooded after the “bomb cyclone” storm left wide swaths of nine major grain producing states under water this month, satellite data analyzed by Gro Intelligence for Reuters showed. Farms …

In ‘Trump Country’ Farm Belt, Flooding Woes Add to Trade War Stress

Nebraska grain farmer Ryan Ueberrhein was barely breaking even after the U.S.-China trade war pushed prices for his soybean crop to a decade low. Then the nearby Elkhorn River burst its banks as flooding swept across the U.S. farm belt. …

Lawsuit Alleges Salmonella from Ground Beef; FDA Reports Cases in 16 States

A Kentucky woman is suing the U.S. arm of Brazil’s JBS SA, alleging she was hospitalized after consuming ground beef produced by the company that was tainted with Salmonella, according to a lawsuit filed on Friday in Arizona state court. …