News & Updates
- UGA student wins FABricate competition with poultry processing automationATHENS, Ga. — In the most competitive FABricate contest to date, Sean Snarey, a graduate student in agribusiness in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, took home the $10,000 prize recently for his automated poultry rehanging system. Through his company, TLS, Snarey is developing a system to automate a labor-intensive step in poultry processing that has one of ... read more
- ‘Counting eggs before they’re hatched’, is it cost effective?GAINESVILLE, Ga. – With the continual rise of backyard flocks, is it more cost effective to have your own birds or not? Starting a flock holds many considerations, including what kinds of chickens you want to have and whether they are broilers or layers. Within the category of layers, you can pick between white, brown, or colored ‘eggers’. Hatcheries offer varying prices even on the same breed of chicken; prices ... read more
- Don’t let media coverage control consumer egg perceptionsWhen major news channels cover egg prices, producers should be ready to respond to the consumer sentiment on social media that follows. ... read more
- Cal-Maine acquiring Echo Lake Foods for $258MRIDGELAND, Miss. — Cal-Maine Foods announces that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Echo Lake Foods for approximately $258 million, excluding expected tax assets resulting from the transaction, to be funded with available cash on hand. Echo Lake Foods was founded in 1941 and acquired by the Meinerz family in 1981. Based in Burlington, Wis., Echo Lake Foods produces, packages, markets and distributes ready-to-eat egg products and breakfast ... read more
- Brazil's Chicken & Egg Exports Soar in Q1 2025For the month of March, Brazilian egg exports were up more than three times year-on-year as the U.S. opened its market greatly. ... read more
- More than 600 ingredients drive $51.7B pet food sales, IFEEDER report showsARLINGTON, Va. — The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) unveils a new report that quantifies the hundreds of safe ingredients used in dog and cat food diets. This new report is released in collaboration with the American Feed Industry Association, North American Renderers Association’s research arm the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation and Pet Food Institute. The report estimated that dog and cat food sales stood at $51.7 ... read more
- Attention to water lines can reduce Salmonella in litterMinimizing the moisture levels in the poultry litter is one thing poultry growers can do to reduce the presence of bacteria in the barn. ... read more
- Alltech awarded four new EcoVadis sustainability medalsLEXINGTON, Ky. — Alltech has been awarded four new medals from EcoVadis, a globally recognized provider of business sustainability assessments. Alltech notes that these medals are a testament to its purpose of “Working Together for a Planet of Plenty®” and the company’s commitment to implementing environmentally and economically sustainable solutions, fostering ethical business conduct, and prioritizing the efficient production of nutritious food. EcoVadis evaluates companies across 21 sustainability criteria within ... read more
- Consumers looking for high protein, affordability in 2025To manage inflated grocery prices, shoppers are looking for the best deals on their protein of choice. ... read more
- High Protein Trends: Affordable Eating in 2025To manage inflated grocery prices, shoppers are looking for the best deals on their protein of choice. ... read more
- Cal-Maine's $258M Echo Lake Foods AcquisitionEgg company reports strong consumer demand for the third quarter of fiscal 2025. ... read more
- Sundaily breaks ground for China’s largest single-site cage-free egg facilityGAINESVILLE, Ga. — One of the world’s largest egg producers, Sundaily, has broken ground on what it touts to be China’s largest individual location care-free egg farm. This new facility will begin with 300,000 cage-free hens with plans to expand to 1 million hens in three to five years. Sundaily’s new cage-free facility is located in Guangyuan City in Sichuan Province. The company, founded in 2001, has partnered with large ... read more
- Canada and China respond with counter-tariff announcements on U.S. goodsWASHINGTON – With the latest responses from China and Canada on the April 2 tariffs, President Trump has responded swiftly to their measures. “Any country that retaliates against the U.S. by issuing additional tariffs, above and beyond their already existing long-term tariff abuse of our nation, will be immediately met with new and substantially higher tariffs, over and above those initially set,” said the President on Truth Social. “Therefore, if ... read more
- Auburn University researchers leading nutrient management study with $1.3 million grantAUBURN, Ala. — Each year, the Alabama poultry industry produces two fully loaded Nimitz-class aircraft carriers’ worth of poultry litter, or about 3.6 billion pounds. Poultry litter is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, and much of the waste product is applied to farmland as a low-cost fertilizer. However, when applied improperly, the resulting runoff can be disastrous for the environment. A team of soil scientists from the Alabama Agricultural Experiment ... read more
- Steve Lykken leaving Hormel FoodsThe former president of Applegate and Jennie-O Turkey Store has spent the past year as Hormel’s group vice president of supply chain. ... read more