December 17, 1998 / USDA Press Release / WASHINGTON -- Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today announced that the Clinton Administration is taking several additional steps to help pork producers through the toughest economic times they have faced in 35 years. Specifically, Glickman said he is accelerating USDA's purchase of pork products and urging the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to consider additional pork purchases. He said he also expects pork to be included in a package of export guarantees for South Korea. Glickman announced that he will meet with meat packers and processors to explore ways to increase hog slaughter and move more pork through the marketing system. He said he will also meet with retail food industry representatives to urge them to take advantage of large hog supplies by featuring pork products and reflecting lower farm prices in their prices to consumers. More ...

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Speeds Selection of Task Force to Investigate the Pork Industry

December 17, 1998 / Des Moines, Iowa / Secretary of Agriculture-elect Patty Judge is speeding up the selection of a task force to investigate the pork industry. Judge has named incoming Deputy Agriculture Secretary Brent Halling as chairman of the task force. Halling will lead the investigation into the gap between prices for live hogs and prices at the meat counter. Source: Yahoo News

Iowa Task Force to Look at Shipping Live Hogs to Central America

December 17, 1998 / Des Moines, Iowa / Secretary of Agriculture-elect Patty Judge says her task force on the pork industry will consider shipping live hogs to Central America. Judge says the move would end the glut of hogs at packing plants. Prices for live hogs at some plants has fallen to below ten-dollars a hundredweight. Source: Yahoo News

Pork Crisis Task Force Created

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A crisis task force is being formed within the Agriculture Department to come up with ways to assist pork producers, struggling with their lowest prices in four decades. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced the formation of the task force Thursday as one way the government is working to help hog farmers. Steps are also under way to speed millions of dollars of planned pork purchases. The Pork Crisis Task Force, made up of USDA officials, will recommend other actions that could help support hog prices. The secretary also plans to meet with pork industry leaders on Monday to discuss the problem. He said he is especially anxious to question retailers at the meeting about why low farm prices have not been passed on to consumers. To help ease the pressure of loans, Glickman has ordered the Farm Service Agency to assist farmers applying for loans by basing pork prices on futures contracts rather than the current lower market prices. The agency also will soon allow some producers to shift payments due in 1999 to the end of their loan period.

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