After several years of record sales and optimism, meat and poultry processors featured in our annual Top 100 Processors Report display a more cautious outlook for the industry.
In recent years, our annual Top 100 Processors Report was littered with constant references to record sales, best years ever and rosy outlooks for the future. That has, at least temporarily, come to a halt in the 2019 edition, as processors are realizing they face slower sales and looming problems.
It's a testament to the resilient economy and steady consumer demand that the U.S. protein industries have held steady during trade uncertainties, new tariffs and extra production. Barring an unexpected crisis, 2019 portends more of the same resilience.
As processors pushed to make the most of good economic conditions in 2017, sales are up, acquisitions are occurring more frequently and expansion is happening in the meat and poultry industry.
For the first time in recent memory, there is a new company at the top of The National Provisioner's annual Top 100 Meat and Poultry Processors Report. Backed by growth in its beef and pork divisions, JBS Holdings holds the top spot in this year’s survey of the meat and poultry industry.
Our current situation has Sonny Perdue, a degreed veterinarian and no stranger to the chicken industry, reorganizing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a way that will have favorable effects on our ability to do business. As a result, the regulatory outlook for the next three years is encouraging.
Ask economists and industry analysts, and many of them will tell you 2017 very well may have been the best year the meat and poultry industries have ever had. Further, many have 2018 projected to be a successful follow-up to 2017's chart-topping string of hits.
The news headlines of the past year have been dominated by upheaval and uncertainty, but the stories surrounding the meat and poultry industry were more positive. Those stories were a part of the largely positive response from the industry to this year’s annual Top 100 Processors Report.
President at Certified Angus Beef John Stika spoke with editor-in-chief Andy Hanacek about all the contributions to setting a record one billion pounds in sales. Plus, Stika discusses what the future may hold with uncertain economic predictions.
Average U.S. Animal Slaughtering and Processing Production during the 12 months through September was up 1.9 percent; however, the pace of growth has slowed since January.