Taken as a whole, 2018 was a strong year for the U.S. economy, and the New Year should keep the momentum rolling. There are concerns ahead, such as the trade war with China and the partial shutdown of the U.S. government (as of press time) that could slow the country's growth.

Good news! Our economy has red-hot consumers with money in their pocket and they are buying premium products.

In this highly competitive environment, traditional strategies such as raising wages have been minimally effective, forcing meat and poultry processing companies to look for creative approaches to recruit and retain workers.

From an animal welfare perspective, 2018 has been a relative continuation of the past few years. Many of the same challenges still exist, but many within the industry have made the choice to take the challenges head-on and find solutions that work for them.

This is the age of seafood. Foodable Labs, in its 2018 Protein Sourcing Report, noted an 81.3 percent increase in positive social-media mentions of seafood year-over-year.

There is growing interest in lamb especially among consumer segments targeted by the American Lamb Board’s communications programs (Millennials and thoughtful eaters). In addition, there are strong indications that the ALB messages are getting through to these target audiences.

It's a simple request: "Rediscover veal" — and it’s what the president of the American Veal Association (AVA) asks of consumers.

The turkey industry is focused on food safety, preventing and fighting animal disease, and increasing consumer demand for our products in 2018.

If you want a pork industry outlook, the answer is largely going to be determined by who you ask.

The one thing certain in commodity markets is ambiguity. Ag Resource Company president Dan Basse, however, provided a bit of clarity and foresight at the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) brand's Feeding Quality Forum recently in Sioux City, Iowa.