This week, President-elect Trump has continued announcing his nominations for senior government positions, including those at the Departments of Commerce (DOC), Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Attorney General (DOJ), Interior (DOI), Energy (DOE), Veterans Affairs (VA), Transportation (DOT), Education (DOE), as well as various other senior White House roles. President-elect Trump has not yet named a nominee for Secretary of Agriculture (USDA).
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FSIS announced in last week’s Constituent Update that the agency is extending the modified poultry line speed waivers through January 15, 2025, so the study measuring the impact of increased line speeds on worker safety can be completed.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) yesterday announced changes to the agency’s leadership team.
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Meat department sales were on a roll in October, with fresh meat sales driving eight percent gains to lead the department to an overall 5.4 percent increase over October 2023, according to the latest Performance Report from Circana, 210 Analytics, and Hillphoenix. The five October weeks generated $10 billion, with $7.1 billion for fresh meat. While inflation played a role, pound sales increased by 3.4 percent, also driven by strong gains in fresh meat.
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According to FMI: The Food Industry Association, shoppers are more concerned about the cost of gas, housing, groceries, and holiday gifts than a year ago despite the lower inflation rate. Nearly 1,600 shoppers surveyed for the 2024 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends Holiday Season Report showed that they are concerned about food prices but still feel in control of grocery budgets.
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Americans stocking up for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner will see a dip in their grocery bills for the second year in a row, according to the 39th annual American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Thanksgiving dinner survey, which found that the classic feast for 10 will run you $58.08, down five percent from last year. However, this is still 19 percent higher than five years ago.
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The NCC staff wishes you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving next week. The Washington Report will return on Friday, December 6.
