WHAT HAPPENED: On the eve of World Hunger Day, Tuesday, a broad coalition of farmers, protein producers, hunger advocates, and government partners officially launched the Coalition to Close the Protein Gap — a $40 million public-private initiative aimed at permanently eliminating America’s annual 800-million-pound charitable protein shortfall. NCC is among the supporting organizations backing the effort, which is led by HATCH, the nation’s largest nonprofit focused on protein insecurity, and includes federal partners HHS and USDA. The goal: deliver up to 3 billion protein-rich meals to American families every year.
WHY IT MATTERS: Protein is the single most requested item in the charitable food system — yet it accounts for only 14 percent of food distributed through that system. The biggest obstacle isn’t supply; it’s the cold-chain infrastructure needed to move protein from farm to food bank reliably and at scale. This initiative pairs America’s existing agricultural capacity with the funding and logistics network to finally bridge that gap on a permanent, self-sustaining basis.
WHO’S INVOLVED: The coalition brings together a cross-section of the protein industry, including Cargill, Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Koch Foods, Case Farms, Mountaire Farms, Simmons Foods, and Wayne-Sanderson Farms, among others. Supporting organizations include NCC alongside the American Egg Board, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council, National Turkey Federation, and others. Tony Robbins, through his 100 Billion Meals Challenge, is serving as a public advocate for the effort.
HOW IT WORKS: Infrastructure and logistics will be managed by HATCH, which has spent a decade sourcing protein directly from U.S. farmers and delivering it through a cold-chain network to 120 food banks nationwide — without relying on ongoing donations. The $40 million in coalition funding will expand cold storage capacity and distribution infrastructure to operate at the scale needed to close the gap entirely.
WHAT HAPPENED: Registration is open for the 2026 Chicken Marketing Summit, scheduled for July 27-29 at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida. But early bird rates — offering savings of $200 per registrant — end this Sunday on May 31.
WHY IT MATTERS: The Chicken Marketing Summit is the premier annual conference for poultry marketing and sales executives, bringing together leaders from across the chicken supply chain — from processors and retailers to foodservice operators and allied industry partners. The event is produced by WATT Global Media in collaboration with NCC and remains a member benefit for NCC processor and allied member companies. NCC members also receive $100 off registration.
WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA: The 2026 Summit will center on the theme “The Protein Moment,” examining how protein-first eating trends, clean-label consumer preferences, and the rise of GLP-1 drugs are reshaping demand for chicken. The conference features 1.5 days of presentations, two evening receptions, and multiple networking opportunities. Confirmed speakers include Kevin Ryan of Malachite Strategy and Research on the GLP-1/high-protein consumer opportunity; Christine McCracken of Rabobank on forces reshaping the broiler industry; Erkin Peksoz of Circana presenting the annual Consumer Chicken Consumption Survey results; and Maeve Webster of Menu Matters on QSR innovation trends, among others.
BONUS INCENTIVE: Registrants before May 31 are automatically entered for a chance to win access to the VIP Hospitality Suite at the 2027 Valspar Championship, also held at Innisbrook Resort. The winner will be announced at the Summit in July.
WHAT’S NEXT: The early bird rate expires May 31. Retail grocery and foodservice executives qualify for complimentary registration with a refundable $150 deposit. The hotel room block at the group rate of $169 per night closes July 7. Register at cvent.me/OyKow8.
Senate Ag Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) told Politico this week he thinks including hot rotisserie chicken in the SNAP program has a “good chance” of being included in the final farm bill. “It was very popular in the House,” said Boozman. “A lot of our members favor it, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
Senate Ag Committee Chairman John Boozman speaks with farm broadcasters at the NAFB’s 2026 Washington Watch (Photo by Brent Barnett/Brownfield)
Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), who co-sponsored the bipartisan Senate bill, said he’s pushing to include the language in the Senate farm bill. “Why in the world wouldn’t we want to have children and families to be able to have warm meals if we can?” Justice said. “And I just hope to goodness that we can secure it over here on this side.”
Senator Jim Justice (Official U.S. Senate photo by Ryan Donnell)
U.S. total broiler slaughter data for the week ending May 23, 2026, is estimated by USDA’s Poultry Market News Service to be 174,103,000 broilers, a 1-percent increase from the same week a year earlier.
The 1-percent increase in slaughter compares with a 2-percent increase in eggs set in the United States, 10 weeks earlier, and a 3-percent increase in chicks placed 7 weeks earlier in the United States. USDA’s latest Broiler Hatchery report can be viewed here.
| U.S. Eggs Set, Chicks Placed, Broiler Slaughter Report | ||||||||||
| Week ending | Eggs set | Chicks placed | Eggs set | Chicks placed | Broilers slaughtered | |||||
| change from | change from | 10 weeks previous | 7 weeks previous | |||||||
| 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | ||||||
| -000- | % | -000- | % | -000- | % | -000- | % | -000- | % | |
| Apr | ||||||||||
| 18 | 256,143 | 102 | 198,480 | 104 |
254,036 | 102 | 193,098 | 101 | 168,744 | 103 |
| 25 | 256,545 | 102 | 195,753 | 102 |
254,580 | 102 | 195,286 | 102 | 170,854 | 103 |
| May | ||||||||||
| 2 | 256,910 | 103 | 198,686 | 104 |
254,948 | 102 | 196,241 | 102 | 171,230 | 103 |
| 9 | 255,922 | 102 | 198,076 | 103 |
254,423 | 102 | 196,001 | 102 | 171,765 | 102 |
| 16 | 255,778 | 102 | 198,363 | 102 |
253,644 | 102 | 195,765 | 102 | 170,711 | 101 |
| 23* | 255,715 | 102 | 198,416 | 103 |
253,754 | 102 | 196,663 | 103 | 174,103 | 101 |
| 30 | — | — | — | — |
255,241 | 103 | 197,285 | 100 | — | — |
*Memorial Day Weekend
Two past chairmen of the National Broiler Council board received special awards recognizing their service to NBC and the broiler industry at the 23rd annual NBC conference in Washington (December, 1977). Incumbent chairman Edward Covell (L) presented the awards to Jess Merkle (C), who retired from the presidency of J-M Poultry Packing Company (and then Country Pride Foods) in El Dorado, Ark., and Ed Reynolds (R) who retired from his position as corporate vice president of Cargill in Minneapolis. 
WHAT HAPPENED: USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has updated its China export restrictions webpage to reflect that China has lifted HPAI-related poultry export restrictions for 17 states, effective May 15, 2026. The states are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. Only products produced on or after May 15, 2026 are eligible for export to China from these states.
BACKGROUND: China had been blocking raw poultry imports from U.S. states affected by HPAI outbreaks. Under a Regionalization Agreement, HPAI restrictions by state are meant to be lifted 90 days after cleaning and disinfection, but China had not been abiding by that provision.
THE 2020 REGIONALIZATION AGREEMENT: It has been reported that APHIS has confirmed that China has agreed to resume the terms of the 2020 Regionalization Agreement. Under that framework, APHIS may submit state closeout reports 90 days after cleaning and disinfection is completed, and China then has 5 days to review and lift restrictions as applicable — providing a more timely and predictable path to restoring access.
WHAT’S NEXT: Twenty-seven states remain under restriction by China. The key broiler-producing states of Georgia, Mississippi, and Missouri have all recently reached the 90-day post-cleaning and disinfection milestone, meaning APHIS closeout reports for those states could be expected soon.
NCC’s TAKE: “China is a major market for U.S. chicken, especially paws, and the lifting of export restrictions and the reinstatement of the regionalization framework is a significant development,” said NCC President Harrison Kircher. “I want to thank the Trump administration, USTR and APHIS in particular, for their work in holding China to the terms it agreed to. Restoration of access would have a meaningful impact on export volumes of American chicken.”
Source: Magnific
WHAT HAPPENED: President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced two actions on a final rule revising the Biden-era 2023 Technology Transitions Rule and a proposed technical fix to the 2024 Emissions Reduction and Reclamation (ER&R) Rule, both of which address costly restrictions on the types of refrigerants American businesses and families can use.
WHO IT AFFECTS: The actions would affect grocers, semiconductor manufacturers and other companies that use hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), greenhouse gases used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems.
WHAT’S IN THE RULES: The final revisions to the 2023 Technology Transitions Rule extend compliance deadlines for the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), making a wider variety of refrigerants available to businesses while still meeting statutory requirements. EPA is also proposing to exempt all road refrigerant transport appliances from HFC leak repair requirements established in the 2024 ER&R Rule, removing burdens for owners and major U.S. operators of these appliances.
WILL IT REDUCE COSTS: According to a White House Fact Sheet, changes to the Technology Transitions Rule are estimated to save Americans over $900 million, including over $800 million at the supermarket level, and will safeguard over 350,000 high-skilled American jobs. Changes to the Emissions Reduction and Reclamation Rule could save transporters of refrigerated goods, including food, up to $1.5 billion.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “Americans were right to be frustrated with the Biden-era refrigerant rules. They didn’t protect human health or the environment and instead piled on costly, unattainable restrictions beyond what the law requires,” said EPA Administrator Zeldin.
EPA Commissioner Lee Zeldin. Source: ABC News
WHAT’S NEXT: EPA has indicated it will also be reconsidering the remainder of the 2024 ER&R Rule in the future.
