1. Canada, Mexico clarify U.S. pork restrictions after pseudorabies confirmation
APHIS encourages exporters to check back frequently for up-to-date information as the situation continues to develop.
By Ann Hess
National Hog Farmer
May 12, 2026
Following the confirmed finding of pseudorabies virus in two small swine herds in Iowa and Texas on April 30, Canada and Mexico have put export restrictions on certain U.S. pork products.
At this time, Canada is only banning pig snouts. However, the USDA says it will not issue health certificates for export of raw inedible swine byproducts, untreated swine blood products and raw swine manure at this time.
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service pointed out swine commodities such as edible pork meat, pig ears and raw pet food containing pork products do not pose a risk of transmission of disease, and exports may continue as usual. As the situation continues to develop, APHIS encourages exporters to check back frequently for up-to-date information.
Mexico has placed restrictions on four pork products: porcine viscera, porcine offal, porcine offal/tissues unfit for human or animal consumption, and porcine raw materials for use in pet food. The nature of these restrictions is still ongoing as negotiations take place between APHIS and SENASICA. The I-Regs will be updated as more information is clarified and confirmed. APHIS recommends that, as this continues to be a developing situation, exporters continue to work with importers to determine specific product eligibility.
2. Chronic Wasting Disease detected on National Elk Refuge
By Sophia Boyd-Fliegel
KHOL/Jackson Hole Community Radio
May 12, 2026
An always-fatal, highly contagious neurological disease has been detected on the National Elk Refuge for the first time, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wyoming Game and Fish.
Teddy Collins, Wyoming conservation associate with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, said he knew this day was coming.
"I am not that emotional," he said. "Because it was not a matter of if, it was a matter of when."
In recent years, biologists have looked on as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a prion-caused condition, accelerated its encroachment on Wyoming's largest feedground. Following the May 4 announcement of a detection near Pinedale, the refuge is the sixth feedground in Wyoming to have a positive elk CWD case.
3. Seven Reasons Your Deworming Program Isn't Working
Resistance, hidden parasite losses and everyday management mistakes are undermining cattle performance.
By Andrea Bedford
Bovine Veterinarian
May 12, 2026
For many producers, deworming has become a routine part of herd management. Cattle are processed, products are administered and the expectation is that parasite control is handled for another season.
But across the industry, cattle continue to underperform despite regular treatment. In many cases, the issue is not a single product failure, but a combination of resistance pressure, hidden production losses and management habits that gradually reduce the effectiveness of parasite control programs over time.
On the most recent episode of "The Bovine Vet Podcast," Megan Bollin, a technical services veterinarian with Norbrook, and Nancy Jackson, a field veterinarian for the Mississippi Board of Animal Health, outlined several reasons why deworming programs may not be delivering the results producers expect.
4. Trump delays move to lower tariffs on beef imports
Executive orders suspending tariff-rate quotas postponed amid outcry from ranchers and GOP lawmakers. U.S. cattle herd at 75-year low as beef prices hit records.
By By Jeff Sutherland and Ilena Peng - Bloomberg,Content provider
Farm Progress
May 12, 2026
The Trump administration is delaying a plan to suspend tariffs on imported beef, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Trump had been poised to sign executive orders on Monday that were intended to reduce beef prices in a new push to confront American voters' concerns about prices, Bloomberg reported earlier.
The orders aim to address short-term supply issues in the U.S. beef market by expanding imports and by supporting a rebuilding of the country's domestic cattle herd.
But the actions were delayed as the administration finalizes details, the Journal said, citing a White House official. The newspaper added that the delay followed an outcry from cattle ranchers and some congressional Republicans.
Full text: https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-policy/trump-delays-move-to-lower-tariffs-on-beef-imports
5. New vaccine platform shows promise against pig coronaviruses
A clinical-stage biotechnology company, SpyBiotech develops novel vaccine platform technologies to target cancer and infectious, chronic diseases.
By The Pirbright Institute
National Hog Farmer
May 13, 2026
Scientists at The Pirbright Institute have tested an innovative vaccine platform developed by SpyBiotech Ltd that could transform how coronaviruses are controlled in livestock, and potentially help guard against future zoonotic outbreaks in humans.
Respiratory coronaviruses remain a major global health concern, highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and earlier outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Many of these viruses originate in animals. Pigs are of particular interest as they are susceptible to multiple coronaviruses some of which cause serve morbidity and mortality in pigs but also some types of porcine coronaviruses can be transmitted to humans.
Writing in the journal Vaccine* Pirbright and SpyBiotech researchers describe how they used a natural pig model of respiratory coronavirus infection to evaluate a next-generation vaccine.
[*See: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X26003646?via %3Dihub ]
Full text: https://tinyurl.com/muebjnfv
6. Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
Federal Register Volume 91, Number 92 (Wednesday, May 13, 2026)
Notices
Page 26988
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FR Doc No: 2026-09532
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
U.S. Codex Office
Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
AGENCY: U.S. Codex Office, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on June 22, 2026. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information
and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. position to be discussed at the 49th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
(CAC), which will meet in Geneva, Switzerland, from July 6 to July 10, 2026. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary
for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested U.S. parties the opportunity to obtain background
information on the 49th Session of the CAC and to address items on the agenda.
DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for June 22, 2026, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. ET.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place via video teleconference only. Documents related to the 49th Session of the CAC will be
accessible via the internet at the following address: https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/meetings/detail/en/?meeting=CAC&session=49. Mr. Kenneth Lowery, the U.S. Delegate to the 49th Session of the CAC, invites interested U.S. parties to submit their comments electronically to the following email address:
Ken.Lowery@usda.gov and uscodex@uda.gov. Comments should state that they relate to the activities of the 49th Session of the CAC.
Registration: Attendees may register to attend the public meeting at the following link: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/Qpgxn2RER2iN-KYDN5BHeg. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
For further information about the 49th Session of the CAC, contact the U.S. Delegate, Mr. Kenneth Lowery, Senior International Issues Analyst, U.S. Codex Office, by email at: Ken.Lowery@usda.gov. For additional information regarding the public meeting, contact the U.S. Codex Office by email at: uscodex@usda.gov.
Full text: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-05-13/html/2026-09532.htm