Friday September 3 Ag News

 Public Open House Sept. 15th for the Maple Creek Watershed Plan

Your watershed could experience over $10 million in flood damages in the next 5 years.  FYRA Engineering will facilitate a Public Open House regarding the Maple Creek Watershed Improvement Project Work Plan - Environmental Assessment (Plan-EA).  The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) is partnering with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to complete the work plan.  Join us for the open house to talk about possible solutions at the Howells Ballroom, 515 North Street in Howells, on Wednesday, September 15th beginning with a presentation at 6:30 p.m.

Personnel from the project team will be available to answer questions and receive comments.  The Maple Creek Watershed Improvement Project is located in Stanton, Platte, Cuming, Colfax, and Dodge Counties in Nebraska.

USDA-NRCS provides federal funding to local project sponsors so that they may work together to develop solutions for watershed issues such as erosion, floodwater and sediment damage, water quality and habitat improvements, and others.  This funding has been provided to the LENRD to create a watershed plan for the Maple Creek watershed.  The Plan-EA is scheduled to be finalized in late-2022 by FYRA Engineering.

Please visit the project website to learn more:  https://fyra.mysocialpinpoint.com/maple-creek.  Written comments or requests should be submitted to Curt Becker, LENRD Projects Manager at cbecker@lenrd.org or contact the LENRD office at 1508 Square Turn Boulevard in Norfolk for more information.



Bazile Groundwater Management Area Field Day
Amy Timmerman - NE Extension Educator

Nebraska Extension, Upper Elkhorn Natural Resource District (NRD), Lower Niobrara NRD, Lewis & Clark NRD, Lower Elkhorn NRD and Nebraska Environmental Trust are sponsoring the Bazile Groundwater Management Area Field Day on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021 at David Connot Farm in Knox County. We are excited to host this face-to-face field day to discuss nitrogen management and impacts on groundwater.

The field day will be held at David Connot’s field located ½ mile east of Hwy 13 and 870 Rd, two miles south of Creighton, Nebraska. Registration for the field day will start at 8 a.m. with the program officially kicking off at 9 a.m. The field day will conclude around 3 p.m.

Presentations include:
    Aaron Hird, Nebraska NRCS soil health specialist, will be present to discuss soil health and cover crops.
    Troy Gilmore, assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will discuss his work on surveying the Bazile Creek and groundwater nitrate. Further discussion about Bazile Creek watershed will also be included.
    Daran Rudnick, associate professor in Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Chris Proctor, extension educator in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and their graduate students, Jamie Duan and Victor de Sousa Ferreira, will discuss their research being conducted at the field day location focusing on variable rate fertigation and cover crop interseeding.  Demonstration will also be held of the variable rate irrigation used at the field.
    Ed Olson, Practical Farmers of Iowa, will discuss cover crop interventions and nitrate mitigation.
    A farmer panel during lunch will discuss methods on how they are mitigating nitrogen loss through various agricultural systems.

While this field day is free, registration is requested HERE: https://events.farmjournal.com/bgma-field-day-2021?fbclid=IwAR3glQu0joS2qthyoe7KEzDl6sT7FYqcPI2ECfPvyNajK2gQuRusIX53ouE. For questions regarding the field day, contact the Lower Elkhorn NRD office at 402-371-7313.



Nebraska Cattlemen Comments on Biden Administration Efforts

Nebraska Cattlemen (NC) submitted comments concerning two ongoing federal efforts with potential long-term impacts to cattle industry business continuity. The first, NC responded to USDA’s solicitation for public comments on how to best address challenges and increase competition in the meat and poultry processing industry through $500 million in infrastructure and other investments.

NC’s comments on USDA’s Request for Information (RFI) reflected the goals of the Association’s members by requesting that grants, low or no interest guaranteed loans, or other available funding be available retroactively for companies that chose to respond to the immediate need of additional processing capacity. Additionally, NC highlighted the need to invest beyond physical Infrastructure by dedicating funding for business plan development programming, automation research, and working collaboratively with other federal agencies to modify immigration programs to be workable for livestock producers and processors alike.

“In addition to investing in physical processing infrastructure, we believe it is equally important to invest in the business and workforce development components of the beef cattle processing industry. This includes providing resources for small, medium, and independent beef cattle processors to develop robust business plans and workforce training programs.” William H. Rhea III, President – Nebraska Cattlemen “We also highly encouraged USDA to invest in the research and development of technology to increase automation throughout the processing sector. The development of such processes will allow processors to maintain certain levels of throughput, even when workforce challenges exist.”

NC urged USDA to be especially vigilant of high levels of consolidation and concentration within the meat packing and processing industry when considering where to allocate funding. Small, medium, and independent processors contribute not only to supply chain resilience, but also improve producer leverage in fed cattle price negotiations by increasing competition in the marketplace.

In addition to submitting comments to USDA, NC also submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers regarding their request to hear from interested stakeholders on perspectives pertaining to the definition of ‘‘waters of the United States’’ (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act as the Agency begins their effort to revise the WOTUS definition from the 2020 rule.

While the Agencies have yet to propose a revised definition, their intent is to modify the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) through two rulemakings: a “foundational rule” to restore longstanding protections, and a second rulemaking process that builds on that regulatory foundation.

“Nebraska Cattlemen members support the current Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) because it provides for an individual state to maintain control over their own ephemeral and isolated features, while providing much-needed clarity and certainty to adjacent agricultural operations.” Rhea “The current NWPR correctly limits jurisdiction over adjacent wetlands to those that are abutting or have a direct hydrological surface connection to a navigable water.”

The agencies intend to publish a formal proposal of the first-step “foundational rule” by the end of 2021.

NC leadership and staff will continue to monitor the progress of these two efforts and engage as necessary to reflect the goals of NC members.



Flex Fuel Vehicle Conversion Kit Survey

Nebraska Corn has been talking with eFlexFuel, a Finnish company hoping to obtain EPA approval and CARB (California) approval for an E85 conversion kit. Nebraska Corn board members and staff met this group during a mission trip to California through Pearson Fuels. The Nebraska Corn Board is working with Pearson Fuels to expand E85 use in California and this conversion kit could open up a brand new market of internal combustion engine vehicles.

In the meantime, eFlexFuel is interested in learning more about vehicles outside California, especially in places where corn growers might want to use E85. To that end, Nebraska Corn encourages you to fill out this short survey on your interest in FFV kits https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dbtadA9S3wWoIMC. If a member wants to purchase a kit, you can use NEBRASKACORN for a $100 discount. The kit can be installed by a non-professional.



Nebraska Soybean Board to meet

The Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) will hold its next meeting on September 8-9, 2021 at the Omaha Marriott located at 10220 Regency Circle, Omaha, Nebraska.

Among conducting regular board business, the Board will finalize FY22 proposals and participate in industry tours. The meeting is open to the public and will provide an opportunity for public discussion. The complete agenda for the meeting is available for inspection on the Nebraska Soybean Board website at www.nebraskasoybeans.org.



Looking Back on the Nebraska FFA Foundation I Believe in the Future of Ag Campaign

Ten years ago the Nebraska FFA Foundation I Believe in the Future of Ag campaign began to serve as an outlet for local FFA chapters across the state to receive donations for innovative projects in their classrooms, leadership programming, community service projects and field trips to advance agriculture education in their schools.

I Believe in the Future of Ag started in the northeast part of the state with a couple of corporate partners that wanted a way to support local chapters in their territory and state programming. The program turned into so much more with the addition of an educational advertising campaign and statewide presence in the fall of 2011.

The campaign has grown tremendously throughout the years. The first year of the program going statewide in 2011-12, nearly $57,400 was donated to local chapters with 68 chapters participating. These local chapter donations were received by chapters sending out letters with the I Believe donation cards, receiving donations online and other fundraising ways. By the 2015-16 year, the chapters received over $300,700 in local donations to their chapters with 74 chapters participating. Then in 2019-20, nearly $370,000 was donated to local chapters with 144 chapters participating in the campaign.  

The 2021-22 I Believe in the Future of Ag campaign wouldn’t be possible without the following sponsors committing $20,000 each: LivestockMarket.com, Aurora Cooperative, BigIron Auctions, Central Valley Ag, Producers Livestock and CoBank. Other sponsors, contributing $10,000 each, include Bayer CropScience, DEKALB, Country Partners Cooperative, CPI, Farm Credit Services of America, Farmers Cooperative, Frontier Cooperative, Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, Pinnacle Bank and Valley Irrigation.

These corporate partners provide support for an educational campaign for FFA and agricultural education in Nebraska and support fundraising efforts at the local level. “Local FFA chapters and agricultural education programs play an integral role in growing and developing future leaders in agriculture and in our communities. I see this campaign as a very important tool to help those chapters have the resources they need to grow leaders and build communities,” says Stacey Agnew, Nebraska FFA Foundation Executive Director.

Donors to the I Believe in the Future of Ag campaign choose which chapter they support. One hundred percent of each local donation is sent back to the designated chapter at the end of the campaign and a portion of the $35,000 challenge matching pool will be distributed to participating chapters. To donate to a local FFA chapter, contact your local FFA advisor or go to neffafoundation.org. The I Believe in the Future of Ag campaign ends February 28, 2022.



Governor Kim Reynolds and Rod Swoboda Receive Respected ICGA Awards

The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) held its Annual Grassroots Summit earlier this week with part of the program being to honor recipients of two respected Iowa Corn Awards, the 2021 Friend of Iowa Corn Award and the Walter Goeppinger Lifetime Achievement Award.

ICGA named Governor Kim Reynolds the recipient of the 2021 Friend of Iowa Corn Award. The annual award recognizes state and federal legislators, their staff, and others that show exemplary effort on behalf of ICGA policy issues. Governor Reynolds has worked tirelessly over this last year as she introduced the Iowa Biofuels Standard and made it a top priority for the legislative session.  By simply reducing E0 sales, an additional 45.7 million bushels of corn could enter the market over the next five years creating more profitability for corn farmers. She worked diligently to gain the support of many colleagues in the house and senate, continued to advocate for the legislation when it hit roadblocks, and still showed unrelenting support for renewable fuels even though the bill didn’t make it across the finish line. She addressed the farmer members attending the Summit with a powerful message on the importance of Iowa agriculture.

“Governor Reynolds has been a strong champion for the corn and biofuel industries making her the best recipient of the 2021 Friend of Iowa Corn Award,” said ICGA president and farmer from Vinton, Iowa, Lance Lillibridge. “We look forward to our continued partnership with Governor Reynolds and her team to advocate for Iowa’s corn farmers. It was special to recognize and personally hand her this award on behalf of Iowa’s corn growers.”

Additionally, ICGA awarded the Walter Goeppinger Lifetime Achievement Award to retired Wallaces Farmer editor, Rod Swoboda. This annual award is given to a person with outstanding service and commitment to advancing the corn industry. Rod served as a member of the Wallaces Farmer editorial staff for 44 years. He got his start as a field editor in 1976 writing about crops and conservation. He worked his way up to managing editor and was named editor in 2003. He continued the magazine's focus on providing helpful information for Iowa farmers. Wallaces Farmer has roots going back nearly 170 years as a farm publication.

“Over the course of Rod’s 44-year career at Wallaces Farmer, he reported on the development of ethanol, the establishment of the Iowa Corn checkoff program, water quality issues, adoption of no-till practices, and many, many more farm management topics,” said Iowa Corn CEO Craig Floss. “The agricultural industry is better because of Rod’s service. We can look to him as an example of what it means to go beyond the call of service for the greater good. ICGA thanks him for strengthening the corn industry.”



Iowa Farm Bureau yearlong grassroots policy process comes to fruition following annual Summer Policy Conference in Des Moines

Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s (IFBF) yearlong grassroots policy process culminated in a discussion this week as voting delegates from across the state met in Des Moines to develop the organization’s legislative policy direction on issues important to its statewide membership.

“While there are certainly tough issues in front of us, we are poised to address all challenges,” Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill said in opening remarks to members. There are many reasons for those in Iowa agriculture to feel optimistic, he added. One of those, he said, is the rebound in commodity prices which has helped put farm finances in a far better footing. “Our farm families are recovering; our conservation goals are progressing; and our communities are experiencing a revival. In so many ways, we are on the road to success,” Hill said.

 “You can take pride that the yearlong grassroots policy process you’ve been engaged in is a proven model of success. Our direction is clear, and the Iowa Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau are truly engaged on all fronts to achieve the goals members have outlined.”  

Voting delegates representing county Farm Bureaus engaged in lively discussions over the two-day conference on several issues impacting Iowa farmers and rural communities, including property rights protections and incentives to expand meat processing and butchery in the state.  

“The summer policy conference embodies the true foundation of Farm Bureau as a grassroots organization,” said Cordt Holub, Tama County voting delegate.  “It’s where the rubber meets the road and where real issues from home and across the state have an opportunity to become policy.  It gives farmers and Farm Bureau members a strong seat at the table with elected officials in hopes of a brighter and more prosperous future for all.”

With the growing trend and consumer demand for locally-raised meat, members showed their support for Iowa’s livestock farmers and meat processors by passing policy encouraging programs and incentives to expand Iowa’s small-scale meat processing capacity and training programs to incentivize and expand the skilled workforce.           

“IFBF’s policy development process is truly grassroots with active engagement, participation and input from members in each county, providing members an opportunity to be heard.  This process is unique and ensures a strong and unified voice on behalf of our membership to support Iowa agriculture, farm families and their communities,” Hill said.                    

The IFBF Summer Policy Conference is the final step of the year-round grassroots policy process in each of the 100 county Farm Bureaus across the state and leads the organization’s policy direction for the upcoming year.  



USDA Preparing for Potential ASF Outbreak

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) African swine fever (ASF) Action Week is Sept. 13-17. The week includes daily webinars from 2 to 3:30 p.m. EDT.

Click on the webinar links below to register: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/swine-disease-information/african-swine-fever/seminar/asf-action-week

    ASF: Where it Exists and What’s at Stake
    Speaker: Dr. Patrick Webb, DVM, NPB Acting Chief Veterinarian
    Monday, Sept. 13

    Steps APHIS is Taking to Prevent and Prepare for ASF
    Tuesday, Sept. 14

    ASF and the Benefits of Biosecurity
    Speaker: Pam Zaabel, NPB Director of Swine Health
    Wednesday, Sept. 15

    What to Expect in an ASF Outbreak
    Thursday, Sept. 16

    ASF and the Feral Swine Factor
    Friday, Sept. 17

Register to receive daily updates during the week from USDA APHIS https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/subscriber/new?qsp=USDAAPHIS_111.



Growth Energy Applauds Democrat Effort to Include Biofuels in Budget Process

Today, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor applauded Senator Amy Klobuchar’s (D-Minn.) efforts to include support for homegrown, renewable biofuels in Congress’ upcoming budget reconciliation process. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Klobuchar, joined by Senators Smith, Duckworth, Durbin, and Baldwin, and Representatives Craig, Axne, Bustos, and Pocan, called on Congressional leadership to include in reconciliation key biofuel initiatives, including the following:
    Biofuel Infrastructure and Agricultural Market Expansion Act
    Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act
    Low Carbon Biofuel Credit Act
    Clean Fuels Vehicle Act
    Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension Act
    Extension of the Second-Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit

“Providing additional market access for higher blends of low carbon fuels in the budget reconciliation process will create jobs in rural communities, lower the price of fuel for consumers at the pump, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and, most importantly, decrease carbon emissions,” wrote the Members.

Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor applauded Senator Klobuchar and the coalition of senators and representatives for fighting for the biofuels industry. “We’re currently working with our U.S. Senate and House champions on a number of biofuels issues before Congress, including a legislative effort to allow retailers to sell E15 year-round,” said Skor. “Including these initiatives would return certainty to the biofuels market as we face continued regulatory uncertainty from the administration.  

“These Members of Congress have long been advocates for biofuels producers and rural America, and we are grateful for their efforts to strengthen the production and sale of renewable biofuels.”




USDA Dairy Products July 2021 Highlights

Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 1.15 billion pounds, 3.5 percent above July 2020 and 2.4 percent above June 2021. Italian type cheese production totaled 484 million pounds, 6.5 percent above July 2020 and 2.9 percent above June 2021. American type cheese production totaled 464 million pounds, 2.3 percent above July 2020 and 2.3 percent above June 2021. Butter production was 152 million pounds, 0.8 percent below July 2020 and 5.4 percent below June 2021.

Dry milk products (comparisons in percentage with July 2020)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 157 million pounds, down 5.3 percent.
Skim milk powder - 51.1 million pounds, down 16.8 percent.

Whey products (comparisons in percentage with July 2020)
Dry whey, total - 80.8 million pounds, down 2.3 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 98.0 million pounds, down 1.9 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 38.8 million pounds, down 2.1 percent.

Frozen products (comparisons in percentage with July 2020)
Ice cream, regular (hard) - 65.5 million gallons, down 11.0 percent.
Ice cream, lowfat (total) - 44.4 million gallons, down 2.5 percent.
Sherbet (hard) - 2.88 million gallons, down 10.2 percent.
Frozen yogurt (total) - 3.18 million gallons, down 10.8 percent.



DMC Margin Drops Again in July; Margin Formula to Be Updated

USDA has reported the July margin under the Dairy Margin Coverage program at $5.68/cwt, a drop of 56 cents from the June margin and the lowest DMC margin since May 2020. The lower July margin resulted from a $0.50/cwt drop in the U.S. average all-milk price, to $17.90/cwt, and a six-cent per hundredweight higher feed cost. A lower soybean meal price offset a good part of a higher price of corn, while alfalfa hay prices were slightly higher.

USDA announced Aug. 19 that it will “make improvements to the Dairy Margin Coverage safety net program updating the feed cost formula to better reflect the actual cost dairy farmers pay for high quality alfalfa. This change will be retroactive to January 2020 and is expected to provide additional retroactive payments of about $100 million for 2020 and 2021.” Full details will be provided when regulations are published in the coming weeks, but it is expected that the price of alfalfa hay used in the DMC feed cost calculation will be changed, from the current 50-50 blend of the U.S. average price for all alfalfa and the average price of premium and supreme alfalfa hay in the five largest milk producing states, to just the 5-state average for premium and supreme alfalfa.

For the July DMC margin, the change would result in a margin of $5.47/cwt for the month, another 21 cents a hundredweight lower than the margin USDA has preliminarily announced. Averaged over all months from January 2020 through this past July, the change would result in an average $15 per ton higher alfalfa hay price used in the DMC feed cost calculation and a 13.1-cent higher average payment for DMC coverage at $9.50/cwt.

USDA reported that, as of August 30, the 18,992 operations enrolled in this year’s DMC program are expected to receive $669,741,798 in payments based on previously announced margins, or an average of $35,264 per enrolled operation.



CWT-Assisted Export Dairy Sales Through August Reach Nearly 950 Million Pounds

CWT member cooperatives secured 49 contracts in August adding 3.0 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 882,000 pounds of butter, 344,000 pounds of whole milk powder and 344,000 pounds of cream cheese to CWT-assisted sales in 2021. These products will go customers in Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, Central America and South America, and will be shipped August 2021 through February 2022.

CWT-assisted 2021 dairy product sales contracts year-to-date total 34.1 million pounds of cheese, 12.7 million pounds of butter, 5.1 million pounds of anhydrous milkfat (AMF), 9.1 million pounds of cream cheese and 18.5 million pounds of whole milk powder. This brings the total milk equivalent for the year to roughly 945.1 million pounds on a milkfat basis.

Exporting dairy products is critical to the viability of dairy farmers and their cooperatives across the country. Whether or not a cooperative is actively engaged in exporting cheese, butter, anhydrous milkfat, cream cheese, or whole milk powder, moving products into world markets is essential. CWT provides a means to move domestic dairy products to overseas markets by helping to overcome U.S. dairy’s trade disadvantages.



EPA Should Keep “Navigable” in New WOTUS Rule

The American Farm Bureau Federation submitted recommendations today on the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). The comments were filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers. In June 2021, the EPA announced its intent to revise the definition of WOTUS and solicited pre-proposal recommendations.

In the recommendations, AFBF expresses disappointment in EPA’s decision to replace the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) and explains why the rule should be left in place:

“To correct the fatal flaws in the 2015 WOTUS Rule, the Agencies carefully struck ‘a reasonable and appropriate balance between Federal and State waters’ that is ‘intended to ensure that the agencies operate within the scope of the Federal government’s authority over navigable waters.’ The NWPR also brought an end to all of the uncertainty created by the Agencies’ aggressive assertions of jurisdiction under prior definitions by including ‘categorical bright lines’ to improve clarity and predictability.”

“The Agencies can ensure clean water for all Americans through a blend of the CWA’s regulatory and non-regulatory approaches, just as Congress intended. It is unnecessary (and unlawful) to define non-navigable, intrastate, mostly dry features that are far removed from navigable waters as ‘waters of the United States’ to try to achieve the Act’s objective.”

AFBF’s recommendations to EPA and the Corps include ensuring that any new regulations:
    Adhere to Supreme Court precedents;
    Use Congress’ CWA policy as a guidepost in rulemaking;
    Define WOTUS in clear terms that are easy to apply in the field;
    Limit jurisdiction over non-navigable tributaries;
    Limit jurisdiction of wetlands to those that abut other WOTUS; and
    Exclude prior converted cropland.

In April, EPA Administrator Michael Regan told Congress he does not intend to go back to the 2015 definition of WOTUS. He said during a House Appropriations Subcommittee budget hearing, “We don’t have any intention of going back to the original Obama Waters of the U.S. verbatim.” Regan also committed to a rule “that is not overly burdensome.”

Any attempt to regulate typically dry low spots on farmland and pastures as jurisdictional “waters” would undeniably constitute overly burdensome regulation. As explained in AFBF’s recommendations, it would mean any activity on those lands that moves dirt could be subject to regulation. Everyday activities such as plowing, planting or fence building could trigger harsh civil or even criminal penalties unless a permit is obtained. Federal permitting would require tens of thousands of dollars in additional costs, which is beyond the means of many farm and ranch families, and can take years to obtain.



Tyson Strikes Deal With Unions

Tyson Foods Inc. said it secured labor unions' support for its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, with the company agreeing to a new paid sick leave policy for plant workers.

The company said the agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union, which together represent about 80% of Tyson's unionized employees, would keep workers safe and help Tyson's recruitment efforts. Since announcing the vaccination requirement for its 120,000 U.S. workers on Aug. 3, Tyson said more than 30,000 have been vaccinated.

The Arkansas company estimated that about three-quarters of its U.S. workforce now have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Tyson, the biggest U.S. meat company by sales, moved to require COVID-19 vaccinations for its entire U.S. workforce after company and union efforts to promote the shots had resulted in under half of those employees being inoculated since the shots became widely available early this year. The UFCW said the mandate needed to be negotiated with labor leaders and that full approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would help ease some workers' concerns about the vaccines' safety. About 31,000 Tyson workers in the U.S. are unionized, the company said.

The FDA on Aug. 23 granted full approval to the vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. Tyson will provide exemptions for some workers on a medical or religious basis, the UFCW said.

Tyson's policy announced Friday will provide up to 20 hours of paid sick leave a year for fully vaccinated workers, beginning in 2022, which the UFCW called the first policy of its kind for a major meatpacking company. Tyson also will give new hires one week of paid vacation after six months of employment, Tyson said. The new policies cover all of Tyson's U.S. facilities.

Workers in the U.S. meat industry were among the hardest hit during COVID-19's initial spread through the country in spring 2020. The UFCW estimated that 132 meatpacking workers died from COVID-19. Spreading infections led to temporary shutdowns of some of the country's biggest meat plants, and companies installed automated temperature checks and issued face coverings to workers.

While companies including Tyson have said infections among workers have fallen, meat processors this year are grappling with labor shortages that have constrained production of chicken wings, bacon and other products as the U.S. economy reopens. In August, Tyson executives said that on any given day at least 10% of positions in the company's plants are unstaffed, and that it takes Tyson six days to get five days' worth of normal production from its operations.