Animal Product Exports Improve Slightly and Black Sea Grain Deal Extended

**A USDA comparison between first-quarter 2023 exports of seven animal products with the exports from the same time last year shows some improvement.

Four were year-over-year higher and three were lower.

In the first quarter, lamb and mutton exports were up 31%, pork 8%, broilers 2.5%, and dairy exports 6% higher than in 2022.

Beef and veal exports were 8% lower than last year because of lower U.S. production.

**The Black Sea grain deal has been extended for another two months, something the United Nations calls “good news for the world.”

The news came one day before Russia could have quit the deal because of obstacles to its grain and fertilizer exports.

Reuters says Turkey’s president made the announcement, later confirmed by Russia, Ukraine, and the U.N.

**Split down party lines, a House subcommittee approved a USDA spending bill last week that would rescind $6 billion earmarked for clean energy and farm loan forgiveness and end work on fair play rules in livestock marketing.

www.agriculture.com reports, the bill also would limit Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack’s access to a $30 billion reserve used to pay for a climate-smart agriculture initiative.

Subcommittee Chair, Maryland Rep. Andy Harris says, this bill takes the same approach American families take every day, doing more with less under the Biden economy.

www.agriculture.com/news/business/with-cuts-usda-will-do-more-with-less-say-house-republicans