USDA Shuts Down California Slaughterhouse after Video Footage

Aug 21, 2012

Animal Activist Group Releases Undercover Video Footage

The USDA has shutdown Central Valley Meat Co. in Hanford, California, after a video recording was released by an animal activist group – Compassion Over Killing allegedly showing dairy cows being repeatedly shocked and shot prior to being slaughtered. The footage was retrieved by an undercover investigator who was employed by the slaughter house. The video footage was released to USDA authorities late Monday, August 20 2012.

"USDA considers inhumane treatment of animals at slaughter facilities to be unacceptable and is conducting a thorough investigation into these allegations," said Justin DeJong, spokesman for the Food Safety Inspection Service.

The company is owned by Brian and Lawrence Coelho. “We were extremely disturbed to be informed by the USDA that ... our plant could not operate based upon a videotape that was provided to the Department by a third party group that alleged inhumane treatment of animals on our property," said a company statement.

Compassion Over Killing says that they plan to post the video footage on their website sometime Tuesday, August 21 2012. While the alleged acts are disturbing, it’s also disturbing to discover how these groups obtained the footage. With the advent of increased under cover animal activists disguising themselves as employees of various slaughterhouses or farms some U.S. states have moved to make those acts illegal. Video tapes that are released by animal activist groups claiming animal cruelty are often carefully edited and taken out of context. Let’s wait until the investigation has been completed before jumping to conclusions.

Video: Did Bears Win Thanksgiving, Will Bulls Get Christmas?

Did the bears win Thanksgiving (although this week had green on the screen), and will the bulls get Christmas? Bears won thanksgiving thanks to a USDA Nov crop report dud that stalled the bullish grain momentum for a brief period. But a bullish lower yield surprise in the Dec crop report could reignite the rally.
2026 U.S. winter wheat planting is nearly complete at 97% while crop conditions improved by 3 points to 48% good-to-excellent. US corn & soybean harvest is complete.
High corn demand, which is off the chart, and more Chinese soybean demand could support a Christmas rally.
Nasdaq had it’s worst November since 2011.
A U.S. Fed rate cut in December will help fund flow and sentiment.
Bitcoin held a long-term support at 80,000 and that's positive for fund flow and sentiment. It should help stock prices and Ag as we go into December.
Fertilizer prices continue to climb as we look ahead to 2026. Farmers may rely more on the nutrients that they already have in their soils.
South American Weather remains critical as the soybean reproductive stage starts from late Nov to late Feb depending on planting date.
Will a Russia-Ukraine peace deal happen by year-end?
CFTC data as of showed more managed money fund sell-off as of October 14th.