Confidential U.S. Farm Data May Have Been Released into the Wrong Hands

Feb 21, 2013

National Pork Producers Council “Extremely Troubled” Over New Findings

There is nothing worse than confidential information slipping into the wrong hands. This may have been the case in the United States where the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) learned that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had released some personal information of U.S. hog farmers along with other livestock and poultry producers. It’s believed that some of the information was given to two activist groups who may now have confidential business data for a number of U.S. farms.

Several activists groups including: the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Earth Justice and the Pew Charitable Trusts requested information under Freedom of Information Act. It’s been learned that the EPA earlier this month released raw data from farms in 30 states; and it’s also believed that in some of those cases the information that was provided included home addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses as well as information on employees of farm operations.

The NPPC released a statement on Wednesday expressing concern over this recent discovery. “The release of data containing personal and confidential information is extremely troubling; we feel betrayed,” said NPPC President R.C. Hunt, a hog farmer from Wilson, N.C. “We are very concerned for farmers and with the ability of those opposed to modern livestock and poultry farms to manipulate that data to advance their extremist agenda.”

The NPPC is the voice for over 67,000 hog producers in the United States.

Video: USDA Feb Crop Report a WIN for Soybeans + 1 Year Trade Truce Extension

USDA took Trumps comments that China would buy more U.S. soybeans seriously and headline news that the U.S./China trade truce would be extended when Trump/Xi meet in the first week of April was a BIG WIN for soybeans this week! 2026 “Mini” U.S. ethanol boom thanks to 45Z + China’s ban of phosphates from Feb. – August of 2026 will not help lower fertilizer prices anytime soon! 30 mmt of Chinese corn harvest is of poor quality and maybe a technical breakout in wheat futures.

*Apologies! Where we talk about the latest CFTC update as of 10th Feb 2026, managed money funds covered their net short position in canola to the tune of +42,746 week-on-week to flip to net long 145 contracts and not (as we mistakenly said) +90,009 wk/wk to 47,408.