Florida Ag Busts Crime Operation and Herd Expansion Happening
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**Florida Ag Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced the takedown of a major crime operation involving payment card fraud and fuel theft, following an investigation by the Florida Department of Agriculture and the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement.
It began when U.S. Customs and Border agents intercepted an illegal shipment of skimming devices bound for Spring Hill, Florida.
Two men now face multiple felony charges, including trafficking counterfeit goods, and possession of equipment used for animal fighting.
www.fdacs.gov/News-Events/Press-Releases/2025-Press-Releases/Commissioner-Wilton-Simpson-Announces-Major-Criminal-Bust-in-Hernando-County
**U.S. ranchers are moving to expand their herds from a seven-decade low, paving the way for a long-awaited recovery in beef supplies.
That’s according to top producer JBS, where officials say economic incentives are there, and the weather is helping.
That’s much-needed news for both meatpackers and consumers.
Still, cattle supplies won’t recover overnight, with no meaningful increase expected before 2027.
**Germany has almost 84 million of the world’s wealthiest consumers and is by far the biggest market in the European Union.
The German market offers opportunities for U.S. exporters of consumer-oriented agricultural products.
In 2024, total U.S. exports of ag and related products to Germany reached almost USD 2.7 billion.
Apart from soybeans, the largest segments were tree nuts, distilled spirits, seafood, food preparations, and wine.
