USDA AMS LivestockPoultrySeed

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Livestock and Poultry Program (L&P) empowers American farmers and businesses through services that add value and create demand for livestock, poultry, meat, fish, feedstuffs and related products, while ensuring buyers understand the quality of product they purchase. L&P’s Quality Assessment Division provides auditing and grading services on a fee-for-service basis to help producers market their products. Buyers can purchase products with confidence, knowing the USDA grade shield represents quality and truth in labeling. L&P’s Standards and Specifications Division develops and maintains quality standards for meat, poultry, egg and rabbit products to facilitate the orderly marketing of products, and develops purchase specifications for meat, poultry, egg and aquatic commodities in support of Federal food and nutrition assistance programs. Through its Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News Division, L&P compiles and publishes market information for livestock, meat, poultry, eggs, wool, grain, feedstuffs, bioenergy and related products. This information helps with marketing, production and risk management decisions. Additionally, L&P’s Research and Promotion Division provides Federal oversight to Research and Promotion Programs for beef, eggs, pork, soybeans, lamb and sorghum. Consumers are familiar with marketing campaigns developed by these programs, such as “Beef. It’s What for Dinner” and “The Incredible, Edible Egg.”