Two Brazilian egg companies just closed billion-dollar acquisitions in the US within eight months of each other. This is not a coincidence. It's a calculated land grab in the world's most profitable egg market, and avian flu just handed them the perfect entry point.
What's Inside:
USDA launches Screwworm.gov, centralizing federal response to livestock parasite threat advancing north from Mexico
USDA launched screwworm.gov on November 21, creating a unified information hub coordinating response efforts across eight federal agencies as New World screwworm cases escalate in southern Mexico. The website consolidates resources for livestock producers, veterinarians, researchers, and healthcare providers while tracking verified case data and preparedness activities. USDA recently allocated $21 million to renovate a Mexican fruit fly facility in Metapa, adding 60 to 100 million sterile screwworm flies weekly to existing production in Panama. The department also announced plans for a $100 million "Grand Challenge" funding program targeting enhanced sterile fly production, novel trap development, and therapeutic research. As of November 21, no screwworm cases have been detected in US animals or monitoring traps, with the vast majority of Mexican cases concentrated in southern states.
The competitive implications extend beyond immediate crisis response to questions about how agricultural biosecurity infrastructure positions US livestock producers relative to international competitors. The whole-of-government coordination model, led by USDA's One Health Unit with CDC and Interior Department, represents an escalation in federal preparedness spending that could reshape border state veterinary capacity and surveillance systems. Screwworm eradication in North America during the 1960s cost an inflation-adjusted several billion dollars, and reintroduction would devastate cattle operations through mortality and treatment costs. The website launch signals recognition that passive monitoring is insufficient given Mexico's outbreak trajectory. Border state producers should track whether USDA's promised partnerships with land-grant universities in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico deliver functional early detection networks or remain coordination theater. The sterile fly production expansion in Mexico matters more than the website: if production capacity cannot suppress Mexican cases before spring migration season, US cattle operations face operational disruptions that would advantage beef imports from South America and Oceania.
Brazilian egg companies accelerate US market entry through strategic acquisitions targeting avian flu-weakened regional producers
Mantiqueira USA, a joint venture between founding family and JBS, acquired Arizona-based Hickman's Egg Ranch in November for an estimated $300 million, marking Brazil's second major US egg acquisition in 2025 following Ricardo Faria's Global Eggs purchase of Hillandale Farms for $1.1 billion in March. Hickman's lost 95% of its 6 million bird flock to avian flu between November 2024 and May 2025, forcing the family operation to project a 20-month recovery timeline before the acquisition. The deal gives Mantiqueira immediate access to Mountain West and Pacific markets while allowing them to rebuild using automation and biosecurity protocols developed in Brazil. Post-acquisition, Mantiqueira jumps from 10th to 4th globally with 28 million layers and projected revenue approaching $830 million, positioning behind Cal-Maine Foods, Global Eggs, and Mexico's PROAN.
The strategic pattern reveals how avian flu vulnerability is accelerating global consolidation in an industry that historically remained regionally fragmented. Brazilian producers built competitive advantages through early automation adoption and vertical integration, with Mantiqueira installing Brazil's first fully automated egg operation in 1996 and Global Eggs assembling a multinational platform spanning Brazil, Spain, and now the US. Both companies recognized that smaller, geographically concentrated producers like Hickman's face existential risk from disease outbreaks while larger operators with distributed assets can absorb localized losses. The timing is deliberate: acquiring devastated operations at distressed valuations allows Brazilian buyers to impose their operational playbooks during reconstruction rather than integrating entrenched legacy systems. For US producers, this marks the beginning of genuine international competition in a market that Cal-Maine and Rose Acre Farms have dominated through domestic consolidation. The structural question is whether Brazilian entrants compete primarily on operational efficiency or leverage their multinational footprints to capture margin through export arbitrage when US prices spike during future avian flu waves. Industry observers should watch whether these acquisitions trigger counter-consolidation among remaining regional US producers or whether capital constraints force smaller operators to exit during the next disease cycle.
Barnwell Bio advances turkey microbiome trials in Iowa, targeting disease-prone species underserved by precision livestock research
Barnwell Bio launched commercial turkey trials in Iowa through partnerships with AgVentures Alliance and AgLaunch, deploying its barn-level microbiome analysis platform with producers Jared Achen, Nick Hermanson, and Jason Opheim. The company extends its existing chicken operation expertise to turkeys, which face persistent health challenges from H5N1 avian influenza and avian metapneumovirus alongside chronic issues like dermatitis and ornithobacterium rhinotracheale. Iowa ranks as the seventh-largest US turkey producer, providing Barnwell access to operations willing to test microbiome-based interventions that predict and mitigate disease outbreaks. The startup participated as a finalist in the 2025 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge and conducted meetings with Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig to align technology deployment with state priorities.
The market positioning hinges on whether microbiome diagnostics can deliver economically meaningful disease reduction in a protein sector with tighter margins than broilers and structural disadvantages in research funding. Turkeys receive substantially less R&D investment than chickens despite comparable production scale, creating opportunity for technologies that translate across species. Barnwell's approach, analyzing microbial communities at the barn level rather than individual bird sampling, targets scalability constraints that limit adoption of existing livestock diagnostics. Success would validate a platform expansion strategy from chickens into turkeys, then potentially into swine where respiratory and gut health similarly drive performance variability. The competitive question is whether Barnwell can move fast enough to establish category leadership before larger animal health companies deploy their own microbiome platforms. DSM-Firmenich's recent launch of Verax for layers demonstrates that established feed additive suppliers recognize precision diagnostics as complementary revenue streams that reinforce their core nutrition businesses. If Barnwell proves turkey microbiome management generates measurable ROI, strategic acquirers will likely emerge from either animal health companies seeking diagnostic capabilities or feed suppliers building data-driven intervention platforms. The Iowa trial progression and farmer testimonials will signal whether the value proposition extends beyond early adopter operations.
ReFED launches methane-focused grant fund targeting food waste sorting infrastructure and dairy sector mortality reduction
ReFED opened its fourth Catalytic Grant Fund cycle in December 2025, allocating capital toward two priority areas: advancing food recycling through enhanced sorting and decontamination systems, and reducing methane in beef and dairy sectors by lowering animal mortality, improving supply chain efficiency, and developing climate-smart feed additives derived from waste streams. The fund seeks proposals demonstrating measurable impact on methane reduction, proof of customer demand, scalability potential, and strong execution teams. ReFED announced the initiative at Climate Week NYC in September, positioning it as the organization's most impactful open call given food waste's role as a primary methane source. Previous grant cycles deployed $2.1 million across 16 grantees, unlocking an additional $28.1 million in follow-on investment from other sources.