USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) conducts a national sheep study approximately every ten years, and will do so again next year. The Sheep 2024 Study will support industry groups and research efforts with new information on sheep health and management. The study consists of two phases and includes biological sampling and two questionnaires. A random selection of almost …
Early 2023 Hog and Cattle Weights Lagged Behind 2022
Live weights of both hogs and cattle ran below year-earlier weights for the early part of 2023. Hog live weights averaged 284.9 pounds through the week ending on July 8, 2023, compared to 287.3 pounds during the same time in 2022. That’s an average difference of over 2.4 pounds. Lower weights this year are likely because of producer losses caused …
New Animal Disease Early Detection Partnership
There’s a new partnership for early detection of animal diseases. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. It’s a new partnership among the nation’s animal health and biodefense facilities to improve early detection of emerging animal diseases. This is Christy Loiacano, coordinator of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), with the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service …
ALB Promotes Lamb at Consumer, Influencer Events
The latest consumer research funded by the American Lamb Board (ALB) indicate a majority of consumers associate lamb with flavor, tenderness, freshness and quality, but only 33 percent of consumers agree that lamb is a nutritious meat choice. So, building awareness about lamb’s nutrition benefits and positioning lamb as part of a healthful diet and lifestyle is an opportunity to …
NPPC Asks to Intervene in CAFO Rule Court Case
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has teamed up with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, and the United Egg Producers (UEP) requesting the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to allow their intervention in a lawsuit filed by environmental and animal rights extremists against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over …
HPAI Infections Now in Three States
Health officials have euthanized a Minnesota commercial turkey flock after tests confirmed it was positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The flock contained approximately 140,000 birds and is the state’s first confirmed case of the disease since last spring. As is typically the case during spring or fall, officials say the disease is likely connected to the seasonal migration …
HPAI Confirmed in South Dakota
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed this week that the first commercial case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was discovered in South Dakota. APHIS says the virus was confirmed in a commercial turkey flock of 47,300 birds on October 4. Another case was also recently confirmed in a small non-commercial flock located in Idaho. The Canadian …
Smithfield Foods to Close North Carolina Pork Plant
Smithfield Foods will close its Charlotte, North Carolina pork-processing plant and transfer production to its Tar Heel, North Carolina facility. The company says the move is to increase efficiency and better utilize existing capacity, and comes as the company faces “abundant supplies and soft demand” weighing on pork prices. The company will provide financial and other transition assistance to the …
Record Value for Mexico Fuels August Pork Exports; Modest Rebound for Beef
According to new data released by the USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), August exports of U.S. pork were steady year-over-year. This was led by another tremendous performance in Mexico, as shipments totaled 226,519 metric tons (mt) in August, while export value fell 1.5% to just under $650 million. Exports to leading market Mexico remained on a record …
Turkey Growers Increase Flock Size
The September USDA Turkey Raised Report indicates a four percent increase from 2022. Turkeys raised in the U.S. during 2023 is forecasted at 219 million this month. The top six states account for 68 percent of the turkeys produced in the U.S. during 2023. The largest turkey-producing state is Minnesota, at 39.0 million, up five percent from the previous year. …