On Saturday, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial layer chicken flock in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and a non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry) in Utah County, Utah. Both cases were confirmed at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. APHIS is working closely with state …
Bird Flu Driving Egg Processing Costs Higher
Processed eggs go into items ranging from salad dressings to cake mix. Bloomberg says the prices for those eggs intended for processing are soaring to record highs because of the avian influenza outbreak. The rapid spread of influenza could make this one of the biggest outbreaks in history. Twenty million birds have been culled from the nation’s flocks, which is …
USDA Releases Equity Action Plan
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made its Equity Action Plan (PDF, 500 KB) publicly available. The plan outlines actions USDA will take to advance programmatic equity to improve access to programs and services for underserved stakeholders and communities. All too often in the past, USDA programs and services were designed to benefit those with land, experience, money, and education while …
Beef, Pork and Poultry Production and Price Forecasts for April
Slight gains in both beef production and price forecasts are noted in the latest USDA outlook. But according to a story from Rod Bain, the latest pork production and price forecasts reveal tighter supplies and a price adjustment for hogs. World Agricultural Outlook Board Chair Mark Jekanowski also goes over USDA’s April outlook for broiler and turkey production and prices. …
New Veterinary Debt Solutions Program Launches
Farm Journal Foundation is partnering with the Zoetis Foundation to launch a new program to find solutions for relieving student debt in the veterinary industry. The effort’s long-term goal seeks to address shortages of veterinarians to work with farmers in rural areas. The new Veterinary Debt Solutions Program will convene leaders from across the livestock, academic, nonprofit, and veterinary sectors …
Avian Influenza Cases Outpacing 2014-2015 Outbreak
The number of highly pathogenic avian influenza cases in the U.S. are outpacing the 2014/2015 outbreak. However, the American Farm Bureau Federation says the higher numbers might be attributed to improvements in detection and reporting protocols. Farm Bureau economists found as of April 7, there have been more than 600 detections of HPAI in wild birds across 31 states, and …
Row Crop Planting Slowly Starting in the Southeast
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently started issuing their weekly crop progress reports for the 2022 season, and as of this past Sunday, NASS reports in Alabama there were 3.8 days suitable for fieldwork, in Florida 6.4 days were suitable, while in Georgia there were 4.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Corn planted in Alabama was at 38 percent, which compares …
NCBA Endorses Bipartisan A-PLUS Act
(NCBA/WASHINGTON, April 7, 2022) — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) supports the Amplifying Processing of Livestock in the United States (A-PLUS) Act, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) and Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA). If enacted, the bill would clarify regulations under the Packers and Stockyards Act to allow livestock market owners to maintain an …
Additional Funds for Livestock Producers Affected by Drought and Wildfire
The USDA has announced additional funds for livestock producers who were affected by wildfires and droughts. USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Robert Bonnie spoke with AgNet Media to make the announcement to our listeners. Listen here: The USDA says ranchers who have approved applications through the 2021 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for forage losses due to severe …
Controlling the Spread of Avian Influenza
Even as detections of high path avian influenza are continuing, there are at least a few encouraging signs. Gary Crawford reports that experts say the one key to controlling the spread of it is fast reaction to reported detections. It’s been noted this virus is prevalent in wild birds, and thus bio-security is important in keeping high path avian influenza …