Florida Lawmakers Discuss Veterinary Telemedicine

Dan Cattle, Equine, Florida, Legislative, Livestock, Pork, Poultry, Sheep-Goats

Week five of the Florida Legislative Session saw various issues discussed once again, but there is a bill that has been of interest to some in agriculture across the state. Florida Cattlemen’s Association (FCA) Director of Governmental Affairs, Sam Ard, explains what the bill is about and where it currently stands. The 60 day Florida Legislative session will run until March 11th. Sponsored ContentWhat …

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Case in U.S. Confirmed

Dan Poultry

A case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed at a commercial operation in Indiana. According to a story from Rod Bain, this is the first such detection in the U.S. since 2020. Koren Custer, with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services, discusses the recently confirmed case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza at an Indiana …

New Records for Beef Exports, New High for Pork Export Values

Dan Beef, Cattle, Exports/Imports, Pork, Sheep-Goats

According to year-end data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), U.S. beef exports in 2021 exceeded previous volume and value records surpassing $10 billion for the first time. That same reports notes while pork exports finished slightly below the record volume reached in 2020, they did set a new value record topping $8 billion …

USDA-NASS Reports 2 Percent Drop in Sheep Inventory

Dan Sheep-Goats, USDA-NASS

Increased slaughter of mature sheep in 2021, thanks to drought and high mature ewe slaughter prices, played a role in a 2 percent decrease in the American sheep inventory as reported by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). As of Jan. 1, the American sheep and lamb inventory totaled 5.07 million head. Breeding sheep inventory was 3.71 million head, down 2 …

USDA Providing Disaster Assistance

Dan Cattle, Livestock, Pasture, USDA-FSA

USDA provided an update on upcoming disaster assistance during last week’s Cattle Industry Convention. The assistance is for agricultural producers impacted by weather-related disasters in 2020 and 2021. While speaking at the annual event Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Robert Bonnie, said “Over the past two years, as agricultural producers have struggled with the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have …

New Anti-Competition Reporting Tool

Dan Cattle, Livestock, Poultry, USDA

Last week, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Justice (DOJ) launched a new tool where farmers and ranchers can anonymously report potentially unfair and anticompetitive practices in the livestock and poultry sectors. This can be done online at farmerfairness.gov. “This new online tool will help USDA and the Justice Department address anticompetitive actions and create livestock and poultry markets that …

Foreign Agriculture Service Working to Break Down Trade Barriers

Dan Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Exports/Imports, Field Crops, Fruits, Livestock, Marketing, Peanuts, Pork, Poultry, Specialty Crops, Trade, Vegetables

Foreign Agriculture Service has led USDA’s day-to-day efforts to break down trade barriers and generate export opportunities for U.S. agriculture for 2021. They have tried to get peanuts accepted back into the European Union. These efforts also resulted in market access for U.S. pork to India, poultry to Venezuela, and apples and pears going into Argentina, among others. Tyron Spearman …

Global Efforts Underway to Combat Hunger and Poverty

Dan Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Field Crops, Peanuts, Pork, Poultry

U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service team together to lead global efforts to combat hunger and poverty and build more sustainable equitable, and resilient, food systems through the United Nations and others. According to the USDA they have invested $248 Million dollars in new school feeding projects through the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition …