- After thoughtful and thorough consideration, show management for the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) has made the difficult decision to not hold the in-person component of IPPE 2021 in Atlanta, scheduled for Jan. 26-28. The decision was based on numerous factors, including extensive surveys, direct feedback from our industries and other stakeholders, as well as the expected decrease in participation due to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, issued a statement on the August 2020 agricultural export data released by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Trade System.
- Signaling bold climate change action, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy unveiled the Net Zero Initiative, an industry-wide effort that will help U.S. dairy farms of all sizes and geographies implement new technologies and adopt economically viable practices. The initiative is a critical component of U.S. dairy’s environmental stewardship goals, endorsed by dairy industry leaders and farmers, to achieve carbon neutrality, optimized water usage and improved water quality by 2050.
- Iowa Corn® is proud to announce its contributions to the Beef Up Iowa program which was launched in July to connect Iowa beef producers with food insecure Iowans. Iowa Corn’s Animal Agriculture and the Environment Committee donated funds directly to the Beef Up Iowa program, while Iowa Corn’s District 2 Committee donated funds to purchase a family-owned steer that was processed at Iowa State University. The beef was distributed through the Iowa Food Bank Association.
- National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane issued a statement in response to reports of another reported occurrence of foot-and-mouth disease in Namibia.
- The FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative board of directors made the tough decision to move it’s district member meetings from 17 in-person meetings throughout its seven state membership region to a single-day virtual format due to concerns and uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual meeting will be on Wednesday, December 2, 2020.
- Ralco announced that Dr. Tim Broderick has joined the company as Poultry Research & Development Manager. Dr. Broderick is responsible for research and development of products for the poultry industry leveraging Ralco’s patented natural approaches.
- Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, announced the completion of its acquisition of Erber Group’s Biomin and Romer Labs for an enterprise value of €980 million. The transaction, first announced on June 12th, forecasts enhanced earnings in the first year upon completion.
- Alta Seeds, the premium seed brand of Advanta US and a leading provider of premium genetics and technology specific to sorghum, introduces EMPYR™ Premier Forages, a complete line of forage sorghum, sudangrass and sorghum-sudan hybrids. This innovative product will be revealed to growers during Sorghum Frontiers, a virtual field day experience on Nov. 8, 2020. Visit altaseeds.advantaus.com to register online.
- For more than two years, by claiming regulatory jurisdiction over gene edited livestock, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stalled the development of an emerging technology with tremendous promise for livestock agriculture, including improved animal care, production efficiency and environmental impact. The scientists who invented one of the most promising forms of this technology – the “CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors” – have been awarded the Nobel Prize. Gene editing accelerates genetic improvement that would occur naturally over time by making changes to an animal’s own genome. For additional information, please visit the National Pork Producers Council’s Keep America First in Agriculture web site.
- In effort to educate key opinion leaders in the food and hospitality industry on the beef production cycle, from pasture to plate, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, held a webinar in partnership with the James Beard Foundation. The “Pasture to Plate” webinar highlighted the beef community’s commitment to raising cattle in a safe, humane and environmentally sustainable manner. The webinar was part of the James Beard Foundation’s Industry Support Webinar series, targeting chefs and other hospitality leaders.
