- The U.S. Trade Representative announced it is suspending $817 million in trade preferences for Thailand under the Generalized System of Preferences program because the country hasn’t made sufficient progress providing the United States with “equitable and reasonable market access” for pork products. The decision follows a 2018 petition by the National Pork Producers Council asking the USTR to review Thailand’s eligibility for the GSP program, one that offers duty-free treatment to certain goods entering the United States.
- Marshall Reece, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Associated Milk Producers Inc. of New Ulm, Minn., has been named the new president of the American Butter Institute, gaining the position during the organization’s annual meeting, held this year virtually.
- Addressing dairy farmers and industry representatives, Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) leaders reflected on strategically adjusting business plans due to the impacts of COVID-19, and attributed this year’s results to industry unity, agility, speed and relentless relationship building. DMI CEO Tom Gallagher said one of the year’s highlights was USDA’s per capita report that showed consumption reached 653 pounds per person in 2019, a 60-year high for dairy.
- Vets Plus, Inc. announces it has hired Adam Yankowsky as Director of Sales. Mr. Yankowsky will oversee sales and marketing activities for the Merrick’s Blue Ribbon® line of livestock health products, the Pets Prefer® line of companion animal products and the Probios® line of probiotics. He will also supervise private label and other business development initiatives.
- Five years after launching its initial Accelerator program, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is gearing up for its 2021 program with the announcement of a new name, DFA CoLab Accelerator, and continued focus on helping accelerate and grow ag-tech and dairy food product companies.
- In 2019, Lely announced plans for its new North American campus, furthering its commitment to Pella, the state of Iowa and the dairy producers across North America.
- The American Feed Industry Association named Cassie Jones, Ph.D., an associate professor in animal sciences and industry at Kansas State University, as its Member of the Year during the AFIA’s fall Board of Directors virtual meeting.
- The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is pivoting the Young Leaders Under 30 Program to an online format for 2021. The program will be called ‘IPPE Linked In With Tomorrow’s Leaders’ and is designed to recognize leadership qualities in young professionals. The program’s goal is to engage and invest in the next generation of young professionals, between the ages of 21 and 29, who work for companies directly involved in the production and processing of poultry and meat or in the production of animal food.
- CowManager launches a new Nutrition module that provides actionable insights regarding feed and transition management on dairy farms. The module has been expanded with clear graphs and user-friendly comparison functionality. Timely notifications regarding cows at risk during the transition period, heat stress, low feed intake, and herd health help to focus a producer’s attention where it is needed most. These notifications allow the producer to approach herd management in a preventive, proactive, and precise manner, resulting in better cow health and a more productive herd.
- The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is announcing the release of a comprehensive industry feedyard audit tool. The Cattle Industry Feedyard Audit will serve as a standardized audit tool based on the sound science and common sense established in the Beef Quality Assurance program. Though the audit tool is owned by NCBA, auditing of feedyards will only be conducted through business-to-business activity within the cattle industry. NCBA will be maintaining the tool with updates as science dictates.
