- Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack granted the organizers of the National Beef Checkoff Petition Drive until October 3, 2021 to collect the necessary signatures on the petition calling for a producer vote of the National Beef Checkoff Program.
- Zoetis announced a new combination product to treat bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and control related fever (pyrexia): Draxxin® KP (tulathromycin and ketoprofen injection) Injectable Solution. It’s a new single-treatment option for beef and dairy producers. Draxxin KP includes the well-known effectiveness of Draxxin® (tulathromycin injection) Injectable Solution and adds ketoprofen, a fast-acting nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), in a single treatment approved for use in beef steers, beef heifers, beef calves two months of age and older, beef bulls, dairy bulls and dairy replacement heifers.
- Ten students pursuing careers in the beef industry were awarded $1,500 scholarships for the next school year by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and recognized during the 2021 Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville. The CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship program recognizes talented and thoughtful students emerging as industry leaders.
- The International Dairy Foods Association announced that registration for Dairy Forum 2022 is now open. Dairy Forum is back live and in person in 2022 in Palm Desert, Calif.
- Despite competitive wages and an expanding workforce, the U.S. pork industry continues to struggle with a labor shortage that will require access to more foreign-born workers to remain sustainable, according to a study by Iowa State University economists that was recently updated to reflect the current state of the labor market. The study underscores the urgent need for agriculture labor reform, a top priority for the National Pork Producers Council.
- Cargill, Continental Grain Company, and Sanderson Farms, Inc. announced they have reached a definitive agreement for a joint venture between Cargill and Continental Grain to acquire Sanderson Farms for $203 per share in cash, representing a total equity value for Sanderson Farms of $4.53 billion.
- Previous research has shown that feeding a red seaweed, Asparagopsis taxiformis (AT), to cattle can dramatically reduce enteric methane emissions; however, AT is not readily available in large quantities for livestock. To address this challenge, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) recently awarded a $200,000 grant to Greener Grazing, LLC, a subsidiary of Australis Aquaculture, LLC, to develop the world’s first seed bank and ocean cultivation techniques for AT. Australis Aquaculture, together with several other philanthropic funders are providing matching funds for a total $603,500 project investment.
