Animal Ag News 4/4

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Pork Producers Council has hired Chase Adams as manager of congressional relations in its Washington, DC, public policy office. In addition, Annemarie Pender has been hired by NPPC as assistant vice president for marketing and communications in the DC office.
  • As of March 1, there were 72.2 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, down 2% from March 2021 and down 3% from Dec. 1, 2021, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
  • National Bison Association Executive Director Dave Carter has announced that he will be stepping down as the organization’s leader after more than two decades of helping to build the business as a solid, economically growing sector within the food economy while restoring bison to native habitat across North America.
  • U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released an updated version of their legislation, the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act. The senators first introduced the bill in November. Click here to read the amended bill text.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture published the highly anticipated Origin of Livestock (OOL) final rule for organic dairy. This change to the USDA organic regulations will promote a fairer and more competitive market for all organic dairy producers, by making sure that certified USDA organic dairy products are produced to the same consistent standard.
  • The results from Alltech’s 2021 U.S. Harvest Analysis revealed that the mycotoxin risk was notably higher for forage harvested in 2021 compared to the previous year. As dairy producers are now opening their forage bunks and taking 2021 corn out of their silos, the mycotoxin risk has been found to be amplified in the total mixed rations (TMR) that are being tested in the Alltech 37+ laboratory. Almost 140 TMR samples have been tested since the beginning of January 2022, and the results show that 100% of samples contain mycotoxins, with an average number of 7.5 mycotoxins per sample.
  • The U.S Department of Agriculture announced that ranchers who have approved applications through the 2021 Livestock Forage Disaster Program for forage losses due to severe drought or wildfire in 2021 will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments for increases in supplemental feed costs in 2021 through the Farm Service Agency’s new Emergency Livestock Relief Program.
  • Sanderson Farms’ feed mill in Collins, Mississippi has been recognized as the 2021 Integrator Feed Facility of the Year by the American Feed Industry Association in partnership with Feedstuffs and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. The award, which recognizes the highest achievement in feed manufacturing facilities, was presented during the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s annual Feed Mill Management Seminar.
  • Nonprofit regional dairy council Dairy MAX announced that Marty McKinzie has been promoted to chief growth officer of the organization, responsible for business development, industry image and relations, sustainability and organizational development. Dairy MAX has additionally hired Kay Johnson Smith as chief operating officer, leading key areas of the business including consumer marketing, corporate communications, issues management, health and wellness and school marketing.
  • For advocating relentlessly for North Carolina pork producers and farmers, for educating people about the value of production agriculture, for addressing childhood hunger by getting food banks and farmers to work together, and for creating an army of producer advocates for the pork industry and agriculture as CEO of the North Carolina Pork Council, Deborah Johnson was honored with the Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award. The award was presented by the National Pork Producers Council and National Pork Board at the organizations’ joint annual business meeting, the National Pork Industry Forum.
  • WATT Global Media has announced a Chicken Marketer of the Year will be awarded during the annual Chicken Marketing Summit, with nominations being accepted until May 1, 2022. The executive conference is scheduled for July 25-27 at the Château Élan in Braselton, Georgia.
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