The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as state veterinary and public health officials, are investigating an illness among primarily older dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico that is causing decreased lactation, low appetite, and other symptoms. As of Monday, March 25, unpasteurized, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, as well as an oropharyngeal swab from another dairy in Texas, have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). At this stage, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is aware that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in samples collected from dairy cattle in the United States. Importantly, the agency confirmed there is no threat to human health, and milk and meat remains safe to consume. USDA has confirmed that affected dairy cows do not appear to be transmitting the virus to other cattle within the same herd.
The number of Americans who describe themselves as meat eaters (80 percent) and the number of households that purchase meat (98 percent) remain steady from 2023, while the number seeking to decrease meat consumption has fallen by 20 percent since 2020, according to the 19th annual Power of Meat report released by the Meat Institute and FMI—The Food Industry Association.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative have reopened the Colombian market for U.S. poultry and egg product exports, culminating several months of collaborations with the Colombian Institute of Agriculture to resolve this trade barrier. U.S. Trade Representative’s office has reopened the Colombian market for U.S. poultry and egg product exports, culminating several months of collaborations with the Colombian Institute of Agriculture to resolve this trade barrier.
After years of product development and field testing, AgBoost announced the global commercial expansion of its cloud-based data analysis platform that helps cattle producers interpret genomic data for selective breeding, health, market value and nutrition management.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) responded to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) release of the updated greater sage ground management plans. These plans will shape public land use across 10 different states and tens of millions of Western acres. After completing revisions to the plans in 2015 and again in 2019, the agency is currently amending 77 separate land use plans across the West, and could potentially designate millions of acres as new Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs). Despite this incredibly expansive scope, the BLM provided only 90 days to comment on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and only 60 days to comment on proposed ACECs.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) thanked the U.S. Senate for passing a resolution to block Paraguayan beef imports. The resolution comes in response to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule that lifted the longstanding ban on Paraguayan beef imports despite the country’s concerning animal health track record.
Continuing to support the next generation of leaders in the beef industry, Certified Angus Beef (CAB) will give a record amount of $100,000 in scholarships across three categories this year. College students with a passion for agriculture and a drive to innovate are encouraged to apply for this scholarship opportunity. Applications for the 2024 Colvin Scholarship are now open and will close April 30. Interested students can learn more about eligibility criteria and apply by visiting https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/recruiting/.
The 147th Cattle Raisers Convention & Expo drew to a close on Sunday, wrapping up the three-day event packed with industry updates, awards, entertainment and the welcoming of new Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association leadership. The Cattle Raisers Convention & Expo drew 4,300 attendees to downtown Fort Worth March 22 – 24. The agenda featured three prominent main-stage sessions addressing pivotal topics such as agricultural policy, a 2024 weather forecast and a market outlook.
dsm-firmenich, the leading innovator in nutrition, health and beauty, and Agrifirm, a leading agricultural cooperative, announce their strategic partnership to create a platform for poultry performance optimization, focused on health and sustainability.
Zoetis celebrated a contributory milestone in 2023 with its continuation of support to Folds of Honor. Rounding out the second half of 2023, Zoetis exceeded $1 million in donations in its two years of support for the organization. Proceeds from the sales of select Zoetis products continue to raise funds for Folds of Honor scholarships.
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation are accepting nominations for the Dr. Charles Beard Research Excellence Award through July 1. The goal of the award, which has been presented since 2013, is to recognize outstanding completed research projects, funded by USPOULTRY or the USPOULTRY Foundation, that have made a significant positive impact on the poultry industry.
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) announced Anne Miller as winner of the prestigious Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award. This award, jointly developed by NPPC and the National Pork Board (NPB), honors exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment exhibited by state executives within the pork industry. Miller served as the Montana Pork Producers Council executive director from 2004-2022.
Applications are being accepted for college scholarships that are awarded by America’s dairy farmers and importers through the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB). Eleven scholarships worth $2,500 each will be awarded, in addition to a $3,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to one outstanding recipient. NDB funds, in part, Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff program. Applications can be found at usdairy.com/about-us/dmi/scholarship. Completed applications must be received no later than May 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. CST.
