The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the second round of states coming on board as part of its National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) that was launched Dec. 6.
As part of its ongoing efforts to stop the further spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and give farmers tools to help combat the disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing an interim final rule that updates the conditions for poultry facilities to receive indemnity and compensation after testing positive for HPAI. Based on evidence that strong biosecurity measures remain the most effective strategy to combat HPAI, APHIS will now require that farmers undergo a biosecurity audit before restocking their poultry after an HPAI detection, and before receiving future indemnity payments.
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s authorization of importation of modified live avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) vaccine: “The National Turkey Federation welcomes the USDA’s approval of importation of a commercial modified live avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) vaccine, a massive advancement in protecting U.S. turkey flocks against aMPV. This development underscores our industry’s commitment to ensuring the health and productivity of our nation’s commercial turkey population. We encourage the USDA to continue its work to ensure additional importation and development of aMPV vaccines.”
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation (USPOULTRY Foundation) in partnership with the Poultry Science Association Foundation (PSA Foundation) are pleased to announce the Ph.D. and Vet Student Career Fair which will be held during the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), scheduled for Jan. 28 – 30, 2025, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. The Career Fair will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 8 – 11:30 a.m. in Room B-402 in unison with the International Poultry Scientific Forum (IPSF). This distinctive program is tailored to better support U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) member companies and allied suppliers, focusing on technology-driven sectors such as genetics, health, pharmaceuticals and nutrition. It specifically targets post-doctoral researchers, early-stage Ph.D. students and veterinary students.
As of Dec. 1, there were 75.8 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, up one percent from December 2023, but down slightly from Sept. 1, 2024, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
As global efforts to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in methane emissions by 2030 gain traction, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has launched a crucial guidebook to help developing countries incorporate agricultural methane reduction strategies into their climate plans. The guide will be presented during the high-level event “The NDC 3.0 Navigator: A Deeper Dive on Methane Reduction in Food Systems” at COP29 in Baku.
U.S. Congressman Mike Flood issued a statement following the release of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s Scientific Report. This report confirms previous reporting about new anti-meat dietary guidelines earlier this year. “The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee tries to claim they are promoting flexibility and individual choice, while they push plant-based proteins at the expense of red meat. This attempt to re-write your grocery list and push meat off the menu has nothing to do with a healthy diet and everything to do with appeasing radical environmental activists. For example, it takes three cups of quinoa to deliver the same amount of protein as only three ounces of beef. As the Beef State, Nebraska knows firsthand what kind of threat this poses. Reducing the role of meat in our diets is not only bad for consumer health but also undermines our country’s food security and way of life. I urge the incoming Trump administration to scrap these anti-meat recommendations from unelected bureaucrats and to return the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to a commonsense approach that supports our great American farmers and ranchers who grow the food that helps feed the world.”
