The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) announced that Texas beef producers have voted to establish a state-level Beef Checkoff program. TDA conducted this referendum upon petition by cattle industry organizations under the authorities designed by the Texas Legislature. “Texas is the largest cattle producing state in the nation, and our beef is among the highest-quality in the world,” says Agriculture …
COOL Update at World Pork Expo
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) provided an update on mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) during World Pork Expo this week. “We’re very concerned that if the current rule later this summer is ruled out of compliance by the WTO, the Canadians and Mexicans will then have a right to retaliate,” said NPPC Vice President John Weber of Iowa, …
Iowa Congressman Visits WPX
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) paid a visit to World Pork Expo last week to talk with producers and learn more about the issues they are facing right now. The congressman represents the 4th district of the state in the northwest corner, bordering Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska, and he is a strong advocate for livestock producers. During the farm bill …
Industry Audit Platform Announced by NPB
Chris Novak, CEO of the National Pork Board, announced plans for a new common industry audit platform for pork producers, packers and processors. Using the existing Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus) program as the foundation, the year-long audit team is nearing the final stages of completion and the initial common audit framework. The program was unveiled during World Pork …
The New AgWired and New AgWired App
You have probably noticed that AgWired looks “different.” It is. Very different. The ZimmComm team has completely re-built AgWired with hard work from our webmaster. This project was undertaken to consolidate our news network under the AgWired brand and provide a growth platform for the future. We still have some tweaks to do as we get comfortable with a new …
Heading to the Center of the Pork Universe
We are heading to the Center of the Pork Universe this week to join some 20,000 pork producers and industry professionals from 32 countries for the 2014 World Pork Expo. “World Pork Expo is a showcase of pork production,” says National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) president Howard Hill. “It offers a great opportunity for pork producers to get a crash …
Alltech Precision Agriculture Philosophy and Vision
Chief Scientific Officer for Alltech, Dr. Karl Dawson, caught my attention with his presentation at the Alltech Symposium titled, “What if we put true precision in “Precision Agriculture?” The focus was on animal agriculture, something most people don’t associate with the term precision agriculture. But as you’ll hear him say in an interview I conducted with him it is a …
Alltech International Species Forums
Do you have a favorite species? Aqua, Beef, Dairy, Equine, Pet, Poultry or Pig? At the Alltech Symposium this afternoon we have separate moderated forums taking place on each of these topics and one on Agribusiness. These forums provide an opportunity for attendees to discuss issues with each other which makes for a more interactive experience than just listening to …
Does Big = Bad
Big ag has been dubbed a bad word among those in the agricultural community and many wonder if size matters. During the recent Animal Agriculture Alliance’s Stakeholders Summit they tackled that topic with a panel on “Does Big = Bad? Panelist included: Emily Zweber, Zweber Farms and Executive Director for the AgChat Foundation; Janice Person, a member of Monsanto’s corporate …
Defining Environmental Sustainability
Sustainability is defiantly a buzzword around the agricultural industry. During Animal Agriculture Alliance’s Stakeholders Summit on Cracking the Millennial Code a panel was formed to discuss this hot topic. Two panelist’s, Aidan Connolly, Vice President of Corporate Accounts for Alltech and Dr. Rober Cady, Elanco, sat down with Chuck following the discussion to share their definition of environmental sustainability. Aiden …