NEWS ARCHIVES

2007: January February March April May June July August September October November December

 

December 2007

• During the first half of December, 13,000 pork producers will be contacted by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the Dec. 27 quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report. Participants can respond by mail, phone, Internet or personal interview. All information is confidential, and no individual operation or producer can be identified in the state- and national-level data that's published. The Dec. 27 report will be available on the NASS site. 11/28/2007
• National Pork Board completes 2008 operating budget and plan. The $51 million budget will focus on five areas: competitive advantage for U.S. pork, safeguard and expansion of international markets, domestic pork expenditures, trust and image of U.S. pork industry and the development of human capital. Read a NPB news release. 11/26/2007
• Proposals sought for 2008 ISU On-Farm Research and Demonstration Grant Program. A partnership between College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Practical Farmers of Iowa will provide $50,000 for approved grants for teams of ISU researchers and farmer collaborators. ISU faculty, extension, staff or graduate students must be involved in proposed projects. Read the project RFP on the Leopold Center Web site. 11/19/2007
• IPIC looks for the right person to lead the development and delivery of a one-year-old high-profile quality and environmental management system program for pork producers in Iowa. Position is half time, to run from Jan. 1, 2008 through Dec. 31, 2011. Application deadline is Dec. 13. Read the job description and learn more on the ISU jobs Web site. 12/03/2007

October 2007

• IPIC and Iowa Pork Producers Association develop new fact sheet on the Pork Quality Assurance PlusTM program introduced earlier this year. Learn about the similarities and differences between PQA Plus and the former PQATM and Swine Welfare Assurance Programs. 10/07/2007

August 2007

• The SowBridge Breeding Herd Education Series is a new distance learning program for pork producers offered through Iowa State University (ISU) and ISU Extension. Swine specialist Ken Stalder says the series topics and speakers were selected using information from those associated with sow unit production, including research and management techniques related to breeding, gestation, and farrowing management. It's modeled after the popular PorkBridge series, combining electronic information viewed on computer with live oral presentations via phone. Registrations are due Sept. 24. See the series brochure. 08./30/2007

• The Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers launches a new companion Web site, Thewholestory.com. Visitors can learn about news and information important to animal agriculture and consumers, take a quiz, and ask questions of Iowa farm families who raise livestock. 08/20/2007

• There's a new attorney at the Iowa State University Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation. Erin Herbold is the first staff attorney for the center, which was created in 2006. Herbold will work with Roger McEowen, Leonard Dolezal Professor in Agricultural Law and center director, in preparing and presenting agricultural law-based seminars, and researching and writing legal summaries on agricultural policy impacts. Herbold is a 2003 ISU graduate. Read more about the center on its Web site. 08/01/2007

July 2007

• U.S. House ag committee passes its version of the 2007 Farm Bill. A news release says highlights include A new section for Horticulture and Organic Agriculture, Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling for fruit, vegetables and meat, and Establishing a new National Agriculture Research Program Office to coordinate the programs and activities of USDA’s research agencies. Next step is action from the U.S. Senate. The existing Farm Bill, of 2002, expires Sept. 30. 07/31/2007

• ISU students interested in meat processing now have two more scholarships to consider. Retired animal science professor Robert Rust and his wife Dorothy have endowed an undergraduate scholarship and a graduate scholarship in meat science for students pursuing a degree in this area. Read more in this news release. 07/24/2007

• U.S. Pork Center of Excellence at ISU receives USDA grant to create "swine schools." The USPCE was awarded a three-year, $460,000 grant to develop a series of swine-related courses, pilot test them and conduct evaluations of the test results. Funding begins Oct. 1 of this year with the announcement of a steering team to oversee the project. 07/24/2007

• USDA-NASS and the Nebraska Corn Development, Utilization & Marketing Board released results of a study to identify use, quantity and characteristics of ethanol co-products being fed to livestock. The survey included dairy cattle, cattle on feed, beef cattle (cow/calf), and hogs. The 30-page report in pdf format is on the USDA Web site. 07/05/2007

• Danish pigs will help Alzheimer research. A litter of cloned pigs that's been genetically modified to contain an Alzheimer gene is set to be born in Denmark next month. Scientists from two universities there - Copenhagen and Århus - intend to use the pigs as animal models for the disease, which affects approximately 24 million people worldwide. One of the professors, Professor Ingrid Brück Bøgh from the Department of Large Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen,  says this step is vital in human disease research. "…the ability to produce transgenic pig models for human diseases is a major prerequisite for future progress in this area. The upcoming birth of these transgenic pig models constitutes a fantastic success for us. It is also a demonstration of the excellent cross-disciplinary collaboration between the experts at both universities." Read more on the University of Copenhagen Web site. 07/05/2007

• Continued testing shows first pseudorabies-infected Wisconsin farm to be free of the disease. According to State Veterinarian Robert Ehlenfeldt, the negative results mean that the formerly infected farm (in Clark County) will be released from quarantine and will be able to move live hogs onto and off the farm again. More testing will follow in a couple of weeks near the second farm identified with PRV. If final rounds of testing are negative, Wisconsin will retain its pseudorabies-free status. More information is available in a news release from the Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection. 07/05/2007

June 2007

• Food Safety Consortium members from Iowa State are researching how and why some Campylobacter coli samples are showing resistance to antibiotics. Qijing Zhang Zhang, associate professor of veterinary microbiology, and Irene Wesley, research microbiologist at the National Animal Disease Center, are looking at human resistance to antibiotics intended to protect swine from diseases. So far they haven't seen a progressive increase in resistance over the pigs' lifetime. Zhang says his long-term goal, through studying the ecology of antibiotic resistance, is to "…develop practical management measures that might help farmers reduce pathogens’ resistance to antibiotics." Read an article on the Newswise Web site. 06/05/2007

May 2007

• Swift and Company agrees to be purchased by J&F Participações S.A. which owns Brazil's JBS S.A. In a May 29 announcement, J&F will pay $225 million in cash and assume $1.2 billion in Swift debt as part of the transaction. Swift & Company is the third-largest processor of fresh beef and pork in the U.S. JBS is the largest beef processor in Latin America and one of the largest exporters of beef in the world. Read more in this Swift news release. 05/30/2007

• USDA tests show pork from hogs fed a diet that contained melamine is safe for human consumption. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service validated the testing process, which confirms that melamine and melamine compounds do not accumulate in pork and are filtered out of the body through the kidneys. This means the 56,000 hogs that were being held are now permitted to be released and processed. Read more on the USDA Web site. 05/16/2007

• Niche pork terminology can be confusing. Some of the more common terms -- natural, no antibiotics used, organic – may seem similar. But beware, label requirements and claims are regulated and have specific meanings. For instance, "natural" refers to a product that has no artificial ingredients, no added color, and is only minimally processed. Any label with the term "natural" must include an explanation of that term. Learn more in this one-page fact sheet on the National Pork Board's Niche Pork Web site. 05/16/2007

April 2007

• ISU research is looking at the odor-eating potential of leaf bacteria. Plant pathology professor Gwyn Beattie is studying phylloremediation, a natural cleaning process that uses the leaves and its microflora to clean the air. Results appear to show that green plant leaves hold phenol (a gas that causes foul odors found in sources such as automobile exhaust, decomposing manure and emissions from burning wood, coal and municipal waste) until bacteria find and degrade it. Beattie is excited by the findings and said future studies could identify tools to help eliminate air pollutants near livestock and industrial facilities. "It may mean that the more plants growing around a facility, the better. They influence the aerodynamics and act as a filter for particulates and airborne molecules," she said. You can read more in Inside Iowa State. 04/30/2007
• Second Wisconsin farm tests positive for pseudorabies. The 20-head Clark County herd is outside the 5-mile testing radius of the first confirmed PRV-infected herd, but was tested because it had contact with the first. Quarantines will be put in place at farms within 5 miles of this second herd. Read this release from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. 04/24/2007
• More U.S. pork is going to Caribbean islands. Exports in 2006 totaled more than 25,000 metric tons, a 32 percent increase over the 2005 amount. The United States Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is working with customers in the islands through retail promotions, cooking contests, trade shows, U.S. industry tours and personal contacts. Read a USMEF release for more information. 04/18/2007
• Iowa Pork Industry Center will offer Pork Quality Assurance Plus™ Advisors certification training in late May. PQA Plus™ was developed by the National Pork Board's Pork Industry Animal Care Coalition to be a continuous improvement program. It will be launched at World Pork Expo in June. Read more in this release. 04/13/2007
• Wisconsin herd has pseudorabies. Tests at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames confirmed the disease this week. The disease can be passed to cattle, sheep, and goats, cats and other species, but does not affect humans. In order to retain its PRV-free status, the state must "depopulate" the infected herd and test all swine herds within five miles of the infected herd by May 1. Read this release from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. 04/19/2007

March 2007

• Eight U.S. senators, including Iowa's Charles Grassley, have introduced a bill to clarify that manure … "is not classified as a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant under CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act)." CERCLA, also known as the Superfund Law, has been used to regulate and clean up man-made industrial emissions and immediately hazardous sites like weapons dumps, municipal landfills, and mining operations. Without this clarification, bill cosponsors said many of the nation's farms could be mandated to submit to CERCLA's requirements and be subject to liabilities and penalties, none of which was originally intended by Congress. Find out more about the bill. 03/13/2007
• American Association of Swine Veterinarians and National Pork Board announced the jointly sponsored creation of a publication about circovirus, "A producer's guide to managing PCVAD (porcine circovirus associated disease)." The piece describes porcine circovirus-associated disease, explains the role of herd veterinarians, including the need for laboratory diagnosis, and lists steps for each stage of production following a PCVAD diagnosis. Download the 18-page publication from the AASV Web site. 02/08/2007

February 2007

• Iowa DNR extends manure management plan (MMP) deadline for March 1 filers. The approximately 350 Iowa livestock producers who were supposed to file updated MMPs by March 1 now have an extra two weeks to do so. DNR director Rich Leopold said Feb. 27 that recent weather and related conditions have made it difficult or impossible for producers to get to electronic data they need for the filing. The new postmark deadline is March 16. Read a release on the Iowa Pork Producers web site. 02/28/2007

• State of Iowa offers help to Iowa livestock producers. Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge is offering the state’s help to livestock producers who might be without power or have other problems associated with this past weekend's ice storm. Gov. Chet Culver has asked the IDALS and other partners to assist in identifying losses, damage and critical needs in the agriculture sector. Approximately 100,000 rural electric cooperative customers remained without power early Feb. 26. Producers in need of emergency generators to power environmental controls and supply water for livestock should contact the Center of Agriculture Security at (515) 281-5798. Producers with critical short-term needs or mass livestock mortalities, should contact their local Sheriff’s office and request that a report be filed with the State Emergency Operations Center. Producers also should contact their local Farm Service Administration office to notify the office of storm related damage, losses of livestock and any critical needs as soon as possible. You can read a news release from IDALS. 02/26/2007

• Nebraska officials discover pseudorabies-infected wild pigs. Late last week, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture announced wild pigs were killed in Nance County in the east central part of the state. The University of Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory conducted tests that confirmed the diagnosis. Read a news release from the NDA. 02/13/2007

• The fourth annual Iowa State University (ISU) Animal Industry Report is now available. The report describes research conducted in 2006 by ISU faculty, staff and graduate students; visiting scholars; ISU Extension county and field staff; and professors and collaborators from other universities. It's available online and on CD-Rom. Read more. 02/08/2007
• The 2007 Iowa Pork Regional Conferences will focus on profitability strategies and optimal pig care. This year’s series will educate swine producers on effective marketing strategies and new technological advances in swine production. It also will provide information about on-farm diagnostic methods for preliminary health investigations and tactics used to minimize stress in handling swine. Read a news release. Download the conference brochure. 02/08/2007

January 2007

• The National Pork Board plans to hire a total of seven summer interns in four areas, and invites all those interested to check out the job descriptions and consider submitting an application. All positions will begin around May 14 and run through about Aug. 10, 2007. Each of the four areas has its own requirements and preferred qualifications and experience. All internships are paid, and successful candidates are expected to work a minimum of 40 hours per week. All positions are based at the NPB office in Clive. Visit the 2007 NPB intern page to learn more. 01/16/2007

• After this month, the Hampshire breed will no longer be part of the national breeding system in Denmark. Although the breed had commanded up to 10 percent of that country's market pig genes, in recent years that number dropped to less than half that amount. Also, producers think that certain disease problems (especially PMWS and circovirus) are more serious in Hamp-crossbred litters. And as more operations use AI, the Hampshire's natural mating abilities have become less important. This move is estimated to save more than 2 million euros. The remaining breeds: Landrace, Large White/Yorkshire and Duroc. Read more in the online version of the December issue of Pig International magazine. 1/04/07

• USDA's December Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report shows that while U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs at 62.1 million head is down 1 percent from the Sept.1 figures, it's up 1 percent from a year ago in December 2005. Market hog inventory, by far the largest portion of the total hog number at 56.1 million, follows those same trends. Breeding herd numbers, however, are up the same percentage from last year AND up slightly from Sept. The report is available online in text and pdf formats. 12/28/06

• Swine producers with niche breeding operations are invited to participate in the Niche Sow Breeding and Gestation Discussion Group now being formed in Iowa. Iowa State University (ISU) Extension swine field specialist Dave Stender said the effort is an efficient way for people who work in sustainable hog production that pen breed sows to connect with peers over a large geographical area. Read a news release about the program. Download the registration brochure. 1/03/07

• Constructed wetlands can reduce swine hormone levels from pig farm waste water, according to a research article from USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS.) Scientists collected effluent samples from a North Carolina farrowing facility in 2004 and 2005, and tested them for reproductive hormones including a naturally secreted estrogen called estradiol. Their findings indicated that constructed wetlands at the facility helped lower estradiol activity by 83 to 93 percent. Read more of the article on the ARS Web site. 12/21/06

 

News archives 2006