We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.World news round-up - January 22
NEW ZEALAND
Pasture rain shortage
The province of Northland has had almost no rain for three months and there is little prospect of any before April.
After a decade of wetter-than-normal summers, El Nino has delivered dry soil moisture and pasture conditions normally seen at the end of February.
Northland’s beef export plants, Moerewa and Dargaville, have thousands of cattle on waiting lists, both dairy cow culls and prematurely-consigned beef animals.
Fonterra has closed its Maungaturoto factory more than a month early, re-routing a dwindling stream of milk to Kauri.
Poppy crop option
Pharmaceutical poppy crops could become an option for Mid Canterbury cropping farmers in New Zealand battling with the challenges of maintaining
sustainable arable returns.
The New Zealand Farmers Weekly
USA
Livestock disaster aid
The USDA has made more than $175 million in disaster payments to livestock producers. Many were made possible through two new programmes implemented in 2009. The Livestock Indemnity Programme covers higher than normal, weather-related livestock deaths, while the Livestock Forage Disaster Programme is for loss of grazing due to drought or fire.
CANADA
Country-of-origin labels
Mandatory country-of-origin labelling requirements covering Canadian beef in US retail outlets are being used to advantage in some regional-level stores to build “unique” store brands.
The Beef Information Centre, a marketing and communications arm of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, says Canadian beef can deliver on the consistency and quality attributes required for a successful branded programme.
RUSSIA
Poultry standards
The United States must comply with Moscow’s standards for imports of poultry or Russia will find alternative sources, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said, according to Reuters.
ETHIOPIA
Soy plant announced
The largest Indian soy food and edible soy oil manufacturing company, Ruchi Soya Industries, is to establish a soy food processing plant In Ethiopia. Ruchi Soya is reported to have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ethiopian government on 25,000ha (61,775 acres) of land for soybean cultivation and processing on a lease basis for 25 years.
AUSTRALIA
Chicken plant plea
Ingham Chicken has been urged to rebuild its Melbourne plant, which was destroyed by fire this week, to save the jobs of more than 600 workers, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
USA
Cattle genetics
Pfizer Animal Genetics announced a genetic milestone with the completion of HD 50K, the beef industry’s first commercially available predictions based on a high-density panel of more than 50,000 genetic markers for black Angus cattle.
TAIWAN
Bone-in beef exports resume
The first shipment of US bone-in beef to Taiwan in five years has passed inspections and compliance, the Bureau of Standards, Meteorology and Inspection (BSMI) said last week.
EUROPE
Fight for EU subsidies
Europe’s incoming farming commissioner, Dacian Ciolos, has vowed to fight in defence of subsidies and the retention of agriculture’s dominant place in the European Union’s budget.
NEW ZEALAND
Wool growers want control
Wool growers must regain majority control of the New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) for long-term sustainability, says Walter Cameron, a grower instrumental in the initial set-up of NZM.
“All we (growers) are asking for is a move back to the grassroots structure of 70 per cent grower, 30 per cent corporate ownership.”
The New Zealand Farmers Weekly
NEW ZEALAND
Questions over SFF earnings
Shareholders in New Zealand meat co-operative Silver Fern Farms are readying tough questions for directors on why operating earnings were so poor in the trading year and why the share price is half of last October’s issue price. Silver Fern’s operating margins were much lower than rivals Alliance Group and AFFCO.
The New Zealand Farmers Weekly
USA
Species specific ID plan agreed
Eight US cattle industry groups have agreed an ID plan should be species specific because of the diverse ways cattle are raised, marketed and processed. ID information must be kept confidential and be kept under the control of state animal health officials, they say. The only data collected should be that necessary for disease surveillance, control and eradication.
USA
Terrible 2009 for US farmers
According to USDA, 2009 was a terrible year for American farmers. All three measures of US farm income are projected to have declined in 2009 - net farm income by 34.5 per cent, net cash income by 28.4 per cent, and net value added by 20 per cent. But put in perspective, farm financial ratios are quite favourable overall compared to the 80s and 90s.