News Update

News Updates
September 5, 2007

FMD Outbreak Traced to Pipe

Investigators have determined a pipe at a research laboratory facility in southern England caused last month’s outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) reported today.

According to the BBC, Britain’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there were biosecurity lapses at the facility in Pirbright, Surrey. The investigators’ official report is due to be published Friday.

The laboratory complex houses vaccine-maker Merial Animal Health — the British arm of the U.S.-French pharmaceutical firm Merial Ltd. — and the government’s Institute of Animal Health (IAH). Virus traces were found in a pipe running from Merial’s lab to a treatment plant operated by the government-run laboratory. It is believed the pipe may have been damaged by tree roots before flooding pushed virus traces to the surface, according to the BBC.

It is not known how the virus found its way onto farmland a few miles away following the flooding July 20, but the HSE investigation did establish that contractors working at Pirbright at the time traveled to and from the site using a country road adjoining farmland where the first outbreak was detected in August.

Officials from Merial and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) would not comment on the report until its release.

–News release provided by the British Broadcasting Corp.

Purdue Launches CAFO Web Site to Aid Decision-Makers

A new web site featuring scientific information about concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) has been developed by Purdue University to help people who make decisions about their location.

“We wanted to develop a source of information that is based on science, not sentiment,” Alan Grant, head of the Department of Animal Sciences, said. “We are excited because this web site brings information from multiple disciplines together and is easy for people to access.”

The information, written by Purdue experts, is targeted to zoning boards, planning commissions, and agricultural Extension educators as well as citizens and farmers.

The site, http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/CAFO, covers environmental issues, public health issues, social and economic issues, and general information. Additional content will be added in the coming weeks.

Web site visitors also have the opportunity to ask questions relating to CAFOs. Each question will be assigned to the appropriate Purdue expert with an expected 24-hour turnaround time. Also included in the site is a news feed with other land-grant university information.

For questions and more information contact the web site operator, Paul Ebner, at 765-494-4820 or pebner@purdue.edu.

–News release provided by Purdue University.

Grain and Oilseed Exports Inside Estimates

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported for the week ending Aug. 30 that corn, soybean and wheat export inspections were within pre-report estimates, according to the Brownfield Network. The numbers, usually out on Monday, were delayed a day by the Labor Day holiday. The cumulative corn, soybean and sorghum numbers are for the 2006/2007 marketing year, which ended Aug. 31.

Wheat totaled 33.420 million bushels (bu.), down 1.985 million bu. from the prior week, but up 11.196 million bu. from a year ago. Analysts were expecting inspections of 29 million to 38 million bu. So far this marketing year, wheat inspections are 304.613 million bu., compared to 212.655 million in 2006/2007.

Corn was reported at 35.634 million bu., 880,000 bu. lower than the week ending Aug. 23 and 10.033 million bu. less than last year. Before the report, estimates ranged from 33 million to 38 million bu. At this point in the 2006/2007 marketing year, corn inspections were 2.043 billion bu., compared to 2.067 billion just before the end of 2005/2006.

Soybeans came out at 12.049 million bu., 1.354 million under the week before and 376,000 below a year ago. Pre-report expectations ranged from 8 million bu. to 13 million bu. The final numbers weren’t in yet, according to the report, but toward the end of the marketing year bean inspections were 1.105 billion bu., compared to 934.902 million at this time last year.

Sorghum totaled 2.793 million bu. That is 2.149 million lower than the previous week but 910,000 higher than the week ending Aug. 31, 2006. Inspections for 2006/2007 were 147.646 million bu., compared to 174.627 million bu. in 2005/2006.

–News release provided by the Brownfield Network Agricultural News.