News Update
March 20, 2009

Celebrate Ag Day 2009

Today, agricultural producers, associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and others will celebrate Ag Day 2009. The event was established to recognize the abundance provided by agriculture and encourage every American to:

• understand how food and fiber products are produced;
  
• value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy; and
• appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.
  

Although agriculture provides almost everything our nation eats, uses and wears on a daily basis, too few people truly understand this contribution. To learn how to promote agricultural awareness in your area, visit www.agday.org.

Trich initiates emergency rules for cattle industry

Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain said he is initiating emergency rules to prevent the spread of bovine trichomoniasis in state cattle herds.

Trichomoniasis or “trich,” is a bovine venereal disease that can cause substantial reproductive and economic losses in cow-calf operations.

Strain said the emergency rules went into effect March 18. State Veterinarian Henry Moreau said bovine trichomoniasis has been found in at least four herds in Louisiana.  Cattle trichomoniasis is not a human health issue.

State cattlemen have already lost more than $1 million during the last 12 months due to the disease.

Moreau said bulls can become chronic carriers of the disease and pass the Tritrichomonas foetus (T. foetus) protozoan to heifers or cows during natural breeding.

Generally, the disease is asymptomatic in bulls.

Infections in female cattle can result in early embryonic death, abortion, pyometra (pus-filled uterus) or infertility.

Tritrichomonas foetus is transmitted when an infected bull breeds a susceptible cow or heifer, or when a susceptible bull breeds an infected cow or heifer. Very rarely is T. foetus ever transmitted by contaminated semen or artificial insemination (AI) equipment, especially if semen is purchased from reputable AI studs and used with hygienic AI techniques.

Moreau said the emergency rules require all non-virgin out-of-state bulls to be tested and disease-free before entry to Louisiana is allowed.

The emergency rules also stipulate that all Louisiana veterinarians must report the diagnosis of bovine trichomoniasis to the state veterinarian. Bulls diagnosed with the infection are to be taken out of breeding service and sold for slaughter.

Moreau said trichomoniasis has been reported in Texas and other states but it’s the first time he has encountered verified reports of the disease in Louisiana.

Texas will institute emergency rules April 1, Moreau said.

A special training seminar to teach state and private veterinarians how to recognize trichomoniasis symptoms in herds and develop sampling techniques will take place at the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Veterinary Medicine March 27.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) and LSU AgCenter will be co-hosting the event.

The emergency rules are in effect for four months and will be renewed until they can be put into the permanent rules governing cattle operations in the state, Strain said.

“The cattle industry is very important to Louisiana's agricultural and overall economy,” Strain said. “I will do everything I can to make sure our herds are kept safe.”

More information about bovine trichomoniasis may be found at the LDAF website at www.ldaf.state.la.us.

— Release provided by Louisiana State University.

Meat, Poultry Evade Mexico’s Tariff Hikes

Meat and poultry products won’t be among U.S. products subject to retaliatory tariffs published by the Mexican government March 18 in the Official Diary, according to American Meat Insitute (AMI).

The list details U.S. products that will be subject to the tariffs because of the recent termination of the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) pilot program to allow Mexican trucks to operate on U.S. roads.

Fruits and vegetables, juices, wines and Christmas trees are among the products that will be subjected to the tariff. Most agricultural products will be assessed punitive import tariffs of 20%, while some other goods will be charged duties of up to 40%.

The duties will take effect March 19. Mexico did not specify how long the retaliatory tariffs will remain in place, but said it would reconsider them as soon as the U.S. comes up with a trucking program to replace the pilot program.

The U.S. Congress eliminated funding for a pilot cross-border trucking project in the fiscal 2009 omnibus spending bill because of continued concerns about the safety of Mexican trucks.  The Mexican government argues that the trucking program ban puts the United States in violation of NAFTA’s cross-border trucking commitments.

After Mexico threatened to slap $2.4 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods over the demise of a pilot cross-border trucking program, President Obama called on Congress to come up with a new pilot program allowing Mexican trucks to continue transporting goods in the United States.

The President has asked the Transportation Department to work with the U.S. Trade Representative and State Department — along with Congress and Mexican officials — to come up with legislation creating a new cross-border trucking project.

— Release provided by AMI.

HBO Documentary ‘Death on a Factory Farm’ Airs

HBO aired a documentary titled “Death on a Factory Farm,” March 16, and plans to run the show through April 1, according to Drovers.

The 87-minute documentary features undercover video by an individual on behalf of the Humane Farming Association and is based on an animal abuse incident at a hog farm in Creston, Ohio, that took place in 2006, Drovers reports.

The footage depicted incidents of animal abuse as well as the court case where the owner and two employees were on trial for animal abuse charges, according to Drovers.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and National Pork Board released a statement, “These types of challenges demonstrate why it is critical for all the industry to come together and support the ‘We Care’ program,” said Dallas Hockman, NPPC’s vice president of industry relations. “It is the responsibility of each and every producer to demonstrate his/her commitment to continuous improvement and sound business practices.”

NPPC called on all producers to practice safe animal handling standards.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.