News Update
June 25, 2009

Bank Of America Partners With HSUS

Bank of America has partnered with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to provide a Bank of America VISA check card.

Today’s Cattlenetwork.com offering features a form letter that you can use to ask Bank of America to reconsider its partnership with the animal rights group that is often confused with local Humane Society shelters.

Click here for more.

Animal Science Programs, Graduate Numbers Suffer As Funding Declines

Animal science researchers have long recognized the scientific benefits of using domestic farm animals as research models in the quest to benefit the health of both animals and humans. Many critical findings in human reproduction, nutrition and overall human well-being were discovered using domestic farm animals. Although researchers in both agricultural and biomedical research fields understand the benefits of using domestic animals as research models, funding for this kind of research pales in comparison with funding allotted for research using other types of animal models, such as mice.

Michigan State University (MSU) animal science professors James Ireland, George Smith and Jose Cibelli and five colleagues from other institutions warned in the recent issue of Science that the continuing decline in federal funding for animal and biomedical research jeopardizes animal science studies. The researchers noted that, though the economic value of livestock and poultry in the United States exceeds $132 billion, only 0.04% ($32.15 million) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) budget was allocated to its competitive grants programs for research involving farm animals. In comparison, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget for human health research is nearly $30 billion.

Bridging the vast disparity between the total budgets available for research grants focused in animal agriculture and human health (about 900% more) is the focus of several papers written by the MSU professors. They warn that a continuing decline in animal agriculture research funding jeopardizes the entire field of animal science, right down to the producer level.

“Without basic research, we do not have the foundations for the applied research that can benefit livestock producers,” Ireland says. “The lack of research funding affects all areas of study, including graduate students, farm operations and animal science faculty at nearly every land-grant university.”

The decrease in federal funding for basic research is taking its toll on the MSU Department of Animal Science. The number of graduate students in the department fell from more than 100 in the 1980s to 74 in 1992 to 30 in 2008. This trend in declining graduate program enrollment is being seen at universities all across the country. In June 2008, Ireland and his colleagues reported that the number of doctoral degrees awarded in animal science declined 30% from 1985 to 2004.

To help reverse this trend, the MSU researchers are working to influence others to take a closer look at the benefits of using domestic animals, instead of mice, as research models. Currently 98% of biomedical research is conducted using mice.

“There are numerous examples in the biomedical field that point to the fact that domestic farm animals make better research models,” Ireland says. “For example, chickens contract ovarian cancer as humans do, pigs develop chronic diseases such as obesity, ulcers and heart disease, and cows make excellent models for reproduction studies.”

The MSU professors point to the fact that 17 Nobel laureates used farm animals as research models. The evolution of genome sequencing, including the landmark bovine genome sequence released in April, promises new insights into gene function and genetic and environmental influences on animal production and human disease.

Ireland states that maximizing domestic animals as dual-purpose models to solve problems common to both animal agriculture and biomedicine will require changes on both sides. He argues that the NIH panels reviewing grant applications planning to use farm animals need to include individuals with the necessary expertise in that area. Conversely, he challenges the colleges of agriculture and veterinary medicine to work more closely with researchers in the broader life sciences community and to pursue more NIH funding.

“The ‘protected island fortress’ of agriculture, usually located on the ‘other side’ of campus, is an anachronism that is no longer viable as state and federal support for research with large animal models declines,” Ireland says.

— Release provided by MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination

JBS Swift Beef Co., a Greeley, Colo., establishment, is recalling approximately 41,280 pounds (lb.) of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The beef products were produced on April 21 and 22 and were shipped to distributors and retail establishments in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.

The problem was discovered through FSIS microbiological sampling and an investigation into the distribution of other products.

Media with questions about the recall should contact company Spokesperson Chandler Keys at 202-907-4253. Consumers with questions about the recall should contact the company’s Consumer Hotline at 1-800-555-7675.

For the full news release, which included products subject to the recall, click here.

— Adapted from release provided by USDA.

New Network to Protect Crops, Forests, Food Supply

A new partnership announced June 24 between Ohio State University and the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) will enhance the protection of Ohio’s crops, forests and food supply.

Bobby Moser, Ohio State’s associate vice president for agricultural administration and dean for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, joined ODA director Bob Boggs in announcing the establishment of the Ohio Plant Diagnostic Network (OPDN). The announcement was made in conjunction with the dedication of a new Plant Industry Building in Reynoldsburg, in which the Ohio Plant Diagnostic Network will be housed.

The OPDN will be a part of the USDA’s National Plant Diagnostic Network, and brings together all labs within ODA, Ohio State University (OSU) Extension, the Ohio Agricultural, Research, and Development Center (OARDC), and outreach facilities in Ohio counties, that conduct diagnostic work.

“The network provides a quick detection, response and recovery approach to high-consequence disease or pest outbreaks so that crops, forest products and our food supply can be protected,” Moser said. Recent examples of high-consequence diseases or pests include emerald ash borer, Asian soybean rust and sudden oak death.

— Adapted from an OSU News & Media Relations release written by Candace Pollock.

Novartis Animal Health sponsors ‘Ultimate Heifer Makeover’ competition

Four North Carolina beef cattle enthusiasts received first place honors in the “Ultimate Heifer Makeover” competition during the North Carolina Junior Beef Roundup (NCJBR) June 5-7 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The event was sponsored by Novartis Animal Health US Inc., which is headquartered in Greensboro, NC.

Sarah McEntire of Four Oaks, Jordan Kennedy of Kinston, and Jordan and Sidney Cox of Trenton were this year’s winners of the competition, which showcased cattle fitting skills and teamwork. Each member of the winning team received cattle grooming clippers and an award medal. Second- and third-place team participants received gift certificates for cattle grooming supplies and award medals.

A total of 36 participants made up nine teams that took part in the event. Each team was required to have four members, and only one member could be between the ages of 17-21 years; all others had to be younger. Beef heifers used in the contest had to be entered in the cattle show.

Once all teams had finished preparing their heifers in the wash area, they were timed for 30 minutes to finish grooming their cattle. Only clippers, conditioning products, blowers, combs and brushes could be used. Once the time ran out, one member from each team presented the team’s heifer in the showring to four judges who asked questions, evaluated work and determined the winners.

The NCJBRU was started in 1983 to provide comprehensive evaluations of 4-H members’ knowledge of the cattle industry. The event is organized by junior beef enthusiasts and their advisors, and representatives of the Purebred Breeders Council, North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association and North Carolina State University 4-H and Youth Livestock Department. The NCJBRU includes a showmanship competition, heifer show, a fitting/grooming competition, and photography and poster contests. In 2009, 128 participants showed a total 258 cattle.

— Adapted from a release provided by Novartis Animal Health.

From left, North Carolina residents Sarah McEntire of Four Oaks, Jordan Kennedy of Kinston, and Jordan and Sidney Cox of Trenton were the winners of the North Carolina Junior Beef Roundup “Ultimate Heifer Makeover” contest sponsored by Novartis Animal Health US Inc. Each member of the team received cattle grooming clippers and a first place award medal. Photo courtesy of Martin Macqueen.

— Compiled by Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc.