News Update
Dec. 17, 2009

New Vaccines May Help Thwart E. coli O157:H7

Immunizing calves with either of two forms of a vaccine newly developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists might reduce the spread of sometimes deadly Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria. The microbe can flourish in the animals’ digestive tracts, yet doesn’t cause them to show clinical symptoms of illness.

In humans, however, E. coli can cause bouts of diarrhea and, sometimes, life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Research microbiologists Vijay Sharma and Thomas Casey developed the novel vaccines in their laboratories at the agency’s National Animal Disease Center (NADC) in Ames, Iowa, and are seeking a patent for it.

Preventing E. coli O157:H7 from proliferating inside cattle helps limit contamination of meat at the packinghouse, and reduces shedding of the microbe into the animals’ manure. Manure-borne E. coli can be moved by rainfall into drinking water. What’s more, it can end up in irrigation water, and can contaminate fruits, vegetables or other crops, increasing risk of an outbreak of foodborne illness.

One form of the vaccine is comprised of cells of a strain of E. coli O157:H7 that is lacking a gene known as hha. A second form of the vaccine contains an E. coli strain lacking both hha and a second gene, sepB. In either vaccine, the E. coli strain produces a large quantity of what are known as immunogenic proteins. These proteins trigger the immune system response that prevents E. coli O157:H7 from successfully colonizing cattle intestines.

In preliminary tests, Holstein calves were immunized at age 3 months with a placebo or either form of the vaccine. Six weeks later, the animals were given a dose of E. coli O157:H7, and, for the next 18 days, their manure was tested for evidence of the microbe. Calves that received either vaccine had reduced or non-detectable levels of E. coli in their manure within only a few days after being inoculated with the bacteria, Sharma and Casey found.

Some of the scientists’ earliest work with the hha gene is documented in the journal FEMS Microbiology Letters.

ARS is the principal intramural scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The E. coli investigations help ensure food safety, a USDA top priority.

— Release by ARS.

Agri Beef Co Donates 60,000 Pounds of Beef and Pork to Northwest Families

Agri Beef Co. partnered with two nonprofit food banks this month to ensure that thousands of Pacific Northwest families, children and senior citizens have much-needed protein.

Agri Beef donated marinated steaks, bone-in hams, sliced short ribs, sweet Italian sausage and other beef and pork products to The Idaho Foodbank in Boise and the Second Harvest Inland Northwest in Spokane, Wash. In all, Agri Beef donated 60,000 pounds of food this month, which will provide 160,000 servings of nutritious protein.

In addition to the beef and pork products, Agri Beef made a cash donation of $50,000 to each of the food banks, for a total of $100,000 this year. In the past five years, Agri Beef has donated $250,000 to both Second Harvest and The Idaho Foodbank for a total corporate contribution of $500,000 to fight hunger in the Northwest over the period.

“Agri Beef is a family-owned company, and we care about the health and nutrition of our neighboring families in the Northwest,” said Rick Stott, executive vice president of business development for Agri Beef. “Our job is about feeding people — we provide delicious and healthy protein for all our customers. Partnering with the Idaho Foodbank and Second Harvest just makes sense for us. We are honored that our family can help feed other families in need.”

USDA guidelines recommend consuming an average of 6 ounces of protein per day, per person. But for families and seniors in need, protein is often a luxury they go without.

“This is an incredibly generous donation and couldn’t arrive at a more critical time,” says Karen Vauk, The Idaho Foodbank President and CEO. “We are committed to acquiring nutritious food for our partner agencies to distribute. Meat is one of the hardest to get, yet it is one of the most requested and most desperately needed. Agri Beef Co. is as committed to feeding people as we are, and this delivery will quickly go to feed hungry families throughout Idaho this winter.”

The Idaho Foodbank is distributing the meat to its network of mobile food pantries, as is Second Harvest, which distributes food throughout Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.

“Especially now, with so many more vulnerable families and seniors at risk of hunger, we are deeply appreciative of Agri Beef’s continued willingness to be a part of the hunger solution in our community,” said Jason Clark, executive director of Second Harvest. “Agri Beef has been committed to hunger relief in our community for many years.”

— Release by Agri Beef Co.

Impact of Climate Change Legislation on Cow-calf Feeder Livestock Prices

Joseph Glauber, USDA chief economist, recently testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Agriculture Subcommittee. He described the effects of proposed climate change legislation on the agricultural sector. By 2015, he said, corn production would decline by 1.4%, while prices would rise from the baseline estimate of $4.03 per bushel (bu.) to $4.32 per bu. He also predicted that fed-beef production would fall 0.4% by 2015 and that prices would rise by 1.4%.

Does this imply that North Dakota cow-calf producers could expect higher prices and be better off after the passage of climate change legislation?

Well, not exactly. Usually, when fed-beef prices go up, it is due to rising consumer demand in the marketplace. With greater demand, cattle buyers can pay more for feeder cattle and pass the costs on to consumers while still enjoying greater profitability.

In this case, fed-beef prices will go up because feedlot costs are expected to face several increased costs. This means that prices need to increase or else feedlot owners will be unable to cover all of their expenses and face foreclosure.

As mentioned above, increasing corn prices will raise the cost of production and overall feedlot costs. It’s not only corn prices that cause this increase. Since corn will be more expensive to finance, interest charges also will increase. The same holds for insurance and other direct costs that are a function of animal value.

Feedlots also will face greater scrutiny from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The 11 largest operations nationwide have been targeted by the EPA and will have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions stemming from methane production. The feedlots will invest in new technology to lower these emissions or purchase carbon credits from other firms that have generated more than they can utilize. In either case, operating costs will rise.

When feedlots have a cost of production increase, they either can pass those costs on to consumers or pay less for calves coming into their facilities. Market pressure and competition from other meat products usually limit price increase opportunities. Consumer meat prices are inelastic. This implies that consumption doesn’t vary much through time or with respect to price.

The alternative is to lower the price feedlot owners are willing to pay for cattle entering their feedlots. In essence, while the EPA is targeting only the 11 largest operations, the ramifications of the regulations will trickle down to other feedlots and cow-calf producers, so the prices offered may tend lower.

— Release by North Dakota State University Agriculture Communications.

‘Feeding the Cow Herd for Maximum Profit’ School Set for Jan. 13-14

An intensive two-day school on Feeding the Cow Herd for Maximum Profit will be Jan. 13 and 14, 2010, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. each day at the Colby Community Building in Colby, Kan. This hands-on program is designed to help producers refine their understanding of cow nutrition and find the most cost-effective means to achieve optimal cow performance with today’s rising feed costs.

The workshop will be led by Danny Simms, former Kansas State University (K-State) Research and Extension beef specialist and author of the book “Feeding the Cow Herd for Maximum Profit.” Producers will have the opportunity to integrate what they have learned into their own rations with the help of the KSU BRANDS ration-balancing program.

Topics covered over the two-day course will include: Feeding for reproduction; Using Body Condition Scores; Evaluating Diet Adequacy; Economics of Supplementation; Supplementation of Protein and Energy; Mineral Supplementation; and Managing Feed Costs. Producers are encouraged to bring their own forage analysis for use in exercises.

The registration cost is $145, which includes the book Feeding the Cow Herd for Maximum Profit (an $80 value), meals and refreshments. Class size is limited to the first 25 registered. The deadline for registration is Jan. 8, 2010. More information is available by contacting Sandy Johnson, sandyj@ksu.edu, 785-462-6281 or Lori Fabian, lfabian@ksu.edu, 785-462-6281. The program is sponsored by K-State Research and Extension.

— Release provided by K-State Research and Extension.

— Compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.