News Update
July 22, 2010

AVMA Applauds Legislation to End Shortage of Veterinarians in Rural Areas

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) today applauded U.S. Senators Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) for introducing the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act (S. 3621).

The bipartisan legislation will help the country address a critical shortage of veterinarians serving our rural areas by making the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) tax-exempt, thereby increasing the number of veterinarians who can participate in the program. The act would also apply to similar state programs that encourage veterinarians to practice in underserved communities.

Rather than awarding the full funding for this program each year, the current form of the VMLRP requires that 39% of the money it receives be returned to the U.S. Treasury as a federal tax, unlike its counterpart program for human medicine, the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.

“By making the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program tax-exempt, we will be sending more veterinarians into areas around the country that lack professionals possessing critical expertise in animal care, food safety and public health,” said AVMA CEO Ron DeHaven. “If the Johnson-Crapo bill passes, it will remove the program’s tax burden, allowing enough additional funds to provide one additional veterinarian for every three veterinarians currently scheduled to receive awards. These additional veterinarians in underserved areas would go a long way to further protect our nation’s food supply and public health.”

“Communities in rural America depend on the health of their livestock for their livelihood, but many have no practicing veterinarian,” Johnson said. “The demand is only expected to increase by double digits over the next six years alone. This bill will make it easier to bring more veterinarians to these underserved areas and meet this demand.”

Nationwide, there are 500 counties that have at least 5,000 farm animals but no veterinarians in the area to treat them. This shortage could have dire consequences on human and animal health, public safety, animal welfare, disease surveillance and economic development. The demand for veterinarians across the United States could increase by 14% by 2016.

The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act already has the support of 123 animal, agricultural and veterinary medicine organizations nationwide.

— Release by AVMA.

Hay Storage Cost Analyzer Available

Hay is the third most valuable crop produced in Iowa, yet some producers lose as much as a fourth of their crop from improperly storing it. Iowa State University (ISU) Extension economist William Edwards said a new decision aid for comparing the costs of different hay storage options is now available on ISU Extension’s Ag Decision Maker (ADM) website.

“This free electronic spreadsheet can compare up to eight alternatives at a time,” Edwards said. “The standard for comparison is storing bales on bare ground with no cover. This is the least-cost method, but also results in the most storage loss. Other methods include outdoor uncovered storage on gravel or pallets, outdoor covered storage, storage under a roof, and storage in a new or existing building.”

Several types of cost are considered in the analysis, he said. Initial investments in storage structure, tarps, gravel and pallets are amortized over their individual expected lives. Annual costs such as repairs, insurance and property taxes are part of the spreadsheet, as are estimated labor costs for storing and feeding the hay. And, the estimated value of spoilage losses under each system is considered.

“Users will need to enter the expected volume of hay to be produced or that’s needed, current hay prices and the size of bales they use,” Edwards said. “For each method, a total annual cost is calculated, which includes spoilage losses and the tons of hay available to feed or sell.”

The Excel®-based spreadsheet “Hay Storage Cost Comparison” is available for viewing and download on the ADM website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/xls/a1-15haystoragecost.xls.

— Release by ISU Extension.

Tool Available to Help Livestock Producers Determine Extent of Threat From Heat, Humidity

A string of hot, humid days through much of the Plains and Midwest this summer has taken a toll on cattle, according to Kansas State University (K-State) veterinarian Larry Hollis.

To help cattle producers and feedlot managers determine the risk of such conditions, the University of Nebraska developed a Temperature-Humidity Index. The index is part of a Livestock Weather Hazard Guide, posted on the Ardmore, Okla., website of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation: http://www.noble.org/Ag/Livestock/Heat/.

“When there is no daytime wind and/or nighttime temperatures do not drop below 75° so conditions reach a score of 75 (on the Temperature-Humidity Index), producers should be on the alert for heat stress problems,” Hollis said. “When the index reaches 79, the situation has reached the danger point. An index of 84 means emergency conditions exist.”

Panting scores probably give the best visual method to estimate the severity of heat stress on cattle, he added. If cattle are panting at a rate of 80 to 120 breaths per minute, they are in moderate stress; 120 to160 breaths per minute mark the danger zone; and more than 160 should be considered an emergency.

“When they see signs of moderate heat stress, producers may have a very short time to provide a mechanism for cooling the cattle before the situation becomes life-threatening,” the veterinarian said.

— Release by K-State Research and Extension.

More Technological Advances Critical for Adequate Food Supply, Review Finds

More technological advances — not fewer — are critical to ensure a sufficient food supply for the growing global population, according to a comprehensive new report from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).

The first-of-its-kind scientific review, which will be published in the 2010 issue of Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, summarizes the historical developments of agriculture and food technology, details various food manufacturing methods and explains why food is processed. According to the report, FAO estimates that by 2050, food production must increase by 70% — 34% higher than today — to feed the anticipated 9 billion people.

“Thanks to food science and technology and modern food manufacturing methods, nutritional deficiencies and inconsistent food availability can be addressed, harvests can be protected and various commodities can be transformed into new products having specific nutrients for better health and wellness,” said John Floros, of the Pennsylvania State University Department of Food Science. “However, this success has distanced consumers from the agricultural origins of today’s food products and understanding of why processing is important. As a result, there are concerns and misconceptions regarding food safety, and the food system’s effect on health and the environment,” he said.
The report notes that advances in agriculture and food science and technology have provided reduction in nutrient deficiency-related diseases; enhanced food safety and consistent quality; decreased home food-preparation time; a large variety of delicious food choices; reduced food waste; lower household food costs than ever before; food and meal convenience options; products specifically formulated to meet the nutritional needs of specific subpopulations; and efficient global food distribution, which can be exploited in times of natural and man-made disasters.

The report addresses head-on a growing bias against processed foods, detailing the reasons for processing and the benefits that processed foods offer: preservation, extending the harvest in a safe and stable form; safety; quality; availability; convenience; innovation; health and wellness; and sustainability. In fact, the report observes that people “process” foods in the home by microwave cooking, dehydrating or even following recipes to bake cakes and casseroles.

In underdeveloped nations, according to the report, as much as half of the food produced never gets consumed because of the lack of packaging, processing and distribution methods.

“Although the private sector carries out these processes and delivers the final product to the consumer, public investment in generating the science and engineering base necessary to continue the creativity and ultimate application of new technologies is clearly warranted,” the report said.

Regarding obesity concerns, the report says food manufacturers have been able to provide many more options than were available years ago for consumers who seek to manage their weight. These options include food and beverage products with reduced caloric density and packaging as a component of portion control.

“With science and technology solutions available to address specific issues throughout the food system, our ability to feed a growing population in a sustainable way, while safeguarding both human and planet health, looks not only possible, but also promising. We must, however, remain steadfast and rational about our approach, to help both humanity and nature,” the report concludes.

To view this report in its entirety, go to http://bit.ly/c3W8ii.

— Release by the American Meat Institute.

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