News Update
May 29, 2015
Controlling Horn Flies
Horn flies annually account for about $1 billion in economic losses for cattle producers in the United States. Control of horn flies became very convenient with the introduction of insecticide ear tags. The early ear tags contained pyrethroid insecticides and were very effective ... for a while.
After only a few years, flies began to develop resistance to pyrethroid insecticides. Why? The short generation length and high reproductive rate of horn flies played a large role in resistance development. Resistance management should be included in any fly-control program, regardless of the product used or the application method. Some guidelines that help with insecticide-resistant horn flies include: only treat when levels exceed 200 flies per animal, delay early spring treatments and remove insecticide ear tags in the fall.
Read more tips for reducing insecticide-resistant horn flies online in the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA. And make sure you’re subscribed to receive the free, monthly e-newsletter by visiting the following link.
— Adapted from an article by Brian Beer, Clemson Cooperative Extension
Farm Bureau asks Congress to Repeal COOL
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) announced May 27 support for efforts in Congress to repeal a law that forces food distributors to label beef, chicken and pork products as to their country of origin. The request comes on the heels of a World Trade Organization ruling that grants Canada and Mexico the right to retaliate against the United States if it fails to stop the program by mid-November.
“While we were hopeful that WTO would have found COOL to be legal, it is now clear that we are far better off with no mandatory labeling for beef, pork and chicken, which should end threats of retaliation by our two closest trading partners,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman.
The House Agriculture Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Mike Conaway (R-Texas), last week passed a bill to remove the language from current law. A vote by the full House could happen within days.
“We are pleased the House Agriculture Committee has moved to repeal country-of-origin labeling for beef, pork and chicken, and we ask the full House to do likewise,” Stallman said.
For more information, please view the full Farm Bureau news release.
Agricultural Lenders See Increase in Support
for Customers Facing Ag Efficiency Cycle
A survey of Farm Credit lenders in America’s heartland shows an increased demand for market risk management services as farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses respond to a tightening agriculture economy. AgriBank, the Saint Paul, Minn.-based Farm Credit Bank, released the poll with a new report that examines trends in net farm income and farm balance sheets and points to the need for producers to act now to position themselves for success.
When asked which service has seen the greatest increase in demand in 2015, 57.1% named market risk management. These same lenders reported significant growth in demand for assistance with business planning, interest rate risk management and crop/revenue insurance.
“In recent years, crop farmers across America’s heartland have generally enjoyed a period of strong financial progress. However, in the past few years, commodity prices have declined significantly, and net farm income, based on USDA forecasts, is expected to fall over the next decade,” said Jeff Swanhorst, AgriBank’s chief credit officer. “Producers who see today’s environment as an agriculture efficiency cycle—and find ways to drive down cost per unit of production—can position themselves for continued success.”
For more information on the AgriBank report, please view the full news release.
April Farm Prices Received Index Increased 2.0%
The April Prices Received Index (Agricultural Production), at 104, increased 2.0% from March. The Crop Production Index, at 89, increased 3.5%. At 116, the Livestock Production Index decreased 0.9%. Producers received higher prices for broilers, cattle, onions and hay but lower prices for market eggs, hogs, corn and oranges. In addition to prices, the indexes are impacted by the five-year average monthly mix of commodities producers market.
Increased monthly movement of strawberries, milk, broilers and oranges offset the decreased marketing of corn, cattle, soybeans and hay. The Prices Received Index is down 9.6% from the previous year. The Food Commodities Index, at 111, increased 0.9% from the previous month but is down 11% from April 2014.
Livestock Production: The index for April, at 116, is 0.9% below the previous month and down 11% from April a year earlier. Compared with a year ago, prices are lower for milk, hogs, broilers and market eggs. Prices for cattle, calves and turkeys are up from a year earlier.
Meat animal: At 127, the April index is unchanged from the previous month but is 3.1% lower than a year earlier. At $49 per hundredweight (cwt.), the April hog price is down $1.30 from March and $39.80 lower than a year earlier. The April beef cattle price of $162 per cwt. is up $2 from the previous month and is $14 higher than April 2014.
View the full National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) report online.
Registration Open for International Animal Mortality Management Symposium
Online registration is now open at www.animalmortmgmt.org for the 5th International Symposium on Managing Animal Mortalities, Products, By-Products, & Associated Health Risks: Connecting Research, Regulations and Responses. The conference, to be hosted Sept. 28-Oct. 1 will take place at the Lancaster Marriot at Penn Square in Lancaster, Pa.
Catastrophic losses of poultry and livestock caused by disease, fire, or weather-related stresses, and routine losses associated with large-scale production operations, have become significant environmental, biosecurity and waste management concerns around the globe. The Symposium will highlight new research, current and emerging disposal methodologies, and critical assessments of public policy, with the intent to capture and disseminate new information on these topics, and to stimulate development of additional research, policy development and educational programs.
Active learning will be achieved through an Emergency Exercise, “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Outbreak.” This Emergency Exercise will include breakout sessions and active participation in facilitated scenario discussions.
Participants will also have the opportunity to see how many Symposium topics related to managing animal mortality can be put into practice by touring a variety of farms and businesses involved in Pennsylvania’s beef, dairy, swine and poultry industries.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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