News Update
April 4, 2018
UK Extension Helps Livestock
Producers Deter Black Vultures
Black vultures are a concern for livestock producers throughout Kentucky, particularly this time of the year, as they can kill newborn calves and other juvenile livestock. University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture, Food and Environment faculty and staff are working with Kentucky producers to find low-cost, legal options to control these birds and prevent livestock losses.
Controlling black vultures is challenging, because the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects them. This act makes it illegal to kill them without a valid federal permit. A highly intelligent bird, the vulture is difficult to kill even with a valid permit.
It’s their intelligence that Matt Springer, UK assistant extension professor for wildlife management, is hoping to use to control them. Springer and his graduate student Jonathan Matthews designed an effigy of a black vulture using a rubber stall mat and specifications from similar designs developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the USDA’s Wildlife Services.
An effigy is an image or representation of a particular species.
The idea is if black vultures see the effigy of the bird hanging upside down from a high post or tree, they will assume it’s an actual dead bird and stay away from the area.
Continue reading this Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.
USMEF Statement on China’s Latest Tariff Announcement
On April 4, the Chinese government announced a proposal to levy retaliatory tariffs of 25% on China’s imports of agricultural and food products from the United States, including U.S. beef.
U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom said regarding the tariffs:
“China is a promising market for U.S. beef, and, since the June 2017 reopening, the U.S. industry has made an exceptional effort to provide customers with high-quality beef at an affordable price. This is not an easy task, due to our 13-year absence from the market and China’s beef import requirements.
“Over the past nine months, interest in U.S. beef has steadily gained momentum in China and our customer base has grown. But if an additional import tariff is imposed on U.S. beef, these constructive business relationships, and opportunities for further growth, will be put at risk. USMEF is hopeful that this trade dispute can be resolved without China introducing additional obstacles for U.S. beef.
“In the second half of 2017, following the market reopening, U.S. beef exports to China totaled 3,020 metric tons (mt) valued at $31 million. In January 2018, exports reached the highest monthly volume to date at 819 mt, valued at $7.5 million.”
Cattlemen Respond to China Including U.S. Beef
on Retaliatory Tariff List
Kent Bacus, director of international trade and market access for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), said regarding the announcement that China has included American-produced beef on a list of proposed retaliatory tariffs:
“It is unsettling to see American-produced beef listed as a target for retaliation. Sadly, we are not surprised, as this is an inevitable outcome of any trade war. This is a battle between two governments, and the unfortunate casualties will be America’s cattlemen and women and our consumers in China. The Trump administration has until the end of May to resolve this issue. We believe in trade enforcement, but endless retaliation is not a good path forward for either side.”
USDA Prioritizes Investments to Address
Opioid Crisis in Rural America
Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett April 4 announced that the USDA is giving funding priority in two key grant programs to address opioid misuse in rural communities.
“The opioid epidemic is dramatically impacting prosperity in many small towns and rural places across the country,” Hazlett said. “With this focused investment, we are targeting our resources to be a strong partner to rural communities in building an effective local response to this significant challenge.”
USDA is reserving $5 million in the Community Facilities Grant Program and is giving priority to Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant (DLT) Program applications proposing innovative projects to address the opioid epidemic in rural communities.
In the Community Facilities grant program, rural communities, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized tribes can apply through the usual Community Facilities grant application process for grants up to $150,000 for innovative projects such as mobile treatment clinics. Community Facilities grants may fund up to 75% of an eligible project.
Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant program applicants will receive priority for telemedicine projects with the primary purpose of providing opioid prevention, treatment or recovery services.
Learn more in the USDA news release online.
American Farm Bureau Federation Helps Launch
‘No Taste for Waste’ Campaign
On April 3 the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) joined a collaborative effort to reduce food waste and loss. The “No Taste for Waste” campaign features an interactive website, special edition “bookazine” and social media resources for consumers interested in reducing household food waste, and for farmers and ranchers who are taking steps to fight food loss in their fields.
AFBF and other partners, including Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN, Valent BioSciences Corporation and FLM Harvest, collaborated with the CropLife Foundation and Meredith Agrimedia to launch the “No Taste for Waste” campaign. The campaign connects consumers to real farmers, like Washington state apple growers Mike and April Clayton, who work hard to use sustainable practices and act as good stewards of the land, while reducing food waste.
“Farmers and ranchers are leading the charge toward greater efficiency and less waste in our food system, from field to fork,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “By adopting technology in our fields and new farming practices, we are reducing waste while producing high-quality, healthy food.”
A bookazine, titled Waste Less, Save Money! produced and distributed by Meredith Agrimedia, is an illustrated publication that includes recipes, meal-planning tips and stories about how farmers use innovative ag technology to reduce waste on the farm and in their communities.
Read the Farm Bureau news release online.
Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.