Japan Increases Tariff on U.S. Frozen Beef

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Beef, Cattle, NCBA, Trade, usda

The government of Japan says rising imports of frozen beef in the first quarter of the Japanese fiscal year (April-June) have triggered a safeguard, resulting in an automatic increase in Japan’s tariff rate under the WTO on imports of frozen beef from the U.S. Exports of beef and beef products to Japan totaled $1.5 billion last year, making it our top market.

The increase, from 38.5 percent to 50 percent, will begin August 1, 2017 and last through March 31, 2018. The tariff would affect only exporters from countries, including the U.S., which do not have free trade agreements with Japan currently in force.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said, “I am concerned that an increase in Japan’s tariff on frozen beef imports will impede U.S. beef sales and is likely to increase the United States’ overall trade deficit with Japan. This would harm our important bilateral trade relationship with Japan on agricultural products. It would also negatively affect Japanese consumers by raising prices and limiting their access to high-quality U.S. frozen beef. I have asked representatives of the Japanese government directly and clearly to make every effort to address these strong concerns, and the harm that could result to both American producers and Japanese consumers.”

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Craig Uden said, “We’re very disappointed to learn that the tariff on frozen beef imports to Japan will increase from 38.5 percent to 50 percent until April 2018. Japan is the top export market for U.S. beef in both volume and value, and anything that restricts our sales to Japan will have a negative impact on America’s ranching families and our Japanese consumers. NCBA opposes artificial barriers like these because they unfairly distort the market and punish both producers and consumers. Nobody wins in this situation. Our producers lose access, and beef becomes a lot more expensive for Japanese consumers. We hope the Trump Administration and Congress realize that this unfortunate development underscores the urgent need for a bilateral trade agreement with Japan absent the Trans-Pacific Partnership.”

Perdue Remarks on Bilateral Talks in Mexico

jamie johansenAg Group, AgWired Animal, AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, International, NAFTA, Trade

While meeting with Mexican Secretary of Agriculture José Calzada Rovirosa, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today held a teleconference for U.S. media.

The two leaders engaged in bilateral talks, including a panel discussion with U.S. and Mexican producers, several agricultural site visits, and a joint press conference – seeking to build on the U.S. and Mexico’s well-developed track record of collaboration on agricultural trade issues, and on the personal relationship forged when Perdue hosted Calzada in Savannah, Ga., last month.

You can find his complete remarks and questions from media here: Secretary Perdue Remarks from Mexico

Novus Advances Sustainable Animal Ag Initiatives

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Novus International, Nutrition, sustainability

Novus International, Inc. released its annual sustainability report, highlighting improvements made toward its sustainable business goals during the last year. The report marks 2016 as a year where several large projects were launched, goals to reduce emissions were achieved and manufacturing processes were streamlined.

“We don’t just talk about minimizing pollution or reducing waste, we create real, actionable plans to make significant changes in our business for decades to come,” said Francois Fraudeau, Novus President and CEO.

In the report, Novus outlines its 2016 priorities as “optimizing production, cultivating sustainable people and advocating for the industry.” Information about programs to help customers transition to business in an increasingly antibiotic-free marketplace, develop agri-business skills in the next generation and make strategic logistical changes to significantly reduce emissions can be found in the report as sustainability initiatives.

“Sustainability means many different things to many different people. What is important is identifying where you can make a difference,” said Jake Piel, Manager of Marketing Operations at Novus.

Aptimmune Biologics Adds Veterinarian to Swine Team

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Animal Health, Aptimmune, Swine

Aptimmune Biologics announces the addition of Jessica Seate, DVM, as a veterinarian for the company’s swine division. In her new role, Seate will help launch Aptimmune’s new PRRSV and Influenza vaccines made with BARRICADE® formulation technology, as well as assist in the development of the company’s portfolio of swine vaccines.

“Dr. Seate’s extensive technical experience in swine vaccine marketing and practical experience in swine health and production makes her an ideal fit for our company,” says Aaron Gilbertie, CEO, Aptimmune Biologics. “She will be a tremendous asset to both our company and to our customers in helping them improve the health of their herds.”

Prior to joining Aptimmune, Seate worked for Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., as a swine technical manager in their marketing department in St. Joseph, MO. She also worked as a veterinarian for Smithfield Foods, where she was responsible for 50,000 sows and all the downstream production. Seate obtained her veterinary degree from Michigan State University.

Animal Ag Bites 7/24

kelly marshallAgWired Animal, Animal Bites

  • Jon Thompson is the new Strategic Account Manager for Ceva Animal Health’s swine division.  Thompson has most recently worked for Bayer Animal Health.
  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is inviting members to “Blaze a Trail” to the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention on January 31- February 2 in Phoenix, Arizona.  Registration will open October 2.
  • Crystal Ripp will be returning to the World Dairy Expo as Trade Show Manager, a position she previously held for three years.  She will oversee booth sales, on-site management, and daily communications.
  • Alltech presented their 34th Alltech Student Research Manuscript Award to Matthew Aardsma from Perdue University at the Poultry Science Association meeting in Orland last week.  This award demonstrates the company’s commitment to research and innovation.

Teachers Offered a Day on the Farm

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, soybeans, USFRA

The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council (MSR&PC) has partnered with U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) to start a program to help urban teachers learn more about agriculture so they can teach it to their students. To kick it off, educators in Minneapolis and Sacramento are invited to take a farm tour at the end of August to engage with farmers and others who work in the agriculture industry.

“We hope to teach the teachers,” said MSR&PC CEO Tom Slunecka. “We want to make sure that teachers in large cities hear the story of agriculture and have the tools to help them teach.”

The teachers who take part in the program will learn about innovation in today’s agricultural industry, sustainability, crop biotechnology, animal health and welfare. They will also learn more about USFRA’s Discovering Farmland curriculum and receive an iPod Touch and virtual reality headsets to help incorporate agricultural videos into their curriculum and classrooms.

The Minneapolis event will be held August 29 and the Sacramento event will be on August 31. Click on the links for registration information and details. There is no cost for participation and the curriculum tools are free.

Learn more in this interview and if you can help get the word out in Minneapolis and Sacramento, please do: Interview with Tom Slunecka, MSR&PC CEO

More Relief for Livestock Producers in Drought States

AgWired Animal, Beef, Livestock, usda

USDA is making the use of additional Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands available for emergency grazing and haying in and around portions of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota affected by severe drought.

“We are working to immediately address the dire straits facing drought-stricken farmers and ranchers,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. “USDA is fully considering and authorizing any federal programs or related provisions we have available to meet the immediate needs of impacted producers.”

Secretary Perdue adds that epic dry conditions, as high as D4 in some areas, coupled with an intense heatwave have left pastures in poor or very poor condition “resulting in the need for ranchers to, at best, supplement grain and hay and at worst, sell their herds.”

This new order supplements the previous CRP authorization announced on June 23.

Arkansas Cattlemen Take On the Black Headed Vulture

jamie johansenAgWired Animal, Audio, Beef, Livestock

Cattle producers seek depredation order from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife service allowing producers to control an invasive vulture species stalking and killing livestock. I was recently in North Central Arkansas where I saw first hand the devistation the Black Headed Vulture leaves in it’s wake.

Adam McClung, Executive Vice President, Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association (ACA), said, “The Black Headed Vultures and the depredation loss cattlemen are seeing has been an ongoing discussion inside the ACA with policy for a number of years. Over the last few years, the stories and testimonies we get from cattlemen give evidence of the birds moving from a migratory to predatory.”

The aggressive birds are protected under the Miragroty Bird Act and the Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma Cattlemen Association’s have come together taking policy to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. This created a greater voice for reaching out to elected officials stressing economic loss and the need to measure populations and migratory patterns of these birds.

Farmers take steps during calving season to protect their cattle, but there simply isn’t much that can be done to detour these aggressive birds. The solution to any migratory bird problem is proper management. When it comes to these birds, population reduction is the answer. Farmers can obtain annual permits to begin eliminating the invasive species. These permits will allow measurable data to be collected and used to justify the management needed. Controlling bird population without a permit can put producers in violation of the Migratory Bird Act which has serious penalties. The number of birds permitted is given on a case by case basis according to the % of population found.

“We want some help. Let’s measure these populations. Are these birds migrating or are they staying here year round,” said McClung. ACA has had many meetings with USDA-APHIS and U.S. Fish & Wildlife to get everyone on the same page with what the permit means and how it works. “Our end game and the reason for the policy is a depredation order to be filed by U.S. Fish & Wildlife. We want our cattlemen to have the right to take at time of loss.”

Listen to my complete interview with Adam and watch This Week in Agribusiness this weekend for the complete story: Interview with Adam McClung, Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association

Livestock Groups Push for FMD Vaccine Bank

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Animal Health, Beef, Disease, FMD, Government, NCBA, NPPC, Pork

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) joined more than 100 other agricultural groups and industry leaders in calling for Congress to establish and fully fund a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine bank as part of the 2018 Farm Bill.

The letter said: “An outbreak of FMD will have a devastating effect on all of agriculture – not just livestock producers – and will have long-lasting ramifications for the viability of U.S. agriculture, the maintenance of food security in this great nation, and overall national security. An outbreak of FMD would immediately close all export markets. The cumulative impact of an outbreak on the beef and pork sectors over a 10-year period would be more than $128 billion… The annual jobs impact of such a reduction in industry revenue is more than 58,000 in direct employment and nearly 154,000 in total employment.”

NCBA President Craig Uden said, “Simply put, we cannot afford to be locked out of valuable foreign markets again,” Uden said. “It’s taken us well over a decade to get back up to speed in Asia after the 2003 BSE scare, and we must have support and full funding for this FMD vaccine bank to protect our vital industry. The consequences would be catastrophic.”

“An outbreak of FMD in this country would be devastating for the U.S. pork industry,” said NPPC President-elect Jim Heimerl, a pork producer from Johnstown, Ohio, and chairman of NPPC’s Farm Bill Policy Task Force. “The next Farm Bill must establish and fully fund a vaccine bank that gives us the ability to quickly control then eradicate this animal disease.”

Animal Ag Bytes 7/17

kelly marshallAgWired Animal, Animal Bites

  • National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) brought veterinarians from around the country to Washington D.C. last week to educate members of Congress on the importance of pork industry issues. The team of 17 visited 34 representatives in two days, focusing on the 2018 Farm Bill and the establishment of a vaccine bank in the event of an outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
  • The National Pork Board is hosting the first Pig Welfare Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa on November 7-9, 2017 in order to raise awareness of issues in the industry and begin to identify potential solutions.
  • The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) General Assembly met in Denver last week. In addition to taking part in educational opportunities the group also elected new officers for the coming year.