Animal Ag Bites 7/22

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  • Ariana Negreiro was recently selected as the Vita Plus dairy nutrition and management fellowship student at Michigan State University. Negreiro is the sixth student to participate in the program.
  • PMI announces the addition of Kevin DeHaan, Ph.D., to its team as a regional account sales manager. In this role, DeHaan will provide technical support to cattle producers and feedlot managers in the western United States.
  • California adopted USDA’s Federal Milk Marketing Order system of pricing and pooling milk on Nov. 1, 2018, resolving price disparities between California and the rest of the United States. According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division, the FMMO did not change the underlying market forces that determine what milk produced in California is worth. It only nudged the regulated price higher and added safety valves to pay milk under class prices if supply exceeds demand.
  • Idaho families struggling with hunger just got a big boost from Dairy West. The organization, which represents Idaho and Utah dairy farmers, recently donated a new refrigerated truck to The Idaho Foodbank to increase the nonprofit’s ability to safely store milk and other perishable food products and deliver them to food pantries throughout the Gem State.

ZimmCast 621 – Ag Media Summit/IFAJ Congress Preview

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This week we have a preview of the upcoming 2019 Ag Media Summit and International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress in Minneapolis/Bloomington, Minnesota. This is the largest gathering of agriculture’s top writers, editors, photographers, publishers and communication specialists in the U.S. This year’s dates are July 26-31 for the Congress with AMS overlapping on July 27-31. The last time the two programs were held together was in 2009 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The annual Ag Media Summit includes AAEA The Agricultural Communicators Network, the Livestock Publications Council and the Connectiv Agri-Media Committee. With the addition of IFAJ, more than 700 media and communications professionals are expected to attend.

To help me preview the events I spoke with Carey Brown, Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association and co-chair of the coordinating committee for the events.

Listen in to our conversation. I hope you enjoy it and hope to see you there in a week or so!

Listen to the ZimmCast here: Preview of Ag Media Summit & IFAJ Congress

Animal Ag Bites 7/15

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  • Improving cow health and production was a common theme of the recent 2019 American Dairy Science Association conference, held in Cincinnati. Researchers from around the globe convened to present findings from recent studies; among them, eight teams presented research specific to Phibro Animal Health Corporation nutritional products, offering a scientific basis and practical advice for integrating the products into feeding strategies.
  • Suzanne Fanning is the lead marketer behind the nation’s most awarded cheese brand and her efforts are being recognized by Deli Business Magazine as “the best of the best in the industry.” Fanning’s achievements earned her a People’s Award, reserved for professionals who have raised the bar in the food industry. With over twenty-five years of marketing experience, Fanning brings a unique approach to her work that has revolutionized how consumers think about Wisconsin Cheese.

Animal Ag Bites 7/8

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  • USPOULTRY’s Women’s Leadership Conference will focus on effective leadership, professional communication and mental health and wellness to assist women leaders with challenges and develop skills for becoming more successful leaders. The Conference, held Aug. 15-16 at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida, will include professional women from all levels of the industry who will provide their perspectives and insights on a variety of topics. To register for the Women’s Leadership Conference and to view the full agenda, click here or visit www.uspoultry.org.
  • Dairy producers can now add Aureomycin® from Zoetis to replacement heifer feed for control of bacterial pneumonia. This expanded label provides another option against costly pneumonia for veterinarians and dairy producers. Dairy producers are encouraged to contact their veterinarian for more information about Aureomycin. You also can learn more about the product here.
  • Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin is teaming up with the Milwaukee Brewers all season long to build trust in dairy farmers, dairy products and dairy farming practices. The partnership highlights the importance of Wisconsin’s signature industry for consumers and honors Wisconsin dairy farmers, including an August 11th Farmers Appreciation Day and pre-game tailgate.
  • The American Feed Industry Association congratulates Adam Lock, Ph.D., of Michigan State University, for receiving the 2019 AFIA-American Dairy Science Association Nutrition Research Award.
  • Bazooka Farmstar, a manufacturer in the manure and ag industry for 44 years, will hold the first LET’S TALK SH** event for manure applicators and farmers. The event will be held July 16-17 in Washington, Iowa.
  • ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE19) brought together more than 3,500 producers and industry experts from 68 countries to share insights and explore solutions for today’s most pressing issues in agriculture and beyond. The 35th annual symposium featured more than 100 speakers providing their unique perspectives on over 60 topics. Their presentations are now available on the Alltech Idea Lab.

Little Change in Cost of July 4th Cookouts

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Americans will pay just slightly more to celebrate the Independence Day holiday with a traditional cookout.

A cookout of Americans’ favorite foods for July 4th, including hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pork spare ribs, potato salad, baked beans, lemonade and watermelon, will cost just a few cents more this year, coming in at less than $6 per person, says the American Farm Bureau Federation. Farm Bureau’s informal survey reveals the average cost of a summer cookout for 10 people is $52.80, or $5.28 per person. The cost for the cookout is up just 11 cents (less than 1%) from last year.

“Strong consumer demand for beef and growth in U.S. meat production has led to higher ground beef prices but lower pork spare rib prices for the 4th of July,” said AFBF Chief Economist Dr. John Newton.

AFBF’s summer cookout menu for 10 people consists of hot dogs and buns, cheeseburgers and buns, pork spare ribs, deli potato salad, baked beans, corn chips, lemonade, ketchup, mustard and watermelon for dessert.

“Pork production in 2019 continues to increase compared to year-ago levels. Increased supplies and competition in the meat case at the grocery contributed to lower spare rib prices,” Newton said.

With milk production record-high in 2019 and cheese production increasing, consumers will see lower cheese prices this grilling season. New this year, AFBF tracked the average cost of 1.5 quarts of vanilla ice cream ($3.58). Including ice cream brings the total for the July 4th cookout to $56.38, which is still under $6 per person. A total of 114 Farm Bureau members in 34 states served as “volunteer shoppers,” checking retail prices for July 4th cookout foods at their local grocery stores for this informal survey. The July 4th cookout survey is part of the Farm Bureau marketbasket series, which also includes the popular annual Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey of common food staples Americans use to prepare meals at home. The year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks closely with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index report for food at home. Both the index and the marketbasket remain relatively flat compared to year-ago levels.

“Through the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home. During 2017, farmers received approximately 14.6 cents of every food marketing dollar, according to the Agriculture Department’s revised Food Dollar Series. However, after accounting for the costs of production, U.S. farmers net 7.8 cents per food dollar,” Newton said.

As online grocery shopping continues to capture consumer interest, a survey of popular online grocery services reveals the 13 items included in the AFBF July 4th survey cost more than $70, 38% higher.

Animal Ag Bites 7/1

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  • The Equine Science Society recognized Carey Williams, Ph.D., an equine extension specialist at Rutgers University, for her professional achievements in the equine industry on June 6 at the 2019 ESS Symposium in Asheville, N.C. The Equine Nutrition Research Award is sponsored by the American Feed Industry Association as part of its ongoing awards program, which dates back to 1948.
  • The American Feed Industry Association is now accepting nominations for the 2019 inductee into the Liquid Feed Hall of Fame. AFIA’s Liquid Feed Committee developed the award in 2003 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the science and growth of the liquid feed industry. People interested in nominating individuals for the hall of fame award must submit a completed Hall of Fame 2019 Nomination Form to Paul Davis, Ph.D., AFIA’s director of quality, animal food safety and education, at pdavis@afia.org. Nominations will be accepted until Friday, July 26. For more information, visit afia.org/LFHOF.
  • Utah State University announced Dr. Eric Bastian as the new director of the Western Dairy Center. As vice president of industry relations for Dairy West, Dr. Bastian worked with former WDC director Donald McMahon in 2012 to develop the BUILD Dairy program (Building University and Industry Linkages through learning and Discovery).
  • Milk Specialties Global, an industry-leading nutrition performance manufacturer, announced the appointment of Troy Peifer as the new Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Peifer joined Milk Specialties in early 2019 and brings with him over 20 years of experience leading accounting, finance, information technology, and legal teams.
  • Select Sires’ marketing department will experience restructuring and operate under new leadership beginning July 1. Chris Sayers, former sales and marketing operations manager, will become the manager of global order operations. Darryl Snyder, former assistant semen distribution manager, will step into a new role as manager of global product distribution. Adam Oswalt, previously the dairy sire products specialist, will assume the role of manager of global sire products and logistics.

USDA Corn Acreage Report Surprises

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With all the weather-related planting delays we’ve had, USDA’s Acreage report out Friday was a big surprise to the trade with corn acres estimated to be three percent higher than last year. At the same time, soybean acres are estimated to be the lowest in six years.

Corn planted area for all purposes in 2019 is estimated at 91.7 million acres, up 3 percent from last year. Compared with last year, planted acres are up or unchanged in 40 of the 48 estimating States. Area harvested for grain, at 83.6 million acres, is up 2 percent from last year.

Soybean planted area for 2019 is estimated at 80.0 million acres, down 10 percent from last year. This represents the lowest soybean planted acreage in the United States since 2013. Compared with last year, planted acreage is down in all 29 estimating States.

USDA also estimates all wheat planted area for 2019 at 45.6 million acres, down five percent from last year and the lowest all wheat planted area on record since records began in 1919. All cotton planted area for 2019 is estimated at 13.7 million acres, three percent below last year.

The MGEX Crop Report conference call featured commentary from Brian Hoops of Midwest Market Solutions.
MGEX call commentary, Brian Hoops, Midwest Market Solutions

Cattlemen Launch Campaign to Pass USMCA

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The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has launched a media campaign urging Congress to pass the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The campaign features personal stories from cattle and beef producers across the country who want Congress to ratify the USMCA as quickly as possible.

“The USMCA keeps the highly successful framework for U.S. beef trade in place and preserves access to two of our largest export markets,” said NCBA President Jennifer Houston. “Cattle producers need certainty with Canada and Mexico so that we can continue to build on 25 years of duty-free, unrestricted trade in North America.”

The campaign will centers around a new USMCA website where visitors can click on a dynamic map to pull up state data, producer profiles, and news articles related to USMCA. The map will be updated weekly with new content and profiles.

NPPC Launches Keep America First in Ag Campaign

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The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has launched a new campaign to highlight the importance of establishing a proper regulatory framework for gene editing in American livestock. The “Keep America First in Agriculture” campaign was officially kicked off Tuesday with a media teleconference featuring leading researchers, veterinarians, producers and industry experts.

“Gene editing is a huge step forward for America’s farmers, as it offers a powerful new way to combat animal disease,” said Dr. Dan Kovich, NPPC’s director of Science & Technology. “With gene editing, livestock breeders can knock out specific genes that make animals vulnerable to viral infections. Healthier animals benefit both farmers and consumers.”

While countries like Canada, Brazil and Argentina are moving quickly on this advancement to gain competitive advantage in the market, the U.S. is running the risk of falling far behind as a result of a regulatory seize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Under FDA regulation, gene editing faces an impractical, lengthy and expensive approval process, threatening hundreds of thousands of jobs and nearly six percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product.

Additionally, the FDA’s regulation inaccurately classifies livestock as drugs and farms as drug-manufacturing facilities, creating significant challenges for the international trade in animals and animal products.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the only agency prepared to effectively regulate this new technology. It already has a review process in place for genetic editing in plants under its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which can easily be adopted for livestock. The USDA also has the understanding and history of working directly with livestock and agriculture, unlike the FDA, which regulates packaged food, drugs and medical devices.

Listen to opening remarks from the press conference with Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam, Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Extension Specialist, University of California, Davis; Dr. Kovich; Andrew Bailey, NPPC Lead Counsel for Science and Technology; and Dr. Bradley Wolter, a leading pork producer and President of The Maschhoffs.

NPPC launches Keep America First in Agriculture

Congrats to 2019 Golden ARC Awards Winners

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The Ag Relations Council (ARC) had a great annual meeting last week in Kansas City where they announced the winners for the 2019 Golden ARC Awards contest.

The Golden ARC de Excellence award is given to the best all-around entry in the campaigns division and this year that honor was 2019 Golden ARC Award Winners bestowed upon a campaign produced by Minneapolis-based agency, Padilla. “Seeding Support for Farm and Food Interests – A Greater Minnesota with Padilla” was entered into the Public Affairs division. Padilla credits John Himle for his work on the campaign.

Padilla took home seven Golden ARC awards this year, in addition to the Golden ARC de Excellence award.

Organizations receiving Golden ARC awards and merits are American Farm Bureau Federation, American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, Archer Malmo, Bader Rutter, Charleston|Orwig, Cogent Consulting and Communications, Inc., Evans, Hardy + Young, Farm Credit East, Filament, G & S Business Communications, Kansas Farm Bureau, Ketchum, Midwest Dairy, MorganMyers, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Board, New Boston Creative, O+B|P, Padilla, Porter Novelli, Rabo AgriFinance, Seaboard Foods, and Two Rivers Marketing.

Click here for a complete winners’ listing of the 2019 Golden ARC Awards Contest.

Congrats to all!