Animal Ag Bites 5/28

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  • USPOULTRY’s 2019 Hatchery-Breeder Clinic will offer a look at industry updates, best practices, biosecurity challenges and other topics related to chick quality. The annual Clinic, sponsored by USPOULTRY, will be held July 9 – 10, at the Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown in Nashville, Tennessee.
  • The National Pork Producers Council is among agriculture groups applauding the Trump administration’s trade relief package in response to the U.S. trade dispute with China. USDA’s trade retaliation relief program includes direct payments to qualifying pork producers, pork surplus purchases for the benefit of low-income families and others in need, and additional funding to develop new export opportunities.
  • Testifying on behalf of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Kansas cattle producer Debbie Lyons-Blythe delivered a clear message at a U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on climate change. Lyons-Blythe, who helps run Blythe Family Farms in the Flint Hills of Kansas, also pushed back against claims that beef cattle production in the United States is responsible for a disproportionate or even significant percentage of greenhouse gas emissions.
  • In the first half of 2019, Alltech has welcomed several new senior leaders. The four executives come from varied backgrounds but have extensive experience working within the international agriculture industry. Brian McCawley is the senior vice president of sales at Alltech, with a focus on the company’s North America additive business. Mike Osborne, the founder and former president of Nutra Blend, has joined Alltech as key account advisor for North America. Christopher Speight is Alltech’s chief financial officer of the Americas. Jonathan Forrest Wilson is Alltech’s president of Greater China, a role most recently held by Dr. Mark Lyons, now president and CEO of Alltech.

Trump Welcomes Farmers to White House

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President Donald Trump welcomed representatives from a number of agricultural organizations to the White House Thursday to talk about the $16 billion in trade assistance announced by the administration.

“I have directed Secretary Perdue to provide $16 billion in assistance to America’s farmers and ranchers. It all comes from China. We’ll be taking in, over a period of time, hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs and charges to China. And our farmers will be greatly helped. We want to get them back to the point where they would have had if they had a good year.”

Listen to President Trump’s remarks here:
President Trump announces trade aid for farmers

Alltech Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™

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ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference wrapped up Tuesday with president and CEO Dr. Mark Lyons sharing his new vision for the company and inviting more than 3,500 attendees to join in “Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™.”

Thirty years ago, his father, Alltech’s founder Dr. Pearse Lyons, took the stage at the same conference. He had committed Alltech to a guiding ACE principle, emphasizing the importance of delivering benefit to animals, consumers and the environment. He fervently believed that the well-being of each depended on maintaining harmony between all three. It was a radical idea at the time — so radical, that some customers walked out of the conference.

Yet, against a backdrop of diminishing natural resources, a changing climate and a growing population, sustainability is quickly becoming a non-negotiable for businesses and for agriculture. Every business and individual has a role to play, moving us closer to a planet of peril or of plenty.

“With the adoption of new technologies and management practices, and, most of all, human ingenuity, we believe a Planet of Plenty is possible,” said Lyons. “Our Planet of Plenty vision propels our founding ACE principle into a new world of possibility, where anyone and everyone can make a positive impact on our shared planet.”

A new website has been launched for the initiative. PlanetofPlenty.com provides examples of agricultural methods that can improve the environment as well as inspiring stories of the people and technologies making a planet of plenty possible. Stories can be shared on the Planet of Plenty website or on social media with the hashtag #PlanetofPlenty.

Listen to Dr. Lyons’ closing remarks.
Alltech ONE19 Dr. Mark Lyons closing remarks

2019 Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

Find more content from ONE19 on the conference virtual newsroom on AgNewsWire.

USDA Announces More Trade Aid for Farmers

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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced several actions that USDA will be taking to assist farmers in response to trade damage from unjustified retaliation and trade disruption.

President Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a relief strategy to support American agricultural producers while the Administration continues to work on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets in the long run to help American farmers compete globally. Specifically, the President has authorized USDA to provide up to $16 billion in programs, which is in line with the estimated impacts of unjustified retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods and other trade disruptions. These programs will assist agricultural producers while President Trump works to address long-standing market access barriers.

Details of the aid package were announced in a press call with USDA officials, including:

• U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue
• USDA’s Chief Economist, Dr. Rob Johannson
• Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Bill Northey
• Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Greg Ibach
• Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Ted McKinney
• Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, Brandon Lipps
• USDA’s Trade Counsel Jason Hafemeister

Listen or download here:
USDA Announces Trade Aid Package

FCA Board Chairman Dallas Tonsager Dies

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Farm Credit Administration board chairman and former USDA under secretary Dallas Tonsager died Tuesday of lymphoma in Falls Church, Virginia. He was 64.

Tonsager was appointed to the FCA board by President Barack Obama in 2015 and was designated chairman and CEO in 2016. Prior to that, he served as under secretary for rural development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 2009 to 2013. Tonsager grew up on a dairy farm near Oldham, South Dakota and was a graduate of South Dakota State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in agriculture in 1976.

FCA Board Member Jeff Hall has been designated acting CEO. “Dallas dedicated his life to helping farmers, ranchers, and other rural Americans,” said Hall. “Both at USDA and FCA, he worked hard to promote investments in rural communities. As chairman of FCA, he urged the Farm Credit System to work with borrowers experiencing stress as a result of the current downturn in the farm economy.”

“He worked especially hard to ensure the success of the biofuels industry, as well as highlighting the healthcare and broadband needs of rural America,” said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota. “His leadership and dedication to rural communities will be greatly missed.”

The Tonsager family plans to host a funeral service in South Dakota and a memorial service in Washington.

Alltech Young Scientists in #ONE19 Spotlight

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2019 Alltech Young Scientist regional winners Renata Oselame Nobrega, Deeksha Shetty and Anouschka Middelkoop

ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE19) brought together some of the brightest international minds in science as part of the Alltech Young Scientist (AYS) competition.

Four regional AYS winners were selected but only three were able to make it to the conference. Asia region winner Bing Liu, Jiangnan University, China was unable to attend. The others were:

North America – Deeksha Shetty, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
South America – Renata Oselame Nobrega, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina in Brazil
Europe/Africa – Anouschka Middelkoop, Wageningen University, the Netherlands

Shetty was selected as the 2019 Alltech Young Scientist after presenting her research to a panel of international judges as the final stage of the world’s largest agriscience competition for graduate university students. Winnings include $10,000, career mentorship and networking opportunities with innovative scientists from around the world. Now in its 14th year, the AYS competition has received entrants from a total of 120 universities and 40 countries.

Listen to interviews with the three brilliant young scientists as they talk about their research.

Interview with Deeksha Shetty, Alltech Young Scientist

Interview with Anouschka Middelkoop, Alltech Young Scientist

Interview with Renata Oselame Nobrega, Alltech Young Scientist

2019 Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

Alltech Researcher Honored at #ONE19

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Dr. Richard Murphy, who has been the research director at the Alltech European Bioscience Center in Ireland for 17 of his 25 years with the company, is the recipient of this year’s Alltech Medal of Excellence. The award, which is Alltech’s highest distinction, was presented this week at ONE19, the annual Alltech Ideas Conference in Lexington, KY.

Murphy was recognized for his pioneering work in the areas of organic trace element assimilation, microbial enzyme technology, and the mitigation of antimicrobial resistance in livestock production.

In this interview, Dr. Murphy talks about his work at Alltech and his passion for research.
Interview with Alltech research director Dr. Richard Murphy

2019 Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

Bear Grylls Receives Alltech Humanitarian Award

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Outdoor adventurist Bear Grylls provided the keynote address for the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference opening plenary session, and was surprised to be presented with the Alltech Humanitarian Award at the conclusion of his remarks.

The ONE audience was riveted by Grylls’ stories and inspired by his “NGU” (Never Give Up) spirit. Dr. Mark Lyons joined him on stage after his remarks and both shared stories of how their late fathers inspired them.

Listen here to their conversation:

Bear Grylls and Dr. Mark Lyons

2019 Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

Alltech ONE, Day One

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Alltech CEO Dr. Mark Lyons is hosting his second Alltech Ideas Conference since the passing of his father and company founder Dr. Pearse Lyons early last year – and since disruption and change is what Alltech is all about, nothing has changed.

“Dad always said that the only constant in this company is change,” said Dr. Lyons. He talked about how Alltech continues to evolve in his opening address where he announced a new collaboration to fight African Swine Fever (AFS) and a partnership with the University of Kentucky Healthcare.

Dr. Mark Lyons opening remarks

After the opening session, Dr. Lyons participated in a press conference with representatives of UK Healthcare, as well as Alltech Research Director Dr. Richard Murphy and Robbie Walker, CEO of Alltech subsidiary Keenan. Dr. Lyons answered questions from the media on a variety of topics, including AFS and the trade war with China, where he lived for six years.

Alltech Press Conference

Alltech ONE19 continues through Tuesday.

2019 Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album