Secretary Veneman Appoints Task Force
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced the appointment of eight members to the Research, Education and Economics Task Force created by the 2002 Farm Bill to conduct a review of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and to evaluate the merits of establishing one or more National Institutes focused on disciplines important to the progress of food and agricultural science. Click here for USDA news release identifying members. Back to Top

"Matrix" Approved by IEC
The Iowa Environmental Commission approved a sweeping new scoring system that would be used by counties to decide where livestock operations can be located. The commission approved the so-called "matrix," which lists dozens of actions developers can take to cut water and air pollution and to protect community interests. The system is part of a broad-based set of livestock regulations approved by lawmakers last year. The matrix still must be approved by the Iowa Administrative Rules Review Committee, which is made up of lawmakers. The system has to be in place by March 1. Commissioners struggled over how to balance the need to protect the environment while avoiding economic damage to one of Iowa's biggest industries. Click here to read the Des Moines Register article, click here to read the Iowa Pork Producers Association comments on the matrix as it was proposed. Back to Top

New Finding Challenges Prevailing Theory
While for years it has been hypothesized that meat consumption is associated with breast cancer, a new study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), which follwed 88,647 women for 18 years, provides compelling evidence that diets high in animal protein may not be significantly associated with breast cancer risk. BWH is a 716-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and is internationally recognized as a leading academic health care institution. Click here for a news release of the study results. Back to Top

EPA Releases Innovative Approach to Clean Water
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Christie Whitman announced a new Water Quality Trading Policy to cut industrial, municipal and agricultural discharges into the nation's waterways. The trading policy seeks to support and encourage states and tribes in developing and putting into place water quality trading programs that implement the requirements of the Clean Water and federal regulations in more flexible ways and reduce the cost of improving and maintaining the quality of the nation's waters. The policy will help increase the pace and success of cleaning up impaired rivers, streams and lakes throughout the country. Click here for news release, here for complete policy, and here for fact sheet. Back to Top

Great Lakes Pork Cooperative Makes Plans
The Great Lakes Pork Cooperative (GLPC) is moving towards a potential investment opportunity for pork producers in the three states of Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. The group, organized three years ago, is looking at purchasing a processing facility in South Bend, Indiana. Click here for the OPPC news release. Back to Top

Publications Guide Livestock Waste Use, Disposal
Farmers who wish to stay current on governmental guidelines when handling manure can get the information they need in a new series of publications developed jointly by Purdue and Michigan State universities. The 12 publications in the "Best Environmental Management Practices: Farm Animal Production" series address everything from nutrition management to keeping non-farm neighbors happy. The publications are available free of charge or for a modest fee from the Purdue Media Distribution Center. Click here to access the news release or order by calling MDC toll free at 888/398-4636. Back to Top

Senate Deliberations Affecting Pork Industry
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) co-sponsored a mandatory arbitration bill that would affect production contracts and another bill that would effectively ban meat-packers' ability to own and control livestock. Click here for Ohio Pork Producers Council January 13th news notes. Back to Top

Housing Study Continues on Sow Performance
The effects of swine gestation housing on sow and litter performance were evaluated at Iowa State University’s Swine Research and Demonstration Farm. Two systems were compared: 1)individual crates in a mechanically ventilated, partially slatted, manure flush confinement building (CRATE); and 2) group pens in deep-bedded, naturally ventilated hoop structures (HOOP). The HOOP sows were fed in individual feed stalls. Click here for a report on this on-going study. Back to Top

Census of Agriculture Forms Due February 3
Farmers and ranchers across the Nation are completing report forms to make sure they are counted in the 2002 Census of Agriculture. To learn the many reasons the census is vital to agriculture click here. For help completing the form, call toll free 1-888-424-7828. Census results will be released on February 3, 2004. For results from previous censuses and hundreds of current agricultural statistics, go to www.usda.gov/nass. By responding to the census, every farmer and rancher will help make it known – agriculture counts! Back to Top

Transgenic Animals: A Breakthrough in Science
Recent discoveries about the genetic code of animals could be used to raise pigs, cattle and shrimp more efficiently, resulting in significant economic gains for the worldwide meat industry, according to a story in Wired magazine. Click here for NPPC news release. Back to Top

Checkoff Investments Make a Difference
According to recent news releases by the National Pork Board, another 220 new pork retail products became available from January to October of 2002, the “El Cerdo es Bueno” campaign is having positive results on healthy perceptions of pork in the Hispanic community, and people purchasing pork products look first at price, meat quality and personal and safety. Click here for full news releases. Back to Top

Land O'Lakes Feed Research Facilities Moved
Today Land O’Lakes announced plans to consolidate and focus its feed research facilities into its St. Louis, Missouri location. Current basic feed research at Ft. Dodge, Iowa and Kansas City will relocate to St. Louis. Click here to access news release. Back to Top

International Leader in Swine Vet Science Dies
On Saturday January 4, 2003 Mike Muirhead passed away in Hull Royal Infirmary. Dr. Muirhead was known for his tireless work in the Swine Veterinary Profession over the past 30 or so years. In addition to his many awards, he was the main author of 3 books on swine health, including the renowned 600 page tome Managing Pig Health and the Treatment of Disease - A reference for the farm. His technical expertise was also the driving force in the development of the web site, ThePigSite.com Click here to access his son's tribute. Back to Top

New Chair of House Ag Committee
Congressman Bob Goodlatte was elected by the House Republican Conference to serve as Chairman of the full House Agriculture Committee. His chairmanship is effective immediately. Click here for news release. Back to Top

Cloned Pig Research Report
Researchers at Texas A&M University compared the behavior of two litters of cloned pigs to two litters of "control" pigs in tests that measured the variation in food preference, temperament and how pigs spend their time. Click here to access the Texas A&M news release. Back to Top

AMI Releases Video Training in Spanish
Good Animal Handling Practices for Pork Processors, a training video designed by the American Meat Institute and released in 1999, explains both how to handle and stun animals effectively, and how to develop a self-audit system to ensure continued progress in animal handling. Sample audit and tracking sheets are provided with the tape to facilitate the development of a self-audit program. This video is now available from AMI in Spanish. Click here to access the AMI fact sheet. Back to Top

CME Pork Scholarship Program
Since 1990, the CME Pork Industry Scholarship Program has recognized outstanding youth in the pork community. At the Pork Industry Forum in Dallas, Texas, March 6-8, 2003, four $2,500 scholarships will be awarded to students who intend to pursue a career in the pork industry. All entries must be postmarked by January 15, 2003. Essays will be judged on the basis of clarity of expression, persuasiveness, originality and relevance of topic. For eligibility and details, click here. Back to Top

Midwest Women in Ag Conference
The 2003 Midwest Women in Agriculture Conference is scheduled for March 11-12 at Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, Indiana. Designed by the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service to meet the needs of women in farming and agribusiness, this conference will feature two keynote speakers, educational sessions and networking opportunities for women in agriculture. "Women operate 9 percent of American farms, according to the most recent Census of Agriculture, and that number is growing," said Kelly Easterday, contact for the program. "They're making more and more decisions regarding the farm. This conference will help them address personal, family and farm issues." Click here for details. Back to Top

Around Ohio with the Ohio Livestock Coalition
According to David White, Executive Director of OLC, two meetings are planned to explain, review and discuss the new CAFO rules, which should go into effect about the middle of January 2003. Both meetings will feature Steve Jann, director of the US EPA's Region V office in Chicago. Livestock, dairy and poultry producers are invited to attend either January 21st or 22nd. Click here for the December 23rd news release, here for the January 2nd news release. Back to Top

Initial Results of OSU Study Reported
More than 70 percent of Ohioans who say they are familiar with issues pertaining to large-scale poultry and livestock facilities are concerned that the farms pose a threat to Ohio's water and stream quality, according to Jeff Sharp, OSU assistant professor of rural sociology and one of the lead investigators of the survey, who presented initial findings of the study at a conference on December 12th. Sharp also reported that the large scale-poultry and livestock issue currently appears to be a regional issue in the state. Not surprisingly, respondents' views of the livestock issue and other agricultural issues is often colored by how closely linked they are to farming. Click here for complete news release. Back to Top

National Pork Industry Forum
The National Pork Industry Forum is scheduled for March 6-8 in Dallas, Texas. Pork Act Delegates will discuss Pork Checkoff business Friday and Saturday mornings. They will elect and rank nominees for Pork Board members, select members of the Pork Checkoff nominating committee, and determine the outcome of resolutions presented by state associations. The mandatory checkoff rate, a national ID plan, science in animal welfare debates, promotion of pork products, and antibiotic resistance debates are a few of the issues to be addressed. To get an broader view of the scope and details of business to be discussed, go to http://www.porkboard.org/PorkForum/default.asp. To access a listing of appointed members representing pork producers by state, go to http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2003/02/0056.htm. Back to Top

Make Agriculture Count!
2002 Census of Agriculture response rates are lagging behind previous censuses, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Every response counts to produce quality data. “We are now starting to intensify our data collection efforts, which require more expensive methods such as telephone calls and personal visits. Producers can help keep down the cost of the census by returning their forms by mail,” said NASS Administrator Ron Bosecker. NASS wants farmers, ranchers and agriculturalists from every sector of the industry to know how crucial it is that they complete and return their census forms. Not only do data gathered from the census provide information for local and state agricultural investment decisions, they help local, state and national representatives and agencies make informed agricultural policy decisions and help the U.S. compete for its share of the global agriculture market. Information gathered also ensures quick access to vital local statistics in the event of a natural disaster or possible homeland security threat. For the 2/26/03 NASS news release, go to http://www.usda.gov/nass/events/news/resprate.htm and for background information as well as sample 2002 Census report forms, go to http://www.nass.usda.gov/census. Back to Top

Piglets per Pig Pressures Price
The hog industry keeps getting more efficient. That means it's probably going to be harder for producers to turn profits, analysts say. Production can now adjust quickly to price forecasts, which cuts the chance of significant price rallies created by hog shortages. "Since the industry is so much more flexible, it can adapt more quickly to changing prices," said George Morris Centre meat market analyst Kevin Grier. "Those supply holes will be filled more easily than they have been in the past." The four-year pig price cycle, which tends to have sharp ups and downs as producers react to price conditions, has generally created pig shortages that lead to periods of higher prices. But those shortages will be minimized if today's efficient barns can simply produce more pork during the expected shortage. That will minimize the strength of price recoveries. To access the complete news article by Ed White in The Western Producer, go to http://www.producer.com/articles/20030220/market_quotas/20030220mkt01.html. Back to Top

National Pork Producers Delegate Body Announced
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced the appointment of 160 pork producers and seven importers to the 2003 National Pork Producers Delegate Body. "We appreciate the willingness of these individuals to serve on the 2003 National Pork Producers Delegate Body," said Veneman. "These appointees bring a great deal of knowledge and experience to this board." Established under the Pork Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act of 1985, the Delegate Body and the National Pork Board have implemented a national program designed to improve the pork industry's position in the marketplace. The delegates were selected from nominees submitted by state pork producer association and importer groups. To access a listing of appointed members representing pork producers by state, go to http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2003/02/0056.htm. Back to Top

Swine Youth Challenge Online
The 2003 Swine Youth Challenge is presented each year as part of the Ohio Pork Congress in Dayton, Ohio for 4-H and FFA youth and their advisors. Visit http://porkinfo.osu.edu/swineyouthchallenge.html to view memories or see what you missed. Back to Top

Sow Management Short Course Proceedings Online
The December 2002 Sow Management Short Course Proceedings coordinated by Dr. Mark Stewart at the University of Missouri with the cooperation of Extension personnel at the University of Illinois and the Ohio State University Pork Industry Center are now available online at http://porkinfo.osu.edu/sowmgmtproc.html. Back to Top

U.S. Department of Labor News
Tammy McCutchen, Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) with the U.S. Department of Labor Employment Standards Administration (ESA) recently met with the National Council of Agricultural Employers in Washington D.C. to outline the agency's new approach to assist agricultural employers comply with labor laws and regulations. McCutchen said WHD priorities for 2003 will include compliance assistance, complaint resolution, child labor compliance, employer recidivism (low tolerance for repeat offenders), and low wage industries (garment, health care and agriculture). The agency has developed a new web site, www.wagehour.dol.gov, and plans to develop an agriculture specific web site soon.
Local Assistance: WHD staff from the Columbus, Ohio district office have already contacted and met with MAAHS, Ohio Farm Bureau and Ohio Fruit and Vegetable Growers staff to discuss outreach efforts to assist employers in complying. They are willing to speak at grower meetings, have informational tables at events and mail informational packets to interested agricultural employers. Contact in the Columbus, Ohio district office is Guillermo Sapia at 614-469-5893. The Cleveland, Ohio District office phone is 216-357-5400. John Wargowsky (jwargows@ofbf.org) at MAAHS can assist its members in coordinating cooperation with DOL. Back to Top

National Animal Germplasm Program
A University of Missouri scientist, Dr. Tim Safranski, a member of NAGP's swine species committee, has been participating in this U.S. Department of Agriculture initiative started in 1999 to preserve the genetic variation in the nation’s livestock species for the future. “During the past two decades, U.S. livestock production has become much more standardized,” said Safranski. “Producers have increased the use of genetic improvement technologies such as artificial insemination. While this has allowed for the production of uniform, high-quality consumer products, it also has reduced the total number of breeding stock in use. As a result, genetic diversity is being lost. And once it’s gone, it’s gone.” To read more, go to http://www.ars-grin.gov/nag/. This site also will give you access to a database of swine breeds and contacts. Back to Top

Ag Engineer Eyes Hog Carcasses as Alligator Feed
According to Meatingplace.com editor Daniel Yovich, Kris Kohl, an Iowa State University Extension agricultural engineer, is examining whether Midwest alligator farming could provide a second income for hog producers. On a research farm near Castana, Iowa, Kohl is raising two 4-foot alligators, envisioning the reptiles as a less costly disposal method for pig and hog carcasses. The idea is that a hog farmer, instead of paying someone to haul away dead livestock, can simply feed the dead animals to alligators, which can provide additional income from the sale of their meat and hides. "It's a viable industry here," Kohl said. The world market for alligator and crocodile hides is about 2 million annually, according to a University of Florida study published in 2000. The market value of raw products from an average adult alligator is about $300, and alligator meat typically fetches about $5 per pound, Kohl said. While Florida alligators are raised in swampy terrain, Kohl said Iowa's climate would require indoor facilities. Each of the two alligators he is raising weighs 25 pounds, and live in an 8' by 3' tank heated to about 82 degrees F. The tank is in a building that houses office space for the research farm, where about 120 cattle and 1,000 hogs are finished annually. Most of the nation's alligator farms are in the South, and a typical operation raises 3,000 each year, Kohl said. The U.S, alligator industry produces about 500,000 hides a year at prices that range from $80 to $200 each. Kohl estimated that enough livestock die in Iowa each year to feed 1 million alligators. Back to Top

Pork Suffers with COOL
An economic analysis of the mandatory country-of-origin labeling program, performed by economists for the U.S. pork industry and Iowa State University, concludes it will be very costly for the U.S. pork industry, according to the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). The analysis, which was conducted by Dermot Hayes, an economist at Iowa State University and Steve Meyer, a U.S. pork industry economist, examined the potential impacts of country-of-origin labeling on several levels of the industry. According to Hayes and Meyer, the estimated costs for pork producers of implementing a full traceback system associated with country-of-origin labeling will be $10.22 per hog or $4.00 per hundred pounds. This is equivalent to a 10% increase in the costs of on-farm production or approximately $1.02 billion for the U.S. pork industry. In addition, assuming the 10% increase in costs is passed on to the retail level, U.S. consumers will likely demand seven percent less pork due to higher prices, Meyer said. "The research shows that the mandatory country-of-origin program will result in negative impacts all across the board for U.S. pork producers, with no real benefits," said NPPC Board Member and President-Elect Jon Caspers, a pork producer from Swaledale, IA. "Some surveys have shown that U.S. consumers prefer that meat be labeled as to its country-of-origin but there is no research evidence that U.S. consumers are willing to pay any premium for such labeled product, let alone a premium high enough to cover the costs." Go to http://www.ams.usda.gov/cool for more information on the USDA COOL website or for a full report go to http://www.nppc.org/news/releases/2003/COOLAnalFinalVersion.doc. Back to Top

Pork Quality Assurance Training
A Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) training meeting has been planned for Monday February 24th at 6:30 pm at the Ottawa American Legion Hall. This meeting is for pork producers needing PQA certification or recertification. PQA certification is required for most pork producers delivering animals to a stock yard or packing company. Certification is good for two years and producers need to complete recertification through their local veterinarian or by attending this meeting. Contact the Putnam County Extension Office at 419/523-6294 to register. Back to Top

Speak Out for Agriculture
Last month, The Meatingplace.com ran a story detailing an incident in which an operative affiliated with the anti-industry group Farm Sanctuary drove onto the property of Rory Miller, a lamb farmer in Schuyler County in upstate New York, broke into Miller's barn and stole one of his lambs. Susan Coston, the animal activist involved, claimed she was on a "rescue mission" to save an injured lamb, and Farm Sanctuary leader Gene Bauston at first tried to disavow any connection with Coston's "mission," even though she is an employee of the organization. It was verified that the lamb had a congenital defect affecting its vertebrae. Even the New York Farm Bureau agreed that the animal was a victim of an unfortunate birth defect -- an abscess on its spine -- and not a victim of cruelty.

Days later, Bauston posted an "alert" on several vegetarian and anti-industry Web sites, resulting in more than 1,500 e-mails being sent to the local district attorney, Joseph G. Fazzary, urging him to free Coston and charge Miller with animal cruelty, according to local newspaper accounts. Fazzary declined to file cruelty charges, but is now said to be contemplating reducing the felony charge of breaking and entering against Coston to a misdemeanor - thus bowing to anti-industry pressure - and allowing her to escape the usual penalties and have her case expunged in six months, as "a way out of the problem" created by the publicity surrounding the case. Go to www.meatingplace.com/dailynews for additional background. Send your e-mail to Joseph G. Fazzary, Esq., District Attorney at jfazzary@co.schuyler.ny.us to voice your opinion on his consideration of changing charges. Back to Top

Practical Nursery Management
Newly weaned pigs arriving at the nursery are the highest-health-risk animals in the swine production system, making their initial management and care vitally important. Frequent observation is essential, and close scrutiny (at least twice a day) will promote early observation, identification, and treatment of management problems and diseases before they have serious influences on performance. Click here for complete article by Dr. Todd See, University of North Carolina, which summarizes steps that should be taken to ensure rapid, efficient growth with minimal health challenges. Back to Top

Temple Grandin to Speak at Iowa State
Temple Grandin, who designs humane livestock facilities using the highly developed visual thinking skills of her autism, will speak at Iowa State University on Tuesday, February 25. Her lecture is titled, "Visual Thinking Process in Design: From The Viewpoint of a Person with Autism." Click here for details. Back to Top

Concentration in Agriculture Conference
Concentration. Say that word to a farmer and he or she will think of the bewildering rush of mergers and name changes in the seed and chemical industries in recent years. It's an issue that worries many farmers, small and large. More than 200 people crowded into the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University on February 4th to participate in the meeting titled, "Concentration in Agriculture: How much, How Serious and Why Worry?" Its speakers included national authorities on the subject, including Doug Ross, special counsel for agriculture at the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Click here for Successful Farming's perspective and here for the Des Moines Register's feature. Back to Top

What Does "ORANGE" Mean to Me Agriculturally?
This article in the Ohio State University Extension Team's Beef Cattle Newsletter addresses concerns for all involved in agriculture in light of Attorney General John Ashcroft's elevating us as a nation to an ORANGE level of alert. To read Dee Jepsen's article based on the news release from the Department of Justice and Office of Homeland Security, click here. Back to Top

New Booklet Highlights Food Security Progress
Just how well is the Food Safety Inspection Services (FSIS) branch of the USDA doing in building food security across the industry? The answers are contained in a new publication from FSIS released February 10th. Click here to read what has been and is being done to secure America's meat, poultry, and egg products food supply. Back to Top

Biotechnology in Animal Agriculture: An Overview
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) has released a scientific paper that provides policymakers and others with an overview of existing and emerging biotechnologies in animal agriculture. Written by a task force of nine scientists and three reviewers, the new issue paper suggests that research on biotechnology in animal production is leading to breakthroughs on many fronts. The CAST paper, Biotechnology in Animal Agriculture: An Overview, (Issue Paper 23) addresses several aspects of animal biotechnology and attempts to increase public understanding on related scientific, economic, legislative, ethical, and social issues. Back to Top

Maintaining the Family Business
Maintaining the success of a family business can be challenging not only for the owners, but also for those family members who are to succeed the older generation. A seminar will be held February 21st and March 7th to offer tips on management skills, how to prepare junior members for the business and improve the working relationship and communication of all the family members involved. The one-day informational program, called “Building On Your Success As A Family Business,” will take place Feb. 21 at the Granville Inn in Granville, Ohio, and on March 7 at the Dutch Valley Restaurant in Sugarcreek, Ohio. Both programs will run from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Registration to attend either seminar is $20, which includes program materials, lunch and refreshments. The basic focus of the workshop is geared toward senior partners and those junior members who have entered into the business to help them determine if they have the qualities and aptitude to further their career in the family business. The workshop will include information on management skills; planning, organizing and directing staff; how to prepare the next generation for the business; and creating business opportunities. The program will also feature a presentation by Bernie Erven, an Ohio State Extension Program Leader with the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics. This workshop is appropriate for any type of small family-held business, whether it be agriculture, excavation, construction, nursery, greenhouse or electric companies. For more information regarding the workshop or to register, contact the East District Extension office at (740) 732-2381; the Knox County Extension office at (740) 397-0401 or e-mail knox@ag.osu.edu; the Licking County Extension office at (740) 349-6900 or e-mail lick@ag.osu.edu; the Muskingum County Extension office at (740) 454-0144 or e-mail musk@ag.osu.edu; or the Tuscarawas County Extension office at (330) 339-2337 or e-mail tusc@ag.osu.edu. Back to Top

Navigating the 2002 Farm Bill Sign-up
The 2002 Farm Bill has given U.S. agricultural producers a lot of options. With these options comes complexity not previously experienced in farm programs. As of February 1, only 26% of Ohio farmers had updated their base and yield and the deadline of April 1, 2003 will not be extended. This is a one-time opportunity to update for 2002-2007. To read a more detailed fact sheet or to find where to access calculators, click here. Back to Top

Proposed EQUIP Rule Available for Public Comment
On January 30, Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced that the proposed rule for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) has been released. Public comments will be accepted for 30 days after the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register. This proposed rule describes how the NRCS intends to implement EQIP as authorized by amendments in the 2002 Act. Comments from the public will be used to make revisions, if necessary, that will be issued in a final rule. Click here for connections to details, summary, and news release. Back to Top

New Educational Program for Environmentally Sound Management Practices
As LEAP begins its fifth year, the Ohio Livestock Coalition - along with various program partners - has prepared a second level that is designed to help producers obtain and organize the data and information, as well as identify appropriate best management practices (BMPs) necessary to develop, adopt and implement a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP). Click here for details. Back to Top

Around Ohio with OLC's Dave White
Though consumers rarely consider the life of an animal whose meat they are about to purchase and consume, farm animals' welfare has become a hot topic behind the scenes. Restaurant and grocery store chains have made commitments to ensure their suppliers of beef, chicken, eggs, turkey and pork adhere to specific animal welfare guidelines. Plan now to attend "Myths & Facts about Animal Welfare Inititatives" on February 25, 2003 at the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Click here for details. Back to Top

Revenue Insurance for Hog Producers
Last June we told you about a 3 year pilot program in Iowa offering hog producers two new revenue insurance plan options beginning July 8, 2002. To help producers weigh the merits of these programs, Iowa State University extension evaluated the outcome of LRP and LGM policies purchased in July to cover hogs marketed between August 2002 and January 2003. These outcomes were then compared to similar risk management strategies using options on futures prices. For further details, click here. Back to Top

Foot and Mouth Strategy Strengthened
An antiviral drug could avert future foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) epidemics, scientists say. Combined with vaccination, the drug gives slow-acting vaccines time to kick in. The antiviral drug interferon protects pigs from infection for at least 24 hours, says Marvin Grubman of Plum Island Animal Disease Center in Greenport, New York. Crucially, it starts working within a day. "No vaccine can protect animals so quickly," he says. For further details on this research, click here. Back to Top

New Strategies to Cut Waste and Harvest Energy
A profitable swine production system with zero waste. A “biogas” plant that uses manure energy to fuel 900 households. New hog operations that cut water use by 50 percent. All are within grasp for Western Canada’s expanding swine industry, say speakers at the Banff Pork Seminar, held January 14-17 at the Banff Centre. “Manure and water management are important challenges facing the swine industry,” says Dr. John Feddes, a professor of animal housing at the University of Alberta. “The good news is new technologies and strategies have emerged that can help provide solutions." Watch the Pork Canada website for posting of the proceedings. Back to Top

Ohio Farmers Market Directory
Farm Markets across Ohio should act now to ensure their free listing in the 2003 Ohio Farmers Market Directory. Last year the directory, published online by the Ohio Department of Agriculture at www.ohioproud.org, attracted more than 18,000 visitors. Click here for details. Back to Top

Study Shows Micronization of Feeds a Plus
A University of Manitoba study has shown the micronization of feeds can dramatically reduce the volume of manure excreted by pigs and the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in that manure. Click here for further details of this research project. Back to Top

USDA Process Makes Wastewater Environmentally Friendly
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced that USDA scientists have developed a process that can remove phosphorus from swine production wastewater and turn it into a solid, marketable fertilizer, while converting the leftover effluent into a liquid crop fertilizer that is more environmentally friendly than manure. Click here for more details on this USDA research. Back to Top

2003 Pork Congress & Pork Producers Symposium
Plans have been finalized for the Professional Pork Producers Symposium held annually at the Ohio Pork Congress in Dayton Ohio, according to Dr. Steve Moeller, this year's coordinator. The symposium will be held on Thursday, February 6, 2003, from 8:30 am-2:15 pm. Click here for details and registration form. Click here for details on the 2003 Ohio Pork Congress. Back to Top

Davies Named as Leman Chair
Peter Davies, B.V.S., Ph.D., a globally recognized expert in swine epidemiology and production, has been named to the Allen D. Leman Chair in Swine Health and Productivity at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Established in 1995, the Leman Chair is widely considered one of the world’s most prestigious faculty positions focused on swine medicine. Click here for the complete news release from the Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota. Back to Top

Packer Ban Law Ruled Unconstitutional
As reported in the January 23 Feedstuffs, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa has ruled in favor of Smithfield Foods, Inc., striking down Iowa's law banning meat packers' ability to own or control livestock as an unconstitutional infringement on interstate commerce. Smithfield's lawsuit was the first constitutional challenge to Iowa's corporate farm law. The Iowa packer ban "unconstitutionally discriminates against out-of-state interests in favor of local ones," Judge Robert Pratt wrote in his opinion. Pratt said he sympathizes with Iowa's attempt "to protect its family farmers." Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa), said the ruling will place "an even stronger emphasis on the urgent need for Congress to pass and the President to sign a nation-wide ban on the packer ownership of livestoc." Click here for the Iowa Farm Bureau response to this ruling. Back to Top

Caring for Compromised Pigs
Ontario Pork launched the new "Caring for Compromised Pigs," booklet and the decision tree "Should this pig be transported?" at its recent Annual Meeting. Both resources are designed to help anyone involved with the pork industry make decisions about pigs in their care. The objective of the booklet and the decision tree is to serve as educational tools for decision making about if, when, how and where to transport compromised pigs. The decision tree may be accessed at http://www.ontariopork.on.ca/issues/ animalcare/decisiontree.pdf. Back to Top

Research on Savaging of Newborn Piglets
Savaging of newborn piglets by their mothers can cause significant losses to some farms and may be a particular problem in the new herd. Whilst most commonly occurs in gilts, it is in no way confined to these animals, with sporadic cases occurring in sows and occasionally in animals that savage piglets in successive litters. Go to http://www.mlc.org.uk/pigs/technical/ index.html/?i=1048180816& action=view&s= to read further details of the study. Back to Top

USDA Making DCP Sign Up Easier
OPPC has worked with FSA to get help for livestock producers. Now FSA has modified documentation requirements to account for production that has been fed to animals. Providing production evidence has long been a stumbling block for livestock producers when it comes to program participation. In an effort to better serve all livestock feeders, USDA has modified documentation requirements in order to account for production that has already been fed to farm animals. Click here to read further. Back to Top

Boar Usage Research in UK
Back in the 1980’s when artificial insemination usage was more the exception than the norm for mating sows, the major issues for boar usage were avoiding overuse and maintaining consistent usage with particular care to avoid favouritism. Many herds now utilise AI in one form or another (total use, “top up”, on farm collection) and the emphasis has shifted to avoiding underuse and avoiding carrying excessive cost. For further details, go to http://www.mlc.org.uk/pigs/technical/index.html/?i=1048180384&action=view&s=. Back to Top

Keeping America's Food Safe
The USDA has prepared information outlining simple, yet important steps, which can be taken to prevent or respond to a threat to our food supply. The information, including useful tips, is available at http://www.usda.gov/ homelandsecurity/homeland.html. Back to Top

Impending War's Potential Economic Impact on U.S. Farmers
War could inflict economic blows to U.S. farmers A possible war with Iraq and heightened tension in the Korean peninsula is sending jitters through the economy. The vibrations could intensify for American agriculture if hostilities break out, say agricultural economists at Purdue and Ohio State universities. To read more, go to Ag Answers at http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/ aganswers/audio/2003/03-8_War_Conflict_ Farmers.htm. Back to Top

COOL Expected to Change Canadian Export Patterns
According to an ag economist at the Univesity of Saskatchewan, "The major impact will be that farmers who have been selling live hogs into the United States are going to find some considerable market resistance to those hogs moving into the United States if the mandatory country of origin labelling does come in in 2004." To read further, go to http://www3.saskpork.com/farmscape-saskpork- showarchive.asp?id. Back to Top

Packers Question COOL's Constitutionality
The National Meat Association (NMA) plans to call into question the constitutionality of mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) requirements, which are scheduled to go into effect in October of 2004, according to a note on the Livestock Marketing Association Web site today. NMA says COOL is a form of compelled speech, the government does not have a compelling reason for the rules, and the labels are misleading to consumers. The American Meat Institute, another trade association for meat packers, is also against the mandatory labeling requirements, saying it will be costly to industry and the government, with no real benefit to consumers. (Agriculture Online) Back to Top

Groups Want COOL Redrafted, Letters Investigated
A coalition of agriculture and consumer organizations, Americans for Country of Origin Labeling (ACOOL), has asked the AMS to redraft guidelines for country of origin labeling (COOL) that the agency issued last year and to restate the estimates for implementation of the labels. At the same time, the Livestock Marketing Assn. and R-Calf USA have asked USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) to investigate flyers and letters that are being distributed by packers to their livestock suppliers advising producers of requirements they will have to meet when COOL becomes mandatory to prove the country, or countries, of birth and growth of the animals that they will be marketing to packing plants. The requests to AMS and GIPSA are in line with current efforts by groups such as R-Calf and the Organization for Competitive Markets to keep producers from being drawn into what the organizations regard as "misinformation" aimed at disconnecting producer support from COOL. OCM president Fred Stokes told Feedstuffs that the misinformation is a "heavy-handed" strategy to alienate producers from COOL proponents and push them to seek legislation that would overturn the law. (Feedstuffs Daily Update, March 14, 2003) Back to Top

AMS Preps for Referendum Survey
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is starting a process that could eventually lead to a continuation referendum on the national pork program, according to Barry Carpenter, AMS director of livestock and seed programs whose division oversees the pork program. As a first step, the USDA is proposing to amend the regulations that govern the Pork Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order, commonly known as the Pork Checkoff Program, to require remitters of pork checkoff assessments to submit to AMS the names, addresses, and any other information deemed necessary. This information will help the department identify those eligible pork produers and importers from whom assessments were collected and who could be surveyed to determine if they favor a referendum on the Pork Checkoff Program. The survey was part of a settlement of litigation against USDA filed by the Michigan Pork Producers Association and the National Pork Producers Council. When the "who is eligible" issue is settled, a proposed rule would be published to determine how the petitioning survey should be conducted. The actual referendum, if sufficiently supported, probably would be conducted next year. Back to Top

Environmentalists Lodge CAFO Suit
According to a March 10th article in Feedstuffs, "three environmental groups have filed a lawsuit in San Francisco's Ninth Circuit Court charging the Environmental Protection Agency's new confined animal feeding operations (CAFO) rule fails to protect national waters. In a statement Monday, they charged it allows large-scale livestock operations to pollute and "shields factory farms from liability for damage caused by animal waste pollution." The plaintiffs are the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Waterkeeper Alliance, whose president is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The new CAFO rule was issued by EPA in mid-December under a 1992 consent decree between the agency and NRDC. They said that land application of liquid manure from livestock manure lagoons allows seepage into surface and groundwater supplies, polluting them with "viruses, bacteria, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones and excessive nutrients." Their case centers on the rule's Clean Water Act exemption of field runoff by calling it "agricultural storm water." Back to Top

The New Face of Agriculture
As reported in Feedstuffs Daily Updates on March 5th, Land O'Lakes chief executive officer and president Jack Gherty, in his remarks to the cooperative's annual business meeting Feb. 26, said agriculture is changing significantly in that agriculture is moving away from the view that farming is a way of life to one that farming is a business; cooperatives are moving away from relatively uniform membership to "increasingly segmented membership" that includes "a growing number" of large, commercial farms and "a significant number" of smaller, traditional farms; locals are shifting from stores serving just one community to multi-facility organizations serving several communities; production is shifting away from individual farms to increasingly integrated production structures; policy is shifting from agriculture-based, agriculture-friendly policy-making bodies to legislatures that have a heavier urban commitment and "increasing skepticism" about farm programs, and capitalization is shifting from friendly, knowledgeable farm banks to "a commercial, arms-length and more demanding banking system." Back to Top

Water Usage & Manure Production Rates Research
According to the Manitoba Pork Council's Research News, a study by Clarence Froese identified a number of areas where significant water wastage, and hence excess manure production, was occurring. These mainly focused on management practices for cooling and watering of the grow/finish and gestating sow herd. Based on these observations, a cumulative reduction of 50% of current water usage was identified as potentially achievable. To read further details of the study, go to http://www.manitobapork.com/files/03febres.pdf. Back to Top

2003 National Pork Industry Forum
For a summary of actions taken at the National Pork Industry Forum in Dallas, Texas, March 6-9, go to http://www.porkboard.org/Home/president2.asp or to http://www.nppc.org/news/releases/2003/030310PorkForum.html. Back to Top

Ohio Pork Producer Is Elected NPPC Board Member
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) installed a new slate of officers and board members at its annual National Pork Industry Forum, March 6-8, in Dallas, Texas. Among its members is Bryan Black, of Canal Winchester, Ohio, who represents NPPC's Producer Advisory Council. The new NPPC President is Jon Caspers, a pork producer from Swaledale, Iowa. For other Board members, go to http://www.nppc.org/news/releases/2003/030310newofficers.html. Back to Top

Pork Producers Recommend Continue Current Checkoff Rate
Pork Act Delegates agreed to keep the Pork Checkoff rate at the current level of 40 cents per $100 of value, following hours of discussion during the Pork Act Delegate session March 8th at the 2003 National Pork Industry Forum in Dallas, Texas. "The unity and optimism of pork producers about the future of the pork checkoff was clear today," said National Pork Board President Hugh Dorminy, a pork producer from Russellville, Arkansas, in a news release from the National Pork Board. "The future of the checkoff isn't about individual pork producers at forum. It's about all producers working together to deal with the issues affecting all of us." For complete news release, go to http://www.porkboard.org/News/NewsEdit.asp?NewsID=330. Back to Top

Consumers View Industry More Favorably than Anticipated
Consumers have a more positive view of American pork production than producers expect, according to a recent survey supported by the Pork Checkoff. The survey was conducted to gauge consumer perceptions of the pork industry and what pork producers think consumers say about them. “This research is a good benchmark that shows us the public and producer perceptions,” said Craig Christensen, a pork producer from Ogden, Iowa, who serves as vice president of the National Pork Board. “The research told us that 84 percent of consumers have a positive or neutral opinion of pork farming.” Go to http://www.porkboard.org/
News/NewsEdit. asp?NewsID=329 for more details of the study. Back to Top

Al Christian Earns P