World Cattle News:

[mikey]

Monday, May 19, 2008Print This Page
Ineffective Feed Band Could have Sparked BSE Case
CANADA - The case of BSE found in a dairy cow in Edmonton in February could have come through cross contamination of feed.



The 12th case of BSE on Canada was found in an animal born in 2002 - five years after the ban on feeding meat and bonemeal to cattle was introduced.

Half of the cases that have occurred in Canada have been in cattle that were born after the feed band was introduced.

However, while meat and bonemeal was banned for cattle feed, it was still allowed for pigs and poultry and there are concerns that cross contamination of feed either in the feed mill or on the farm could have occurred.

One senior veterinarian, George Luterbach told the Edmonton Journal that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency was aware that the feed ban was not 100 per cent effective.

He said that the CFIA did not recall old bags of potentially contaminated feed containing rendered cattle parts, which was allowed to remain on farms for some time.

Also, he said, the ban created two types of feed - one for cattle and another for pigs and poultry.

[mikey]

Tuesday, May 20, 2008Print This Page
Eruption Descends on 40,000 Abandoned Livestock
CHILE - The Chaiten volcano in Southern Chile has blasted ash some 20 miles into the atmosphere, which has forced thousands to evacuate, leaving farm animals vulnerable to the toxic cloud.



IFAW, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, is headed to the volcano's foothills to help animals in need.


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"We are looking forward to this collaboration between local and international NGO's responding to the disaster in Chile." 
Dick Green, IFAW Emergency Relief Manager for Disasters.
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According to media reports, farmers left behind about 40,000 head of livestock, and officials expressed fear that many of them could die. Local animal welfare groups are greatly concerned for thousands of companion and farm animals that have been left chained or abandoned with no food or water.

Nine days after the eruption of the giant volcano, the Chilean government has opened the access to the impacted area and will allow for animal rescues to take place in 30-minute intervals, a protocol aimed to ensure the safety of the rescue groups.

A coalition of animal welfare groups including IFAW, WSPA, HSUS and local CEFU (Coalicion por el Control Etico de la Fauna Urbana) are cooperating to evacuate and shelter thousands of vulnerable animals.

"We are looking forward to this collaboration between local and international NGO's responding to the disaster in Chile. Our experience has found that every time groups get together, the action plan goes along in a smoother and more effective way," said Dick Green, IFAW Emergency Relief Manager for Disasters.

Nearby town Futaleufu is under two inches of fallen ash from the volcano and local residents remain under threat of further volcanic activity or the perilous descent of more toxic ash.

[mikey]

Tuesday, May 20, 2008Print This Page
Grill Season Sets US Meat Prices on Fire
US - Food prices are reaching record highs as the summer “Grilling Season” hits full throttle on Memorial Day. Meat prices are stable now but will increase by Thanksgiving or Christmas, say University of Georgia economists.


From March to April, U.S. food prices increased almost 1 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic Consumer Price Index. This is the largest one-month jump in 18 years. If the rate continues, food next year will cost 12 percent more than food today, said John McKissick, an economist with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, writes April Sorrow.

Meat prices overall haven’t changed much recently, he said. But they will by the end of the year. More of the nation’s corn crop is being used to make ethanol. This leaves less corn to feed animals, making it more expensive. Livestock producers are starting to cut production because of it.

“Right now, we are not really feeling the impact in the meat market of these high feed prices. Prices we are seeing now are reflections of the decisions made last year,” McKissick said.

The price of cheaper cuts of meat is increasing because the demand for them is also increasing. The demand for choice steaks is decreasing, driving down their prices.

“What we see is people will trade down, people will quit buying rib-eyes, but will buy sirloin. They have a grocery budget and a certain amount they are willing to spend on beef,” said Curt Lacy, a livestock economist with the UGA Cooperative Extension Service. “People will trade steak for ground beef or steak for roast.”

Ground chuck has increased 20 cents per pound over the last year, while choice boneless steaks have decreased eight cents per pound. Pork prices are also down. Ham is 13 cents cheaper per pound. Pork chops are a penny cheaper per pound than they were last year, according to Lacy.

Chicken prices have increased 10 cents per pound regardless of the cut. Due to the structure of the industry and short life-cycle of chickens, consumers can expect chicken prices to go even higher in August as producers adjust to rising feed costs, McKissick said.

Pork producers increased production last year due to several years of good profits, but now they are cutting back, too.

“We have to cut back in the animal industry,” McKissick said. “There will be less meat for consumers to eat and it will be at higher prices.”

Consumers can look for sales and buy now, freeze and eat the meat later, said Elizabeth Andress, food safety expert with the UGA Cooperative Extension Service.

“Most meats and poultry, for best quality, keep three to four months in the freezer, although some raw meat roasts and cuts may last up to a year if packaged and stored correctly,” she said. “Hams have a much shorter shelf life and some types are limited to one to two months in the freezer.”

[mikey]

Wednesday, May 21, 2008Print This Page
Beef Export Market Shifts Beneath Australian Feet
AUSTRALIA - Australian beef exporters are having to adjust to a rapidly changing trading environment, caused by the imminent return of US product to Korea, an easing in competition from South America, rising prices in the US and the high Australian dollar.


So far this year there has been a significant shift in beef exports from the big three of Japan, the US and Korea to ‘second tier’ markets in Europe, South East Asia/China’s and the Middle East, according to Meat and Livestock Australia.

Calendar year shipments to Russia until 12 May 2008 totalled almost 20,000 tonnes swt, compared with 5,000 tonnes for the whole of 2007. Over the January to April period, exports to South East Asia also rose 75 per cent on 2007, China/Hong Kong by 50 per cent, the Middle East by almost 200 per cent and the EU by 150 per cent.

Common factors in this growth have been a sharp easing in competition from Brazilian and Argentinean beef and, in most cases, strong local demand growth. Subdued demand from Japan, Korea and the US, and a rising A$ against the currencies of these countries, have also contributed to the shift in Australia’s export focus.

MLA said the US return to Korea is likely to cause a further period of market disruption until local Korean protests and US offer quantities and prices settle. This is likely to significantly reduce Australian beef sales and prices to Korea over coming months.

Together with increasing supplies of grassfed beef in Australia, this is likely to lead to continued high shipments to the second tier markets. The current sharp rise in US beef import offer prices is also expected to initiate some recovery in exports to this market over coming months, despite the continued low US$. However, exports to Russia are not expected to maintain the current frantic pace, as reportedly the market is having trouble absorbing the recent large (and high priced) imports, MLA added.

[mikey]

Thursday, May 22, 2008Print This Page
Slaughtering of Downer Cattle to be Banned in US
US - The United States Department of Agriculture has taken steps to ban the slaughtering of downer cows and end all exceptions to the animal handling rule.



According to Senator Kohl from Wisconsin, "A strictly enforceable downer ban will eliminate confusion and move the ball forward on food safety and humane standards while restoring consumer faith in a vital American sector."

USDA had banned downer cattle from food use after the mad-cow disease was found in the U.S. in December 2003. However, the ruling was modified in July 2007 to allow veterinarians to decide on a case-by-case basis whether an animal could be slaughtered.


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"I told the American people and the United States Congress that I was going to treat this issue with the utmost urgency" 
Agriculture Secratary Ed Schafer
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Agriculture Secratary Ed Schafer announced the news this week. He said: "One day after I was sworn in as Secretary of Agriculture, I learned of the illegal acts of inhumane handling that took place at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company in Chino, California. I immediately called upon the Office of the Inspector General and the Food Safety and Inspection Service to determine how this happened and what could be done in the future to ensure that animals are treated humanely.

"I told the American people and the United States Congress that I was going to treat this issue with the utmost urgency, and do everything in my power to appropriately address this problem and work to strengthen consumer confidence in our food supply. "

Last year, of the nearly 34 million cattle that were slaughtered, under 1,000 cattle that were re-inspected were actually approved by the veterinarian for slaughter. This represents less than 0.003 percent of cattle slaughtered annually.

He said that, the current rule, which focuses on cattle that went down after they have already passed pre-slaughter inspection, has been challenging to communicate and has, at times, been confusing to consumers.

Ed Shafer went on to say that "to maintain consumer confidence in the food supply, eliminate further misunderstanding of the rule and, ultimately, to make a positive impact on the humane handling of cattle, I believe it is sound policy to simplify this matter by initiating a complete ban on the slaughter of downer cattle that go down after initial inspection.

"FSIS will draft a proposed rule to remove the exception that allows certain injured cattle to proceed to slaughter. This action is expected to provide additional efficiencies to food safety inspection by removing the step that requires inspection workforce to determine when non-ambulatory cattle are safe to slaughter."

The decision to ban all non-ambulatory cattle from slaughter will positively impact the humane handling of cattle by reducing the incentive to send marginally weakened cattle to market.

The USDA believes that cattle producers, transporters and slaughter establishments alike will be encouraged to enhance humane handling practices, as there will no longer be any market for cattle that are too weak to rise or walk on their own.

[mikey]

Thursday, May 22, 2008Print This Page
Livestock Manure: Eco Friendly Fertilizer?
CANADA - Research conducted in Saskatchewan has shown, when applied in balance according to manure nutrient analysis and soil testing, livestock manure is an environmentally friendly fertilizer option, writes Bruce Cochrane.





Farm-Scape is sponsored by
Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork

Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council
and Sask Pork. 
The University of Saskatchewan in collaboration with the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has been conducting long and short term manure fertilizer trials at sites throughout Saskatchewan since the early 1990's.

Soil research scientist Dr. Jeff Schoenau says researchers have looked at several different aspects of the environmental impact of using manure fertilizer including nutrients, metals and salts and what it really comes down to is a matter of balance.

Clip-Dr. Jeff Schoenau-University of Saskatchewan
What we've found in these trials is that when you apply manure nutrients at a rate that is in balance with the crops requirement and removal over time that in fact you get maximum recovery of those manure nutrients, really no issues with buildup or loading in the soil and really no adverse effects on the physical condition of the soil either.

The organic matter, in soils of low organic matter, is of a benefit.

The thing to watch out for in some manure sources is the nitrogen to phosphorus balance.

If you're applying manure to meet all of the nitrogen and the manure is high in phosphorous you will end up over applying phosphorus year after year and you'll end up with some loading issues.

And it's under those circumstances, where you build up that available soluble phosphorus in the soil, that you can run into problems with water moving across that soil carrying the phosphorus into water bodies.

And that's why paying attention to the balance of all nutrients is important.

Dr. Schoenau suggests when applying manure that has a high phosphorus content relative to nitrogen you would apply that manure according to a phosphorus based recommendation and then look at supplementing with commercial nitrogen fertilizer.

[mikey]

Friday, May 23, 2008Print This Page
The Taste Test: Increasing Visits to Milking Systems
DENMARK - New research has underlined the importance of the composition of concentrates is important for the frequency of visits to the automatic milking system (AMS) and the milk yield.


 
Cows prefer wheat or a barley-oat mix to maize and barley. Photo: DJF 

Just like humans, cows also have their favourite dishes. The formulation and structure of the feed concentrate offered is important for how often the cow frequents the automatic milking system (AMS), how much of the feed she eats, and how much milk she produces.

The formulation of the concentrate also has impact on its taste, according to results from a study carried out at the Danish Cattle Research Centre at Research Centre Foulum. The cows prefer wheat or a barley-oat mix to maize and barley, resulting in increased visit frequency to the AMS, reduced number of times the cows had to be fetched, and increased milk yield, according to senior scientists Martin Riis Weisbjerg and Torben Hvelplund, both from the Department of Animal Health, Welfare and Nutrition, University of Aarhus, and professor Jørgen Madsen, Department of Large Animal Science, University of Copenhagen.

On the other hand, feeding concentrate in the form of artificially dried grass was not a big hit with the cows, resulting in reduced visit frequency in the AMS, thus reducing milk yield.

The poor results obtained for the artificially dried grass in its pure form can have a natural explanation.

"The very negative result of artificially dried grass is probably only valid when it is fed alone and not when it is included in small amounts in a mix," the report says.

[mikey]

Friday, May 23, 2008Print This Page
Canadian BSE Programme Focuses on New Standards
CANADA - Over the past four years, Alberta’s cattle producers have worked closely with the federal and provincial governments to meet international requirements for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance.



Now, with the help of a new pilot program developed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD), producers will be able to focus their efforts on the animals the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) identifies as being most at risk.

Effective July 1, 2008, the Canada-Alberta BSE Surveillance Program (CABSESP) will introduce changes that will shift the surveillance focus to testing younger high-risk cattle for which critical disease history and diagnoses are available. “CABSESP has done a tremendous job of gathering information on BSE levels in older Alberta cattle,” explains Dr. Gerald Ollis, Chief Provincial Veterinarian. “A move toward more targeted, precise sampling further strengthens Alberta’s vitally important cattle industry and provides a possible model for the rest of the country.” To date CABSESP has tested more than 100,000 high-risk cattle – representing more than 40 per cent of the cattle tested in Canada.

The new pilot program is in keeping with OIE surveillance standards, which use a point system to assess the value of member country’s BSE surveillance. Because most cases of BSE show up in cattle between four and seven years of age, the OIE point system assigns a higher value for high-risk cattle in that age range. “Knowing that, we determined that cattle over 107 months will no longer qualify for BSE testing unless they have neurological signs indicating they may have BSE,” says Ollis. Other program changes include:

only licensed veterinarians certified by ARD can participate in CABSESP
veterinarians must verify the age of the animal sampled. Dentition can be used for animals up to five years of age and farm records are required for animals between 60 and 107 months of age
veterinarians must provide a comprehensive description of the herd and operation, not just the animal
in the case of a dead animal, veterinarians will be required to conduct a post-mortem and record the cause of death
producers must be in possession of the animal for at least 30 days in order to provide an adequate clinical history
Producers who submit an animal for testing that meets the new standards will continue to receive a reimbursement of $225 for each animal.

Although the new age cut-offs will reduce the number of animals eligible for testing, by selecting cattle that yield the highest surveillance point values, international confidence in negative test results will be maintained. “These changes are designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the mitigations put in place to prevent the spread of BSE in Canada and the strength of Canada’s BSE surveillance program to other countries. Our goal is to maintain Canada’s controlled BSE risk status.”

[mikey]

US to Assess Brazilian Meat Conditions
BRAZIL - In order to assess fresh beef and pork production conditions in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that they will make a technical mission.


The decision was made after a Brazil-US Agricultural Committee meeting was held on Monday 19 May in Brazil and the journey is expected to begin between 9 and 13 June 2008

Santa Catarina is the only state recognised by the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) as free of foot and mouth disease without vaccination in Brazil.

The US has not recognised the regionalisation principle for phytosanitary measures in previous years, but there is increasing optimism among Brazilian authorities, as the World Trade Organisation (of which the US is a member) has recently agreed to recognise this principle, although it will not be mandatory for its members to accept it.

[mikey]

Monday, May 26, 2008Print This Page
Growing Acceptance of US Beef in Japan
AUSTRALIA - The Japanese trade reported slow but growing demand in the wholesale market for US beef, particularly yakiniku (Japanese/Korean style barbeque) cuts. In retail, a major retailer Daiei started selling a wider range of US beef from this week, supported by demand from their customers, as well as the recent appreciation of the Japanese yen against the US$.

According to a survey conducted by the Foodservice Industry Research Institute of Japan, 35% of respondents said they have ‘no intention of buying US beef’, compared with 57% during the same survey previous year.

Exporters noted firm demand for trimmings from Japan this week, but trading was mostly limited otherwise, due to importers not matching market prices. Monthly exports to Japan as of 18 May totalled 18,143 tonnes swt (Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), while volumes to Eastern Europe – mainly Russia – reached to 10,060 tonnes during the same period.

[mikey]

Monday, May 26, 2008Print This Page
Russian Ban on EU Meat
AUSTRALIA - In April, the Russian Federation introduced a series of company specific bans on western European poultry, pork and beef due to antibiotic levels in meat shipments exceeding Russia’s required ‘safe limit’.

To date, approximately 53 meat establishments (which produce mostly pig meat and poultry) in Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy and Hungary have been affected by the ban. Meat imports from some establishments have also been banned indefinitely in the US, Canada, Brazil and Argentina.

A statement issued by the European Commission (EC) states that the levels of antibiotic residues in meat imports reported by Russia were in most cases well below the maximum allowed in EU legislation, and in the international standard. The EC has requested Russia review its measures, maintaining that EU meat does not pose a risk to consumers and that the measures taken by Russia are disproportionate.

A series of bilateral meetings are being held through to early June to resolve the situation.

[mikey]

Monday, May 26, 2008Print This Page
Milk Price Auction Blow for Dairy Farmers
UK - Ulster Farmers’ Union Dairy Policy Chairman William Cromie, says the results of the May Northern Ireland milk auction are a blow to local milk producers, who are struggling to cope with soaring feed, fuel and fertiliser production costs.


The average milk price at this weeks auction was 24.28 pence per litre. This is just over a penny ahead of prices in May 2007, but the UFU says dairy farmers production costs have risen by approximately five pence per litre during the same period.

In a message directed at milk processors in Northern Ireland, William Cromie said dairy farmers should not be taken for granted and if profitable farm gate prices did not emerge then producers would consider their future in the sector.

William Cromie said; “Milk processors should not underestimate the strength of feeling among producers about current farm gate prices. Dairy farmers costs have rocketed and they are facing major investment decisions to comply with the Nitrates Directive. Producers need confidence to invest in their businesses but instead there is a general feeling that the industry is less well off now than it was twelve months ago. Milk auction prices may be a penny better than a year ago, but our production costs have gone up by approximately five times that amount. These economics simply don’t add up to profitable dairy farming”

William Cromie added; “The UK Actual Milk Price Equivalent in April is 24.9 pence per litre and that should at least be the farm gate figure paid to local farmers. Consumer prices for dairy products are high, the cheese market is still strong and the euro / sterling exchange rate is very much in our favour. Milk processors need to convert these positive factors into better prices for dairy farmers who have to offset their rising costs”.

[mikey]

Monday, May 26, 2008Print This Page
Union Leader Urges Farmers to Vaccinate
UK - Blue tongue has the potential to decimate and wreak havoc in the Welsh livestock sectors and this must be avoided.


In his letter, Dai Davies appeals to his fellow farmers in the newly designated PZ to vaccinate susceptible stock such as sheep and cattle as soon as possible. Dai Davies said, “Whilst I appreciate it is an added cost at a time when the livestock sectors can ill-afford it, I regard it as a small price to pay for the protection and insurance against Btv8 it will provide us as individual farmers. The alternative is unthinkable. I don’t think we can afford not to vaccinate.”

Mr Davies continues, “The only way to protect our stock, our livelihoods and our industry against bluetongue is to vaccinate as soon as we are permitted to do so and as soon as vaccine is available and that is why I am appealing to you directly to do so.”

In his letter, Mr Davies warns, “There is no Government compensation for any losses sustained due to blue tongue and our fate is largely in our own hands as far as this disease is concerned.”

Mr Davies also draws attention to the fact that, provided stock has been vaccinated 60 days before the date of movement, the current constraints on movement from the restricted area will be lifted, thus freeing up movements for management purposes and for trade. Movement to unrestricted areas or for export will require veterinary certification and a signed declaration that the animals have been vaccinated will need to accompany the animal.

[mikey]

Monday, May 26, 2008Print This Page
CME: Impact of Higher Feed Costs on Cow-Calf Operators
US - CME's Daily Livestock Report for 22nd May 2008.


In our discussion of the impact that higher feed costs are having on cow-calf operators (DLR dated May 20) we also should have noted that while the liquidation of the US cow herd still continues, a significant part of the increase in weekly slaughter is due to more Canadian cows in the mix. After an absence of several years (since May 2003) Canadian beef producers were finally allowed last November to again ship cattle 30 months or older to the US market. Since then, about 75,920 head of Canadian slaughter cows have been sent to US plants for processing. This implies that since the beginning of the year, Canadian slaughter cows have made up about 2.6% of TOTAL weekly cow slaughter in the US.






E-Livestock Volume  5/22/08  5/21/08  5/15/08 

LE (E-Live Cattle):  6,301  14,338  11,132 

GF (E-Feeder Cattle):  351  767  347 

HE (E-Lean Hogs):  6,502  8,631  8,375 



But how big has been the impact of Canadian cows in the overall increase of US cow slaughter numbers? The attached chart seeks to address that question. We made two assumptions when creating the chart. First, we lagged Canadian cow numbers by a week to account for transportation. Maybe some cows were slaughtered the same week that they were reported in the export data but we assumed that all of them were slaughtered in the next. Second, we assumed that the reported Canadian cows destined for slaughter were both beef and dairy animals. While it would be more helpful for understanding the beef herd liquidation to focus just on the beef cow numbers, we did not know how to ascertain the number of Canadian origin beef cows in the mix. The green bars show the increase in the number of total Canadian slaughter cows for any given week. Because there were no Canadian cows allowed last year, all weekly Canadian shipments are included in the growth, averaging about 3000 head a week since the beginning of the year. The red bars show the increase or decrease in US domestic cow slaughter numbers and the blue line indicates the overall increase or decrease in weekly cow slaughter in the US. Bottom line: In the last six weeks, Canadian cow imports have accounted for about half of the total increase in US cow slaughter numbers. Year to date, Canadian cows have accounted for 2/3 (68%) of the overall increase in US cow slaughter.

[mikey]

Tuesday, May 27, 2008Print This Page
Government to Consult Local Livestock Group Leaders
SEOUL - The South Korean government plans to meet local livestock group leaders to come up with a way to improve the the competitiveness of cattle and hog growers as the country moves to fully open its market to U.S. beef.



According to Yonhap News, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said talks are planned for Wednesday and Thursday with representatives from the Hanwoo Association, the Korea Dairy and Beef Farmers Association and the Korea Swine Association.

It said Vice Minister Jeong Hak-soo will hold talks directly with representatives and touch on various support measures.

Important issues that are to be discussed include modernizing the country's feed and livestock control system, improving the meat quality of domestically raised animals to better compete with cheaper imports, and clamping down on illegal country-of-origin mislabeling of meat by butcher shops, restaurants and catering services.

Because locally raised meat products are more expensive and preferred by consumers, mislabeling foreign imports as local beef and pork has become a common practice among many eateries and small-time butcher shops.

Livestock groups have generally been opposed to opening the market to U.S. beef, and said that they are skeptical about the government's ability to put support measures into practice.

"Livestock growers plan to demand that the government ensures minimum prices for calves and all types of meat cows, as well pay full compensation for animals that have to be culled in case of a brucella outbreak," said Nam Ho-kyung, chairman of the Hanwoo Association.

Under standing rules, once the agriculture minister posts the SPS on the gazette, it will replace the existing pact reached in January 2006.

The old deal only permits boneless beef from animals under 30 months old, while the new pact effectively allows most cuts to be imported without any age limit. Only specified risk materials (SRMs) like brains, tongue, vertebrae marrow, tonsils and part of the intestine are to be banned since they pose the greatest risk of transmitting mad cow disease to humans.

South Korea halted all imports in late 2003 after a mad cow case was reported in the U.S. In May 2007, U.S. beef reached the market again, but all quarantine inspections were halted in October after inspectors found banned SRMs in packages.