World Cattle News:

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Tuesday, May 27, 2008Print This Page
Difficulty of Predicting Anthrax Outbreaks
CANADA - At this time of year producers want to know if the weather conditions might unleash anthrax bacteria spores from the soil, where the disease can survive for up to 80 years.



It’s not easy to predict, says Dr. Gerald Hauer, assistant chief provincial veterinarian for the Food Safety Division of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

Persistent wet weather followed by a drought can lead to an outbreak, or dry weather followed by periods of heavy rain. The anthrax-optimal conditions could also include man-made excavations or anything else that disturbs the soil and exposes spores. Sometimes outbreaks occur even when there are no predisposing factors
 
An anthrax outbreak in Saskatchewan killed 804 livestock two years ago. That year, there were heavy rains and flooding in the spring followed by a dry summer.

“But last year we had weather that ought to have resulted in an anthrax outbreak, says Hauer. “ We had lots of rain early and then it got dry – what the books say is good for anthrax. There was anthrax on a few farms, but, the disease wasn’t widespread across the province.”

Anthrax can kill “pretty much any livestock,” says Hauer. “It goes into the blood and spreads to every tissue of the animal. The bacteria are also zoonotic, meaning that people can also get infected as well. But such cases are very rare.

Most often anthrax kills cattle, sheep, goats and horses. Livestock can die only hours after showing early symptoms of anthrax, including refusing feed or producing less milk. The most common sign of anthrax is an otherwise healthy animal that dies suddenly. Treatment usually fails.

How can you protect livestock from anthrax? Producers can get in touch with their veterinarians for advice on whether vaccination is appropriate for their animals. The best way to battle anthrax is to get an immediate examination for any animal that dies suddenly.

“Any time you have an unexplained sudden death, you should get it examined by a veterinarian just to determine whether it is anthrax or not,” Hauer says. “If anthrax is confirmed, the case must be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and appropriate precautions will be taken to prevent spread of the disease.”

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Friday, June 06, 2008Print This Page
Botswana: Government Kills Suspected FMD-Infected Cattle
BOTSWANA - Veterinary officers started killing cattle suspected to be infected with Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) yesterday in the Okavango area, amid complaints by farmers that the exercise will leave them impoverished.

Speaking in a telephone interview from Sehithwa, Mogotsi Makgetho complained that the officers were shooting any animal they suspected not to have been vaccinated and that they were not rounding them up in one place for checking. He said they have tried to plead with the government that the killing was going to leave them impoverished and have unsuccessfully suggested vaccination.

"Foot and Mouth disease is like any other disease and government should have opted for vaccination instead of slaughtering our cattle," he said. Makgetho said that he did not know where some of his cattle were - whether they had already been shot or not. He added that the carcasses were buried at a place called Murambachikoto far way from the village.

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Monday, June 09, 2008Print This Page
Compensation Due to Vietnamese Livestock Owners
VIET NAM - Raisers of poultry and cattle which have been culled to prevent the spread of such diseases as bird flu, foot-and-mouth and "blue ear," are to receive state compensation equal to 70 percent of the selling price of the culled animals.



Under a recent prime ministerial decision, the raisers are to get 25,000 Vietnamese dong (VND) (nearly 1.6 U.S. dollars) per kg of live pigs, 30,000 VND (nearly 1.9 dollars) per kg of buffaloes, cows, bulls, goats, sheep and deer, and 23,000 VND (over 1.4 dollars) per kg of chickens, ducks and geese.

The state will also freeze bank loans already borrowed to develop livestock raising for one or two years, depending on the kind of domestic animals, and offer financial assistance to veterinary cadres, including vaccine injectors.

Fowls and cattle in a number of Vietnamese provinces have been stricken by bird flu, foot-and-mouth disease, and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), known as "blue ear" disease, in recent months.

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Monday, June 09, 2008Print This Page
Tracking and Controlling by GPS Technology
US - The same Global Positioning System (GPS) technology used to track vehicles is now being used to track cows.



But Agricultural Research Service (ARS) animal scientist Dean M. Anderson has taken tracking several steps further with a Walkman-like headset that enables him to "whisper" wireless commands to cows to control their movements across a landscape—and even remotely gather them into a corral.

 
ARS scientists are helping to develop technology that can not only track cattle with a Global Positioning System (GIS) but may allow their movements to be controlled across a landscape—and even be remotely rounded up into a corral
He and his colleagues realize this is a highly futuristic technology, but they can envision a time when these technologies will be affordable and useful for a range of applications, from intensive animal operations to monitoring and controlling the movements of some wildlife species and even household pets.

Anderson, at the ARS Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, N.M., is working with Daniela Rus and a team of engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge to equip an Ear-A-Round (EAR) device with state-of-art electronics. Their latest prototype is a doughnut-shaped stereo headset worn over each ear. Anderson’s headset design and his knowledge of range animal ecology have been combined with the MIT scientists' electronics skills in robotics and mobile computing.

Prior to working with MIT, Anderson patented technology for virtual fencing termed Directional Virtual Fencing (DVF) that centered around giving cows "left" and "right" sensory signals to cause them to move away from an irritating suite of cues.

The researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have developed and prototyped a miniaturized electronics package for DVF devices that is solar- powered and is packaged as a headset device. The circuit board contains a processor, data storage, WiFi for remote communication, audio and electrical stimulation electronics, a GPS receiver, and sensors such as magnetometers and accelerometers that record the body orientation and configuration of the animal.

The commands vary from familiar “gathering songs” sung by cowboys during manual round-ups, to irritating sounds such as sirens and even mild electric stimulation if necessary to get cows to move or avoid penetrating forbidden boundaries.

[mikey]

Tuesday, June 10, 2008Print This Page
The Pros and Cons of Added Fat in Dairy
US - Fats, or lipids, are part of all dairy cattle diets and are an essential component of them. All dairy animals consume forages, which are typically 3 to 3.5 percent fat or higher, depending whether we’re talking alfalfa, grass or corn silage.


Additionally, corn grain is about 3.5 percent fat as well. Lactating cow diets with additional feeds such as cottonseed or corn distillers would have a basal diet level of over 4 percent fat. As milk production has increased, the need for greater energy density in lactating cow diets has necessitated the feeding of more fat. High producing cow diets may now include tallow and rumen inert fats in addition to oilseeds. This results in diets of 5.5 to 6 percent fat.

Feeding fat has advantages and disadvantages for the dairy animal.

Advantages: Feeding fat increases the energy density of the ration. As cows milk more, they need more energy and there is a limit on how much starch can be fed. Fat also contains approximately 2.25 times as much energy as starch. Feeding fat can alleviate some of the shortcoming of poor forage and its limitations on feed intake as well.

In recent years, there has been tremendous interest in the value of feeding particular fatty acids for reproduction. Certain omega-3 fatty acids are required by the animal for the production of specific hormones. Including these in diets has shown to improve the pregnancy rate in cows.

Disadvantages: Forage quality, the amount of forage fed, and feeding grains are main factors in keeping feed costs down because they are less expensive than fat sources. Additionally, fats in commodity byproducts are calculated on the basis of partial contribution and, thus, supplementing tallow or rumen inert fats are higher priced ingredients.

Feeding over 5 percent of the diet as fat can have negative effects on dry matter intake and milk production. There is a point where additional fat fed does not result in increased intake or milk production; this point is variable with different feed ingredients.

The bottom line: Adding fat to diets of dairy animals can be beneficial to improve the energy balance in lactating cows. This should improve milk production and reproduction. However, feeding fat must be carefully monitored for negative effects on feed intake, milk production and milk components.

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008Print This Page
Natural Treatment Could Milk Dairy Output
NEW ZEALAND - The New Zealand government has decided to help fund a new project which will test a new, natural cattle treatment that is rumoured to boost milk output by a significant amount.



The study with Ancare Scientific Ltd. will take a year and cost more than NZ$500,000 ($377,000), said Andy West, chief executive officer of state-owned AgResearch Ltd., at the opening of the nation's Fieldays agricultural fair. Ancare Scientific has a development agreement with animal-treatments maker Merial Ltd.

According to the news agency Bloomberg, New Zealand is the world's largest dairy exporter and accounts for about 40 percent of the global trade in milk powders, butter and cheese. The nation is also the largest producer of sheep meat and kiwifruit, and agriculture accounts for about 38 percent of New Zealand's $104 billion economy.

According to Bllomberg West said that "It's an exciting deal" involving a natural biological product. "If it works in a large-scale, real-world farming situation, it will be a truly significant technology in global dairying." He wouldn't provide more details.

The Ancare trial is an example of the science New Zealand will need to use to remain competitive in international markets, West said. Half the nation's merchandise exports depend in some way on pastoral farming, he said.

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Friday, June 13, 2008Print This Page
US Running Out of Corn
US - According to the latest figures from the US feed grains outlook, American producers are going to see tough times ahead. Lower production, strong domestic demand and lower ending stocks are going to set a trend of tight corn supply and point towards upcoming shortfalls.



The 2008-09 US corn crop is projected at 12.1 million bushels, down 7% from record in 2007-08. Adding pressure is torrential rains across the US Midwest region, which has delayed corn plantings. This has made many producers anxious as out of season plantings risk lower yields. Early June is the latest producers can look at planting corn, otherwise they will need to switch to other crops.

Regardless of delayed plantings, corn yields are still forecast to be lower than last year, which will fail to meet the US 13-billion bushel demand. Ending stocks of corn are forecast to the lowest since 1995-96. A consequence of tighter supplies is higher prices, with the USDA forecasting the season-average price to be $5 to $6/bushel, well above the previous forecast of $4.10 to $4.40/bushel.

Despite lower forecast US corn output, globally coarse grain production is projected to increase slightly to 1.1 billion tonnes, due to increased corn production in Argentina, Brazil, China and EU-27.

The US corn crop is used for three main reasons, feed, fuel (ethanol) and export. The US is a huge player in the global market, producing 42.5% of the global crop and expected to account for 64% of all corn traded internationally during this marketing year. If the US corn crop declines, it affects not only the price of corn, but also the price of related products that can be substituted, including wheat, soybeans and hay.

Predictions are that the feed and feed residue element of the corn crop will be substantially lower in the 2008-09 season than 2007-08. This should cause livestock production to eventually fall, as predicted by USDA for 2009. Also, feeders will turn to distillers dried grains (DDG’s), a by-product of ethanol production, as they try and contain feed costs.

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Friday, June 13, 2008Print This Page
Brazilian Beef Industry Seeks Arab Riches
BRAZIL - Brazilian foreign beef sales have taken a hit over the last few months for Brazil. Despite the reduction, the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association will keep on working to hold the country's leadership position in the Middle East and North Africa.



Despite a 20.27% reduction in volume of Brazilian beef exports, which also affected the Arab market, Brazil will keep on working to secure its leadership in the North African and Middle Eastern countries. "Brazilian beef enjoys a privileged status across the entire Arab market, and we will continue working to maintain that," said the new president at the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association (Abiec), Roberto Giannetti da Fonseca, who assumed the presidency a week ago.


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"The Middle East and North Africa remain a priority for Abiec, which is investing in marketing to hold our market position" 
Roberto Giannetti da Fonseca, president at the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association
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Out of the 15 leading importer markets for raw Brazilian beef, six are Arab countries. Egypt ranks fourth in the list, with imports of US$ 91.81 million in the first five months this year, representing reduction of 40% compared with the same period last year. In all, 47,640 tonnes of the product were shipped to the Arab country, decrease of 61.7% using the same basis for comparison.

According to Giannetti, the reduction in Brazilian beef exports volume, which totalled 1.15 million tonnes from January to May 2007 and reached 920,680 tonnes in the same period this year, happened due to the European embargo on the Brazilian product and to high prices, which led demand to drop. "Egypt has also adhered to the European Union's embargo," said the president.

Another Arab country to which import volume decreased was Algeria, reduction of 17.24%. However, Brazilian revenues from exports to the Arab country grew 28.2% to stand at US$ 61.45 million. In the case of Lebanon, shipped volume decreased 5.2%, whereas revenues grew 40.2%.

In the case of Saudi Arabia, for instance, foreign sales of raw beef from Brazil resulted in revenues of US$ 62 million, representing growth of 65% in comparison with the first five months of last year. Shipments totalled 27,650 tonnes of the product, growth of 1.2%. In the case of Libya and the United Arab Emirates, both the volume and the revenues increased. "The Arab market ranks among the regions in which Brazilian beef enjoys the most acceptance, due to its quality, pricing, and the promotional actions we are holding (there)," said Giannetti.

According to him, Abiec and the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) are scheduling new promotional actions in the Arab market. "The Middle East and North Africa remain a priority for Abiec, which is investing in marketing to hold our market position," asserted the president.

More than US$ 2 billion
Brazilian beef exports totalled US$ 2.06 billion from January to May, representing growth of 10.4% in comparison with the same period last year. A total of 920,860 tonnes were exported, decrease of 20.27% using the same basis for comparison. According to projections by the Abiec, revenues from foreign sales of the product should reach US$ 5 billion this year, and shipped volume should surpass 2 million tonnes.

Also this year, Abiec should work to enter the markets of the United States and Japan. Furthermore, the organisation wants to keep working in order to bring foreign opinion makers to Brazil, so as to show them the Brazilian beef production chain.

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008Print This Page
Tender Meat is All in the Genes
AUSTRALIA - Scientists from the Beef CRC have proved that meat produced by cattle carrying the favourable forms of gene markers for tenderness is more tender than meat from cattle which carry unfavourable forms of the genes.


In the past, production and processing techniques have been relied upon to improve the eating quality of beef. But an experiment conducted by Dr Paul Greenwood from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, and his Beef CRC colleagues from across Australia, indicates the genetic make-up of animal can also lead to a better dining experience.

Dr Greenwood said the work could have massive benefits for producers of Bos indicus type cattle which are often dismissed as tough and lean when compared to Bos taurus genotypes. “What we wanted to do was to see if we could achieve a greater level of consumer acceptance of beef from Bos indicus cattle. We’ve now managed to show that selecting cattle with favourable tenderness markers is one way of doing that,” he said.

The experiment was conducted at the Glen Innes Research Station in New South Wales and the Vasse Research Station in Western Australia. It investigated two tenderness markers based on the calpain system responsible for the breakdown of the muscle during ageing.

Several groups of cattle were specifically selected for the experiment from several thousand animals that were initially tested. Some animals carried two copies of each of the two favourable markers for tenderness, others had two copies of the unfavourable markers and there were intermediate groups, each carrying one favourable and one unfavourable copy of both genes.

“Across both the NSW and WA sites, we found the cattle with no favourable copies of the markers had meat that was a full kilogram of shear force tougher than the meat from those that had two favourable copies of both markers,” Dr Greenwood said.

Shear force is a mechanical measure of the amount of force needed to cut through a cooked piece of meat. It can be likened to the amount of force that a person needs to take their first bite of a piece of steak. The lower the amount of force, the more tender the meat.

Dr Greenwood said this work could have a number of potential spin-offs. “For producers, if one of their objectives is to produce more tender meat, then they can be confident these markers will improve the tenderness of meat from their animals, this is likely to mean even more acceptable meat for consumers.”

But Dr Greenwood added it could also lead to greater efficiencies in the processing sector.

“This would need to be looked at in more detail by people within the sector. But if the aim is to produce meat of similar quality to current production systems, then carcasses that have favourable forms of the markers may not have to be aged as long as they are now to produce a similar quality product.”

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Cebu City Gets Tough On Cruelty
CEBU CITY - This city is the first local government unit (LGU) in the country that has passed an ordinance against cruelty to animals using forced oral drenching method before slaughter even before RA 8485 otherwise known as the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 has been enacted.



Cebu City Veterinarian Dr. Alice Utlang bared that oral forced drenching before slaughter or "tingal" in the Cebuano dialect is prohibited as this is often applied to increase body weight so that wholesale and retail prices of meat are likewise unfairly increased.

Apart from inflicting pain to the animal, such method also dupes and deprives the consumers from the true kilo weight of meat they are buying, Utlang said.

Cebu City Ordinance No. 2080 approved on July 5, 2006 amends ordinance No. 879, promulgating rules and regulations governing the activities of butchers and their helpers and other persons in the slaughtering of domestic food animals and domestic poultry in the Cebu City abattoir, their supervision and control and providing fees thereof.

Under the ordinance, forced oral drenching is a form of cruelty causing animals to bloat and suffocate while this method also causes meat to suffer in quality and shortchanges consumers with artificial weight of meat cuts.

The ordinance likewise stipulates that any cattle either cow or carabao found to be bloated or forced drenched will be taken into custody and subjected to summary condemnation.

Utlang said those that violate the ordinance will be subjected to a fine of not less than P1,000 nor more than P5,000 or an imprisonment of not less than six months nor more than one year or both.

In fact, Cebu City is the first LGU in the country to adopt a local legislation that gives due protection to the general welfare of animals while the National Government only passed the Animal Welfare Act two years after or in 1998, Utlang stressed.

Early this year, a butcher was apprehended for applying the forced oral drenching method and was jailed for two nights before posting bail and paying a fine of P5,000 while last year, a person was arrested for slaughtering a dog for food meat and was fined P2,000 and spent overnight in jail, Utlang revealed.

Department of Agriculture (DA-7) Animal Welfare Coordinator Dr. Verna Agriam on the other hand, admitted no person has been charged in court for violating the Animal Welfare Act.

Though the law was approved in 1998, "we are still on the information dissemination stage," as people still need to be aware on the provisions of the law, Agriam said. Budgetary constraints have hampered the massive advocacy drive about the law as focus of their agency is on poverty alleviation programs, Agriam added.

Agriam is urging local government units to help the National Government in its campaign promoting and protecting the basic rights of animals that include freedom from malnutrition, injury, illnesses and harm.

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Binders in Demand
WORLDWIDE - The rising cost of energy and raw materials is stimulating producers to consider different alternative ingredients for their animal feed formulations. The trend is also boosting interest in pellet binders, special bio-chemical ingredients that can enhance feed quality during processing.



In some situations, using alternative, less expensive raw materials can adversely affect pellet quality. This can reduce throughput at the feed mill press and add to production costs, says agricultural specialists Kiotechagil.

 
With rising energy costs feed manufacturers are seeking alternative metods of including alternative raw materials in animals feeds
"With electricity at 0.16 US$ per kilowatt-hour and rising, feed compounders are also paying increasing attention to energy usage. Double pelleting for example costs an extra 1.6US$ per tonne compared to single pelleting," explains Mark Meynell, Director of Lloyds Animal Feeds.

And its these two factors that are increasing the demand for low inclusion pellet binders, says Kiotechagil’s chief technical officer Murray Hyden.

“Part of the benefit comes through the chemical binding attributes which help lower the amount of energy consumed in pellet production. This is achieved by improved die lubrication and a reduction in fines losses,” he adds.

Feed producers are also recognising the advantages of binders like Mastercube, which improve pellet quality and allows greater inclusion of oils in high-energy diets.

"Farmers are looking to protect their investment in quality feeds by seeking out improved pellet durability and the more consistent pellet quality they achieve when using low inclusion pellet binders,” says Mr Hyden.

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Brown Says GM Animal Feeds are Key to Food Crisis
UK - Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of Britain, has called upon the European Union to relax rules on imports of genetically modified animal feed in order to prevent a world food crisis.



His proposal comes the day after The Independent revealed that the Environment minister, Phil Woolas, has held private talks with the biotechnology industry about relaxing Britain's policy on the use of GM crops.

The Prime Minister also signalled that he is happy to see a public debate over whether GM crops should be grown commercially in Britain to reduce global prices by boosting production. His spokesman said last night: "His view is that we must be guided by the scientific evidence."

According to The Independent, ministers who support GM crops believe there are no convincing arguments against them. They want to turn the tables on environmental groups who campaigned successfully against widespread GM production in Britain during the last government review in 2004. Although there is no ban, the ministers want the rules changed in light of the food crisis, as no GM crops are currently being grown commercially in this country.

At a two-day summit in Brussels which began last night, EU leaders were urged to "bite the bullet" and embrace GM products as a solution to rocketing food prices. The plea came from Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission. Several EU countries, led by France, are unconvinced that "Frankenstein foods" are safe.

At the meeting, Mr Brown suggested allowing more GM animal food into the EU. The move may raise safety fears because contaminated feed was blamed for the outbreak in Britain of BSE in the 1990s.

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GE Animals Full of Promise in Brave New World
US – Genetically engineered (GE) animals provide innovative technologies that are transforming public health through biomedical, food and environmental applications, according to a scientific report released yesterday at the BIO 2008 International Convention.



The report, Genetically Engineered Animals and Public Health – Compelling Benefits for Health Care, Nutrition, the Environment and Animal Welfare, details how GE animals are enhancing human health, food production, environmental protection, animal health and cutting-edge industrial applications.

The report was authored by Scott Gottlieb, MD, of the American Enterprise Institute, and Matthew B. Wheeler, PhD, of the Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Gottlieb and Dr. Wheeler are experts in the field of genetic engineering of animals.

Genetic engineering is the deliberate modification of the animal’s genome using techniques of modern biotechnology. By incorporating genes from other organisms in a process called transgenesis, GE animals are being developed to address five broad goals:

Advance human health: GE animals will improve human health by producing novel replacement proteins, drugs, vaccines and tissues for the treatment and prevention of human disease.


Enhance food production and quality: Animals that are genetically engineered will have improved food production capabilities, enabling them to help meet the global demand for more efficient, higher quality and lower-cost sources of food.


Mitigate environmental impact: GE animals will contribute to improving the environment and human health by consuming fewer resources and producing less waste.


Optimize animal welfare. Genetic engineering offers tremendous benefits to the animals by enhancing the health, well-being and welfare of the animal itself.


Improve industrial products: Genetic engineering can produce high-value industrial products, such as spider silk, for both medical and defense applications.
“There are now dozens of products under development derived from genetically engineered animals that hold promise of benefit to human health,” says Dr. Gottlieb. “But the practical benefits of this technology have not yet reached American patients and consumers primarily because of regulatory and political obstacles rather than the limits of science.”

The authors make a strong case for creating a regulatory pathway for commercialization of these beneficial technologies. The report illustrates how the production of GE animals promises benefits in both biomedicine and agriculture. But Gottlieb and Wheeler agree that the science requires regulations that bridge the divide between food and biomedical products.

“Until we resolve how we are going to deal with the food capabilities of this science, the medical applications will remain largely undeveloped and many opportunities for curing and treating disease will go unrealized,” said Dr. Wheeler. “These promising technologies are now dependent on science-based regulatory framework to govern how these animals can also provide food and agricultural benefits.”

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), which commissioned Gottlieb’s and Wheeler’s report, supports the application of a strong science-based regulatory process to the regulation of GE animals and their products, based on the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act’s New Animal Drug framework.

“The FDA has worked closely with the industry and academia on the diverse applications of the technology for over ten years, and it has mapped the road forward with a rigorous science-based framework,” says Dr. Barbara Glenn, BIO’s Managing Director for Animal Biotechnology. “Clearly the societal benefits of GE animals are fascinating. Decision makers in the federal government should advance the publication of the regulatory process for GE animals so we’re able to achieve the promises of the technology.”

[mikey]

Monday, June 23, 2008Print This Page
Milking the Benefits of Breakfast
UK - The Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers (ACFM) is announcing it is to work in partnership with Dairy UK and The Dairy Council to increase awareness of the health benefits of breakfast cereal with milk amongst UK consumers.



The new strategic partnership will begin this month with the launch of new YouGov research, which highlights the vital role a bowl of breakfast cereal and milk can play in providing people, particularly teenagers, with their essential daily nutrients.

The joint marketing plan will continue throughout the summer and autumn with a series of news stories on the benefits of breakfast cereal and milk, giving a boost to the breakfast cereal and milk categories, which are currently worth £1.2bn and £3bn respectively.

Juliet Bennett, spokesperson for the ACFM, comments: “Our research shows that eating a bowl of breakfast cereal is the most popular way for people in the UK to consume milk, and working in partnership with the dairy sector to promote the joint health benefits of these two staples makes perfect sense. The vital nutrients that cereal and milk provide, such as fibre, folate and calcium are those that can often be in short supply in the overall diet. We’re very excited to be working with Dairy UK and The Dairy Council, and believe this will be the start of a successful and mutually beneficial partnership.”

Jim Begg, Director General, Dairy UK, comments: “As UK consumers become increasingly health conscious, it’s vital that the dairy industry continues to communicate the role of milk within a healthy balanced diet. Breakfast cereal with milk is the ideal way for people to get their important daily nutrients, including calcium, and we’re delighted to be working with the cereal industry to communicate this important message.”

The benefits of eating breakfast are now widely recognised, with 60% of UK consumers believing it to be the most important meal of the day1. The FSA also recommends eating breakfast as one of their ‘Top Tips’ in their Eat Well leaflet, and goes on to suggest having wholegrain cereals with fruit or fruit juice.

Through their joint communications, ACFM, Dairy UK and The Dairy Council will encourage increased consumption by positioning breakfast cereal with milk as the best way to start the day, due to its nutrient density and convenience.

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Beef and Pork Prices to Rise
MANILA - It's bad enough that Philippine consumers are already struggling to keep up with rice and fuel prices, but now they also need to pay more for pork and beef.



According to The Straits Times, beef and pork prices have already doubled this year and with rising oil prices, increasing freight costs and a weakening peso, are set to rise again, an importers group told The Manila Times newspaper on Saturday.

Mr Jun Lim, vice-president of the Cold Chain Association of the Philippines, told the paper 90 per cent of the country's beef supply is imported, mostly from Brazil.

The price of imported beef in January was US$2.65 (S$3,61) a kilo, and in May it was US$4.50 a kilo. Pork was US$1.90 a kilo in January and US$2.50 in May, the paper said.

'For now, the price of chicken is stable, because most of the supply is produced locally,' Mr Lim told the paper.

'The reasons why the effect is not yet felt immediately, a lot of what is being sold in the market today are meats that came in two to three months ago and were in storage,' he said. 'But once those stocks are depleted, price increases will hit the consumers.'

On Friday, the government said it is to give the poor subsidies worth up to 93.6 billion pesos (about S$2.9 billion) to help them with the rising prices.