The impact of COVID-19 has caused hog values to plummet, creating a financial disaster for pork producers nationwide who face a collective $5 billion loss for the remainder of the year. At a press briefing today, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) outlined the crisis as described by producers and the immediate relief they are requesting from the administration and Congress.
“We remain committed to supplying Americans with high-quality U.S. pork, but face a dire situation that threatens the livelihoods of thousands of farm families,” said Howard “A.V.” Roth, NPPC president, a pork producer from Wisconsin. “We are taking on water fast. Immediate action is imperative, or a lot of hog farms will go under.”
The suspension of pork packing plant operations and rising employee absenteeism due to COVID-19 has exacerbated an existing harvest facility capacity challenge due to a labor shortage in rural America. With limited harvest capacity, a surplus of pigs exists, causing hog values to plunge.… Continue reading
Extreme volatility in livestock markets is raising red flags across the country, leading the American Farm Bureau to urge the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to leave no stone unturned as they monitor and analyze market activity.
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall applauds Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for expanding USDA’s investigation into market activity surrounding the Holcomb fire to include the volatility and disparities surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States.
“The level of frustration with market volatility among livestock producers has never been higher,” Duvall said. “I applaud Secretary Perdue for his commitment to expand USDA’s investigation. It won’t bring back lost income for producers, but it will help to restore confidence in our pricing system.”
Duvall spoke with both Secretary Sonny Perdue and CFTC Chairman Heath Tarbert about the rising concern and frustration among livestock producers. Duvall followed up with a letter to Chairman Tarbert.… Continue reading
Last week the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. This is the first confirmed case of HPAI in commercial poultry in the United States since 2017. It appears this HPAI strain mutated from a low pathogenic strain that has been found in poultry in that area recently.
No human cases of this H7N3 avian influenza virus have been detected and there is no immediate public health concern. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F kills bacteria and viruses.
Samples from the affected flock, which experienced increased mortality, were tested at the Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic Center, part of the National Animal Laboratory Network, and confirmed at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa. … Continue reading
Following a downturn in milk prices, Christy Hulse and her family were looking for new, innovative ways to remain on their family’s dairy farm.
“Milk prices were low, so we knew we had to start doing something different,” Hulse said. “We thought maybe bottling milk might be an option for us, to keep things on the farm rolling.”
However, it took a visit from a fellow dairyman and his wife to truly spark the idea behind Buckeye Country Creamery. Christy, co-owner of the creamery located in Ashland, Ohio, had spent a summer in college completing an internship on a dairy farm in Australia.
“I would drink milk every single day and the wife of the dairy farmer would just watch me and say, ‘I can’t do that, I
would be so sick,’” Hulse said. “She came to America to visit while we were building the creamery and came to the farm here and said ‘Hey, have you ever heard of A2 milk?… Continue reading
American Dairy Association Mideast staff are diligently working with milk processors and their sales teams to ask Ohio and West Virginia grocery stores to lift their purchasing limits on milk and dairy foods.
As you know, there was a purchasing surge at the start of the COVID-19 crisis as Americans prepared to stay at home. This caused some dairy cases to be low and prompted grocery stores to set quantity limits on milk purchases. The dairy companies and processors, though have assured consumers that grocery stores’ increased needs during this time can be supplied.
These purchasing limits, as well as the recent decline in food service sales and school milk consumption, are contributing to the excess milk supply. To help address this, ADA Mideast is contacting grocery stores, supporting school feeding sites and working with foodbanks to help move more milk and dairy foods.
Those who find an Ohio or West Virginia store that is limiting milk purchases, please take a picture, note the location, date and time and send to Erin.Brown@Drink-Milk.com.… Continue reading
For years, the milk truck pulling into the farm drive has been something the Hartschuh Dairy Farm in Crawford County planned their daily schedules around.
“Today was different, though. The milk truck didn’t come for its scheduled pickup. For the first day ever in 44 years, our milk hauler didn’t run their regular route taking milk from farms to the dairy processing plant,” said Rose Hartschuh in a Facebook post. “First, we heard a rumor from a neighbor who sends their milk to the same plant as we do. Then, later in the day, it was confirmed with a call to us. Every producer who sends their milk to our plant is dumping one to two days’ production, depending on the farm, down the drain — ourselves included.”
The Hartschuh milk goes to Dairymens in Cleveland, and due to a rapid and dramatic shift in the supply chain, Dairymens does not have room to take any more milk today.… Continue reading
As the nation battles COVID-19 in humans, though, veterinarians must also be concerned with diseases facing animals. The most notable right now is the threat of African Swine Fever. So far, the costly disease to the hog industry has not been found in the United States, but the prevention effort requires ongoing action. At the recent American Association of Swine Veterinarians annual meeting, veterinarian Clayton Johnson, a partner with Carthage Veterinary Services, Carthage, Illinois, offered five things that producers and veterinarians can keep in mind to prevent ASF from entering the United States or from spreading once it arrives.
Contaminated pork. “The carcass is the biggest risk of transmission, whether a mortality or processed meat,” Johnson said. “For example, transmission could happen at one of our national parks if a foreign visitor brought in illegal meat products.”
He said that it’s a good idea to follow a no-pork-allowed policy on your pig farm when it comes to food items eaten on the premises.
The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine points out that coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that range from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Some coronaviruses cause cold-like illnesses in people, while others cause illness in animals, such as cats, dogs, cattle, pigs, horses, poultry, camels, and bats. The canine and feline coronaviruses are very common in pets and do not cause illness in people.
COVID-19 is believed to have originated from wild animals (likely bats) in China. Due to mutations in the virus, it developed the ability to infect humans and spread from person to person. There is no evidence at this time to suggest that any animals in the U.S., including pets, horses, livestock, or wildlife, might be a source of COVID-19 infection. It is always a good idea to practice healthy habits around pets and other animals. This includes washing hands after handling animals, their food, waste, or supplies.… Continue reading
While there’s no evidence so far that pets, livestock, or their owners can infect each other with COVID-19, there’s also very little research about a potential crossover.
The novel coronavirus started with an animal, then mutated to transfer to people, but research hasn’t yet shown if the virus has jumped back to animals, said Scott Kenney, a researcher at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
“Viruses are constantly sampling and evolving, trying to find other hosts,” said Kenney, who studies coronaviruses, including those that cross over from one species to another.
Quickly spreading among people across the world, COVID-19 is believed to have originated in bats, but the bat virus changed, altering surface proteins to be able to efficiently transfer from person to person. These surface proteins are different in the mutated bat virus, so COVID-19 is now less likely to affect the original bats.… Continue reading
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has updated its Export Library for China to reflect expanded access for U.S. beef and pork. These changes were among the provisions negotiated in the U.S.-China “Phase 1” trade agreement.
“This is an exciting day for the U.S. beef and pork industries, which have waited a long time to have more meaningful and reliable access to China, and USMEF thanks USTR and USDA for their tireless efforts to negotiate and implement the Phase One trade agreement,” said Dan Halstrom, U.S. Meat Export Federation president and CEO. “With much broader access for U.S. beef, the U.S. industry is well-positioned to expand its presence in the largest and fastest growing beef market in the world. And while unprecedented volumes of U.S. pork have been shipped to China in recent months, the U.S. pork industry has also faced significant barriers that have kept exports below their full potential.… Continue reading
The National Milk Producers Federation’s coronavirus webpage is expanding further, adding a farmer handbook to address dairy production needs and launching a podcast series featuring experts discussing crucial issues faced by dairy farmers and the broader industry as they work to feed the U.S. and the world.
“Dairy farmers are working hard to provide consumers a safe and abundant supply of milk, and they critically need resources to help them manage in a fast-changing environment. To assist them, we’re working our hardest to keep up with those needs,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. “This COVID-19 resource, www.nmpf.org/coronavirus, is a valuable tool both for farmers to manage their operations and for the broader industry and consumer community to understand what’s happening in dairy and respond appropriately.”
The handbook, drafted by members of the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) program, addresses topics from preventing coronavirus transmission in the workplace to proper workforce management in a pandemic.… Continue reading
East of the Mississippi, the average farm cattle herd size is less than 20. The often-small number of cattle on Ohio farms creates an inherent marketing challenge: it can be tough to put together a good, consistent load of cattle larger operations need.
This, of course, is where stockyards come in to aggregate cattle from different farms. Ohio Cattlemen’s Association Young Cattleman of the Year, Luke Vollborn from Gallia County, recently started Next Generation Livestock Marketing (NGLM), LLC to provide farms with another option to enhance cattle profitability through the art of the load.
“A lot of farmers in Ohio do not keep big numbers and it is hard for them to put a good load together. NGLM is a service for farmers to get maximum dollar straight off the farm without having to run everything through a stockyard. I buy feeder cattle of any size or type and most kinds.… Continue reading
Measures are being taken in Ohio and throughout the country to combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and these measures will impact the state’s livestock auctions.
Effective immediately and until further notice, livestock auction facilities are limiting spectators at all auctions, per the CDC requirements regarding gatherings. At this point, livestock auctions across the state will continue to provide livestock marketing services during this time of uncertainty, but Farm Bureau is encouraging farmers to unload their livestock at the docks and then leave the auctions.
“We understand these auctions are often utilized as a social gathering, but during this time, we recommend only active buyers attend the auctions,” said Roger High, Ohio Farm Bureau director of livestock. “By implementing these changes, these auction facilities can still continue the livestock marketing processes while honoring the ‘social distancing’ mandates from public officials.”
These measures are being taken to protect farmers marketing livestock and their families, as well as the employees of the livestock auction facilities.… Continue reading
Darke County farmer Jeff Wuebker opened his pig farm up to members of the Springfield Rotary Club during a recent meeting for a live Virtual Field Trip and Q&A session. The Virtual Field Trip, hosted by the Ohio Pork Council (OPC), is part of Springfield-based Shiftology Communication’s Virtual Farm Trips program.
OPC began hosting Virtual Field Trips in 2014 with the mission to transparently educate students about modern animal agriculture. Through the Virtual Farm Trips program, OPC has hosted Virtual Field Trips for hundreds of classrooms and organizations — including the Springfield Rotary Club.
“Through our Virtual Field Trip program, our farmers enjoy sharing the story of Ohio agriculture with large groups of consumers — whether they’re students or members of an organization,” said Ohio Pork Council President Dave Shoup. “It was an honor to showcase our Virtual Field Trip program to the Springfield Rotary Club during their weekly meeting.”
During the meeting, the Rotarians received a behind-the-scenes look at Wuebker’s modern pig barn.… Continue reading
With the cancellation of the Ohio Beef Expo, the Eastern Spring Simmental Sale is now online! Bidding opens Friday, March 20 with extended bidding starting on Saturday, March 21 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. View the offering and register to bid at dponline sales.com.
The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association announced that the 2020 Ohio Beef Expo will be cancelled.
“We understand the significance of this decision that impacts so many involved with the event,” OCA said in a Facebook post.
OCA also issued the following statement:
The safety and health of our producers, families, youth, and allied industry supporters is of great importance to our organization. Consistent with that commitment and in accordance with orders from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, the Ohio Beef Expo, which was scheduled for March 19-22, will be cancelled.
Governor DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health have issued an order prohibiting any mass gatherings in the state as a preventative measure to address the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) In addition, as you know, our event is held at the Ohio Expo Center, which is a State Government location, so it is directly impacted by the order.
OCA will be convening calls with Ohio Beef Expo sale managers to determine how to best assist them in marketing the cattle consigned to the seven Expo sales.… Continue reading
The fallout from an ongoing labor shortage facing the U.S. pork industry and other agriculture sectors could significantly worsen due to the impact of COVID-19, the National Pork Producers Council said in a letter to U.S. government officials. NPPC’s concerns regarding COVID-19 are labor specific. There is no evidence that pigs can contract the virus.
In a letter to the president and other administration officials, members of Congress, and state governors, NPPC called for expedited solutions addressing the need for more workers on hog farms and in pork plants. It also called on federal, state and local governments to work together to develop a response to COVID-19 that protects public health and, whenever possible, supports animal care and minimizes disruptions to the U.S. pork production supply chain and consumers. NPPC also called on the administration to develop support plans for hog farmers if labor-related bottlenecks in the supply chain prevent hogs from being marketed.… Continue reading
