Silo collapse kills one cow and traps 13 calves. A silo containing large amounts of grain collapsed onto one of the main barns at Cherry Hill Farm in Lunenburg, Mass., Sunday morning, trapping 13 calves and killing one cow. The owner and his daughter were inside the barn as the silo began to collapse, however, the two were able to move some of the animals out before the silo crashed. [node:read-more:link]
USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) published in the Federal Register a notice of intent to grant animal health company Zoetis LLC an exclusive license to two patents related to the company’s development of a vaccine to combat African Swine Fever (ASF). The move comes as ASF riddles China’s massive hog population and continues to move in Europe, threatening to hamper large pork exporting nations there, and as U.S. government, industry and health officials work to prevent its introduction in the United States. [node:read-more:link]
Getting a nationwide group of notoriously independent and private people to voluntarily turn over information to the government can be a difficult obstacle to overcome. The U.S. Department of Agriculture made a major push to identify and track livestock in 2007, back when South Dakota native Bruce Knight was undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs. The “primary emphasis is about supporting animal health,” and supporting producers, Knight said at the time. Some livestock producers jumped on board, but many did not. [node:read-more:link]
USDA will issue $9.4 million in grants to provide enhanced training, outreach, and technical assistance to underserved and veteran farmers and ranchers. This funding is available through the USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Programmanaged by the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement. [node:read-more:link]
Agricultural damage from Hurricane Michael's rampage last week is expected to top $1.3 billion in the Southeast, with $1.2 billion of the total in Georgia alone, according to officials. Cotton and pecan farmers suffered the worst damage in Alabama and Georgia.Roughly 100 chicken houses were destroyed in Georgia, including more than 2 million chickens.Florida suffered damage to at least 3 million acres of timber as well as peanuts, cotton and other agricultural commodities. [node:read-more:link]
Hurricane Michael was responsible for the loss of at least 84 poultry houses and 2 million birds in Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. [node:read-more:link]
Oregon regulators have fined Lost Valley Farm, the state’s second-largest dairy, $187,320 for 224 violations of its wastewater permit. The penalty comes as the dairy’s owner, Greg te Velde, faces bankruptcy proceedings, a pending permit revocation, criminal contempt of court sanctions and felony drug charges in two states.The Oregon Department of Agriculture announced the fine exclusively in a tweet Friday afternoon. It’s the largest fine the agency has ever imposed on a dairy or other confined animal operation. [node:read-more:link]
Tariffs are an ongoing concern for farmers as harvest is delayed due to wet conditions in many areas of the Midwest. Even with the trade deals made with Mexico and Canada, concerns continue. [node:read-more:link]
The Iowa Supreme Court will decide whether the ordinance used to confine a Des Moines dog for two years as a dangerous animal is unconstitutional. The court will accept briefs Tuesday in the case of Helmers v. City of Des Moines, which concerns a dog named Pinky whom the city deemed to be dangerous and impounded for two years after she injured a neighbor's cat during a fight.The city moved to have Pinky destroyed, but instead she remained confined at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, which contracts with the city, while her case worked its way through the court system. [node:read-more:link]
Bayer AG is considering a sale of its animal-health business as it scrutinizes its portfolio in the aftermath of the $63 billion Monsanto Co. acquisition, people familiar with the company’s plans said.Bayer is evaluating animal health as part of a broader review, though a sale isn’t imminent, said the people, who asked not to be named because the appraisal hasn’t been made public. No final decisions have been made, and it’s still possible the German company could decide to keep the business. [node:read-more:link]
