Weekly livestock news: April 13, 2020

Farmer sentiment falls as coronavirus concerns rise

Farmer confidence dropped precipitously in March with the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer poll. The reading dropped 47 points, 28%, to 121. This was the largest one-month fall the index has seen since it began in 2015. Producers in recent months had expressed considerably more optimism in the farm economy. But this month’s barometer reading negates those gains, leaving the index unchanged from September as the farm sector deals with declines in agricultural commodity prices and concerns about the virus. The March survey was conducted from March 16-20, just as the crisis was escalating.

Researchers will begin testing coronavirus vaccine on pigs

The U.K.-based Pirbright Institute will begin testing new vaccines against the novel coronavirus. Researchers at the institute are working with the University of Oxford and Public Health England on the trial. The vaccine candidates contain the “spike protein” from the virus: the protein against which protective antibodies are generated in infected patients. Scientists will measure the level of antibodies produced after vaccination of pigs and assess whether those antibodies can block the virus from infecting cells. The pig immune system shares “significant similarities” to humans, according to National Hog Farmer, so if pigs respond positively to the vaccine, it could indicate success for humans. Researchers will also test the safety of the new vaccines and monitor whether adverse effects are observed in pigs. If it’s successful, human trials would be next.

Virus ‘spillover’ events increasingly common, research shows

Viruses seem to be jumping from animals to people more now than they did in the past, new research shows. The rise in these “spillover” events seems to be largely due to cultivation of once isolated forests, according to scientists at Ohio State University. Clearing these forests increases the risk that people will be exposed to viruses from wild animals that lived secluded in the forests, said Scott Kenney, an assistant professor of veterinary preventative medicine at the university. Exotic live markets are another place where spillover events are at a higher risk, Kenney said. And once a virus jumps to people, it can change to become more transmittable from person to person. Feedstuffs has the story.

How farmers markets are adapting to stay-at-home orders

Farmers who run farmers markets are finding new ways to get their products to customers who are now staying at home. Many are setting up online operations through which customers can order and pay online. This is even helping some farmers get new customers, Heather Barnes writes in Successful Farming. Some are running drive-thru setups, and others are taking steps to keep customers who visit in person far apart from each other, with minimal points of physical contact—for example, asking customers to pick up their items at the market and then pay online at home.

ASF outbreak in the United States could cost $50B, researchers say

An African swine fever outbreak in the United States could cost the swine industry $50 billion, according to a new study. Economists at Iowa State University conducted the study, which estimates the industry would face the costs over 10 years, factoring in the impact of the loss of pork export markets, Ag Web reports. The study examined two scenarios: In one, the country controls the disease quickly and re-enters the export market within two years. In the other scenario, the country is unable to eliminate the disease and exports don’t resume in the 10-year period.

Zoetis acquires Performance Livestock Analytics

Zoetis announced the acquisition of Performance Livestock Analytics, a business analytics company, to enhance its animal health solutions for beef producers. The acquisition will help Zoetis accelerate progress in precision livestock farming and improve sustainability of producers’ operations, the company said. Performance Livestock Analytics was the first company to offer cloud-based data management to beef producers, according to the announcement in Feedstuffs.