Weekly livestock news: June 14, 2021

JBS paid $11 million ransom after cyberattack

JBS said it paid an $11 million ransom to cybercriminals after an attack forced the company to halt operations at 13 meat processing plants. The attack was attributed to the Russian-speaking ransomware group REvil. The company paid the ransom in Bitcoin cryptocurrency to prevent further plant disruptions, mitigating potential damage to the food supply including restaurants, grocery stores and farmers that rely on JBS production, CBS reports. JBS USA’s CEO, Andre Nogueira, said that while this was a difficult decision, “we felt this decision had to be made to prevent any potential risk to our customers.”

Cyberattacks, high costs and sustainability top of mind for pork industry

The recent cyberattack on JBS is concerning to the pork industry, and it will take some time for the industry to figure out how to manage cyber threats, National Pork Board CEO Bill Even told Successful Farming ahead of World Pork Expo. Cyberattacks are “the new norm,” Even said, adding that since the issue is international, it’s more difficult to manage. Even also discussed producer concerns such as high operating costs, as well as other issues the industry faces, like high product demand and short supply and the growing industry focus on sustainability.

USDA to invest $1 billion for emergency food network expansion

USDA said it will invest up to $1 billion to expand emergency food networks, bolstering the ability of food banks and local organizations to reach underserved communities, Successful Farming reports. This is the first of several “Build Back Better” initiatives planned by the Biden administration. Through the program, funded by the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief law passed in March, USDA will purchase $500 million in food from registered vendors. Another $400 million will go to farmers, focusing on local and regional producers and those from disadvantaged communities. And $100 million will fund infrastructure grants that aim to improve food bank capacity.

China’s feed industry is unlikely to become self-sufficient, Cargill CEO says

China’s feed grain industry is unlikely to become self-sufficient despite the country’s efforts to ramp up domestic production, Cargill CEO David MacLennan said recently. Tightening domestic supplies of feed grains and high demand from China’s pork producers have triggered record feed grain import purchases this year. That demand comes as the Chinese government tries to boost domestic grain output and reformulate pig and poultry feed rations to reduce reliance on imported corn and soy, Reuters reports.

Biden administration plans to revise Trump’s water protection rollback

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army said they plan to revise the definition of U.S. waterways that can be regulated, reversing the rollback of a key federal water rule by the Trump administration, Reuters reports. The agencies reviewed former President Donald Trump’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule and determined it “significantly” reduced clean water protections, which is a major concern as arid states in the West face severe drought. Farmers, ranchers and big industrial companies fought against the Obama-era water regulation that Trump rolled back because they said the rules were too restrictive. EPA Administrator Michael Regan said recently that he doesn’t plan to reinstate the Obama-era rule.

Male piglets less resilient to stress when mothers get sick during pregnancy, research shows

Pigs that become severely ill during pregnancy may give birth to piglets that are less productive on the farm, due to the mother’s immune response. New research shows that when those piglets, especially males, experience a second stressor in early life, they’re at a higher risk of neurodevelopmental conditions. This puts them at a greater disadvantage in production settings, according to the research from the University of Illinois. Swine producers should try to mitigate stressful conditions in the production cycle “to create the most productive and healthy livestock animals and benefit producers’ bottom lines,” said Marissa Keever-Keigher, the lead researcher on the study.