Weekly livestock news: August 22, 2022

Potentially deadly tick-borne pathogen detected in Kentucky beef cattle herds

Kentucky officials are warning cattle producers to protect their herds from a potentially deadly tick-borne disease that’s been detected in two beef herds in the state. The disease, Theileria orientalis Ikeda, is known to be carried by the Asian longhorned tick. Officials say it affects red and white blood cells, causing severe anemia in cattle, as well as abortions, stillbirths, weakness, a reluctance to walk and death. Once an animal is infected, it becomes a carrier and can infect the rest of the herd but poses no threat to humans. The beef can be eaten if cooked appropriately. There’s no effective treatment or vaccine, WLKY reports.

Task force aims to address equine workforce shortage

The American Association of Equine Practitioners last month announced the formation of a new task force to develop strategies for recruiting and retaining veterinarians in equine practice. According to AAEP data, an estimated 1.3% of veterinary graduates enter equine practice directly each year and another 4.5% pursue further training in equine internship positions. But within five years, 50% of these veterinarians leave equine medicine for small animal practice or quit veterinary medicine altogether. “We’re at the point now where we have practices that can’t hire and internships that aren’t filled,” said Dr. Emma Read, AAEP president and an associate dean at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “The pipeline is running dry.” The commission will focus on compensation, practice culture and education of equine veterinary students, among other things, the AVMA reports.

Tennessee’s state veterinarian urges buyers to see livestock in person before they spend their money

Tennessee’s state veterinarian is reminding livestock buyers that they should see animals in person before purchasing them. “Emerging diseases and parasites have been introduced into Tennessee this year through infected livestock purchased without the buyer seeing the animals in advance,” said state veterinarian Samantha Beaty. “I discourage the purchase of animals sight unseen from an online source where delivery is included. If it seems too good to be true, it likely is.” Animals moving into the state are required to have a current health certificate issued within 30 days of movement. If it’s not possible for a buyer to see the animal in person, the state recommends having a licensed veterinarian conduct an examination to detect disease.

Congress should stop agribusiness mergers with new farm bill, advocacy group says

Congress’ forthcoming farm bill should put a moratorium on agribusiness mergers, a Midwestern advocacy group said last week. “In this farm bill, I would like to see more support for small farmers, and I think that one of the best ways to do that is to put a stop to corporate consolidation in agriculture and food systems, across the board,” said Claudia Lenz, a Wisconsin farmer and member of the Land Stewardship Project’s farm bill committee. The group also supports more incentives to farmers for conservation-focused land management practices and payment caps on crop insurance subsidies for large industrial farms. Half of the 700 respondents in a survey by the group said they had trouble maintaining access to viable markets or finding affordable farmland, Successful Farming reports.

How drought, cattle production and inflation are shaping the beef industry

Scott Brown, University of Missouri associate extension professor in agricultural and applied economics, discussed with AgriTalk how several variables in the cattle industry could shape the coming months. Drought in the western United States is approaching the severity of a decade ago, Brown said, adding that “I’m worried about where we’re going.” Consumer demand for beef doesn’t seem to be dropping despite inflation, though a drop in beef prices from last year to this year indicates shoppers may be buying cheaper products. Cattle production in feedlots remains steady with last year, so while prices could rise next year, Brown believes they’ll stay steady in 2022.

Syngenta-FFA program awards scholarships to college students studying agriculture

Six undergraduate students pursuing agriculture at universities around the country have each been awarded $2,500 through a scholarship program sponsored by Syngenta and the National FFA Organization. The scholarships, awarded through the Accelerating a Generation Syngenta Scholarship Program, also include a $500 donation from Syngenta to the agriculture-related nonprofit of each recipient’s choice. More information on the winners is in the announcement in Ag Daily.