Livestock News for May 28

Canada, Mexico lift retaliatory tariffs

According to Dairy Herd Management, the path to ratification of the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement took a step forward last week when Canada and Mexico removed retaliatory tariffs on many products including pork, apples, grapes, cheeses, flat steel and numerous food products. This action follows President Trump’s lift of steel and aluminum tariffs. According to their official notice of tariff removal, the Canadian government “stood up for our country’s steel and aluminum workers, industries, and communities” by imposing reciprocal, dollar-for-dollar countermeasures against imports of steel, aluminum, and other products from the U.S. Now that the steel and aluminum tariffs are lifted, Canada is lifting their countermeasures.

National Pork Board releases consumer trends findings

The National Pork Board released its latest findings from the comprehensive Insight to Action research, this time examining trends in consumer behavior related to dining out. With a shifting dining out landscape and multicultural cuisine trends on the rise in the U.S., the Pork Board set out to understand the needs, considerations and motivations that impact out-of-home dining decisions. Among the findings: taste, health, and convenience are the three primary drivers for consumer decisions; one in four consumers (27%) consistently look for something new to eat, and they see dining out as an opportunity to treat themselves; when health is the primary driver for a consumer’s dining out decision, roughly six in 10 diners want a food that is “reasonably healthy,” and roughly four in 10 want a food that fits their diet.

ASF vaccine for wild boars being developed

Feedstuffs reported that wild boars can be immunized against African swine fever (ASF) through a new vaccine delivered in the animals’ food, according to new research published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. This is the first report of a promising inoculation against this deadly disease, which is a worldwide threat to the swine industry. The study also provides evidence that this immunity can be passed on via contact with immunized individuals, but further studies are needed to examine exactly how this occurs as well as the safety of repeated administration.

CDC links salmonella outbreak to backyard poultry

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health officials are investigating an outbreak of salmonella in several states. The CDC has linked the infections to contact with backyard poultry, namely chickens and ducklings. So far, 52 people in 21 states have been infected, the CDC announced. Of those 52, 28% are children younger than 5. Five people have been hospitalized, the CDC said.

NAHMS provides baseline for antibiotic trends

According to Bovine Veterinarian, new data from the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) provides a baseline for antibiotic trends in food animal during 2016, prior to implementation of key rule changes. The NAHMS “Antimicrobial Use and Stewardship on U.S. Feedlots, 2017” study focused on how antimicrobials were used on U.S. cattle feedlots with 50 or more head in 2016. Beginning on January 1, 2017, the FDA implemented new rules that eliminate the use of medically important antibiotics for performance purposes in food animals and require veterinary oversight for purchase or use of most antimicrobials in feed. Key findings include: Overall, 87.5 percent of feedlots gave antimicrobials in feed, water, or by injection in 2016; almost all feedlots (99.5%) with capacity for 1,000 or more head used one or more antimicrobials in feed, water, or by injection; for smaller feedlots with 50 to 999 head, the number dropped to 86.6%; Antimicrobials were administered in feed on 70.8 percent of all feedlots, 87.1 percent of large feedlots, and 69.5 percent of small feedlots.

MULTIMIN USA appoints Glen Templin as director of sales, USA

MULTIMIN USA Inc. announced that Glen Templin has joined the firm as director of sales, and will be based at the U.S. Headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado. Templin has over 30 years of animal health experience, most currently as National Distribution Manager for Aratana Therapeutics.