Weekly livestock and equine news: March 15, 2021

$1.9 trillion pandemic relief law includes billions for agriculture

President Joe Biden on March 11 signed the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill, with combined nutrition and agricultural provisions of an estimated $22.7 billion, Feedstuffs reports. The law includes an estimated $10.4 billion for programs designed to strengthen the agricultural and food supply chain, said American Farm Bureau Federation chief economist John Newton. These programs include animal surveillance or COVID-19 mitigation efforts for agricultural workers; additional resources to purchase and distribute agricultural commodities to nonprofits, restaurants or other food-related entities; increasing access to health care in rural communities; and providing debt relief and other support programs for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. The estimated $4 billion in debt relief will provide direct payments to Black, Hispanic, Native American and Asian American farmers or ranchers.

Pork industry should guide—not resist—new animal welfare standards: Rabobank

The pork industry should play a proactive role in shaping animal welfare standards, rather than resisting laws like California’s Proposition 12, according to a new Rabobank analysis. Industry groups have opposed the animal confinement law since it was passed in 2018, with legal challenges from groups such as the North American Meat Institute and the National Pork Producers Council. “In order to remain competitive, the industry needs to be prepared to offer practical solutions that align with consumer values and take an active role in the development of policies, regulations and voluntary standards,” according to Rabobank analyst Christine McCracken. Meat + Poultry reports.

Inspector general audit will evaluate USDA pandemic response

USDA’s Office of the Inspector General is initiating an audit of USDA actions that may have contributed to the spread of COVID-19 in meat processing and other agricultural processing facilities, Feedstuffs reports. The agency initiated the audit in response to a request by Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado. In a letter to Bennet, USDA inspector general Phyllis Fong said the audit will focus on how the Food Safety and Inspection Service spent its $33 million in CARES Act funding. Additionally, it will determine whether FSIS had sufficient critical resources to ensure reliable COVID-19 tests, personal protective equipment, workplace dividers and sanitary supplies were available to inspectors at all establishments.

China to crack down harder on fake African swine fever vaccines

China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said it will crack down further on illegal production and sales of African swine fever vaccines. The ministry said tougher measures were needed to “prevent hidden risks caused by fake African swine fever vaccines” and to ensure the recovery of pig production and the stable development of the industry, Reuters reports. This comes after Reuters earlier reported that industry insiders suspected illicit vaccines have caused a new, chronic form of ASF.

Alaska seeks more than $1 billion from poultry companies

Alaska has joined the growing number of entities suing the nation’s top poultry producers on price-fixing allegations. The state is seeking more than $1 billion from 21 companies, claiming the businesses operated a cartel and illegally inflated the price of most chicken sold in the state, according to the Associated Press.

A new headband can help tell how horses feel, scientists say

Researchers say they can tell how horses feel using a new headband they’ve developed. Eventually, they say, the device could be used with other species. The team developed the headband with electrodes to take electroencephalogram (EEG) readings of the horse’s brain activity. They took EEG recordings of 18 horses, half of which lived in individual stalls in a confined stable, while the other half roamed with herds on open pastures. Horses in stables showed an average of 2.5 times more right-hemisphere “gamma” waves than those in open fields. In people, these waves are often a sign of anxiety, distraction or depression. The horses that spent most of their time out in the open showed twice as many left-hemisphere “theta” waves, generally a sign of a calm and attentive mind. More on the study is available from Science.