Weekly Livestock-Equine News: April 21, 2025
Ag Secretary Rollins announces end to ‘green new scam’
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the cancellation of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. “The … initiative was largely built to advance the green new scam at the benefit of NGOs, not American farmers,” she was quoted as saying. “I have heard directly from our farmers that many USDA partnerships are overburdened by red tape, have ambiguous goals, and require complex reporting that push farmers onto the sidelines.”
Livestock productivity project to assist farmers in Nigeria
The Nigeria Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project will establish and equip 20 model veterinary hospitals across the country with $500M funding to facilitate easier access to veterinary services for cluster livestock farmers, among other objectives. The project is also collaborating with veterinary doctors, paramedics, and community health officers to support farmers’ livelihoods.
Germany declared free of foot-and-mouth disease
Germany has been certified as free of foot-and-mouth disease by the World Organization for Animal Health. As a result, Britain lifted a ban on imports of German livestock and animal products. Germany announced its first outbreak of the disease since 1988 on Jan. 10 in a herd of water buffalo on the outskirts of Berlin.
AHC is awarded grant to boost biosecurity at equine welfare organizations
The American Horse Council has been selected to receive a grant through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) to assess and improve biosecurity at equine welfare organizations. The project is intended to raise awareness about consistent biosecurity practices and help organizations improve protocols to prevent and manage the spread of disease.
Women mentorship program open for applications
Feed producer Alltech announced that applications are open for the Women in Food & Agriculture (WFA) Mentorship Program. Since its launch in 2021, WFA has successfully matched more than 1,500 professionals, creating meaningful relationships that foster career growth and leadership development in the food and agriculture sectors.
Almost half of livestock producers lack confidence managing disease
About 58% of 432 livestock producers in Iowa agree that current monitoring and management strategies are effective at limiting disease outbreaks, and 53% agree that they have sufficient access to monitoring and mitigation resources, according to a 2024 state survey. That said, 33% and 39% selected the “uncertain” category for those two items, respectively, and 9% disagreed with both.
