Weekly Livestock-Equine News: November 25, 2024
Senate releases farm bill draft
The Senate Agriculture Committee unveiled its full draft text of the five-year farm bill on Nov. 18, weeks before key agricultural safety net programs begin to expire. Democrat and Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow implored moderate Republicans to support the Senate draft, saying partisan politics will continue to divide Congress and stall progress next year.
Three states join forces to prepare for foreign animal diseases
Oregon State University Extension Service is leading a project to create a fast-acting information network among Cooperative Extension livestock specialists and veterinarians in the departments of agriculture in three Western states — Oregon, California and Idaho — to prepare for severe and fast-spreading foreign diseases such as foot-and-mouth.
Pork producers say proposed farm bill is ‘not viable’
The National Pork Producers Council expressed concern about the Senate Democrats’ proposed 2024 Farm Bill because it “fails to provide a solution to California Prop 12,” which states that Californians should have access to food “that is sourced from humanely and sustainably raised animals.” NPPC says the state law “places arbitrary housing standards on the pork industry.”
UK reports decade-low levels of antibiotic sales, resistance on farms
Sales in the United Kingdom of veterinary antibiotics for use in livestock and poultry, adjusted by animal population, were unchanged from 2022 to 2023 but were 59% lower than in 2014. Veterinary sales of highest priority critically important antibiotics, which includes fluoroquinolones, third-generation cephalosporins, and colistin, fell slightly from 2022 and were 84% lower than in 2014.
Oregon cattle specialists study impact of wildfire smoke on cows
Researchers at Oregon State University Extension Service hypothesize that by inhaling smoke from wildfires, cows’ lungs are drying, which leads to harmful bacterial development. “[W]e have lots more questions than answers,” said Jenifer Cruickshank, OSU Extension’s statewide dairy specialist, but further research should offer a better understanding of the effects of smoke exposure and potential interventions.
HPAI affects nearly 1 million broiler chickens and turkeys in California
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed nearly 1 million broiler chickens and turkeys in California have been affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) over the past week. The majority of the nearly 794,000 broilers being depopulated in California are located in Kings and Fresno County, but an operation of 29,100 birds was also confirmed with the virus a little more north in San Joaquin County.
