Weekly livestock news: April 26, 2021

Webinar offers updates on COVID-19 vaccines

National Hog Farmer and Merck Animal Health have partnered to create an on-demand webinar on the COVID-19 vaccines. The webinar features Randy Gregg, director of research at the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Knoxville, Tennessee. Gregg’s current research focuses on vaccine development, infectious diseases and immune modulators to control emerging diseases. The webinar is moderated by Mike Pearson, a broadcaster at This Week In Agribusiness.

What North Dakota’s high wildfire risk means for grazing and animal health

North Dakota has faced extreme drought this year, creating a “perfect storm” for wildfires, Drovers reports. As of April 12, 70% of the state was in extreme drought, with large amounts of dry vegetation, low humidity, dry soils and wind all creating a wildfire risk. This could have implications for grazing, and it could have detrimental impacts on animal health. Ash and dust can lead to dust pneumonia in livestock, particularly younger animals. Producers should hold back on grazing freshly burned areas that have little to no new plant growth, especially if the drought persists. Rainfall will settle the dust and ash, leading to new plant growth and a safe environment for livestock. The White House recently created a task force to address drought, which is affecting about 45% of the country.

Tyson is the first beef processor to invest in CattleTrace

A beef industry effort to develop a voluntary animal traceability system gained significant traction recently with support from Tyson Fresh Meats, Drovers reports. Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods, is the first beef processor to invest in CattleTrace. The program uses ear tags with ultra-high frequency technologies to collect data to track animals in case of a disease outbreak. “We believe CattleTrace can help to reduce the risk that animal disease poses to the U.S. cattle supply, while also protecting our industry’s access to important export markets, which can quickly be compromised in the event of an animal health issue,” said Shane Miller, group president of Tyson Fresh Meats.

Interstate agricultural trade can mitigate economic effects of climate change, study shows

U.S. interstate trade is expected to mitigate the economic impact of climate change by up to $14.5 billion by the middle of the century, a new study from the University of Illinois shows. Researchers in the study looked at how changes in weather, including extreme events, may decrease crop profit in one state while increasing profits in other states. “Without trade, the climate change impact forecast indicates a loss of $11.2 billion in agricultural profits at the national level by 2050,” said lead researcher Sandy Dall’Erba. “That estimate accounts only for the negative impact of a local drought, which is how current impact forecasts are usually done. However, when we include trade in the analysis, we discover that its capacity to mitigate climate change is worth $14.5 billion. This means we project a $3.3 billion gain nationwide. It’s a complete shift in paradigm compared to current forecasts.”

Sheep-plaguing barber pole worm resists common treatments, research shows

A roundworm that plagues sheep grazing irrigated pastures has been found to be resistant to common classes of dewormers, according to a new report. The worm is striped red and white, like a barber’s pole. “To our knowledge, it is the first published estimate of barber pole worm resistance in the Intermountain West,” said University of Wyoming Extension sheep specialist Whit Stewart. The worm causes sheep to become anemic, decreases growth performance and can cause death. It’s active in flocks that graze irrigated pastures in summer. “I don’t want to give the impression this is an issue for range flocks that graze across vast landscapes,” Stewart said. “We have an increasing proportion of small flocks that graze irrigated pastures. This internal parasite needs water and lush grass to be ingested.” Farm Progress reports.

JBS settles another price-fixing suit

JBS has agreed to settle a pork price-fixing lawsuit for $12.75 million, Meat + Poultry reports. Plaintiffs in the suit included Longhorn’s Steakhouse, Sandee’s Bakery and Joe’s Steak and Leaf. JBS recently reached a $24.5 million settlement agreement over price-fixing allegations with wholesalers and a $20 million agreement on a consumer class-action case.