Weekly livestock news: April 27, 2020

A closer look at the $19B USDA relief program

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced $19 billion in aid for farmers and ranchers affected by the coronavirus. The program was designed especially for farmers who normally sell their products into the restaurant and food service supply chain, Successful Farming reports. The new aid package, known as the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), will be distributed in two parts: The first $16 billion segment will be used for direct payments to farmers who face losses. Farmers and ranchers may apply for assistance regardless of their operation size or market outlet if they’ve suffered eligible losses. The remaining $3 billion will be used by USDA to purchase produce, dairy and protein products for food banks and other nonprofits to be distributed to those in need. A more detailed breakdown of the aid package is in this article.

People are mostly confident in food supply during pandemic, survey shows

Seventy-seven percent of respondents in a recent survey said they’re confident—either very confident or somewhat—that food producers can supply enough food to meet consumer needs in the coming month. The survey, reported by Feedstuffs, was conducted by the International Food Information Council. It showed that 82% of the thousand survey takers are confident the food they’re buying is safe. People reported shopping less in person and cooking more. When asked how their food shopping habits have changed over the past month, about 40% said they were buying more shelf-stable pantry foods and buying more groceries each time they shopped.

Swine association offers resources for producers and veterinarians to manage possible depopulation

The American Association of Swine Veterinarians has developed new resources related to crisis planning and depopulation for veterinarians and producers, to help them manage during the pandemic. Veterinarians and producers can work together to implement strategies, with depopulation as a last resort, according to AASV. Guidelines for the procedure—which is covered by emergency funding in some locations—can be found in the announcement in Successful Farming.

Some growers plow under fields as fruit, vegetable demand disappears

Fruit and vegetable growers are facing economic challenges as demand drops due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ag Web reports. “The losses due to the shutdown of first the food service sector and now the slowdown in retail have just been swift, staggering and devastating,” said Lisa Lochridge, director of public affairs at the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association. “There’s nowhere for the product to go, and so some growers are having to make very difficult decisions to plow their crops under; others are doing direct to consumer sales, just anything they can do to find an outlet for their crops,” she said. The growers association is joining others across the country asking USDA to use its Section 32 purchasing power to buy extra produce and distribute through its feeding programs.

Real-time DNA test could enable wider screening for ASF

A promising new test for African swine fever that uses DNA to detect the virus in real time could enable widespread, rapid screening for ASF in institutional and industrial settings, Feed Strategy reports. Researchers at Plum Island Animal Disease Center of New York said they tested the portable DNA device, manufactured by a Nebraska company. The DNA test kit has a portable electronic device that uses florescent dyes to determine if particular sequences of DNA are present in a given sample. It can return results in as little as three hours, said Abe Oommen, founder of MatMaCorp, the company making the test. “Even if you take it out to a remote area and you’re looking at feral pigs or something, you can find a sample and test it right then and there,” Oommen said.

Brakke Consulting welcomes new team member

Animal health firm Brakke Consulting announced Jim Kroman has joined its team of consultants. Kroman’s experience includes selling and sales management training, as well as general management and leadership experience in several global animal health organizations. He spent 20 years at Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, where he led acquisition teams for large and small acquisitions and headed the company-wide project to implement an SAP system in the biologics manufacturing environment. “Jim’s experience in all aspects of animal health management and leadership, coupled with his success and interest in the negotiation of transactions, and the ability to build effective sales strategies and teams, make him an excellent fit for a role as a Brakke consultant,” said Brakke Consulting President Dr. Robert Jones.