Weekly livestock news: February 21, 2022

Kentucky commercial chicken flock tests positive for H5N1

A commercial chicken flock in Kentucky tested positive for H5N1 bird flu, officials announced. The discovery was expected to lead to more restrictions on U.S. poultry exports, after buyers including China and Korea limited purchases from Indiana due to an outbreak at a commercial turkey farm there. The broiler chickens at the farm in Fulton County, Kentucky, were infected with the same strain as the Indiana turkeys, Reuters reports. Officials were awaiting final lab confirmation of another suspected outbreak among turkeys in Webster County, Kentucky. Commercial and backyard poultry flocks in Kentucky and nearby Tennessee are being tested for the bird flu.

Price reductions in plant-based meat aren’t likely to have a meaningful impact on cattle production, analysis shows

A 10% price reduction in plant-based meat, which could come within a year, would have a minimal effect on U.S. cattle production, according to the authors of a new paper. The paper, which appears in the journal Environmental Research Letters, projects how continued declines in the price of plant-based ground beef will affect cattle and beef production, as well as beef industry profits, land use and climate change. Even substantial price reductions likely wouldn’t have much of an impact on the U.S. cattle population and emissions, according to the authors, who are from Purdue University’s and Kansas State University’s agricultural departments, as well as the environmental research organization The Breakthrough Institute. Feedstuffs has more.

Glyphosate supply crunch could cause price spike for weedkiller after Bayer slows production

A potential supply crunch could cause a spike in prices for the weedkiller glyphosate after a supplier to Bayer shut down production due to mechanical failures. Bayer, the maker of Roundup, whose active ingredient is glyphosate, declared a force majeure on February 11, meaning it may not be able to meet its sales agreements. Repairs could take three months, Bloomberg reports. The slowdown is likely going to lead to a supply crunch, as well as higher prices at a time when farmers are already experiencing soaring costs, according to a statement from U.K.-based analysis company AgbioInvestor. “These impacts will place farmers under further pressure in a number of key markets” where costs are up, according to AgbioInvestor.

U.S. corn-based ethanol is worse for the climate than gasoline, study shows

Corn-based ethanol, which for years has been mixed in huge quantities into gasoline sold at U.S. pumps, is likely a much bigger contributor to global warming than straight gasoline, according to a study published last week. The study, which appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, contradicts previous research commissioned by USDA showing ethanol and other biofuels to be relatively environmentally friendly, Reuters reports. According to the research, funded in part by the National Wildlife Federation and the U.S. Department of Energy, ethanol is likely at least 24% more carbon-intensive than gasoline due to emissions resulting from land use changes to grow corn, along with processing and combustion. While previous research demonstrated a lower carbon intensity for ethanol than gasoline, it underestimated the emissions impact of land conversion, said Dr. Tyler Lark, an assistant scientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and the lead author on the study.

Canada’s border blockades have negatively affected the food supply chain, agriculture minister says as protests wind down

Canada’s federal agriculture minister, Marie-Claude Bibeau, last week released a statement on the impacts of border blockades on Canada’s supply chain. This came as the blockades, which sprouted in recent weeks over objections to Canada’s pandemic safety protocols, wound down. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police last Tuesday said they had resolved a demonstration at the last remaining major blockade in Emerson, Manitoba. Another bridge connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, had also opened, CNN reports. “The border blockades across the country are affecting the safe movement of livestock, feed and goods, and is adversely impacting Canada’s food supply chain,” Bibeau said in her statement. “The disruptions have caused a threat to our economy and public safety, and they are hurting farmers, small businesses and our communities across the country.” The full statement is available to read in Pembina Valley Online.

Feed industry officials urge more research on hemp before states approve it for animal food

An open letter from feed industry leaders to state agricultural officials urges more research to ensure the safety of hemp as an animal feed ingredient before states approve it. Seventeen organizations, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Pet Food Institute, signed the letter, which was spearheaded by the Association of American Feed Control Officials. “We understand the importance of supporting the hemp industry, and yet we also believe it’s simply too soon to know whether hemp is safe for farm and ranch animals, as well as for our pets,” the letter said. “Our goal is for more research to ensure the safety and well-being of the public, our animals and our agricultural industry.”