Weekly livestock news for November 18: farm aid, drones, and ASF

USDA announces $800M in hurricane aid, next round of trade aid expected in weeks

Agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture will make $800 million available to producers in Alabama, Florida and Georgia who have been affected by hurricanes Michael and Florence. The state block grants are part of a broader $3 billion package to help producers recover from 2018 and 2019 disasters; that package includes the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program-Plus as well as programs for loss of milk and stored commodities. USDA and state government offices are working out final details for the grants, which will cover qualifying losses not covered by other USDA disaster programs, including timber, cattle and poultry, among other things. Perdue also said the agency plans to have the second round of payments in the 2019 Market Facilitation Program ready by the end of November or early December, Feedstuffs reports. That program assists farmers affected by foreign retaliatory tariffs. He said the final round of payments, planned for distribution early in the new year, may not be necessary if U.S. negotiators can reach a trade resolution with China.

EPA seeks nominations for farm advisory committee

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the agency is seeking 20-30 nominees to serve on the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee. Established in 2008, the committee “provides independent policy advice, information, and recommendations to EPA’s Administrator on a range of environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agriculture and rural communities,” according to the announcement. Members will be selected from a variety of sectors, including farm groups, rural suppliers, marketers, processors, researchers and government organizations. Applications are due to the EPA by December 31.

Bill introduced to give representation to rural sectors on FAA drone board

Three U.S. senators recently introduced legislation to ensure the Federal Aviation Administration’s chief drone policy committee includes representation for agriculture, forestry and rural America. The Drone Advisory Committee for the 21^st Century Act would also ensure representation for local government officials, including those from county and tribal governments, on the Drone Advisory Committee. “As technology becomes more sophisticated, farmers will increasingly rely on drones to assess, monitor, and manage their farm activities,” said Senator John Thune of South Dakota, one of the bill’s coauthors. “Rural areas like South Dakota—where agriculture is the state’s top industry—deserve to have a seat at the table when it comes to making decisions on drone policies and best practices.” Since the Drone Advisory Committee was introduced in 2016, it hasn’t included a representative from the agriculture or forestry sectors, according to Farm Progress.

ASF sparks fear of heart drug shortage

As African swine fever threatens the global pig population, doctors and drug makers around the world are worried about a possible prolonged shortage of heparin, a critically important blood thinner. The drug, derived from pig intestines, is widely used to treat heart attacks and prevent deadly blood clots, Bloomberg reports. China has been the primary source of the medicine, and the crisis there highlights a need to develop alternate heparin supplies. Researchers warn of an “imminent risk” of a global shortage of the drug. About 60-80% of the active key ingredients are prepared by companies in China, which has been hit hardest by African swine fever. A shortage in the United States hasn’t been reported yet, but the ASF threat is on a much bigger scale than past events, which include Hurricane Maria in 2017 and a 2006-2007 outbreak of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome in China.

Maple Leaf CEO says carbon neutrality helps business and environment

Packaged meats company Maple Leaf Foods recently announced it’s the first major food company in the world that will become carbon neutral. “It’s clear to all of us and all of the stakeholders at Maple Leaf Foods that we are facing this climate crisis, and it’s a crisis that requires action today,” said Maple Leaf Foods president and CEO Michael H. McCain. McCain added that while it’s not free to shift to carbon neutral, companies will see economic rewards since more consumers are paying attention to the sustainability initiatives of food companies. He said Maple Leaf is “cautiously optimistic” that enough customers will find favor in their sustainability initiatives and that the effort will drive strong returns for company shareholders. WattAgNet has the full story.

Meat, poultry industry achieves record-low injury and illness rates

U.S. meat and poultry packers and processors reached an all-time low rate of worker injuries and illnesses in 2018, according to a recently released Bureau of Labor Statistics report highlighted in Feedstuffs. Meat industry incident rates reached an industry low of 4.3 cases per 100 full-time workers annually, an improvement from both 2017 and 2016 levels. The most serious injuries—those included in the “days away, restricted or job transfer” rate—also dropped to 3.6 in 2018, from 4.6 the year before. Meat industry incident rates have dropped substantially in the past 20 years: In 1998, the rate was 20.1, and in 2008 it was 10.3. In the poultry processing industry, the illness and injury rate for 2018 was 3.5 cases per 100 full-time workers annually, down from 3.8 in 2017. The 2018 rate is an 84% decrease from 1994, when the recorded rate was 22.7, according to the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council.