Weekly livestock news: June 8, 2020

Pandemic flattens U.S. ag exports

U.S. farm exports this year will barely exceed last year’s totals, USDA said. Sales to China are rising but slower than projected when the new trade deal was signed, and far from the tripling necessary to satisfy the purchase levels specified in the pact, Successful Farming reports. “The COVID-19 outbreak has created a shock to world economies that will cause an unusually high level of uncertainty for the foreseeable future,” USDA said in a quarterly forecast of agricultural exports. World growth will drop 5.5% on a per capita basis due to the pandemic, which is damaging both productive capacity and buying power, the agency said.

Paycheck Protection Program questions answered

With several sources of pandemic-related government funding available, from the new farmer aid program to the Paycheck Protection Program, many people are confused trying to navigate tax laws, small business rules and other factors. Successful Farming here gives answers to common questions about the PPP. The rules are up to date as of June 1.

World Dairy Expo canceled

The World Dairy Expo Executive Committee has decided to cancel its 2020 convention, which was set to take place at the end of September. The expo takes place in Madison, Wisconsin. But current public health predictions indicate Dane County, where Madison is located, may be in the third phase of its reopening at that point, limiting outdoor gatherings to 250 people; the World Dairy Expo saw 62,000 attendees last year.

Poultry industry executives indicted on price-fixing charges

Four poultry industry executives, including the CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride, were indicted on price fixing charges, Reuters reports. The charges are the first in a criminal probe of price-fixing and bid-rigging involving broiler birds, which account for most chicken meat sold in the United States. A grand jury in Denver indicted Jayson Penn, the president and CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride—which is mostly owned by Brazil-based JBS—as well as a former executive from the company, and two executives from a Georgia chicken producer. The indictments come after grocers, retailers and consumers accused Pilgrim’s Pride, Tyson Foods and other poultry processors in a lawsuit of conspiring since 2008 to inflate prices for broiler chickens, according to Reuters.

California declared free of virulent Newcastle disease

The California Department of Food and Agriculture and USDA on June 1 announced an end to the virulent Newcastle disease quarantine in southern California, Feedstuffs reports. Extensive testing of the regulated area has been completed, with no additional detections of the disease. This allows poultry to again move freely within California, CFDA said in its announcement. VND was first detected in May 2018 in Los Angeles County. By December of that year, the virus had spread extensively in backyard poultry in the Los Angeles Basin and also infected commercial flocks. The last confirmed positive case was detected in February 2020.

Researchers work to transfer human immune system to pigs

Scientists at Iowa State University are working to transfer a human immune system to pigs. The research will allow biomedical scientists to study realistic human cellular and tissue responses without the human subject, according to the announcement. The project recently received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop the technology over the next four years. The research could lead to new treatments for several health problems, including cancer and severe burns, said one professor.