Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is much less scary to beef consumers than it was when the first case in the United States was found almost a decade ago....More
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service yesterday confirmed the nation’s fourth case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a dairy cow from central California....More
USDA has confirmed the nation’s fourth case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in a dairy cow from central California. It was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health, the federal agency says....More
The U.S. Cattlemen's Association (USCA) has taken the lead to promote key legislative provisions that ensure that the success and competitiveness of the U.S. cattle industry are maintained within the 2012 farm bill. USCA, along with five major agriculture organizations, sent a letter to lawmakers asking for the inclusion of a comprehensive Livestock Title within the 2012 farm bill....More
The rising costs of feed, fertilizer and fuel have eroded Arkansas’ once-thriving dairy industry, but there’s help as the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture launches an educational team to support the industry....More
The Mississippi Extension Service is working at the statewide, regional, and county levels to achieve a more focused direction in program planning and to ways to meet priorities for the future, says Gary Jackson, the organization's director....More
With all of the negative messages about recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) in dairy cattle, some consumers are concerned about the safety of the hormone for animals and humans. However, LSU AgCenter dairy scientists say there is no safety issue....More
National Farmers Union (NFU) delegates adopt four special orders of business, and amended a previously passed order -- all revolving around U.S. dairy/beef policies....More
Dr. Carla Huston, associate professor in the Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, was named the Mississippi Veterinarian of the Year by the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association. The award was announced at the 2012 MVMA winter meeting in Starkville, Miss....More
Responding to a surge in demand in 2011 from Russia, Turkey and Kazakhstan for live cattle exports from the United States, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service approved seven temporary export inspection facilities, or EIFs, to supplement the work done at the agency's approved permanent facilities....More
The total number of U.S. beef cattle has declined 14 of the last 16 years, with 2011 marking the sixth consecutive year of weakening numbers and the longest consecutive decline in history....More
With the spring cattle-breeding season approaching, Trichomoniasis is rising to the forefront again for Arkansas’ cattle producers. Last year, a spike in cases of the bovine venereal disease prompted the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission to implement emergency regulations requiring a testing of all bulls being brought into the state....More
Rain has returned to parts of the South and, while that’s a good thing, it may usher in a new flush of weeds for pasture and forage producers this spring....More
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association will be asking Congress to maintain funding levels for conservation programs when it gets back to work on the next farm bill. They will also ask the agriculture committees to keep the 60-40 ratio for livestock conservation funding....More
In a shift that will save money for businesses and taxpayers while improving food safety, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing a modernization of young chicken and turkey slaughter inspection in the United States by focusing FSIS inspection resources on the areas of the poultry production system that pose the greatest risk to food safety....More
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association counted the Columbia, Panama and South Korea trade agreements as victories in 2011. But its leaders are looking to even more successes in 2012....More
A Mississippi State University researcher has uncovered the first molecular evidence linking live poultry markets in China to human H5N1 avian influenza....More
Grazing on public lands has become a controversial subject in some circles. But Bill Hopkin says properly managed grazing can be beneficial to that land, even in the arid West. Hopkin says dry years can take a toll on grazing, but not so much if proper steps are taken. He spoke during a Cattlemen’s College session at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville....More
A handful of cases of pigeon fever, a disease that causes abscesses and a mild fever in horses, have been reported in western and north-central Arkansas....More
