Wednesday June 27 Ag News

Triple Digit Temperatures Mean Watching Cattle for Heat Stress

With temperatures hitting the triple digits, cattle producers need to take steps to ward off heat stress in their herds, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln beef specialist said.

Cattle can begin to experience some level of heat stress when the heat index approaches 80 degrees, with most cattle being severely stressed when the heat index exceeds 100 degrees, said Terry Mader, beef specialist at UNL's Haskell Agricultural Laboratory near Concord.

Also, when early morning temperatures and/or the heat indices are in the mid-70s, chances are cattle did not adequately cool down at night, and feedlot managers should be prepared to provide as much relief to cattle as possible during the day.

Water is probably the best way to dissipate heat, Mader said.

Cattle normally take in about 5 to 8 gallons of water per day. However, when temperatures rise, that amount can double or even triple.

"It's important to have plenty of available water," he said. "When there is competition for water, it creates problems because the dominant animals will occupy waterer space and not allow other animals access."

If cattle are crowding around the watering trough, add more waterer capacity or move some of the animals to pens that will give them adequate access to water, Mader said.

In an emergency, cattle can be sprayed with water to cool them down. However, once producers do that, they need to repeat or continue spraying until the heat subsides. Spraying cattle with water will allow the animal to rapidly dissipate heat through evaporative cooling processes but this may limit the animal's ability to adapt to the heat.

If the pen surface is dry, wetting the pen also will provide relief to confined animals. It is always beneficial to start the wetting or cooling process in the morning before the cattle get too hot.

Another suggested heat stress mitigation tactic is to use bedding to decrease surface temperatures animals are exposed to, Mader said. Generally it's thought bedding is for insulation against cold stress. However, straw can aid in breaking up or diffusing the solar heat load that often contributes to heating up dry, bare ground. The degree bedding is effective in doing this is unknown. However, if used, it is suggested bedding be placed in the pen early in the morning when the ground has cooled; otherwise, heat will be trapped in the pen surface. Also, wetting the bedding would allow for additional cooling to occur when the animal uses it.

Producers should avoid handling cattle when it's hot and never after 10 a.m. Cattle body temperatures can rise an additional 0.5 to 3.5 degrees during handling.

Cattle yards also should be free of any structures that restrict airflow. Cutting down vegetation around pens and moving cattle away from windbreaks can all help. Building earth mounds in pens also can increase airflow by preventing cattle from bunching together. Other heat stress mitigation strategies include: providing shade, controlling biting flies and other parasites, keeping very current on cattle marketings and being mindful of heat effects on personnel as well.



NCBA Encouraged by House Hearing on Superfund Legislation

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee hosted a hearing today, June 27, 2012, to deliberate on the “Superfund Common-Sense Act” introduced by Congressman Billy Long (R-Mo.) According to National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President J.D. Alexander, the legislation (H.R. 2997) would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the courts from imposing what Alexander called expensive liability and needless regulation on U.S. agriculture.

NCBA Deputy Environmental Counsel Ashley McDonald said the legislation would restore the original intent of Congress under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), more commonly called the Superfund Law, and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).

She said the Superfund Law was originally passed by Congress in 1980 to prevent toxic waste from polluting U.S. waters and was never intended to elevate extreme agendas by imposing liability on U.S. farmers and ranchers in the same fashion as toxic waste polluters. The legislation would exempt cattle manure from all liability under these laws.

“Congress never intended manure to fall under the jurisdiction of CERCLA. However, some activists groups and attorneys in Texas and Oklahoma have worked to increase the law’s reach by attempting to convince courts that livestock producers should be subject to CERCLA liability,” said McDonald. “Subjecting farmers and ranchers to CERCLA liability could place the financial burden of nutrient reduction for an entire watershed on a single producer. This kind of liability could easily reach into the many millions of dollars and bankrupt family farmers and ranchers.”

This legislation discussed today is identical to a bill (S. 1729) introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). Alexander said both bills would amend CERCLA to provide that naturally occurring, organic manure and its nutrient components are not considered a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.  He said NCBA strongly supports the legislation and considers the fact a hearing was held to discuss the legislation is a victory for cattlemen.

“In Washington, everything is one step at a time. This hearing is a very important step towards passing this legislation in the U.S. House. The hearing shows that regulatory relief may be within reach,” said Alexander. “We encourage the U.S. Senate to follow suit and move on S. 1729 as quickly as possible.”



House Committee is Told that Animal Manure Should be Exempt from Superfund Regulations

Congress needs to make clear that regulations designed to protect the environment against toxic waste do not ensnare dairy farmers and others who raise farm animals, the House Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy was told Wednesday.

The hearing Wednesday on Capitol Hill reviewed legislation introduced by Rep. Billy Long (R-MO), designated as H.R. 2997, or the Superfund Commonsense Act.  It would clarify that manure is not included in the meaning of “hazardous substance” as defined by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) regulations, and also would eliminate the reporting requirement for releases associated with manure under the Emergency Planning & Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) regulation.

The National Milk Producers Federation has been working for several years with Congressman Long and others to provide greater regulatory assurances to dairy farmers that these laws and regulations are not designed or intended to impact dairy farmers.  The CERCLA law was created more than 30 years ago to regulate Superfund sites, and the EPCRA law was created after that for similar purposes.

Testifying on behalf of the dairy industry, Walter Bradley, who works for Dairy Farmers of America, reminded committee members that concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and their environmental releases are subject to both state and federal laws.  Bradley told the panel that “we are not seeking an exemption from the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) or the Clean Air Act (CAA) or similar state laws including any federal or state worker protection laws. We are merely seeking clarification under CERCLA and EPCRA that animal manure does not necessitate an emergency response nor does it create a Superfund site.”

Without the clarity provided in Rep. Long’s legislation, Bradley told the House panel that “the courts are left to redefine the regulation. Animal manure has been safely used as a fertilizer and soil amendment all over the world for centuries.”

“In recent years, however, we have seen litigation challenge the use of animal manure as a fertilizer by claiming contamination and damage to natural resources. The issue of CERCLA/EPCRA’s applicability to the livestock industry has been discussed in Congress several times in the last decade. I believe congressional intent is clear. When the law was passed, Congress did not intend for manure to be regulated as a hazardous substance,” Bradley said.



TESTIMONY DISCOURAGES SUPERFUND REGULATION OF MANURE

Today Walter Bradley, government and industry relations representative for Dairy Farmers of America, testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy in support of H.R. 2997, the Superfund Common-Sense Act of 2011. This measure seeks to clarify that livestock manure should not be classified as a hazardous substance under nations’ Superfund laws.

Congress created the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) to assist with cleaning up toxic waste sites, including hazardous materials such as petrochemicals, inorganic raw materials and petroleum oil used to make hazardous products and waste. H.R. 2997 seeks clarification under CERCLA and the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act regulation that animal manure does not necessitate an emergency response nor does it create a Superfund site.

“The last few years have posed extraordinary challenges for dairy farmers across the country, but one thing Congress can deliver to our dairymen is regulatory surety,” Bradley said. “We do not believe that animal manure necessitates an emergency response.”

The phosphates in manure are not now, nor have they ever been, equivalent to the harmful chemicals that CERCLA has been addressing for the last 32 years. During that same time span, numerous laws have been passed and initiatives undertaken to encourage rural America to participate in the renewable energy field through the development of on-farm energy production. Congress has acknowledged manure’s value by funding research, and passing tax credits and mandates for its use for producing biogas, electricity and biodiesel.

“It is not logical to encourage dairy producers to invest millions of dollars in technologies to support the nation’s energy needs without addressing the threat that manure might be classified as a hazardous substance,” Bradley said in his testimony before Congress.

Aside from its use in bioenergy production, manure is frequently spread on fields as a nutrient-laden fertilizer containing vital nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Manure also is a valuable source of organic matter, which increases the water-holding capacity of coarse-textured sandy soils, improves drainage in fine-textured clay soils, reduces wind and water erosion, among other benefits. Additionally, its use reduces an operation’s dependence on man-made petroleum-based chemical fertilizers, which are exempt from these laws.

“Animal agricultural operations are subject to a vast array of federal, state and local environmental laws and authority to deal with every conceivable environmental problem. There has been no indication that environmental laws such as these are inadequate,” Bradley noted, urging swift passage of H.R. 2997 to protect dairy farmers’ interests.



USDA Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook June 2012
Growth in Pork Exports Continues 

Beef/Cattle:  Producers are beginning to market calves and beef cows at increasing levels as pasture and range conditions begin to deteriorate.  Projected cattle feeding margins are increasingly negative at current price levels.  Packer margins are currently positive, but declining byproduct values are adversely affecting them.

Beef/Cattle Trade:  U.S. beef exports through April were 11 percent below year-earlier levels; beef imports were 22 percent higher through the same period. 
 
Pork/Hogs:  Slight reductions in second-quarter slaughter are expected to be more than offset by year-over-year higher estimated average dressed weights.  Second-quarter hog prices are expected to be almost 14 percent below a year ago.  For 2012, hog prices are expected to lag last year by almost 9 percent.  April pork exports—at 451 million pounds—were 7 percent larger than a year ago 

Poultry:  Broiler meat production in April 2012 was 2.99 billion pounds, an increase of 0.7 percent from the previous year.  The broiler meat production estimates for both the second and third quarters of 2012 were revised upward to 9.3 billion pounds.  The forecasts for the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2012 ending stocks were all increased by 25 million pounds.  The estimate for turkey meat production in second-quarter 2012 was increased by 25 million pounds to 1.53 billion, 4 percent higher than the previous year. 

Poultry Trade:  April 2012 broiler and turkey shipments were up from a year ago. Broiler shipments totaled 598 million pounds, an increase of 20 percent from April 2011 shipments. Turkey shipments totaled 64 million pounds, a 22-percent increase from  last year.  

Sheep/Lamb:  Prices have declined throughout the early spring, with declines expected to continue well into the summer months. Lower prices are due to both softer demand and an increase in the number of overfinished  slaughter animals. 

Dairy:  Milk production continues a slow rise, and herd reduction may be more modest than earlier forecast; milk per cow continues to rise.  Producer margins could improve as feed costs fall.  Milk and product prices remain steady as continued exports offset production gains. 

Click here for the entire report... http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/814098/ldpm216.pdf. 



Weekly Ethanol Production for 6/22/12

According to EIA data, ethanol production averaged 883,000 barrels per day (b/d) – or 37.09 million gallons daily.  That is down 17,000 b/d from the week before and the second-lowest weekly output figure of the year. The 4-week average for ethanol production stood at 902,000 b/d for an annualized rate of 13.83 billion gallons.

Stocks of ethanol stood at 20.8 million barrels. Gasoline demand for the week averaged 371.5 million gallons daily.

Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production was 9.98%, only the second time this year the percentage has been below 10%. Year-to-date U.S. ethanol export data implies annualized export demand of approximately 900 million gallons.

On the co-products side, ethanol producers were using 13.388 million bushels of corn to produce ethanol and 98,545 metric tons of livestock feed, 87,854 metric tons of which were distillers grains. The rest is comprised of corn gluten feed and corn gluten meal.  Additionally, ethanol producers were providing 4.60 million pounds of corn oil daily.



Volatility and Uncertainty Causing Record Farmland Sales Volumes

Market forces and strong commodity prices continue to create record demand and sales activity for farmland, but there are several unknowns that could impact the coming year, according to Farmers National Company, the nation’s leading agricultural services company. This uncertainty is creating strong sell-side interest and buy-side activity, leading to record levels of land changing hands for Farmers National Company. 

“Although across the Midwest the inventory of land for sale is still really tight, Farmers National Company is experiencing increased sales activity. The demand continues to be very strong with increasing prices even at current levels,” said Lee Vermeer, AFM, ALC, vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National Company. “Sales volume at Farmers National Company is up 40 percent compared to 2011, setting a record pace. We are projecting that the remainder of 2012 will see continued interest from landowners regarding potential land sales.”

Farmers National Company sold $600 million of farmland in the past 12 months, with $350 million of that in past six months. This equates to 800+ farm sales during that time period, Vermeer said.

A balance of positive and negative market pressures, along with many uncertainties, is driving current market activity. The positive news for land owners is that demand for grain from world markets remains strong and there is still a limited supply of land, boosting land prices. In addition to that for land owners, returns have been strong over last year even though input costs have increased. 

The uncertainty comes from unpredictability in Europe, potential for inflation, and the looming possibility of tax law changes that would increase capital gains taxes. Also, a good growing season could lead to record production levels and lower commodity prices reducing land profitability. These and other potential changes could slow the land market slightly, according to Vermeer.

“I believe that sales activity will remain strong until some of the market uncertainties become known,” said Vermeer. “People still see land as a safe, tangible investment and are willing to keep their money there over the long-term.”

High auction activity continues to help boost land prices with Farmers National Company conducting nearly 160 in the past six months alone. However, according to Vermeer, he is still seeing some landowners selling well below the market, leaving thousands of dollars on the table because they are not adequately exposing their property to the market. 

“In a competitive real estate market like we are in, the only way to take full advantage of it is to allow the market to work for you,” said Vermeer. “Full exposure to the market is the only way to know you received the full value available.”



Tunisia on Track to Become Top U.S. Corn Oil Export Market

Tunisia, a major producer and exporter of olive oil, is on track to become the largest international export market for U.S. corn oil for back-to-back years. Traditionally Turkey and Saudi Arabia are largest export markets for U.S. corn oil, but due to biotechnology constraints in Turkey, Tunisia quickly stepped in to the number one slot in 2011.

A large portion of the U.S. corn oil exports to Tunisia are refined in country and then sold into Libya, This is also common for refined corn oil brought into Tunisia to then be trucked into Libya.

Sunflower oil is usually the cheapest vegetable oil option on the grocery shelves in Tunisia, but Libya has grown to favor corn oil over other vegetable oils over the years, giving U.S. corn oil a qualitative advantage in this market.

According to the U.S. Grains Council, roughly 70 percent of the total corn oil exported to Tunisia, eventually ends up in Libya. There are also some direct sales to Libya and Egypt has been a growing market for U.S. corn oil the last few years.



'Fields of Champions' Cookout to Showcase Iowa Ag

A "Fields of Champions" Cookout celebrating food and farming will be a highlight of the Summer Iowa Games Athlete Jamboree and Opening Ceremony July 13 in Ames.

The cookout, coordinated by the Iowa Food & Family Project, begins at 5:30 p.m. in parking lot S6 east of Jack Trice Stadium on the Iowa State University campus. The meal --featuring beef and pork burgers, Kay's Naturals soy snacks, yogurt, fruit and milk -- will be served to the first 2,200 people. It will be provided by farmers for a free-will donation to help food banks serve Iowans in need of food assistance.

Throughout the evening, farmers and attendees will converse about the continuous improvements made in farming and how rural and urban Iowans share common goals related to environmental quality, wholesome food and vibrant communities.

"Fields of Champions" Cookout partners include the Iowa Beef Industry Council, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Farm Credit Services of America, Iowa Select Farms, Iowa Turkey Federation, Midwest Dairy Association, The Soyfoods Council, United Soybean Board and Iowa Food Bank Association.

"We're excited to have farm families play such an important part of the Athlete Jamboree and Opening Ceremony celebration," says Clarence Hudson, executive director of the Iowa Sports Foundation. "Wholesome food and good health go hand in hand as do the fitness and farming communities. They come together at this event in a very positive and engaging way to the benefit of Iowa's families and communities."

In addition to the cookout, the Athlete Jamboree is packed with family fun and entertainment including inflatable games, photo booth sponsored by the Ames Hotel Council, JumpRopeSprint demonstration, Team X Trials Show (gymnastics on two wheels) and the Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team.

The opening ceremony, sponsored by the Iowa Army National Guard, 3M and Ames Rotary Club, begins at 7 p.m. It features the Parade of Athletes, Arrival of the Torch, Oath of Athletes and Lighting of the Cauldron. A fireworks display at approximately 7:30 p.m. kicks off a free concert with singer Sunny Sweeney and country duo The Lost Trailers.

Hudson says the celebration is also about helping the nearly 380,000 Iowans -- or 13 percent of the state's population -- who are food insecure or struggle with hunger. Food insecure Iowans miss an average of 167 meals each year, equal to 56 days with no breakfast, lunch or dinner.

"Healthy, nutritious and affordable food is essential for human development and vitality, and no one is more committed or involved in providing it than Iowa's farmers," he says.

The Iowa Food & Family Project (www.iowafoodandfamily.com) is a purpose-driven initiative created by the Iowa Soybean Association and dedicated to inspiring greater awareness and understanding between farmers and consumers in today's farms and farming methods. It involves the participation of more than 30 agriculture, retail and association partners and proudly serves as presenting sponsor of the Iowa Games and supporter of Live Healthy Iowa. It's funded in part by the soybean checkoff.



Russia 2012 Grain Harvest Sees Early Start But Low Yields

Russia's grain harvest this year began 10 days earlier than normal, because crops matured faster in the current hot weather, but yields averaged just 2.72 metric tons a hectare on June 27 compared with 4.8 tons a hectare on the same date last year, the Agriculture Ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry said Russia harvested nearly one million tons of grain to June 27.

The ministry expects the country's grain harvest this year to fall, to 85 million metric tons from 94.2 mmt in 2011, because of the damage done to crops by unusually severe frosts in winter and the current drought.

Russia's domestic grain consumption in the 2012-2013 marketing year is estimated at 72.7 mmt. Including grain left over from the previous marketing year, the country's export potential is expected to be 20 mmt.



StatsCan 2012 Acreage Summary

Wednesday's Statistics Canada planted-acreage report showed a record canola area. However, the number came as no surprise to most market participants as it fell within their expectations.

The report shows figures as of June 7. The number for planted canola area was at 21.27 million acres, which compares to 20.37 million acres estimated in their March 2012 report, and 18.86 million acres in 2011.

Wednesday's number for all wheat was 23.81 million acres from 24.33 million acres in March 2012. The number compares to 21.46 million acres in 2011.

Oats fell below trade expectations, at 3.07 million acres, which compares to expectations of 3.1 million to 3.5 million acres, and the March report number of 3.39 million acres.



Declare Independence from Foodborne Illness this Fourth of July

When celebrating our nation’s independence this Fourth of July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reminds Americans that proper food handling practices can prevent their “Life, Liberty, and pursuit of Happiness” from being threatened by foodborne illness. The warm temperatures that draw crowds of people to outdoor celebrations also encourage the growth of bacteria, and incidents of food-related illnesses rise in summer months. But four simple steps—Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill—can help families declare freedom from foodborne illness at Independence Day celebrations.

“We want to provide families with important information that will help reduce the risk of foodborne illness during their Fourth of July celebrations,” USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Elisabeth Hagen said.  “Small children and the elderly are among the most vulnerable to foodborne illness, and this information is essential in protecting loved ones at family barbecues and picnics.”

In time for the Fourth of July holiday, FSIS has created a new infographic in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Ad Council featuring food safety tips from the Founding Fathers. The infographic, fact sheets, videos and podcasts about safe food handling and preparation in warmer months can be found on FSIS’ “Grill It Safe” webpage at www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Safety_Education/Grill_It_Safe.

Additionally, representatives from FSIS’ Meat and Poultry Hotline will answer consumer questions in English and Spanish from the Twitter handles @USDAFoodSafety and @USDAFoodSafe_es on June 28 at 1 p.m. ET.

Clean
Freedom from foodborne illnesses starts with clean surfaces and clean hands. Be sure that you and your guests wash your hands before preparing or handling food. Hands should be washed with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling food. Equally important is making sure that the surfaces that come in contact with raw and cooked foods are clean before you start and are washed frequently.

Separate
Raw meats and poultry should be prepared separately from vegetables and cooked foods. As you chop meats and veggies, be sure to use separate cutting boards. Juices from raw meats can contain harmful bacteria that could spread to raw veggies and already cooked foods.

As you take the cooked meats off the grill, be sure to place them on a clean platter, not on the dish that held them when they were raw. The juices left on the plate from raw meat can spread bacteria to safely cooked food.

Cook
Never begin cooking without your most important tool—a food thermometer. Color is not a reliable indicator of doneness. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often brown quickly and may appear done on the outside, but still may not have reached a safe minimum internal temperature to kill any harmful bacteria. Whole cuts of pork, lamb, veal, and beef should be cooked to 145 °F as measured by a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat, followed by a three-minute rest time before carving or consuming. Hamburgers and other ground beef should reach 160 °F. All poultry should reach a minimum temperature of 165 °F. Fish should be cooked to 145 °F. Fully cooked meats like hot dogs should be grilled to 165 °F or until steaming hot.

If you are smoking meats, the temperature in the smoker should be maintained between 225 °F and 300 °F for safety. Be sure to use your food thermometer to be certain the food has reached a safe minimum internal temperature.

Chill
Keeping food at a safe temperature can be a concern at outdoor picnics and cookouts. Too often, food is prepared and left to sit out while guests munch over the course of several hours. Bacteria grow most rapidly between 40 °F and 140 °F, so perishable food should never sit out for more than two hours. If the temperature is higher than 90 °F—which is common in the summer—food should not sit out more than one hour. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly and discard any food that has been sitting out too long.

It is important to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Hot foods can be kept hot on the grill and cold foods can be kept chilled with ice packs or ice sources in a cooler.

Still have questions? Ask Karen!
Whether you are cooking in the kitchen or grilling out this Independence Day, make Mobile Ask Karen the first guest on your list. Ask Karen is USDA's virtual food safety representative available 24/7 at www.AskKaren.gov or m.AskKaren.gov on your smartphone. Mobile Ask Karen can also be downloaded from the Android app store. On June 26, 2012, FSIS launched “Mobile Pregúntele a Karen,” the Spanish-language version of Mobile Ask Karen. Mobile Pregúntele Karen and the desktop-based Pregúntele a Karen also are available 24 hours a day at m.PregunteleaKaren.gov or PregunteleaKaren.gov.

Consumers can email, chat with a live representative, or call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline directly from these apps. To use these features on the app, simply choose "Contact Us" from the menu. The live chat option and the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), are available in English and Spanish from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

This seasonal food safety outreach is part of a multi-faceted USDA initiative to prevent foodborne illness. As part of this initiative, USDA has joined the Ad Council, the FDA and the CDC to launch Food Safe Families, a consumer food safety education campaign. It is the first joint public service campaign to empower families to further reduce their risk of foodborne illness at home by checking their key food safety steps: clean, separate, cook, and chill. For more information, go to www.foodsafety.gov.

Today's action is in addition to other FSIS has put in place during President Barack Obama's Administration to date to safeguard the food supply, prevent foodborne illness, and improve consumers' knowledge about the food they eat. These initiatives support the three core principles developed by the President's Food Safety Working Group: prioritizing prevention; strengthening surveillance and enforcement; and improving response and recovery. Some of these actions include:
-    Test-and-hold policy that will significantly reduce consumer exposure to unsafe meat products, should the policy become final, because products cannot be released into commerce until Agency test results for dangerous contaminants are known.
-    Labeling requirements that provide better information to consumers about their food by requiring nutrition information for single-ingredient raw meat and poultry products and ground or chopped products.
-    Public Health Information System, a modernized, comprehensive database with information on public health trends and food safety violations at the nearly 6,100 plants FSIS regulates.
-    Performance standards for poultry establishments for continued reductions in the occurrence of pathogens. After two years of enforcing the new standards, FSIS estimates that approximately 5,000 illnesses will be prevented each year under the new Campylobacter standards, and approximately 20,000 illnesses will be prevented under the revised Salmonella standards each year.