Thursday February 19 Ag News

NEBRASKA FARM NUMBERS LOWER

Nebraska's number of farms and ranches declined during 2014, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The number of farms and ranches in the State, at 49,1 00, was down 500 farms from 201 3. Numbers of farms and ranches in Nebraska with less than $100,000 in agricultural sales declined 800 farms from the year earlier while operations with more than $100,000 increased 300 farms from 2013.  Land in farms and ranches in Nebraska totaled 45.2 million acres, down 100,000 acres from 2013. The average size of operation, at 921 acres, was up 8 acres from the year earlier.



IOWA FARM NUMBERS LOWER

The total number of farms in Iowa in 2014 was 88,000, down 500 farms compared to a year ago, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Upper Midwest Regional Office. The largest decrease in number of farms came in the $1,000-$9,999 range with a decrease of 400 farms from 27,500 in 2013 to 27,100 in 2014.  Total land in farms in Iowa in 2014 was 30.5 million acres, down 100,000 acres from 2013. This drop came from farms in the $500,000-$999,999 range which fell to 8.70 million acres.  The average farm size in Iowa in 2014 was 347 acres, up one acre from last year. The average farm size in the $1,000,000 and over sales class increased 77 acres from 1,284 acres in 2013 to 1,301 in 2014.



2014 Number of Farms and Land in Farms Highlights

The number of farms in the United States for 2014 is estimated at 2.08 million, down 18 thousand farms from 2013. Total land in farms, at 913 million acres, decreased 1.03 million acres from 2013. The average farm size for 2014 is 438 acres, up 3 acres from the previous year.

Farm numbers and land in farms are differentiated by six economic sales classes. Farms and ranches are classified into these six sales classes by summing the sales of agricultural products and government program payments. Sales class breaks occur at $10,000, $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000. Producers were asked during the 2014 mid-year surveys to report the value of sales based on production during the 2013 calendar year. Production or commodity price changes in 2013 resulted in the total value for virtually all livestock and livestock products to increase while the value of most crops declined. The value of vegetable, fruit, and tobacco crops increased.

Point Farms are farms that did not have the required minimum $1,000 sales for the year to qualify as a farm, but had sufficient crops and livestock to normally have sales of $1,000 or more. Point Farms are assigned a sales class based on the sum of the agricultural point (dollar) values assigned to the
quantity of commodities produced, but not sold. The 2012 Census of Agriculture showed that 428,810 farms or 20.3 percent of the 2.11 million farms were Point Farms. These Point Farms operated 63.0 million acres or 6.9 percent of the 914.5 million acres of farmland.

Farm numbers decreased by 18 thousand farms during 2014. The number of farms in Sales Class $1,000 - $9,999 declined while all other sales classes increased slightly. Fifty-one percent of all farms have sales less than $10,000. Eighty percent of all farms had sales less than $100,000. Eight percent of all farms had sales of $500,000 or more. 



February Rural Mainstreet Index Turns Negative:
Farm Equipment Sales and Farmland Prices Decline Again

The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index for February slumped from January’s tepid reading according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.   

Overall: The Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI), which ranges between 0 and 100, sank to 46.4 in February, which is down significantly from January’s 50.9.

“Weaker exports and lower energy and grain prices continue to weigh on the rural economy that is dependent on agriculture and energy,” said Ernie Goss, Ph.D., Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business.

Farming and ranching: The farmland and ranchland-price index for February was unchanged from January’s weak 39.4. “Even though crop prices have stabilized, demand for farmland remains weak pulling agricultural land prices down by an estimated annualized rate of 6 percent to 8 percent. This is the 15th straight month the index has moved below growth neutral,” said Goss.

Even though farm income has weakened, more than one-fifth, or 22.2 percent, of farmland sales are for cash according to bankers in February.  This is little changed from 23.3 percent recorded in October of 2014.

The February farm-equipment sales index plummeted to 19.5 from 29.5 in January.  The index has been below growth neutral for 19 straight months. “Farmers have become very cautious regarding equipment buying even though their purchases of seeds and other inputs have remained solid,” said Goss.

This month bankers were asked to estimate the 2015 change in farm equipment sales for their geographic area. On average, a 14.4 percent decline in equipment sales is expected by the bank CEOs.  Approximately 60 percent of the bankers expect reductions of more than 15 percent.

Confidence: The confidence index, which reflects expectations for the economy six months out, slipped to 41.5 from January’s 43.6. “Global economic turmoil along with low energy and farm prices have negatively affected the outlook of bank CEOs in energy and agriculture dependent portions of the region,” reported Goss.

Nebraska: The Nebraska RMI for February slumped to 44.4 from 49.0 in January. The state’s farmland-price index slipped to 33.3 from 34.0 in January. Nebraska’s new-hiring index grew to 50.7 from January’s 47.9.  Nebraska Rural Mainstreet job loss for the past 12 months was -0.6 percent.

Iowa: The February RMI for Iowa fell to 46.7 from January’s 51.6. The state’s farmland-price index for February expanded to 41.5 from January’s 38.7. Iowa’s new-hiring index for February rose to 57.2 from January’s 51.7. Iowa Rural Mainstreet job growth for the past 12 months was 1.7 percent

Each month, community bank presidents and CEOs in nonurban, agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of a 10-state area are surveyed regarding current economic conditions in their communities and their projected economic outlooks six months down the road. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming are included. The survey is supported by a grant from Security State Bank in Ansley, Neb.

This survey represents an early snapshot of the economy of rural, agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of the nation. The Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) is a unique index covering 10 regional states, focusing on approximately 200 rural communities with an average population of 1,300. It gives the most current real-time analysis of the rural economy. Goss and Bill McQuillan, former chairman of the Independent Community Banks of America, created the monthly economic survey in 2005.



USDA - Pork Production up 1 Percent from Last Year

Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.09 billion pounds in January, down 4 percent from the 4.25 billion pounds produced in January 2014.

Beef production, at 1.96 billion pounds, was 8 percent below the previous year.  Cattle slaughter totaled 2.42 million head, down 10 percent from January 2014.  The average live weight was up 24 pounds from the previous year, at 1,358 pounds.

Veal production totaled 6.8 million pounds, 27 percent below January a year ago.  Calf slaughter totaled 39,900 head, 37 percent below January 2014.  The average live weight was up 38 pounds from last year, at 291 pounds.

Pork production totaled 2.10 billion pounds, 1 percent above the previous year.  Hog slaughter totaled 9.76 million head, slightly below January 2014.  The average live weight was up 3 pounds from the previous year, at 287 pounds.

Lamb and mutton production, at 11.5 million pounds, was 7 percent below January 2014.  Sheep slaughter totaled 165,700 head, 8 percent below last year.  The average live weight was 140 pounds, up 3 pounds from January a year ago.

Red Meat Production by State (Jan '15 - % of Jan '14)
Nebraska ...........:     618.5 million pounds            97%      
Iowa ..................:     609.1 million pounds           101%      
Kansas ...............:     410.0 million pounds            93%      



2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Submits Report

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, a group of prestigious outside experts, submitted its recommendations to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in order to inform the 2015 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Today, the Secretaries have released the advisory committee's recommendations report online, making it available for public review and comment. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) will consider this report, along with input from other federal agencies and comments from the public as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015, to be released later this year.

"For decades, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have been at the core of our efforts to promote the health and well-being of American families," said Secretaries Burwell and Vilsack in a joint statement. "Now that the advisory committee has completed its recommendations, HHS and USDA will review this advisory report, along with comments from the public-including other experts-and input from other federal agencies as we begin the process of updating the guidelines."

The public is encouraged to view the independent advisory group's report and provide written comments at www.DietaryGuidelines.gov for a period of 45 days after publication in the Federal Register. The public will also have an opportunity to offer oral comments at a public meeting in Bethesda, Maryland, on March 24, 2015. Those interested in providing oral comments at the March 24, 2015, public meeting can register at www.DietaryGuidelines.gov. Capacity is limited, so participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

The 14 outside experts who made up the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee are nationally recognized in the fields of nutrition, medicine and public health. The committee held seven public meetings over the past two years. The recommendations of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee are non-binding and advisory to HHS and USDA as they draft the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015.

The HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has the administrative lead for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015, which it carries out in close partnership with the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and with support from USDA's Agricultural Research Service.



NCBA: Dietary Guidelines Recommendations are Misleading
 
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture released the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s report. This report is a recommendation to the Secretaries as they develop the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that will be released later this year. Unfortunately, the report is inconsistent, and if adopted will lead to conflicting dietary advice. On one hand, the Committee has endorsed the Mediterranean style diet, which has higher red meat levels than currently consumed in the U.S.; and on the other hand, they have left lean meat out of what they consider to be a healthy dietary pattern.

Dr. Shalene McNeill, Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Scientist with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said the recommendation that a healthy dietary pattern should be lower in red meat is not consistent with scientific evidence and would be unsound dietary advice.

“Lean meat is red meat. Today’s beef supply is leaner than ever before with more than 30 cuts of beef recognized as lean by government standards,” said McNeill. “The protein foods category, which includes meat, is the only category currently consumed within the current guidelines, and it is misleading to conclude that a healthy dietary pattern should be lower in red meat.”

According to the report, “dietary patterns with positive health benefits are described as high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, seafood, legumes, and nuts; moderate in low- and non-fat dairy products; lower in red and processed meat; and low in sugar-sweetened foods and beverages and refined grains.”

Unfortunately, the statement disregards the positive role of lean meat. Lean beef is one of the most nutrient rich foods, providing high levels of essential nutrients such as zinc, iron and protein, as opposed to empty calories. 

Dr. Richard Thorpe, Texas medical doctor and cattle producer, said the key to a healthy lifestyle is building a balanced diet around the healthy foods you enjoy eating, coupled with physical activity.

“It is absurd for the Advisory Committee to suggest that Americans should eat less red meat and focus so heavily on plant-based diets,” said Thorpe. “The American diet is already 70 percent plant based and to further emphasize plant-based diets will continue to have unintended consequences. The Advisory Committee got it wrong in the ‘80s advising a diet high in carbs, and look at what that got us – an obesity problem. My colleagues and I commonly encourage people to include lean beef more often for their health, not less.”

Thorpe added, “We are disappointed the Advisory Committee would go outside the purview and expertise of nutrition/health research to bring in topics such as sustainability. We urge the Secretaries to reject the Advisory Committee’s recommendations on topics outside of diet and health.”

Lean meat plays an important role in the American diet and science shows it needs to be recognized as part of a healthy dietary pattern just as it was in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. On behalf of U.S. cattle producers that work each and every day to provide a nutritious and healthful beef product for consumers, we encourage Secretaries Burwell and Vilsack to reject the Advisory Committee’s recommendation that healthy American diets should be lower in red meat. The process was incomplete with flawed conclusions specific to health benefits of red meat’s role in the American diet.



Dietary Panel: Cut Meat; Alcohol Okay
NPPC Urges USDA, HHS Secretaries To Reject Recommendations On Meat
The National Pork Producers Council today criticized recommendations related to meat in the diet from an advisory committee informing the creation of federal guidelines for healthy eating.

In a report for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, an Obama administration-appointed advisory committee of health and nutrition professionals recommended that people consume less red and processed meat, and it omitted lean meat from its recommended dietary pattern. (It did maintain the Recommended Daily Allowance of 5.5 ounces of “protein foods.”) The panel recommended moderate amounts of alcohol.

Additionally, the advisory committee concluded that a diet higher in plant-based and lower in animal-based foods would be more environmentally sustainable.

The report was sent to the secretaries of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services, who will use it to develop the 2015 guidelines. Due out later this year, the guidelines affect all federal food purchasing programs, including the School Lunch program.

“We think the advisory committee has taken the wrong approach,” said NPPC President Dr. Howard Hill, a veterinarian and pork producer from Cambridge, Iowa. “Science recognizes that meat is, and should be, a part of a healthful diet, and NPPC urges the USDA and HHS secretaries to keep meat in the center of America’s plate.

“It appears the advisory committee was more interested in addressing what’s trendy among foodies than providing science-based advice for the average American’s diet,” Hill said. “Have we really come to the point where alcohol is okay and meat isn’t”?

NPPC pointed out in comments on the 2015 guidelines that animal proteins are considered complete proteins, containing all the essential amino acids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A number of critical vitamins and minerals, including B12, Heme iron and potassium – often lacking in many American diets – are found primarily in meat, and lean, nutrient-rich meat is versatile, affordable and accessible, making it easy to incorporate into the diet.

For school children, eating meat promotes satiety and preserves lean muscle mass, said NPPC. Additionally, including lean meat in their diets can help adults prevent or manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Research even shows that, for those dealing with obesity, many cuts of meat can improve long-term weight maintenance.

As for sustainability, said Hill, “pork producers today are much more environmentally friendly than even 25 years ago. In fact, a U.N. report (starting on page 278) on greenhouse gases cited intensive agricultural production, such as the modern U.S. meat production system, as a way to address those gases.”

According to North Carolina research firm Camco, compared with 50 years ago, U.S. pork producers today are using 78 percent less land and 45 percent less water to produce a pound of pork and have a 35 percent smaller carbon footprint.



NMPF, IDFA Reaction to New Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report

 Statement from Jim Mulhern, President & CEO, NMPF, and Connie Tipton, President & CEO, IDFA

“We appreciate the commitment of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) to help Americans build healthy eating patterns.

“The essential role of dairy foods, as part of dietary patterns that foster good health outcomes, is supported by the totality of the science — low-fat and fat-free milk and dairy products are a core component of the healthy dietary patterns identified by the Committee.

“The good news for people across the country is that milk, cheese, and yogurt not only taste great, but also are nutrient-rich, affordable, readily available, and versatile, making dairy foods realistic options to help people build healthier meal plans. Milk is the number one source of nine essential nutrients in the diets of America’s children – including calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, three of the four nutrients the 2015 DGAC found to be under-consumed. Dairy foods’ nutrient package can be hard to replace with other foods.

“We will provide science-based comments on the advisory report during the current public comment period and look forward to the release of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans policy document later this year.”



Study Quantifies Positive Impacts of U.S. Ethanol Production

The ethanol industry added $52.7 billion to the national GDP in 2014 according to a study released today by the Renewable Fuels Association at this year's National Ethanol Conference. "Contribution of the Ethanol Industry to the Economy of the United States in 2014," prepared by ABF Economics on RFA's behalf, quantifies the economic, national security and job creating benefits of domestic ethanol production in 2014.

"The ethanol industry has certainly fueled demand growth for corn for nearly a decade now, but it has also been an incredible engine for growth throughout the U.S. economy as well," said National Corn Growers Association Ethanol Committee Chair Jeff Sandborn, a farmer from Portland, Michigan. "This study offers the quantifiable data to clearly demonstrate the importance of today's ethanol industry for all Americans. At NCGA, we work constantly to defend policies important to farmers and ethanol producers alike, such as the RFS, and to find ways to further drive demand in the future. Certainly, concrete evidence such as this helps us to do so."

According to the study, ethanol industry was responsible for 83,949 direct jobs and 295,265 indirect and induced jobs over the past year. Over that period, it also added $26.7 billion to household incomes, and generated $10.3 billion in taxes, thus further stimulating state and local economies.

The study also demonstrated the importance of ethanol to national and energy security in that it found 515 million barrels of foreign oil were displaced by the 14.3 billion gallons of U.S. ethanol produced in 2014. The monetary value of this comes to nearly $49 billion which stayed in our nation's economy. 

A brief summary of the study's findings:
-    $52.7 billion to America's gross domestic product
-    83,949 direct jobs and 295,265 indirect and induced jobs
-    $26.7 billion to household incomes
-    $10.3 billion in federal, state and local taxes
-    Displaced 515 million barrels of oil, the equivalent of $49 billion

John Urbanchuk, author of the study and managing partner of ABF Economics, concluded his analysis by noting, "The ethanol industry continues to make a significant contribution to the economy in terms of job creation, generation of tax revenue, and displacement of imported crude oil and petroleum products. The importance of the ethanol industry to agriculture and rural economies is particularly notable. Continued growth and expansion of the ethanol industry through new technologies and feedstocks will enhance the industry's position as the original creator of green jobs, and will enable America to make further strides toward energy independence."



EIA: US Ethanol Supply Flat

U.S. supply of ethanol was flat at a 21.1 million barrel (bbl) two-year, eight-month high during the week-ended Feb. 13, with both production and blending demand higher during the week the Energy Information Administration reported Thursday, Feb. 19.

he no change in domestic ethanol stocks came as U.S. production plants ramped up output 3,000 barrels per day (bpd) to a 964,000 bpd three-week high. During the four weeks ended Feb. 13, ethanol output averaged 963,000 bpd, 63,000 bpd, or 7.0%, above the production rate during the comparable year-ago period.

Refiner and blender net inputs of ethanol jumped 26,000 bpd to an 852,000 bpd seven-week high, and the highest weekly input rate of 2015. During the four weeks ended Feb. 13, blender inputs averaged 838,000 bpd, 28,000 bpd, or 3.5%, above a year ago.

Gasoline supplied to market, known as implied demand, surged 527,000 bpd during the week reviewed from a one-year low to 8.809 million bpd. Year to date through Feb. 13, implied gasoline demand averaged 8.716 million bpd, 469,000 bpd, or 5.7%, more than in 2014 through this period.



More than 75 agribusiness, commodity, state government leaders to visit Cuba

The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) announced today it will lead more than 75 leaders from across the U.S. agriculture industry on a learning journey to Cuba. The visit will take place March 1-4, 2015.

“As we continue our call for Congress to end the embargo and normalize trade with Cuba, this is an appropriate time to visit Cuba and begin to strengthen business relationships,” said Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Chair of USACC. “We have seen positive developments in recent weeks, including the Freedom to Export to Cuba Act that would end the embargo in an appropriate and expeditious way.

Our learning journey will ensure that key commodity groups and agribusiness leaders are well-positioned to facilitate a strong bilateral trading relationship when the embargo is lifted.”

The learning journey will include meetings with Cuban business and government leaders, as well as interaction with Cuban farmers and agricultural cooperatives to expand understanding of the Cuban agricultural economy.

“The March learning journey will provide an opportunity for leaders in our agriculture sector to interact with key Cuban leaders, including farmers and agricultural cooperatives, in advance of normalized trade relations,” said Paul Johnson, Vice Chair of USACC. “Meanwhile our hope is for Congress to normalize trade relations with Cuba as quickly as possible.”

USACC is comprised of agribusinesses, commodity groups, and others in agriculture who share a commitment to normalizing trade with Cuba and ending the current embargo. The coalition was formed in early 2014 to call for an end to the current embargo, which would continue the tremendous momentum of U.S. agricultural exports and boost opportunity for U.S. and Cuban agriculture.



NASS Kicks Off Nationwide Organic Survey

The USDA just kicked off the Organic Survey to gather detailed data on U.S. organic agriculture production. The survey is a complete inventory of all known organic producers that are certified, exempt from certification, and transitioning to certified organic production.

"Total organic product sales by farms and ranches in the United States have continued to grow over the last few years, increasing by 83 percent between 2007 and 2012," said USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. "These latest census results show the continued interest in organic agriculture among consumers, producers, and businesses. As we look to the future, the important information we gather will be crucial to capturing the strong private and public sector support to sustain the continued growth of this industry."

Conducted by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Organic Survey is a result of this growing demand for organic agricultural products and data. The survey looks at many aspects of organic agriculture during the 2014 calendar year – from production and marketing practices, to income and expenses. It also focuses on the future of organic production by including producers transitioning to certified organic agriculture.

Producers who receive the Organic Survey are encouraged to respond. The responses will provide important and detailed information to help determine the economic impact of organic production, and this information will help USDA develop programs and services for organic crop and livestock producers.



USDA-NIFA and United Kingdom-Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Partner for Animal Disease Prevention Research

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the United Kingdom's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) today announced five jointly funded research awards that total more than $2.3 million from NIFA and £2.3 million British pounds ($3,502,683 equivalent) from the BBSRC for the US-UK Collaborative Animal Health and Disease and Veterinary Immune Reagents program. This US-UK partnership addresses high impact diseases and animal health issues relevant to both countries.

"As a leading livestock producing nation, the health of the people in the United States and around the world depends on the safety, security, and quality of the livestock we produce," said Sonny Ramaswamy, NIFA director. "These grants enable an international research partnership that looks to control the spread of pathogens, ensuring we can effectively reduce the health risks and environmental impacts of food production worldwide."

Steve Visscher, BBSRC Deputy Chief Executive, International, said: "A growing world population means that safe and secure food supplies are going to become more and more important in the years to come. The scale of such challenges require increased international collaboration, and this partnership of co-investment between BBSRC and NIFA will allow world-leading researchers in both countries to work together to combat livestock diseases and safeguard food supplies."

Global food supply and food security are directly affected by animal production and health. They play an important role in the economy, but also in the sustainability and growth of agriculture worldwide. Research funded through this program will look at the biological and physiological mechanisms in relation to disease prevention in ruminants (cattle, goat, sheep), swine, poultry, equine, and aquaculture species. Specifically, the projects will address the development of immune reagents, breeding for genetic resistance to disease, studying the ecology of diseases spread by vector insects, and developing improved vaccines. The discoveries made through these projects will improve animal health and well-being, enhance production efficiency, and support the safety of animal products by addressing challenges facing animal agriculture.

The USDA and BBSRC 2014 partnership concentrated on the following areas:

Animal health and disease:
-    Research on emerging diseases and diseases of agriculturally relevant animals of high economic consequence in both the U.S. and U.K. (viral, bacterial, and parasitic diseases)
-    Alternatives to current antimicrobials and anthelmintics used to treat disease in agricultural animals in both the U.S. and U.K.

Veterinary immune reagents:
-    Development of publicly accessible immunological reagents for agriculturally-relevant animal species.

Fiscal year 2014 awards supported by USDA include:
-    Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa., $499,999 - Host Resistance to Avian Pathogenic E. Coli (collaborative with the University of Edinburgh)
-    Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., $499,995 - Control of Emerging Bunyaviruses (collaborative with the University of Glasgow)
-    USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Md., $477,903 - Reassembly of Cattle Immune Gene Clusters for Quantitative Analysis
-    USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Md., $500,000 - Swine Immune Toolkit: Development of new immune reagents for swine health, vaccine and disease studies (collaborative with the University of Bristol)
-    USDA Agricultural Research Service, Athens Ga., $325,000 - Evolution of the High Pathogenicity Phenotype in Avian Influenza Virus (NIFA is supporting years 2 and 3 of this award with $325,000; ARS is supporting year 1 with $175,000.)

Fiscal year 2014 awards supported by BBSRC include:
-    Swine Immune Toolkit: Development of new immune reagents for swine health, vaccine and disease studies. University of Bristol, £335,835 (collaborative with USDA ARS)
-    Reassembly of cattle immune gene clusters for quantitative analysis. The Pirbright Institute, £478,615
-    Control of emerging bunyaviruses. University of Glasgow, £597,187 (collaborative with Kansas State University)
-    Host Resistance to Avian Pathogenic E. coli. The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, £521,083 (collaborative with Iowa State University)
-    M2 gene splice variants in pathogenesis, transmission and induced immunity against highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, £461,362

More information on the BBSRC grants can be found on their website. Enter the project title into the search function.

NIFA funded the grants through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). AFRI is NIFA's flagship competitive grant program and was established under the 2008 Farm Bill. AFRI supports work in six priority areas: food safety, nutrition and health; plant health and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal products; bioenergy energy, natural resources and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and agriculture economics and rural communities.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.

Funded by Government, BBSRC invested over £484M in world-class bioscience in 2013-14. We support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.



Pyramid® 5 + Presponse® SQ Approved for Extended BVD 1b Protection

Pyramid® 5 + Presponse® SQ from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) recently received a new label claim for protection against respiratory disease caused by bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) Type 1b for at least 217 days. BVD Type 1b is the most common subtype of BVD found in persistently infected (PI) calves. This new claim reinforces the elite BVD protection offered by BIVI's modified-live virus (MLV) vaccine portfolio.

"PI calves, while small in number, are one of the most common sources of BVD spread as they shed the virus to susceptible calves," says Dr. Doug Ensley, Professional Services Veterinarian, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. "This new claim helps producers protect against the BVD subtype most commonly found in these calves, so they know they are getting the best protection for their herd."

With PYRAMID 5 + PRESPONSE SQ, two leading respiratory vaccines are provided in the convenience of one dose, protecting against disease caused by BVD types 1 and 2, infectious bovine rhinotrachetitis (IBR), parainfluenza 3 (PI3), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and Mannheimia haemolytica.

"BVD prevention remains a key issue for cattle producers in their aim to keep their herds healthy. By vaccinating calves at all stages with PYRAMID 5 + PRESPONSE SQ, producers can be assured their cattle are protected against BVD and other causes of respiratory disease," says Dr. Ensley.

For producers looking to further prevent the negative impact of PI calves, BIVI offers Express® FP for vaccination of cows. EXPRESS FP is labeled to prevent calves persistently infected with BVD when cows are vaccinated according to label directions.