Friday, March 27, 2015

Friday March 27 Hogs & Pigs Report + Ag News

NEBRASKA HOG INVENTORY UP 2 PERCENT

Nebraska inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2015,was 3.05 million head, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This was up 2 percent from March 1, 2014, but down 2 percent from December 1, 2014.

Breeding hog inventory, at 420,000 head, was up 5 percent from March 1, 2014, and up 5 percent from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 2.63 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, but down 3 percent from last quarter.

The December 2014 - February 2015 Nebraska pig crop, at 1.76 million head, was up 1 percent from 2014. Sows farrowed during the period totaled 160,000 head, down 3 percent from last year. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 11.00 for the December - February period, compared to 10.55 last year.

Nebraska hog producers intend to farrow 175,000 sows during the March – May 2015 quarter, up 3 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period a year ago. Intended farrowings for June – August 2015 are 180,000 sows, up 3 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period the previous year.



Iowa Hogs and Pigs Up 5% from Last Year


On March 1, 2015, there were 20.4 million hogs and pigs on Iowa farms according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Hogs and Pigs report. The March 1 inventory was down 2 percent from December 2014 but up 5 percent from last March’s 19.5 million head.

The December 2014-February 2015 quarterly pig crop was 5.35 million head, up 3 percent from the previous quarter and 13 percent above last year. A total of 500,000 sows farrowed during this quarter.

The average pigs saved per litter was 10.70 for the DecemberFebruary quarter, matching the record pigs saved per litter from the previous two quarters.

As of March 1, producers planned to farrow 490,000 head of sows and gilts in the March-May quarter and 510,000 head during the June-August quarter.



United States Hog Inventory Up 7 Percent


United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2015 was 65.9 million head. This was up 7 percent from March 1, 2014, but down slightly from December 1, 2014.  Breeding inventory, at 5.98 million head, was up 2 percent from last year, and up 1 percent from the previous quarter.  Market hog inventory, at 60.0 million head, was up 8 percent from last year, but down slightly from last quarter.

The December 2014-February 2015 pig crop, at 28.8 million head, was up 9 percent from 2014. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.83 million head, up 2 percent from 2014. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 48 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 10.17 for the December-February period, compared to 9.53 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.90 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 10.20 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.

United States hog producers intend to have 2.87 million sows farrow during the March-May 2015 quarter, up 2 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2014, and up 2 percent from 2013. Intended farrowings for June-August 2015, at 2.93 million sows, are down 2 percent from 2014, but up 1 percent from 2013.

The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 46 percent of the total United States hog inventory, down from 48 percent last year.

Breeding, Market, and Total Inventory - By State (1,000 hd) as of March 1, 2015

Breeding Inv. (% of Mar '14) - Marketing Inv. (% of Mar '14) - Total (% of Mar '14)

Nebraska ....:    420       105%    -     2,630       101%    -     3,050        102% 
Iowa ...........:  1,030     102%    -    19,370      105%   -      20,400      105% 
N. Carolina ..:   890       102%    -     7,510       108%    -      8,400        108% 
Illinois ........:    490        98%     -     4,160       111%    -      4,650       109% 
Indiana .......:    280       104%    -     3,370       109%    -     3,650        109% 
Kansas ........:    175       103%    -     1,655       113%    -     1,830        112%

Sows Farrowing, Pigs per Litter, and Pig Crop - By State (1,000 hd)- Dec-Feb 2015

Sows Farrowed (%LY) - Pigs per Litter - Pig Crop (%LY) 
Nebraska ....:    160       97%    -     11.00   -    1,760      101%  
Iowa ...........:    500      104%   -    10.70    -    5,350      113%  
N. Carolina .:     440      101%   -     9.50     -    4,180      114%  
Illinois .......:     240       98%     -    10.20    -    2,448      100%  
Indiana ......:    135       113%    -    10.10    -    1,364     124%  
Kansas .......:     86        108%    -    10.00    -       860      117%  



NSP Carrier Enforcement Webinars Replace Town Hall Meetings


The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) Carrier Enforcement Division will be changing the format for its Town Hall meetings. This year, the Carrier Enforcement Division will conduct webinars in place of previously held location meetings.

The webinars, starting on April 6 will provide information on laws pertaining to farm and commercial motor vehicles and drivers of these vehicles. Guidance will include the State of Nebraska’s adoption of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety and Hazardous Materials regulations.

“It is our goal, through this change in practice, to enhance highway safety by reaching as many operators of large trucks as possible,” said Captain Gerry Krolikowski, Commander Carrier Enforcement Division. “Through the webinars, we will provide a useful collection of information regarding regulations that are not only required, but more importantly directly related to vehicle and driver safety. ”The webinars will be divided into six topics...

1. Farm Driver
2. Farm Vehicle
3. Commercial Driver
4. Commercial Vehicle
5. Hazardous Material Farm
6. Hazardous Material Commercial

By providing six separate webinar topics, individuals will be able to choose which Webinar to participate in as opposed to sitting through an entire Town Hall meeting.

Capt. Krolikowski said “In the past our Town Hall meetings have typically taken 3-4 hours. The webinars will allow an individual to save time by selecting only the areas they are interested in.”

A link to the schedule including dates and times for the Carrier Enforcement webinar series is provided:  http://1.usa.gov/1xgLNTd



GRAZING WINTER SMALL GRAINS

Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist


               Small grains planted last fall are greening up and will soon grow rapidly in most areas.  Many fields soon will be ready to graze.  This spring, let’s make these pastures productive and safe.

               Did you look ahead and plant rye or triticale or even wheat last fall to use as early pasture this spring?  If so, you soon will be rewarded.  Many of these fields are about ready to graze.

               These small grain pastures are an extremely useful resource this spring.  They will relieve you from feeding hay, get your animals out onto clean green grass, and produce excellent gains.  They’ll also help you wait longer before turning onto your other pastures, giving them a chance to have good growth before grazing.

               To maximize grazing from small grain pastures, wait until grass is 4 to 8 inches tall before starting to graze.  Then stock heavily enough to maintain plant height between 6 and 12 inches.  To accomplish this, either adjust the number of animals according to grass growth or sub-divide the pasture into paddocks and graze rotationally.  Grass stands, soils, fertility, and moisture all will affect stocking rate, so adjust stock numbers for your conditions.  With careful management, you could have good grazing all the way to mid-June.

               One concern when grazing small grain pasture is animal death from grass tetany.  Tetany is more common in lactating cows than in dry cows or young stock.  Reduce tetany risk by feeding magnesium oxide supplements mixed with salt, molasses, or grain.  Monitor consumption carefully and adjust the mixture so cattle consume about one-quarter pound of magnesium oxide per cow each week.                                               

               Small grain pastures can be convenient and profitable.  Just use good management to optimize production and prevent livestock losses.



Whistleblower Speaks Out Against HSUS


Today HumaneWatch.org, a project of the Center for Consumer Freedom, released a video interview with a former undercover investigator for the animal liberation group Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Gestation stalls, or individual maternity pens (IMPs), are used to house pregnant pigs. IMPs provide for individual care and feeding while preventing the fighting that occurs when pregnant sows are housed in groups. Mainstream veterinary groups support maternity pens as a humane housing option. However, HSUS has been lobbying legislators to ban these gestation pens and are pressuring food companies to only source pork from farms that use group housing of sows. 

Watch the full video HERE... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ_XJDZrzTM

According to the HSUS investigator, who worked on pork farms:
-    “When they’re not in crates, they [sows] fight each other. With gestation crates, they can’t bite each other…They’re in a safe spot.”
-    “I have to believe they [HSUS] know the pigs would prefer to be in gestation crates…but choose instead to push the anti-gestation crate legislation because of what it would do to the pig farming industry.”
-    “Objectively, HSUS should be for gestation crates if they’re honestly, truly for animal welfare.”

“Farmers, veterinarians, and animal scientists stand opposed to HSUS’s campaign against individual maternity pens—and now one of its own investigators does, too,” Will Coggin, director of research for HumaneWatch.org. “HSUS counts on manipulating an unknowing public with its propaganda, but the power of truth is demonstrated by one of HSUS’s own.”

About 200 large-animal veterinarians have signed an open letter in support of individual maternity pens. Recent HSUS attempts to ban these pens in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire have all failed after legislators learned the full story.

“HSUS’s real agenda is forcing farmers into costly infrastructure changes designed at putting them out of business, not helping pregnant pigs,” Coggin continued. “HSUS is an anti-meat extremist group that doesn’t speak for Americans, veterinarians, or farmers—or animals.”



USDA Extends ARC and PLC Deadlines


Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today provided farm owners and producers one additional week, until April 7, 2015, to choose between Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), the safety-net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill. The final day to update yield history or reallocate base acres also will be April 7, 2015.

"This is an important decision for producers because these programs help farmers and ranchers protect their operations from unexpected changes in the marketplace," said Vilsack. "Nearly 98 percent of owners have already updated their yield and base acres, and 90 percent of producers have enrolled in ARC or PLC. These numbers are strong, and continue to rise. This additional week will give producers a little more time to have those final conversations, review their data, visit their local Farm Service Agency offices, and make their decisions," said Vilsack.

If no changes are made to yield history or base acres by the deadline, the farm's current yield and base acres will be used. If a program choice of ARC or PLC is not made, there will be no 2014 crop year payments for the farm and the farm will default to PLC coverage for the 2015 through 2018 crop years. Producers who have an appointment at their local FSA offices scheduled by April 7 will be able to make an election between ARC and PLC, even if their actual appointment is after April 7.

These safety-net programs provide important financial protection against unexpected changes in the marketplace. As part of the strong education and outreach campaign launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in September, to date more than 5 million educational postcards, in English and Spanish, have been sent to producers nationwide, and more than 5,000 events with more than 430,000 attendees, including training sessions and speaking engagements, have been conducted to educate producers on the programs. The online tools, available at www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc, which allow producers to explore how ARC or PLC coverage will affect their operation, have been presented to more than 3,400 groups.

Covered commodities under ARC and PLC include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat. Upland cotton is no longer a covered commodity.

Producers need to contact the Farm Service Agency by April 7. To learn more, farmers can contact their local Farm Service Agency county office. To find local offices, visit http://offices.usda.gov.



USGC’s 2014 Annual Report Available Online Now


From the soaring sales of U.S. sorghum to China to launching the Tanzanian Food For Progress program to trade policy talks to Export Exchange, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) left its mark on export markets for U.S. corn, barley, sorghum and their co-products in 2014.

These successes and more are highlighted in the Council’s 2014 annual report, which is available online at www.grains.org/annualreport2014.

“2014 was an exciting year for the Council,” said USGC Chairman Ron Gray. “It continued our work in key markets and also expanded our efforts to new places like Tanzania and a new commodity for us, ethanol.

“These exhilarating and significant projects were made possible by our vibrant, active membership base, volunteer leaders from all sectors of agriculture and our dedicated global staff. This annual report highlights this and is just one way we show our thanks at the Council.”

This annual report features highpoints from 2014 and other impressive features.

“The online annual report is a great resource for anyone involved in the global grain trade,” Gray said. “In addition to the normal report materials, readers can access an exclusive, downloadable spreadsheet containing production, demand, imports, exports and feed consumption information for more than 20 countries and regions. Everyone involved with the global grain trade should take a moment to explore www.grains.org/annualreport2014.”

A printed companion piece is being mailed to all Council members, with additional copies available at key Council meetings and trade shows. A PDF version of the printed report is also available at www.grains.org/annualreport2014 by clicking on the corresponding link in the upper-right section of any page.



CHS' William Nelson to be Inducted into Co-op Hall of Fame


William Nelson will be inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in ceremonies May 6, 2015, at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C.

Induction into the Cooperative Hall of Fame is the highest honor the U.S. cooperative community bestows on those who have made genuinely heroic contributions in support of the cooperative form of enterprise.

Nelson, who is Vice President of CHS Corporate Citizenship and President of the CHS Foundation, has long been a leader in the cooperative community, championing and encouraging education, collaboration and growth of the cooperative system.



Growth Energy Supports Senators Paul and Grassley Efforts to Give Consumers Choice at the Pump


Following the introduction of S. 889, the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act, legislation by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), which contains a provision to extend the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) volatility waiver to E15, Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, issued the following statement:

“We certainly support efforts by Senator Paul and Senator Grassley to remove a major hurdle preventing consumers the opportunity to purchase higher blends such as E15. This has been a major obstacle ever since Growth Energy led the successful effort to get E15 approved for commercial use.

“We are hopeful that Senators Paul and Grassley’s legislative efforts are successful in granting this much needed waiver to overcome the single largest regulatory hurdle to ensuring consumers have access to higher blends such as E15.”



MAIZALL Leaders Meet With U.S. Officials in Washington


Leaders from MAIZALL, the international alliance for maize, were in Washington this week for discussions with senior U.S. officials from the Department of Agriculture, State Department and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative regarding ongoing cooperation with the governments of Argentina and Brazil on market access for crops derived from biotechnology.

“MAIZALL was established because producers in the United States, Argentina and Brazil -- the three major corn exporting countries of the Americas -- recognized they shared some common concerns,” said Julius Schaaf, the Iowa farmer who serves as U.S. Grains Council past chairman and MAIZALL’s first president.

MAIZALL is a partnership of four organizations in three countries: the Council and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) in the United States, ABRAMHILO in Brazil and MAISAR in Argentina. While the three countries are vigorous competitors in world markets, producers in all three are committed to trade, modern agricultural technology and improved market access.

In their meetings this week with U.S. officials, the MAIZALL group focused especially on challenges in China and the European Union affecting producers in the corn exporting countries and on the importance of intergovernmental dialogues to encourage development of effective policies for managing low level presence (LLP) of as-yet unapproved biotech traits.

“Without workable LLP policies, farmers lose no matter where they are from,” Schaaf said. “Either we lose access to beneficial technologies that improve our economic and environmental sustainability, or we risk losing access to markets because of the presence of trace levels of an event. This serves no one’s interest.”

In 2015, MAIZALL will continue its outreach to receptive pro-technology groups in the EU. The group is also looking toward ongoing discussions with Chinese and Korean officials and will continue to advocate regulatory harmonization on biotech events among the Americas.



Pork Producers Committed To Addressing Resistance


Responding to today’s release of the White House “National Action Plan For Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria,” (see article below) the National Pork Producers Council said the U.S. pork industry is committed to continuing its efforts to use antibiotics responsibly, to support research on antibiotic resistance and to comply with recent directives related to antibiotic use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The $1.2 billion plan’s primary purpose is to direct activities by the federal government to address antibiotic resistance, but it also is designed to guide action by public health and healthcare professionals and veterinarians “in a common effort to address urgent and serious drug-resistant threats that affect people in the U.S. and around the world.”

The pork industry supports studies and research on the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance, as well as research on identifying alternative products or practices that will help minimize the need to use antibiotics. The industry’s Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus) program includes principles that provide guidance on responsible antibiotic use and has on-farm assessments to measure points on veterinary oversight and FDA requirements for medical records. It also is reaching out to pork producers to build awareness of and provide information on the changes that result from FDA Guidance 213, which is eliminating for growth promotion uses of antibiotics that are important in human medicine. Additionally the FDA guidance requires veterinary oversight (VFD) of all therapeutic uses of those same antibiotics.

“Pork producers have been at the forefront of developing programs that ensure that antibiotics are being used responsibly,” said NPPC President Dr. Ron Prestage, a pork producer from Camden, S.C. “And the U.S. pork industry is committed to doing its part to help address the issue of antibiotic resistance.

“That said, antibiotics are an important tool we use to keep our animals healthy and to produce safe food, and we will continue to employ them for those purposes.”

NPPC noted that the White House plan backs the successful implementation of Guidance 213 and the VFD, the development of metrics to gauge the success of antibiotics stewardship efforts and research on alternative products and strategies to reduce the need for antibiotics. The plan also calls for the collection of more data on antibiotic use.

NPPC is committed to working with FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop appropriate metrics for measuring the success of the industry’s stewardship program. Data collection should focus on increasing the epidemiological knowledge of antibiotic resistance, be practical and representative and not be cost prohibitive, said the organization.



Obama Administration Releases National Action Plan to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria


Today, the White House released a comprehensive plan that identifies critical actions to be taken by key Federal departments and agencies to combat the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.  The National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, which was developed by the interagency Task Force for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in response to Executive Order 13676: Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, outlines steps for implementing the National Strategy on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and addressing the policy recommendations of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) report on Combating Antibiotic Resistance.

Antibiotics have been a critical public health tool since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, saving the lives of millions of people around the world.  The emergence of drug resistance in bacteria is undermining our ability to treat bacterial infections and perform a range of modern medical procedures, including chemotherapy, surgery, dialysis, and organ transplantation.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that drug-resistant bacteria cause 23,000 deaths and 2 million illnesses each year in the United States. Antibiotic resistance also threatens animal health, agriculture, and the economy.

The National Action Plan provides a roadmap to guide the Nation in rising to the challenge of antibiotic resistance and potentially saving thousands of lives.  The Action Plan outlines Federal activities over the next five years to enhance domestic and international capacity to prevent and contain outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant infections; maintain the efficacy of current and new antibiotics; and develop and deploy next-generation diagnostics, antibiotics, vaccines, and other therapeutics.  These activities are consistent with investments in the President’s FY 2016 Budget, which nearly doubles the amount of Federal funding for combating and preventing antibiotic resistance to more than $1.2 billion.

Implementation of the Action Plan will require the sustained, coordinated, and complementary efforts of individuals and groups around the world, including public and private sector partners, healthcare providers, healthcare leaders, veterinarians, agriculture industry leaders, manufacturers, policymakers, and patients.  Efforts carried out as part of the Action Plan will help the Federal government curb the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria with the goal of saving lives.

To provide advice, information, and recommendations regarding programs and policies intended to support and evaluate the implementation of Executive Order 13676, including the National Strategy for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, the Secretary of Health and Human Services established the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (Advisory Council). HHS is currently seeking nominations of individuals who are interested in being considered for appointment to the Advisory Council.

National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

The Action Plan is organized around five goals for collaborative action by the U.S. Government, in partnership with foreign governments, individuals, and organizations aiming to strengthen healthcare, public health, veterinary medicine, agriculture, food safety, and research and manufacturing.  Aggressive action will move the nation towards major reductions in the incidence of urgent and serious drug-resistant threats.

These goals are:
·         Slow the Emergence of Resistant Bacteria and Prevent the Spread of Resistant Infections.
·         Strengthen National One-Health Surveillance Efforts to Combat Resistance,
·         Advance Development and Use of Rapid and Innovative Diagnostic Tests for Identification and Characterization of Resistant Bacteria.
·         Accelerate Basic and Applied Research and Development for New Antibiotics, Other Therapeutics, and Vaccines.
·         Improve International Collaboration and Capacities for Antibiotic Resistance Prevention, Surveillance, Control, and Antibiotic Research and Development.

Slow the Emergence of Resistant Bacteria and Prevent the Spread of Resistant Infections

Judicious use of antibiotics in healthcare and agricultural settings is essential to slow the emergence of resistance and extend the useful lifetime of effective antibiotics.  The CDC estimates that up to half of all human antibiotic use is unnecessary or inappropriate. The Action Plan includes activities to foster improvements in the appropriate use of antibiotics (i.e., antibiotic stewardship) by improving prescribing practices across all healthcare settings. , preventing the spread of drug-resistant threats in healthcare facilities and communities, and continuing to eliminate the use of medically-important antibiotics for growth promotion in animals.

By 2020, significant outcomes in this area will include:

·         Establishment of antimicrobial stewardship programs in all acute care hospitals and improved antimicrobial stewardship across all healthcare settings.

·         Reduction of inappropriate antibiotic use by 50% in outpatient settings and by 20% in inpatient settings.

·         Establishment of State Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Prevention (Protect) Programs in all 50 states to monitor regionally important multi-drug resistant organisms and provide feedback and technical assistance to health care facilities.

·         Elimination of the use of medically-important antibiotics for growth promotion in food-producing animals.

Strengthen National-Surveillance Efforts for Resistant Bacteria

The “One-Health” approach to disease surveillance for human and animal pathogens is critical to combat antibiotic resistance.  Improved detection and control of antibiotic resistance in human and animal pathogens will be achieved through a “One-Health” approach to disease surveillance that integrates data from multiple monitoring networks.  This approach will significantly increase the currently very limited data and provide high-quality information, including detailed genomic data, necessary to track resistant bacteria in diverse settings in a timely fashion.

By 2020, significant outcomes in this area will include:

·         Creation of a regional public health network—the Detect Network of AR Regional Laboratories—for resistance testing, a specimen repository for resistant bacterial strains, and a National Sequence Database of Resistant Pathogens.

·         Routine reporting of antibiotic use and resistance data to National Health Safety Network (NHSN) by 95% of Medicare-eligible hospitals, as well as by Department of Defense  and Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities.

·         Routine testing of zoonotic and animal pathogens for antibiotic susceptibility at ten to twenty National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) and Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN) member laboratories, using standardized testing methods and data sharing practices.

Advance Development and Use of Rapid and Innovative Diagnostic Tests for Identification and Characterization of Resistant Bacteria

With the support of funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, today’s researchers are taking advantage of new technologies to develop rapid “point-of-need” diagnostic tests that can be used during a healthcare visit to distinguish between viral and bacterial infections and identify bacterial drug susceptibilities — an innovation that could significantly reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.  The availability of new rapid diagnostic tests, combined with ongoing use of culture-based assays to identify new resistance mechanisms, will advance the detection and control of resistant bacteria.

By 2020, significant outcomes in this area will include:

·         Development and dissemination of authorized point-of-need diagnostic tests that rapidly distinguish between bacterial and viral infections.

·         Validation of diagnostic tests that rapidly determine the antibiotic resistance profiles of bacteria of public health concern.

Accelerate Basic and Applied Research and Development for New Antibiotics, Other Therapeutics, and Vaccines

Antibiotics that lose their effectiveness for treating human disease through antibiotic resistance must be replaced with new drugs; alternatives to antibiotics are also needed in veterinary medicine.  The Action Plan will boost basic scientific research, attract greater private investment, and facilitate clinical trials in order to advance the discovery and development of new antibiotics and alternative therapies to combat resistance.

By 2020, significant outcomes in this area will include:

·         Characterization of the gut microbiome—the communities of microorganisms that live within the gastrointestinal tract—of at least one animal species raised for food.  This outcome will help us understand how antibiotic treatments disrupt normal gut bacteria and how animal growth might be promoted—and bacterial diseases might be treated—without using antibiotics.

·         Advancement of at least two new antibiotic drug candidates, non-traditional therapeutics, and/or vaccines from pre-clinical testing to clinical trials for treatment or prevention of human disease.

·         Development of at least three new drug candidates or probiotic treatments as alternatives to antibiotics for promoting growth or preventing disease in animals.

·         Creation of a biopharmaceutical incubator—a consortium of academic, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry partners—to promote innovation and increase the number of antibiotics and antibodies in the drug-development pipeline.

Improve International Collaboration and Capacities for Antibiotic Resistance Prevention, Surveillance, Control, and Antibiotic Research and Development

Antibiotic resistance is a global problem that requires global solutions.  The United States will engage with international ministries and institutions to strengthen national and international capacities to detect, monitor, analyze, and report antibiotic resistance; provide resources and incentives to spur the development of therapeutics and diagnostics for use in humans and animals; and strengthen regional networks and global partnerships that help prevent and control the emergence and spread of resistance.

By 2020, significant outcomes in this area will include:
·         Elevation of antibiotic resistance as an international priority for global health and security.

·         Enhanced capacity to identify antimicrobial resistant pathogens in more than 15 partner countries.

·         Establishment of a common U.S.-European Union (EU) system for sharing and analyzing bacterial resistance patterns for priority pathogens.

·         Development of a global database to collect harmonized quantitative data on the use of antibacterial agents in animals.

·         Development of national plans to combat antibiotic resistance and improve antibiotic stewardship in low- and middle-income countries.

·         Strengthened regulatory and supply chain systems that assure the quality, safety, and efficacy of antibiotics used in low- and middle-income countries.



Ethanol and Agriculture Groups Challenge Anti-Biofuels Effort


Ethanol and agriculture industry groups came together this week to advocate for continued funding of U.S. blender pump initiatives and U.S. export promotion efforts in a letter to the House Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Programs Committee on Appropriations. Today’s letter countered a request led by Representatives Bob Goodlatte, Peter Welch, and Jim Costa to eliminate funding for these types of forward-looking programs and calls on the subcommittee to “vehemently oppose and reject any efforts to include such limiting language in the FY 2016 Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and Related Programs.”

The letter is signed by the Renewable Fuels Association, American Coalition for Ethanol, National Farmers Union, National Corn Growers Association, and Growth Energy.

The full letter can be found below:

The Honorable Robert Aderholt                               The Honorable Sam Farr
Chairman                                                                    Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural                         Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural
Development, FDA, and Related Programs              Development, FDA, and Related Programs
Committee on Appropriations                                   Committee on Appropriations
Washington, DC  20515                                             Washington, DC  20515

Dear Chairman Aderholt and Ranking Member Farr:

We are writing today to express our strong opposition to the inclusion of language in the Fiscal Year 2016 Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and Related Programs Appropriation bill prohibiting the use of USDA funds for the installation of ethanol blender pumps and efforts to promote ethanol exports from the U.S.  As you know, this funding limitation was requested in a recent letter circulated by Representatives Bob Goodlatte, Peter Welch and Jim Costa.

It is important to note at the outset that there already exists a prohibition on the US Department of Agriculture using grant funds for the installation of blender pumps, which was included in the recently passed Farm Bill.  Now, in a blatant effort to shelter the oil and gas industry from any further competition from ethanol, Representatives Goodlatte, et al. are seeking to place limitations on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s efforts to help promote the consumption of American made ethanol at home and abroad; something that agency has been successfully doing with other agriculture and livestock products for decades.

USDA’s past, modest efforts to provide funding assistance to fuel retailers to upgrade their infrastructure to offer more biofuels like ethanol have helped provide some consumers greater access to low cost biofuels.  However, given the franchise structure of the retail gas industry, and the oil industry’s 100-year monopoly on the fuel market, the transition to higher volume biofuel blends has proven to be a very slow and difficult undertaking.

Not satisfied with its efforts to protect Big Oil’s control over the domestic fuel market, the Goodlatte letter seeks to strengthen the death grip on the U.S. ethanol industry by also prohibiting the USDA from expending any trade promotion resources for ethanol exports.  For the U.S. ethanol industry, exports have provided a valuable market for surplus ethanol.  As the industry continues to struggle to expand the number of gasoline stations offering E15 and E85 and thereby overcome the domestic “blendwall” erected by oil refiners, it has been the export market that has helped the U.S. ethanol industry continue to grow, innovate and stay competitive in the face of an artificially constrained market at home.  To deny the U.S ethanol industry access to these important trade promotion resources—which remain available to hundreds of other U.S. agricultural products—is simply a biased and one-sided approach that is more concerned with constraining the U.S. ethanol industry than it is with mitigating the supposed impacts of ethanol on food and livestock pricing and availability. Indeed, at least $23 million in USDA funding has been allocated in 2015 to promote exports from the U.S. livestock, dairy, and poultry industries—the very groups Goodlatte’s proposal portends to help.

While the Goodlatte letter claims that corn-based ethanol is negatively impacting American consumers, food and livestock producers, and food availability, there is ample data which shows that that is simply not the case.  Corn prices today are below the prices witnessed in 2007 when the Renewable Fuel Standard was expanded and livestock feed costs are at their lowest levels in more than five years. Not surprisingly, U.S. red meat and poultry production is projected to set new records in 2015. Worldwide, more grain is available for food and feed use than at any other time in history. Meanwhile, consumer food prices have advanced more slowly since passage of the RFS than in the 25 years prior to its enactment.

In light of the above, we ask that you vehemently oppose and reject any efforts to include such limiting language in the FY 2016 Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and Related Programs

Sincerely,
            Growth Energy
            Renewable Fuels Association
           American Coalition for Ethanol
            National Farmers Union
            National Corn Growers Association




Australian Drought Provides Supply to a Tight Global Market


According to the latest Rabobank Beef Quarterly report, herd liquidation in Australia cannot continue at the high rates seen through 2013 and 2014, and without any global beef expansion forecast in the short term, global supplies are expected to remain tight.

“Global beef supply continues to remain tight in Q1 2015, although Australian exports remain high as drought continues,” says Rabobank Animal Protein Analyst Angus Gidley-Baird.  “Continued liquidation of the cattle herd and possible improved seasons will lead to a reduction in Australia’s beef production through 2015.”

The dry conditions in Australian cattle regions have continued into 2015. As a result, slaughter and export volumes remain high. This continues to offset some of the tight global cattle and beef supplies experienced in 2014 and forecast for 2015.

But herd liquidation in Australia cannot continue at this rate, and without any global beef expansion forecast in the short term, global supplies are expected to remain tight.

U.S. prices experienced a high degree of volatility in the early part of 2015 as a result of many factors. A slowing economy and lower pork and poultry prices are leading to a weak demand for beef and Chinese retail beef prices have been stable entering 2015 rather than following their normal upward trend.



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