Feedstuffs in Focus

There is a new day on the National Day Calendar. April 21 is now National Rendering Day. It’s recognition the rendering industry sought as a way to educate the public on the efforts and accomplishments of renderers as well as a way to spread the word about the positive environmental impact of rendering.  The date of April 21 was specifically chosen to fall on the day before Earth Day (April 22) in...

Rural commercial cellular coverage is spotty, and Wi-Fi is not always effective in poultry and livestock barns or, for that matter, in remote locations on the farm and in the country.  A lack service and reliability can be frustrating at best but it also can cost farmers and ranchers dollars in lost efficiency and an inability to easily access and track critical data.  In this episode, we turn to...

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration Guidance for Industry (GFI) No. 263 goes into effect in June 2023, transitioning 91 livestock antibiotics, previously available over the counter (OTC), to prescription status. Some manufacturers may transition before this timeframe.  Joining us to help get us ahead of the changes to come is Valley Vet Supply Technical Service Veterinarian, Dr. Lacey Fahrmeie...

What might spring bring in terms of the export and shipping situations? What about Canadian Pacific Railway’s acquisition of Kansas City Southern Railway? What's the latest on the Mississippi River situation? Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, joins today us with an update. This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nu...

America’s pig farmers have long had a commitment to do what’s right for people, pigs, and the planet. With that in mind, the National Pork Board – alongside the National Pork Producers Council – has established new industry-wide sustainability goals and metrics to drive the industry forward. These commitments are rooted in the We Care® Ethical Principles established more than 15 years ago and repr...

Before investing in new technology that can lead to earlier disease detection, producers rightly want to understand the return on investment.  To dig more into that topic our own Ann Hess is joined today by Dr. Dale Polson and Dr. Carmen Alonso, both with Boehringer Ingelheim. Dr. Polson’s focus is that of Global Integrated Health Management. Dr. Alonso is senior technical manager.  In this episod...

For the hog industry, the fight with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) continues, but perhaps there are things that hog producers can do to get the upper hand on the disease.  What can be done on the farm to start taking control of your own destiny? Feedstuffs Ann Hess caught up with Dr. Clayton Johnson of Carthage Veterinary Service Ltd. during the recent American Association o...

A gap exists today in production yields seen across the Southeast Asia region as compared to the global average. This industry challenge must be addressed to meet the region’s nutrition needs. Cargill is one company focused on the innovation, investment and infrastructure needed to modernize the industry and serve diverse customer needs.  With its long heritage of more than 75 years in the APAC re...

Hollis Williford was an American artist known for his remarkable versatility and creative range. He excelled in drawing, sculpting, painting and etching. His work earned him esteem among collectors and institutions alike.  The genius of Williford's work is how it often occupied two spaces and two points in time at once.  He also was a master at capturing the peak of action, leaving one wonder...

There is a side of animal disease that tends to get overlooked, and that is the mental health part of the equation. Having to watch or help out as a flock or herd is depopulated. Being the cause of an outbreak and, as a result, shunned by the community and fellow producers. Even the financial impact when disease hits and the stress that can put on the family’s finances and overall home life, or, f...

Balancing the roles of being a parent and an industry professional is possible, but it can, at times, be challenging. As our guest shares, it's okay to step back and not feel guilty that nothing got scratched off that to-do list today. It’s okay to have everything delivered to your doorstep. Likewise, it’s okay to say no thanks to the negative influences of say, social media.  Joining us on t...

Proposition 12 in California continues to be a top-of-the-mind issue for pork producers across the nation. A ruling by the US Supreme Court on Prop 12 is expected by no later than this June. Under Prop 12, producers in California would be required to comply with the new space requirements even if their pigs are not being raised in California. The industry is hopeful the court will rule in its favo...

For the past 12 years, Alltech has taken a look at the global feed industry on an annual basis. The latest snapshot was released last week as part of the 2023 Agri-Food Outlook . Overall, the numbers show world feed production remained steady in 2022 with a slight decrease of 0.42% to 1.266 billion metric tons.  Feed production increased in several regions, including Latin America (1.6%), North Am...

African swine fever can be devastating to a hog operation but what about to a feed manufacturing facility. Research is being conducted at Kansas State University to evaluate the feed safety risk related to the feed manufacturing process and what can be done to mitigate that risk. Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple as relying on the heat of the pellet mill to kill the virus and/or removal of dust fr...

In the US swine industry, the thinking has long been that the feeding of high zinc levels offers health and productivity benefits to pigs. In fact, research has confirmed the positive effect of elevated dietary zinc. However, zinc can have negative effects for the environment and public health. Today, we talk with Dr. Jerry Shurson, professor of swine nutrition at the University of Minnesota, to f...

What does the future of agriculture look like? It’s a question often pondered as one year draws to a close and another dawns, with prognosticators thinking about everything from market outlook and economic conditions to questions of technology, innovation, and the rate of change in the business. Aidan Connolly, a long-time feed industry leader now working as an investor in the ag-tech space via hi...

Biosecurity is one of the most important aspects of a successful livestock enterprise, with a growing number of threats in the form of viral disease outbreaks or the potential for foreign animal disease incursion. Technologies to help producers in the fight are proliferating, including a new app to help producers, veterinarians, and public health officials share information as quickly as possible....

Viral diseases are a top-of-mind concern for the U.S. livestock industry, and perhaps most especially in the swine business. Experts recently gathered in downtown Chicago at the North American PRRS Symposium to discuss topics ranging from virus transmission and biosecurity to specific concerns about senecavirus. Scott Dee is director of research at Pipestone Applied Research. Dee is one of the lea...

Congress intervened this week in an effort to avert an economy-crippling rail strike. What does the labor conflict mean for agriculture, and the feed industry in general? And what does the situation tell us about vulnerabilities to the U.S. logistics infrastructure system? Late Thursday, the Senate approved a resolution to implement a tentative agreement brokered by the Biden administration with r...

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the price of the average Thanksgiving dinner for 10 this year is up 20% as inflation continues to take a bite out of the U.S. consumer’s wallet. But are media reports of potential shortages of butter and turkey accurate, or are these key holiday meal ingredients readily available? Throughout the month of October and into November, news stories sugg...

The poultry industry plays a significant role in U.S. agriculture, from providing chicken, turkey and eggs to consumers to consuming a goodly quantity of feed ingredients and related services. But how big, overall, is the economic footprint of the combined industry? And what does the trend look like in terms of economic growth tied to U.S. poultry production? The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association...

Agricultural research at land-grant universities is an important part of the story of the success of U.S. agriculture of the past century. One university researcher working on mitigating the livestock industry’s role in climate change came under attack this week for the sin of… working with the livestock industry? This week the New York Times and the environmental activist group Greenpeace targete...

Welcome to this episode of Feedstuffs Swine Healthline, brought to you by Pharmgate Animal Health and focused on writing and executing effective swine health protocols. One aspect of the job as a swine veterinarian is helping your customers or your teams develop and write swine health protocols.  No matter how good the protocol, it won’t work to protect pigs if the steps aren’t being executed in t...

As nutritionists and livestock producers focus more on the intestinal health of animals, more attention has been paid to pre, pro, and postbiotics. But a good deal of misunderstanding remains about what these products are, and what they might do for the animal’s health and productivity. At the 4th annual Kemin Intestinal Health Symposium earlier this month, veterinarians, nutritionists and food an...

Welcome to this episode of Feedstuffs Swine Healthline, brought to you by Pharmgate Animal Health and focused on transitioning a sow herd or pig flow to high-health status. You’ve probably heard the saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Today’s guest says that’s how it can feel when dealing with a chronic disease challenge in...