USDA Chief Economist Keith Collins to retire
Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner has announced the Jan 3, 2008, retirement of USDA Chief Economist Dr. Keith Collins and the appointment of Deputy Chief Economist Dr. Joseph Glauber as acting chief economist.
WATT names Dwyer North American poultry publisher
In this position, Dwyer is responsible for developing and leading the strategic direction of in-print, digital and in-person products for the North American WATT poultry brands.
Butterball builds sales, marketing and R&D team
Butterball, LLC, the world’s largest turkey producer, announced a new strategic leadership team to guide retail sales, marketing, and research & development as part of the company’s commitment to continually improving customer satisfaction.
Ethanol a sticking point in energy bill
Some Democrats extol corn as a source; others want the fuel made with nonfood materials easier on the environment.
Performance traits best measure of animal welfare
It is time to recognize what farmers have known for generations–the highly productive animal will be the animal that appears to be experiencing low stress, says a Department of Animal Sciences professor in a new journal article.
Ethanol craze cools as doubts multiply
Little over a year ago, ethanol was winning the hearts and wallets of both Main Street and Wall Street, with promises of greater U.S. energy independence, fewer greenhouse gases and help for the farm economy. Today, the corn-based biofuel is under siege. In the span of one growing season, ethanol has gone from panacea to pariah in the eyes of some. The critics, which include industries hurt when the price of corn rises, blame ethanol for pushing up food prices, question its environmental bona fides and dispute how much it really helps reduce the need for oil.
Animal health crucial in bird flu battle – report
Most governments are working quickly to attack avian flu when it pops up among birds, but the virus is now entrenched in at least three countries, the United Nations and World Bank reported on Thursday. And domestic animals can act as a “time bomb,” providing a place for the virus to hide and change, potentially into a pandemic strain, the U.N.’s top bird flu official said.
Trans fats blocked from heart healthy products
The American Heart Association (AHA) has updated its heart healthy food stamp to ensure certified products have a low trans fat content and are in line with its consumer education campaigns. Under the new criteria, any individual food product, as well as meat, poultry and seafood, that contains trans fats can only carry the stamp if they have less than 0.5g per Reference Amount Customarily Consumed and per labeled serving size.
Wastewater plant sanctioned for polluting Shenandoah
After 13 months of legal action, the attorney general’s office reported the successful sale and rehabilitation of a wastewater treatment plant responsible for polluting the Chesapeake Bay watershed and residential neighborhoods.
Chemilizer names Greg Hayslip sales manager
Chemilizer Products has appointed Greg Hayslip to the position of sales manager. He will oversee the company’s expansion into the water treatment, fertigation, and swimming pool markets, as well as manage its presence in animal health, horticulture, landscaping/irrigation, and agriculture.
Broiler Hatchery: Sets, placements up 4 percent
Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 219 million eggs in incubators during the week ending November 24, 2007. This was up 4 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 83 percent. Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 169 million chicks for meat production during the week ending November 24, 2007. Placements were up 4 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 31, 2006 through November 24, 2007 were 8.25 billion, up 2 percent from the same period a year earlier.
CANADA: Minister Ritz statement on USDA decision to lift heightened inspection of Canadian meat exports
“The Government of Canada is pleased that the United States Department of Agriculture is returning to standard testing levels for Canadian beef, pork and poultry products. Thanks to the cooperation between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and USDA officials, our American counterparts have confirmed that special testing measures are no longer necessary…”
BURMA: Authorities conceal bird flu detection in Shan State
An alarming situation is developing with the deadly avian flu once again surfacing in Burma’s eastern Shan State. Reports are tricking in that the virus is fast spreading in the region while authorities remain silent and inactive, sources said.
ROMANIA: Bird flu outbreak confirmed in Danube Delta
A bird flu outbreak was confirmed last Wednesday in a household based at Murighiol of Tulcea County, southeastern Romania.
UNITED KINGDOM: Free range lessons to be learned, says British Poultry Council
DEFRA has issued their initial epidemiological report into the avian influenza outbreak at Redgrave in North Suffolk. It reports that the disease found at Redgrave is genetically 99.8% identical to that found in a mute swan in the Czech Republic during July of this year; these genetic results suggest that wild birds may have introduced the virus into Suffolk from Europe.
UNITED KINGDOM: Jobs lost as poultry firm closes
Grampian Country Foods is shutting down its site in Attleborough because it is losing too much money and the poultry sector is suffering hard times. A company spokesman said the firm is losing money because sales of its breaded poultry products are falling.
Tags: poultry
