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16 December 2019

NFU Urges Govt to Ensure Sustainable, Ambitious Future for British Food Production
UK - In response to the General Election result, NFU President Minette Batters said that the NFU intends to start working with the new government and parliament straight away to ensure all areas of Westminster and Whitehall understand and value the importance...

04 December 2019

US Grain Elevators Facing Tighter Margins, Revenue Pressures in 2020
Grain elevators face significant challenges in the year ahead as they buy basis on corn, soybeans, and wheat at the highest levels seen in years. ...

01 December 2019

US-based Dean Foods Bankruptcy Update
Many people will have heard that Dean Foods declared bankruptcy recently and thought about the gallon jug in their refrigerator and wondered what is going on, writes Phillip Durst, Michigan State University Extension...

26 November 2019

New course to combat antimicrobial resistance
A new online course on antimicrobial stewardship in the food chain, including the aquaculture sector, was launched by FAI Farms....

22 November 2019

NFU Letter Urges Farmers to Showcase Best of British Livestock Farming
UK - NFU Vice President Stuart Roberts has written to "Farmers Weekly" and "Farmers Guardian" encouraging farmers to showcase the great story that British livestock farming has to tell....

18 November 2019

How Diagnostics Kept the Swiss Mad Cow Disease Program a Step Ahead During a Crisis
When the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) crisis hit, Switzerland was a step ahead of many countries in Europe. The Swiss National Reference Laboratory had already implemented measures that would pay off in two ways: by controlling the disease in...

15 November 2019

Rabobank Protein Outlook 2020: Seeking Opportunities in an Uncertain World
RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness published its annual global animal protein outlook. In general, African swine fever (ASF) overwhelms the outlook for 2020 – as it has done during 2019 – and will pull down overall growth, as well as bring uncertainty...

14 November 2019

Why Sustainability?
When the topic of sustainability comes up in conversation in cattle circles, it’s common to see heads shaking. It’s not a topic we like to discuss in our industry – primarily because it’s so often raised with bad intentions and worse information....

12 November 2019

New Zealand's Zero Carbon Bill a Mixed Bag for Farmers
New Zealand's Zero Carbon Bill is described as "mixed bag" for farmers, according to DairyNZ Chief Executive Dr Tim Mackle. He's urging all political parties to work together to find consensus on a pathway forward....

06 November 2019

Canadian Beef Trade to China Resumed
Effective immediately, Canadian meat export certificates to China will be resumed, according to the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). ...

22 October 2019

Best by, sell by and use by — what do they mean?
Spoiled milk? Your nose knows better than your eyes....

14 October 2019

Shine Fades on US-China Trade Agreement
The shine fades on US-China trade agreement as grain trading turns mixed, writes Jim Wyckoff, market analyst. ...

Vilsack: Long-range Optimism about US Exports
Despite a lingering trade war with China, U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) President and CEO Tom Vilsack listed reasons today for dairy farmers to be optimistic about the long-term growth of U.S. dairy exports, especially in high-demand markets in the...

09 October 2019

How is Blockchain Being Used in the Ag Digital Supply Chain?
Heard of blockchain, but not really sure what it is? Raja Ramachandran, CEO of Ripe.io, explained to attendees at the Swine Innovation Summit in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, about how blockchain is being used in the ag digital supply chain....

02 October 2019

Where Would FMD Control Be Without Diagnostics?
ANALYSIS - Dr. Don King leads a team of 25 scientists and students who have recently celebrated 60 years of the World Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (WRLFMD) in support of global initiatives to control FMD....

26 September 2019

US and Japan Agree to Trade Deal
ANALYSIS - US farmers and ranchers can sleep a little better tonight. The US-Japan Trade Agreement was signed on Wednesday by US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in New York. ...

21 September 2019

FoodBytes! Chicago 2019 Winners Showcase Upcycling Dairy Waste, Sustainable Salmon & Cactus-Based Foods
Sustainable food and agriculture entrepreneurs showcased solutions to improve the way we grow food and feed the world at FoodBytes! Chicago, a live pitch competition and business mentorship platform presented by Rabobank, the world’s largest food and...

16 September 2019

Farmer Unity Important in Achieving Outcome in Beef Talks
IRELAND - IFA President Joe Healy said that after a difficult weekend of negotiations, a realistic and deliverable agreement has been reached, and will be recommended by all organisations....

02 September 2019

The Pirbright Institute Grants New License for Foot-and-mouth Disease Vaccine
The Pirbright Institute and its research partners have granted MSD Animal Health (known as Merck Animal Health in the US) an exclusive commercial licence for a new, effective and affordable vaccine to protect livestock against several serotypes of foot-and-mouth...

20 August 2019

Experts Call for End to Overuse of Antibiotics in Livestock
AUSTRALIA - The country's experts are calling for cutting down the amounts of antibiotics being given to animals in an attempt to help address antibiotic resistance in humans....

18 July 2019

New Study Provides Insight into Brexit Impacts for Beef, Lamb Sectors
UK - A new report released today (18 July) reveals the full extent of Brexit’s potential implications for British beef and lamb supply chains....

10 July 2019

Govt Likely to Lose Dail Vote on Mercosur
EU - Following an IFA lobby day of TDs & Senators on the sell-out EU Mercosur trade deal, and last night’s debate in the Dáil, IFA President Joe Healy said Fianna Fail has confirmed that they will vote against the Government on a Sinn Fein motion re...

04 July 2019

FAO Food Price Index Steady in June
GLOBAL - Global food prices declined marginally in June, as lower prices of dairy products and vegetable oils more than offset a significant jump in maize quotations, and are now very close to their level of a year ago, according to a report by the Food...

01 July 2019

Food, Agriculture Must Play Vital Part in Reaching a Sustainable Future
GLOBAL - There is a growing realization that food and agriculture must play a vital part in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals and that in this context, FAO provides a neutral forum to address global issues of transboundary dimensions, the UN...

25 June 2019

Ireland’s Bovine TB Eradication Programme Advanced by Diagnostics
In the 1950s, Ireland set out to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Today, they have a very successful bTB eradication programme in place that dramatically reduced production losses, maintained their export status and has helped their beef and dairy...

24 June 2019

IFA Protest at EU Commission Office Over Sellout to South America
IRELAND - Yesterday (Sunday, 23 July), IFA President Joe Healy revealed plans to lead IFA National Officers and members of the IFA Livestock Committee in a protest at the EU Commission offices in Dublin at 8am this morning over the double standards of...

21 June 2019

Brexit Survey Shows Ongoing Uncertainty is Eroding Confidence Levels in Scottish Agriculture
SCOTLAND, UK - Ongoing uncertainty around the Brexit process and a lack of clarity and direction on future policy and funding is eroding the confidence of Scotland’s farmers and crofters....

17 June 2019

EU, US Reach Agreement on Imports of Hormone-free Beef
EU - On Friday, the European Commission shared with Member States the successful outcome of negotiations to review the functioning of an existing quota to import hormone-free beef into the EU....