Livestock Articles
MDA Working Through Drought Relief Applications
Published July 16, 2022
Applications for the Minnesota Agricultural Drought Relief program closed last week. Nearly 3,000 farmers and ranchers applied. "The average request is around $6,500," said Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. "We're going through an approval request right now, but we're hoping by…Help for Small Cattle Operations
Published July 15, 2022
House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott plans to introduce legislation to help small family farmers and ranchers while addressing the nation’s beef supply chain. “In our hearing examining beef market consolidation earlier this year, I was very disheartened to learn that…Grassland CRP Enrollment Reaches New High
Published July 15, 2022
USDA is accepting offers for more than 3.1 million acres from farmers and private landowners through this year’s Conservation Reserve Program Grassland Signup. This is the highest number of offers to date. This year’s Grassland CRP Signup surpasses last year’s…SHIC Welcomes New Board Members
Published July 12, 2022
Kent Bang of Bang Ag Consulting in Omaha and Dr. Paul Ruen of Fairmont Veterinary Clinic have joined the board of the Swine Health Information Center. Founding board members Matt Anderson of Suidae Health and Production and Mark Greenwood, formerly…Adding Value to Ag Economy
Published July 12, 2022
The National Pork Producers Council has released a new economic report, saying hog production and pork processing supports more than 600,000 jobs nationwide. In 2021, 66,000 pig farms sold more than 140 million hogs worth over $28 billion in gross…Positive Returns in the Cattle Business
Published July 9, 2022
The U.S. cow herd is shrinking in size for the fourth straight year. University of Missouri Extension Economist Scott Brown expects cattle prices to stay high for the next few years. "The most important thing about higher prices is the…Closing a Swine Disease Gap
Published July 8, 2022
In response to a growing disease threat, the Swine Health Information Center has reallocated $1 million in its 2022 budget to identify industry opportunities to improve. According to Associate Director Megan Niederwerder, there has been an uptick in disease issues…Animal Health Officials Review Avian Flu Response
Published July 7, 2022
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza killed more than four million birds in the Dakotas and Minnesota this spring. North Dakota had 15 flocks effected by the virus; South Dakota reported 40 cases and Minnesota had 80 HPAI cases. "This is an…Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Hits U.S. Turkey Population Hard
Published July 6, 2022
According to the USDA, 5.4 million turkeys were depopulated because of exposure to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. That’s enough to affect USDA’s turkey production forecast. Second-quarter production is now estimated at 1.29 billion pounds, eight percent below the same quarter…