Tag: Livestock

March 23, 2012 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Court orders FDA to examine antibiotics use on animals

A federal court on Thursday ordered the FDA to follow through on a 35-year-old proposal that would have banned the use of certain antibiotics in animal feed because the agency was concerned that these drugs were overused in livestock and helped develop drug-resistant bacteria that can infect people.

The concern is that some antibiotics given to treat illnesses in people are widely used on animals to promote disease prevention and weight gain, as well as compensate for crowded conditions on ranches and farms. The prevalence of those antibiotics in livestock has been linked in several studies to the creation of drug-resistant “superbugs” that can spread to humans who work with or eat the animals.

In 1977, the Food and Drug Administration proposed banning the use of penicillin and two forms of tetracyline for growth promotion. But the proposal has been in limbo ever since. The agency never held hearings or took any further action, prompting the Natural Resources Defense Council and four other health and consumer advocacy groups to sue the government in May 2011.

A federal district court in Manhattan ruled in favor of the plaintiffs on Thursday, compelling the FDA to press forward with its initial plan to start proceedings that could lead to a withdrawal of the drugs.

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February 26, 2012 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Schmallenberg virus hits livestock in 74 farms in England

Scientists and farming leaders are urgently seeking ways of fighting a disease new to the UK threatening sheep flocks.

Weeks after government vets confirmed the arrival in Britain of the deadly Schmallenberg virus, which causes miscarriages and birth deformities in lambs, 74 farms in southern and eastern England have been found to have the disease and the number is expected to rise sharply as the lambing season peaks.

Restrictions on animal movements, imports and exports are unlikely because officials do not want to further jeopardise rural economies to combat a virus that has also affected cattle and goats across Europe but is not thought to be dangerous to people. Public health bodies are monitoring the health of farmers, farm workers and vets who have been in contact with infected animals.

The National Farmers Union has warned of a “ticking time bomb” over the disease, which has affected up to 20% of lambs on some farms. The virus, which is thought to have been carried by midges over the North Sea or English Channel, is named after a farm in Germany where it was first identified last year. It was initially seen in cattle and quickly spread through the Netherlands and Belgium to northern France.

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August 11, 2011 General Ag News and Notes, Organic Ag Post a Comment

Farmers turn away from organic as sales drop

The economic downturn means organic farmers are less likely to reap rewards of premium prices for their produce

Farmers across the UK have been deserting organic farming, or holding back on plans to convert their land to more environmentally friendly farming methods, as sales of organic products have fallen in the economic downturn.

Last year, only 51,000 hectares was in “conversion” – the process that farmers need to go through to have their land and practices certified as organic. That is less than half the amount of land that was in conversion in 2009, which itself was down markedly from the recent peak of 158,000Ha in 2007, according to statistics released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on Thursday morning.

Far fewer farmers are interested in turning their land to organic production, despite the promise of premium prices for their produce, after a marked fall in sales of organic goods in the past two years as a result of the recession.

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May 19, 2011 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

2 arrested in connection with goat slaying

LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Police Department arrested two Kilauea men in connection with the theft of a goat last month belonging to Kunana Dairy, according to a county press release.

Dairy co-owner Louisa Wooton said a few days after the theft that her goat, Kaitlyn, was “like a family member,” and was weeks away from giving birth. The killers beheaded Kaitlyn, and took all the edible parts, including the head, leaving behind the guts and unborn kids, according to Wooton.

She said on May 2 the dairy was offering a $11,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for killing Kaitlyn. Wooton couldn’t be reached by press time on Friday for comments.

Ryan Winchell, 29, was arrested Wednesday for first-degree criminal property damage, second-degree theft, theft of livestock, place to keep firearm and storage of firearm. His bail was set at $8,100.

Russell Ho‘omanawanui, 29, was arrested Friday for first-degree criminal property damage, second-degree theft, theft of livestock and place to keep firearm. His bail was set at $8,000.

KPD said the two men stole a three-year-old goat, four months into pregnancy, from a pasture in Moloa‘a sometime between April 27 and 29, the release stated.

The men allegedly climbed over a fence to gain access to the private property where the goats were kept.

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April 3, 2011 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Maui shows it cares about ag

A big crowd filled the grounds at the Maui County Agriculture Festival at the Maui Tropical Plantation in Waikapu.

Farmers of vegetables, flowers, livestock and other local products were on hand to share their goods with the community.

Organizer Charlene Kauhane said the festival drew its largest crowd to date.

“It just ended, and it’s still packed,” she said. “It was a tremendous success, and it really shows us that the community really cares about agriculture on Maui.”

Kauhane said more than 6,500 people attended the festival, an increase of about 1,000 over last year.

Maui shows it cares about ag – Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor’s Information – The Maui News