When Caitlyn Abell received word that she’d won the 2011 Lauren L. Christian Graduate Student Award from the National Swine Improvement Federation (NSIF), she did a double take. The Iowa State University (ISU) student had just recently started her doctoral program in animal science and thought the award was beyond her reach.

“This was a big surprise because my major professor told me most past recipients had finished or nearly finished their Ph.D. and I had just started my program,” Abell said. “I knew he had sent in a nomination, but figured it was just a formality.”

As the award recipient, she received a cash award of $500, a plaque and expenses for attending the annual NSIF conference in Omaha in December. She also gave a presentation at the conference about her work.

As it turned out, Abell is the 10th award recipient from ISU since the annual award was started in 1993. NSIF president Clint Schwab received the award as an ISU graduate student in 2005, and said it is considered among the most prestigious rewards for graduate students in the field of swine genetics.

“For me, it was an incredible honor to be added to the list recipients – many of whom I looked up to during my graduate career,” Schwab said. “Caitlyn is a great addition to the list of recipients, and is a solid representation of Lauren Christian’s contributions to the field of swine genetics.”

Abell’s major professor, animal science professor and ISU Extension swine specialist Ken Stalder, said he nominated her for the award because of her work with litters per sow per year.

“The objective of her current research project is to determine the economic value of genomic selection for swine genetic companies,” he said. “And she’s already worked on using the litters per sow per year figure to reduce non-productive days of a sow in a breeding herd. Results will help producers make better decisions with their sow herds.”

Already Abell has three referred journal articles and two successful grants to her name, and said she chose ISU for her graduate degree program because of its strong reputation in the animal breeding and genetics program. She has a double major in animal breeding and genetics, and statistics, and hopes to pursue a career with a swine breeding company after graduation.

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Contact: Caitlyn Abell, animal science, 515-294-2712, cabell@iastate.edu

The joint venture agreement announced in November 2011 between Vietnam’s leading animal feed producer Japfa Comfeed Long An Ltd (Japfa) and global swine genetics company Hypor B.V. (Hypor) has been finalized on April 25, 2012. The Japfa Hypor Genetics Company has been founded and a 700 sow quality high health pig breeding unit will be established in Vietnam.

The new 700 sow nucleus farm is planned to be ready this summer. In August/September 2012 a shipment of Hypor GGP, consisting of the two dam lines Hypor Large White and Landrace and the sire lines Hypor Maxter and Magnus, will populate the farm.

The nucleus farm will produce reproduction pigs and semen for the needs of Japfa’s own pig production. Alongside a sales and service organization will be set up to commercialize gilts and semen in the Vietnamese market.

Mr. Raf Beeren, Managing Director of Hypor is very enthusiastic about the joint venture and stated: “The combination of strengths of both partners guarantees a successful breeding program in Vietnam. Together we will ensure that the potential of our genetics will be realized within Japfa’s production system and at the Vietnamese commercial pig producers.”

“The last four years the quality of the Hypor genetics and team has proven its value to Japfa. The joint venture is a logical extension of this successful collaboration, but also the start of an ambitious growth scenario”, said Mr.Tan Yong Nang, Director and COO of Japfa Group. “We are rapidly expanding our production base and plans have been finalized for the construction of three AI stations for future distribution of Hypor Magnus and Maxter semen.”

Vietnam is one of the fastest growing markets for pork production in Asia. With rising incomes stimulating domestic meat consumption growth, production needs to increase to keep pace. Furthermore, the Vietnamese government supports the modernization of the pig production industry to move away from backyard production. Japfa and Hypor are ready to invest further in this highly attractive market.

Japfa Comfeed Long An Ltd

Japfa Comfeed Long An Ltd is a leading broiler and layer producer in Vietnam. Based in Long An province the company has extensive operations in integrated poultry and pig production. Its core business activities include animal feed manufacturing, chicken breeding, poultry processing, and pig production in Vietnam in particular. Japfa has 14.000 sows in production and is rapidly expanding to 75.000 sows.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today marked the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and highlighted the positive impact that USDA has on the life of Americans each day.

“For 150 years, USDA has supported our nation’s economic prosperity and touched the lives of generations of Americans,” said Vilsack.

“I’m proud of the USDA employees who carry out President Lincoln’s legacy throughout the country and around the world, making USDA a truly ‘Every Day, Every Way’ department. Whether improving domestic and international access to food, promoting nutrition and safety of our food supply, conserving our natural resources, advancing agricultural exports, or developing the rural economy, USDA helps Americans to lead better lives.”

President Lincoln created USDA in 1862 and in his last address before Congress, called it the “People’s Department.”

President Lincoln established USDA because he understood the importance of agriculture to America’s success – and under the Obama Administration USDA has focused on advancing Lincoln’s legacy. The Department has delivered record amounts of loan assistance; enrolled a record number of acres in conservation programs; provided food assistance to 1 in 4 Americans and helped to upgrade infrastructure, such as electric and broadband Internet service, for millions of people.

Throughout 2012, USDA will continue to recognize important events such as President Lincoln’s signing of the Act to establish the Department of Agriculture on May, 15, 1862 and the July 2, 1862 signing of the Morrill Act to establish public land grant universities.

USDA works to support the tremendous growth and continued successes of American agriculture at home and abroad, drive economic growth, conduct groundbreaking research, conserve natural resources, promote healthy families and build stronger communities and a stronger nation.

The Department will remain focused on rebuilding and revitalizing the nation’s future while bolstering innovation and supporting economic growth for millions of American families.

In the years to come, USDA will continue to address the changing needs of agriculture and rural America, and will continue to help provide a safe, ample food supply for our nation and the world.

David Baum, D.V.M., Ph.D., has joined Harrisvaccines as vice president of sales and technical services. His duties will include development and management of the Harrisvaccines sales team in addition to providing in-depth product information and technical expertise for veterinarians and their customers.

“We are excited to have Dr. Baum’s extensive animal health expertise on our team,” says D.L. “Hank” Harris, D.V.M., Ph.D., founder and president of Harrisvaccines. “His veterinary medicine, microbiology and immunology background is an important addition to Harrisvaccines and will be a great benefit to our customers.”

Baum earned his master’s degree in immunobiology and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University. He later earned a Ph.D. in veterinary microbiology with an emphasis in veterinary preventative medicine from Iowa State.

His professional memberships include the American Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Swine Veterinarians, American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, U.S. Animal Health Association and the American Association of Animal Scientists.

Before joining Harrisvaccines, Baum served as vice president of health and technical services for Newsham Choice Genetics.

About Harrisvaccines
Headquartered in Ames, Iowa, Harrisvaccines focuses on improving animal health and enhancing productivity in the swine, cattle and farmed shrimp industries. Using state-of-the-art advanced molecular science, Harrisvaccines employs two unique RNA platforms to develop products which aid in the prevention and treatment of infectious animal diseases. For more information, visit www.harrisvaccines.com.

Hormel Foods announced Wednesday the availability of its 2011 Corporate Responsibility Report, highlighting the completion of its first set of five-year environmental goals. The report also explains the company’s progress in commitments in the areas of hunger, food safety, corporate governance and animal care.

JBS SA closed the first quarter with a net income of BRL116.1 million (US$58 million), a result down 21 percent from the same period last year, when it reported net income of BRL147 million (US$73.4 million), the company announced on Tuesday night.

Despite the lower profit, JBS should generate an extra BRL3 billion (US$1.5 billion) in revenue this year via new properties acquired or leased in Brazil in recent months, President Wesley Batista told analysts Wednesday morning.

JBS has bought or leased 12 new slaughterhouses in Brazil so far in 2012, boosting the company’s cattle slaughter capacity to about 8,000 head per day. The company also leased assets earlier this month of poultry processor Doux Frangosul, with daily capacity of 2 million head.

Batista said of those new assets, cattle should generate an extra BRL3 billion and Frangosul’s poultry some BRL1.5 billion, totaling BRL4.5 billion. About BRL3 billion of that should show on this year’s balance sheets, he said. JBS’ recent expansion efforts progressed on Tuesday, when creditors for Brazilian processor Independencia accepted JBS’ buyout offer from April 23.

Results

JBS’ reported net profit for the quarter exceeded the BRL107 million average estimate that eight analysts had predicted within the last week in a survey by Thomson Reuters. The company’s net sales increased 9.1 percent to BRL16 billion (US$8 billion), though the cost of goods sold also rose 10.6 percent.

EBITDA for the first quarter was BRL696.5 million (US$347.8 million), down 16.7 percent from Q1 last year. The EBITDA margin decreased from 5.7 percent to 4.4 percent over the same year period.

Through the first quarter, sales for JBS’ USA Poultry operations totaled US$1.9 billion. Pilgrim’s Pride reported a profit of US$396 million in Q1, following four straight quarters with losses.

The JBS Mercosul division expanded its EBITDA by BRL200 million (US$99.9 million) during the quarter, which helped offset the drop in income from the U.S. pork division, JBS said in a statement.

“This result reflects the importance of diversification in geography and proteins for the company, seen through the balance of the consolidated results, which was made possible by the good performance of some business units at the same time other units faced difficulties,” the company said.

JBS will be committed to expanding its operations in Brazil on a continuous basis, mainly in cattle, Batista said. The company’s goal is to capitalize on a change in livestock cycle, which would ensure an increased cattle supply for the company in the coming years.

“Publix featured healthy pork cuts nearly every week during the first quarter of 2012,” says Rob Kirchofer, national retail marketing manager for the Pork Checkoff. “This partnership was a tremendous success and helped drive pork sales.”

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., Publix is one of nation’s top 10 retailers and operates 1,000 stores throughout the southeastern United States. To keep pork top of mind with consumers, the Pork Checkoff launched an online integrated program with Publix supermarkets and a blogger network, the Motherhood. Through the Motherhood, the Pork Checkoff selected 25 influential bloggers in the Southeast to try various pork recipes and share in the “Good and Good For You Challenge.”

“It was great to see these bloggers highlight their local Publix’s weekly pork specials, which ranged from pork tenderloin to bone-in loin roasts,” says Cathy Lee Fredrickson, online content manager for the Pork Checkoff. “The bloggers also took a pledge to eat healthy and show how lean pork fits into a healthy diet.”

Bloggers share why pork brings a lot to the table
To encourage the bloggers to share pork recipes and spread the word about pork tenderloin’s Heart-Check mark designation from the American Heart Association, the Pork Checkoff supplied the bloggers with coupons and meat thermometers to give away to their readers.

The Motherhood bloggers/Publix partnership created a big splash on blogs and the social media, including:

• Tips on sharing the “pork wealth.” Jessica, who authors the Vanderbilt Wife blog, said the Pork Checkoff’s “Good and Good For You Challenge” was the most fun, interesting blog campaign she’s ever done. “We decided to share the pork wealth by inviting some friends over to help us eat the pork each week,” Jessica wrote. “I hate having leftovers sitting forever in the fridge, and I love having people over, so it worked out well!”

• Healthy inspiration. Whitney, an Alabama mother who writes the blog “It’s Gravy, Baby!” is a self-proclaimed fan of pork. “My husband is pretty much a magician when it comes to pork, but we don’t always eat it in the healthiest ways. Thanks to the ‘Good and Good for You Challenge,’ that’s changing now. We are learning new ways to cook pork, new cuts to buy and new recipes to try.”

• Time-saving dinner options. Kathy, the blogger behind “Wife Mother First Lady,” told her readers that pork is perfect for last-minute dinner ideas and the times when she has just enough time to make something that is “Good And Good For You.”

“Bloggers are very receptive to pork information, and working with a blogging community like The Motherhood helps spread our message even farther,” says Fredrickson, who notes that social media offers the ideal crossover point to connect the Pork Checkoff’s promotions in retail, public relations and foodservice.

This is leading to new opportunities with retailers like Publix, Kirchofer adds. “Publix executives were very pleased with the results of the ‘Good and Good For You Challenge’ and look forward to working with us on future pork promotions.”

Farmscape for May 17, 2012   (Episode 4152)

The president of Paragon Economics suggests, in the event a WTO ruling declaring U.S. Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling a violation of the United States’ international trade obligations is upheld, legislative changes will probably be needed to bring the law into compliance.

Earlier this month the World Trade Organization Appellate Body heard the United States’ appeal of a November 2011 WTO ruling that U.S. Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling affords U.S. produced livestock preferential treatment and violates U.S. trade obligations.

Dr. Steve Meyer, the president of Paragon Economics, says in the event the original ruling is upheld, the U.S. will have about one year to rectify the situation before Canada and Mexico can apply retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products.

Clip-Dr. Steve Meyer-Paragon Economics:
Two possibilities, one of them is that USDA, the administration could change the rules to meet what WTO is demanding but the problem is the law is pretty prescriptive and most of us don’t really think there’s a lot of wiggle room to change the rule so that it meets WTO demands and still meets the letter of the U.S. law.

For that reason most of us think that it’s going to be a legislative fix in that congress is going to have to change the actual law in order to meet the WTO conditions and that’s more difficult to do.

There’s been talk about tying it to the farm bill.

The way the farm bill is moving now and the lack of attention that this has gotten so far in the U.S. and the fact that we don’t have a resolution to this appeal yet makes that less likely and so that’s a challenge that we have of trying to get congress to actually act on something as, what they would view as inconsequential as this, what we would view as quite consequential, changing law in order to meet the WTO ruling.

Dr. Meyer says, given there is an appeal and it will be some time before a decision is rendered, he doesn’t believe action on Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling is imminent but rather is down the road anywhere from a few months to a year or so.

For Farmscape.Ca, I’m Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council

To read the entire report click here.

Land O’Lakes, Inc., today reported first-quarter financial results, with net sales of $3.9 billion and $85 million in net earnings.

Net sales were up 12 percent from one year ago ($3.5 billion). Although net earnings were down from the record high of $101 million in the first quarter of 2011, this year’s $85 million represents the second-best first quarter performance for the company.

Company officials called first quarter performance “solid, but mixed,” noting the impact of declining dairy markets and high input costs in the Egg business, which were offset by stronger than expected performance in the Crop Inputs business. Across the company’s core businesses (Dairy Foods, Crop Inputs, Layers/Eggs and Animal Feed), premium, branded products and new innovative products and technologies performed well.

*Net Sales – $3.87 billion: Net sales for the quarter increased 12 percent to $3.87 billion, compared with $3.47 billion for the first quarter of 2011. Net sales were up in all the company’s businesses.

*Net Earnings – $84.6 million: First quarter net earnings of $84.6 million were down from $101.0 million for the first quarter of 2011. Earnings results were mixed, with reduced earnings in Dairy Foods and Layers/Eggs partially offset by improved earnings in Crop Inputs and Feed.

“Our first-quarter results reflect the level of volatility and uncertainty we continue to see across our industry,” Land O’Lakes President and CEO Chris Policinski said. “One year ago, for example, dairy prices were strong and rising, while this year dairy prices were lower and dropping throughout the quarter. On the positive side, an early spring contributed to stronger demand and increased opportunity in the Crop Inputs business. Ultimately, the depth and breadth of our business portfolio, as well as our strong brands, market positions and innovative products contributed to our solid performance and enabled us to manage through the volatility.”

Policinski added that with a strong balance sheet and promising opportunities both domestically and globally, the company is continuing to pursue strategic, profitable growth.

“The growth we’re pursuing will enable Land O’Lakes to continue building competitive advantage and better serve our customers and member-owners,” Policinski said. “When we look at economic conditions in general, we see tremendous opportunities in agriculture and food production, as the global demand for food continues to increase. Land O’Lakes and our members are well-positioned to play a major role in meeting that demand, continuing our growth momentum.”

Five new appointments to the 15-Member National Pork Board have been announced by Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack. The appointees will each serve a 3 year term.

The new appointees chosen to represent pork producers are: Craig Mensink, Preston, Minnesota and Carl Link, Fort Recovery, Ohio. The reappointed members of the board consist of: Brad Greenway, Mitchell, South Dakota; Dale Norton, Bronson, Michigan; and Lisa Colby, Newburyport, Massachusetts.

The National Pork Producers Delegate Body nominated eight pork producers during its March meeting in Denver, Colorado, from which the five appointees were selected.

“I am pleased that these individuals have agreed to provide their time and expertise” said Secretary Vilsack. “I am confident that pork producers and importers will be well served by them.”

According to USDA statistics there were 69,100 pork operations in 2010, with about 64 million head of pigs at the beginning of 2011. Iowa, North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana are the top five pork producing states.

The National Pork Board has responsibility for Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. Importers of pork products contribute a like amount, based on a formula. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in advertising, consumer information, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, technology, swine health, pork safety and environmental management. For information on Checkoff-funded programs, pork producers can call the Pork Checkoff Service Center at (800) 456-7675 or check the Internet at www.pork.org.

Issues in the pork industry are flying like fireworks on the 4^th of July. At the top of the discussion list these days seems to be the use of gestation stalls, following announcements by McDonald’s, Burger King, and other foodservice chains. Another spark is added by continued efforts of animal rights group the Humane Society for the United States, (HSUS) including recent video releases and their agreement with United Egg Producers to set the size of cages for laying hens.

To allow Wisconsin pork producers an opportunity to learn more about this topic, and what may very well be the next on-farm production practice targeted, producers are invited to a symposium on June 13 at Sam and Maddies Restaurant and Pub, 3656 State Road 23, Dodgeville, Wisc. The program will run from 9:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. There is no charge to attend, but you are asked to R.S.V.P. by June 8 to ensure accurate meal counts by calling WPA at 1-800-822-7675, or e-mailing tvaassen@wppa.org.

As a pork producer with a vested interest in the future of the industry, this is your chance to voice your opinion and help set the stage for on-going discussions for Wisconsin on these issues. The general program plans are below, more specifics can be found on the WPA website – www.wppa.org.

Keynote speaker for the event will be Dr. Wes Jamison, an Associate Professor of Communication at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he teaches Public Relations, Persuasion, Political Communication, and Communication Theory. He is President of Cornerstone Public Relations LLC., where he conducts research in the US and Europe on public relations, communication, and animal rights. Jamison will discuss with the group what issues he anticipates will be next on the radar screen for animal rights and agriculture, as well as share the implications that Europe is facing with increased animal welfare standards in that country.

Brandon Scholz, President & CEO of the Wisconsin Grocer’s Association, will discuss trends in the grocery industry and how they can affect farmers.

Production Issues Panel – Two pork producers of will share their experiences and the economics of gestation stalls. In addition, Dr. Paul Sundberg from the National Pork Board will talk about the science and research that has been conducted on sow housing. Finally, Dr. Kurt Vogel, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls who studied under Temple Grandin, will address animal care perceptions and trends.

A livestock processor has been invited to discuss potential market access issues for pork producers who do not adapt their buildings to group housing for gestating sows. Finally, a representative from the National Pork Producers Council will review the legislative challenges this subject is likely to face, as well as the packer/processor perspective.  The program will conclude with discussion time from participants.

The Wisconsin Pork Association’s mission is to insure the future success of the Wisconsin pork industry.  WPA represents the interests of the pork industry members with a strong emphasis on social issues, public and government policies, environment, animal welfare and safety.

Miratorg Agribusiness Holding, the largest Russian pork and animal-feed producer, said net income increased 85 percent to 5.96 billion rubles ($196 million) in 2011 after the company expanded production.

Earnings before taxes, interest, depreciation and amortization grew 40 percent to 8.8 billion rubles and sales expanded by 12 percent to 38.5 billion rubles, Miratorg said today in an e-mailed statement.

The company’s grain crop rose 30 percent to 228,000 metric tons last year, and animal-feed output increased 53 percent to 425,500 tons, it said. Pork production by so-called live weight, which includes skin and bones, climbed 24 percent to 170,200 tons, and pig herds grew 62 percent to 90,000 animals, it said.