Feedstuffs articles from April 2008

Feedstuffs archives from April 2008

Industry fights to prevent financial grain crisis.
April 7, 2008... IT is the best of times in regard to prices and farm profitability but the worst of times in dealing with risk, said Scott Fritz, an Indiana farmer. His historical partner--the country elevator--is no longer able to take on some of that...

Colorado takes reins on welfare.
April 7, 2008... LEGISLATION aimed at phasing out sow gestation stalls and veal crates is on a fast track through Colorado's General Assembly. In addition, the bill would authorize a new process by the Colorado Department of Agriculture to address future...

CFTC, SEC merger panned.(Commodity Futures Trading Commission)(Securities & Exchange Commission)
April 7, 2008... A FAR-REACHING "blueprint" for financial markets reform was announced by the U.S. Department of Treasury last week that would change how the government regulates thousands of banks, exchanges and financial, insurance and mortgage businesses....

Yellowstone bison plan comes up short.(News Watch)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Five years after missing its first goal, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said there is no estimate of how long it may take the Yellowstone Interagency Bison Plan to reach just the second step in its three-step plan to preserve...

CAFO issues outlined.(News Watch)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... April 7 was the deadline for comments on two supplementary issues in the Environmental Protection Agency's rulemaking on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The issues were outlined in March as an addition to EPA's June 30, 2006,...

CHS acquires Legacy Foods.(News Watch)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... CHS Inc., a leading energy and grain-based foods company, has acquired Legacy Foods LLC of Hutchinson, Kan. CHS will operate the business as part of its oilseed processing group, managed by Dennis Wendland, senior vice president of oilseed...

EU farm incomes.(News Watch)(European Union)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... The European Union's official statistics agency said farmers in the 27-country bloc saw "real agricultural income per worker" jump 5.4% last year, up from a 3.3% boost the year before. "This increase was the result of growth in real...

Phage deal.(News Watch)(OmniLytics Inc)(Elanco)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... OmniLytics Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah, announced that it has entered into a collaborative research and license agreement with Elanco encompassing a series of products for the treatment of foodborne bacterial pathogens using OmniLytics'...

Product refocused.(News Watch)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Cyanotech Corp., a leader in producing high-value nutrition and health products from microalgae, announced that it will discontinue marketing its NatuRose natural astaxanthin product (a color additive in the feed of salmon and trout to enhance...

Look for Pelosi's sign.(Inside Washington)
April 7, 2008... DELIBERATIONS on the new farm bill are rapidly becoming an embarrassment. The story changes from week to week, but certainly not enough to indicate, barring a miracle, that there will be a bill by the April 18 deadline. The bill is...

All sides judged in hormone case.(News)(World Trade Organization)(European Union. European Commission)
April 7, 2008... THE three governments involved in World Trade Organization disputes over Europe's 20-year ban on beef produced using growth hormones each took criticism last week from the three-person panel hearing the case. The U.S. and Canada failed to...

Johne's survey underway.(News)(Survey)
April 7, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A NATIONAL dairy producer Johne's survey, funded by the Johne's Disease Integrated Program (JDIP) and led by Penn State University, is now underway, and sponsors hope it will help increase producer involvement in the...

Basics of hormone case.(News)
April 7, 2008... * Litigants: EU, U.S. and Canada. * Substance of the case: whether Canada and the U.S. should remove their sanctions on EU products since the EU claims it has removed the measures found to be WTO inconsistent in the "hormones case." *...

Illinois lawmaker may seek repeal on horse slaughter.(News)
April 7, 2008... AN Illinois lawmaker "hopes" to introduce legislation that would repeal the state's ban on horse slaughtering, according to a news story in the Rockford Register Star of Rockford, Ill. State Rep. Jim Sacia (R., Pecatonica) said the horse...

Schering-Plough program to affect all people, units.(News)
April 7, 2008... A SWEEPING cost-elimination program "to avoid and reduce costs and increase productivity"--including management and product line restructuring that will affect every area of the company--was announced last week by Schering-Plough Corp., which...

Lawmakers reject cage system ban.(News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... A BILL in the New Hampshire Legislature that was supported by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and would have banned cage-egg production systems failed in the state's House Agriculture Committee on a 16-0 vote and subsequently was...

iCast looks at global food.(News)
April 7, 2008... AS part of its ongoing effort to promote a better understanding of the issue of traceability in agriculture, global animal health company Alltech will provide a live and on-demand video stream of a portion of its 24th International Animal...

Patch-burn grazing studied.(News)(Kansas State University)
April 7, 2008... A SIX-year research project is underway in Woodson County, Kan., where Kansas State University scientists are working to determine how viable patch-burn grazing is for raising livestock. Patch-burn grazing is a fairly new concept in...

JBS cites beef margin pressure.(Business)(Financial report)
April 7, 2008... BRAZILIAN beef processor JBS S.A. released its 2007 financial results last week, reporting losses for its fourth quarter and full year that it said were due to currency exchange rate variations and "recent pressure on beef margins in the U.S."...

Stock summary.(Business)(Statistical table)
April 7, 2008... Stock Summary Feedstuffs-Moskow Stock Indexes April 2 March 26 Year ago Agribusiness 216.40 218.40 293.80 Baking 219.60 209.80 262.60 Fertilizer 702.50 706.50 ...

Archer Daniels Midland Co.(Names in the News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND CO., Decatur, Ill.--Marc Hinch has been appointed vice president, global tax. Hinch will be responsible for managing global tax operations, including policy, planning and compliance. He was most recently senior director,...

DFS Inc.(Names in the News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... DFS INC., Newell, Iowa--Kent Nolting has been named vice president of operations. Nolting will be responsible for all operational aspects of feed production, delivery and grain handling, including financials and capital planning. He will also...

Lohmann Animal Health.(Names in the News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... LOHMANN ANIMAL HEALTH, Winslow, Maine--Frank Sterner has been named vice president of biotechnology. Sterner will be responsible for production, quality control, regulatory affairs, research and development and process improvement for...

Motomco, Madison, Wis.--William Morrison has joined the technical sales team as territory manager for the northeastern U.S.(Names in the News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... MOTOMCO, Madison, Wis.--William Morrison has joined the technical sales team as territory manager for the northeastern U.S. Morrison will provide sales and technical product support on rodent control products to integrators/producers and...

Purdue University.(Names in the News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... PURDUE UNIVERSITY, West Lafayette, Ind.--William R. "Randy" Woodson will become the university's provost effective May l. Woodson will be responsible for oversight of all Purdue colleges and schools and related academic activities. He most...

Roto-Mix LLC.(Names in the News)
April 7, 2008... ROTO-MIX LLC, Dodge City, Kan.--Jim Shafer has been named director of engineering. Shafer will manage the engineering and research and development departments.

Texas Cattle Feeders Assn., Amarillo, Texas--Don Close has joined the association as director of marketing.(Names in the News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... TEXAS CATTLE FEEDERS ASSN., Amarillo, Texas--Don Close has joined the association as director of marketing. Close most recently operated an independent livestock consulting firm and brokerage service. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Neb.--Twig Marston will joined the university in May as director of the Northeast Research & Extension Center at Norfolk.(Names in the News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN, Lincoln, Neb.--Twig Marston will joined the university in May as director of the Northeast Research & Extension Center at Norfolk. Marston is currently at Kansas State University.

Viagen Inc., Austin, Texas--Barbara Banas has joined the company as vice president of quality assurance.(Names in the News)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... VIAGEN INC., Austin, Texas--Barbara Banas has joined the company as vice president of quality assurance. Banas will develop strategic methods and evaluation criteria for quality and efficiency. She was previously with Mitsui Rail Capital. ...

VeraSun completes merger.(Business)
April 7, 2008... LAST week, VeraSun Energy finalized its merger with US BioEnergy and is now positioned to be one of the leading domestic ethanol producers, with annual capacity at levels comparable to Archer Daniels Midland and POET. VeraSun and US...

Smithfield names new pork team.(Business)(Smithfield Foods Inc.)(Smithfield Packing Co.)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... SMITHFIELD Foods Inc. announced last week that Joseph W. Luter IV, who has been in several company positions since 1993 and currently is president of Smithfield Packing Co., has been named executive vice president of Smithfield Foods and will...

Aviagen restructures.(Business)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... AVIAGEN Group announced last week a corporate restructuring in which the group was divided into two distinct divisions: Aviagen Broiler Breeding and Aviagen Turkeys & Other Operations. Aviagen Broiler Breeding will be headed by chief...

Correction.(Business)
April 7, 2008... IN a story in the March 31 issue of Feedstuffs, it was incorrectly stated that Bank of the West was founded in 1974. It actually was founded as Farmers National Gold Bank in 1874 and, following a century of acquisitions and growth, was...

Horse issue too heavy of a load.(Loos Tales)(National Institute for Animal Agriculture)(Column)
April 7, 2008... I JUST spent two days in Indianapolis, Ind., at the 2008 National Institute for Animal Agriculture meeting. The theme of this year's meeting was "Animal Welfare & Well Being." Indeed, I believe the discussion was timely, and most of it was...

Now is worst time in history to demand biofuels.(Viewpoint)(Column)
April 7, 2008... THIS is the worst moment in history to demand billions of gallons of biofuels from our farms. I told the sustainable agriculture students at Iowa State University last week, "Human numbers are still expanding rapidly. With more people and...

Animals have critical roles: humans have ethical and moral responsibility to treat animals well, including keeping them healthy and strong through comfortable housing and good health and nutrition.(FoodLink: CONNECTING FARM TO FORK)
April 7, 2008... DOMESTIC animals are critical for human emotional and physical well-being, according to a newly published brochure from the Hudson Institute's Center for Global Food Issues. Companion animals enrich human lives and often have important...

Flies spread salmonella to poultry.(Research)
April 7, 2008... FLIES may be more than a mere nuisance; they may also spread food-poisoning bacteria like Salmonella enteritidis to chickens and their eggs. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) microbiologist Peter S. Holt and entomologist Christopher J....

Enzyme use in poultry feeds researched.(Bottom Line)(International Poultry Scientific Forum)
April 7, 2008... THE International Poultry Scientific Forum was held Jan. 21-22 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. The Southern Poultry Science Society, the Southern Conference on Avian Diseases and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Assn. sponsored the...

'Wash' mines out phosphorus.(Bottom Line of Nutrition: Poultry)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... UNDERGROUND phosphorus deposits around the world are mined for use as a much-valued fertilizer. Now, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) soil scientists Ariel Szogi, Matias Vanotti and Patrick Hunt have found a way to "mine" the phosphorus in...

NPPC: Ethical debate still needs science.(Hog Industry: INSIDER)(National Pork Producers Council)
April 7, 2008... ADOPTION of an ethical principles statement by delegates at this year's Pork Forum is viewed as proof that the hog industry is taking seriously the issues raised by groups advocating more humane treatment of farm animals, but that does not mean...

FAST Corn means fast testing.(Facilities)
April 7, 2008... INCREASING demand for corn worldwide has seed companies pushing to get the highest-yielding and most efficient traits into the field more quickly. DuPont company Pioneer HiBred, based in Johnston, Iowa, recently opened its doors to an...

Alltech expands Brazilian facility.(Facilities)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... ALLTECH announced March 31 that it has expanded its production facility in Sao Pedro, Brazil, by adding a fully automated blending and packaging system. The state-of-the-art system allows Alltech to take product from its yeast facility by...

Heat stress model keeps cows cool.(Facilities)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE ability to predict and avoid potential stressors in livestock production is essential. Fortunately, an online model developed by scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) provides information to...

Global feed compounder grows.(Facilities)(Evialis acquires Malta Cleyton)
April 7, 2008... THE international feed manufacturing industry just got a little smaller now that Evialis, a leading French feed compounder and a top 20 player in the global feed industry, has announced the completion of an agreement by which it will purchase...

Bulk systems speed planting.(Facilities)
April 7, 2008... MINUTES are crucial during planting, and this spring, that looks to be even more critical with ongoing planting delays. A five-year trend of soybean sales indicates that the advances of bulk handling have resulted in a 47% drop in growers'...

Pioneer opens canola facility.(Facilities)(Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc.)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... DUPONT'S Pioneer Hi-Bred business opened a new state-of-the-art canola production facility in Lethbridge, Alb., to meet increased demand for its Pioneer-brand canola hybrids and as part of its strategy to be the canola market leader by 2012....

EPA offers ethanol manual.(Facilities)(Environmental Protection Agency)
April 7, 2008... MORE than 66 ethanol plants are operating and another 20 are under construction in the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 7, which represents the states of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. The efforts of the agricultural and...

Container repair facility added.(Facilities)(Universal Packaging Corp.)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... UNIVERSAL Package Systems, based in Dale, Ind., has added a new 6,000 sq. ft. facility dedicated solely to meet growing demand for the company's Universal Plus Clean & Repair services. With rising costs of new bulk containers, many...

UV lamp.(Facilities: New Equipment)(Spectronics Corp.)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Spectronics Corp. of Westbury, N.Y., has introduced the B-260, a battery-operated, long-wave UV lamp used to inspect rodent contamination on grains, feed, seeds and other crops used for human and animal consumption. Rodents can run rampant in...

Screener connectors.(Facilities: New Equipment)(Rotex Global LLC )(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Rotex Global LLC of Cincinnati, Ohio, announced new connector options for its line of self-contained production screening machines. The new connector options provide longer life under normal and extreme conditions. Four new connector options...

Dust collectors.(Facilities: New Equipment)(Precision Airconvey Corp.)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Precision Air Convey of Newark, Del., announced that its Sonic Jet Dust Collectors feature a low-maintenance, safety-first, modular design that places all serviceable components on the outside of the casing to permit inspections, part...

Cleanable filters.(Facilities: New Equipment)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Industrial Specialties Mfg. of Englewood, Colo., announced a new series of in-line filters that can be quickly and easily inspected and cleaned without disturbing the tubing connections. By loosening the threaded...

Hay rake.(Facilities: New Equipment)(Kuhn North America)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Kuhn North America of Brodhead, Wis., has introduced its SR 600 series wheel rake. The SpeedRake is available in 12-, 14- and 16-wheel configurations to meet any hay-raking need. A front-folding design and automatic transport lock speeds up...

Welder.(Facilities: New Equipment)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Lincoln Electric Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, has introduced its Ranger 250 GXT AC/DC welder with an AC auxiliary power generator. The Ranger has a 250-amp welding output for stick, TIG, MIG and flux-cored welding, as well as arc gouging with up to...

Air-cooled torch.(Facilities: New Equipment)(Weldcraft)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Weldcraft of Appleton, Wis., announced a new addition to its Legacy Series of TIG torches: the LS17 air-cooled torch, which features an innovative torch handle design created to improve comfort, control and welding productivity. The LS17 is...

Building system.(Facilities: New Equipment)(Cover-All Building Systems)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Cover-All Building Systems of Saskatoon, Sask., announced the launch of its new Gemini Building Series. Gemini is offered in clear-span widths of 70-140 ft. at 10 ft. increments and is available to any length. The tall side wall can easily...

Vehicle computer.(Facilities: New Equipment)(Glacier Computer)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Glacier Computer of New Milford, Conn., announced a heated touchscreen for its Everest line of vehicle computers. Everest is an all-inone computer designed for use on forklifts, carts, pallet jacks and yard jockeys. The addition of a heated...

Orion acquires wet milling facility.(Facilities: New Equipment)(ORION Ethanol)(Dimmitt Ethanol LP)
April 7, 2008... ORION Ethanol has acquired a corn wet milling facility located in Dimmitt, Texas, from Dimmitt Ethanol LP for $2.5 million in cash due at closing, a subordinated promissory note of $2.5 million bearing 3.5% annual interest and 8 million common...

Biomin opens new aquaculture center.(Facilities: New Equipment)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... BIOMIN has opened a new research center dedicated exclusively to aquaculture. This facility, located in Bangkok, Thailand, is the newest addition to Biomin's Center of Applied Nutrition (CAN) network. The research will be conducted with...

EU issues salmonella opinion.(European Union)
April 7, 2008... THE main organizations representing farm groups and cooperatives within the European Union, COPACOGECA, said they are worried that new opinions from EU scientists could undermine the safety of poultry meat. A panel of experts in the...

Web page offers dust safety tips.(MILL MARKET)(Website overview)
April 7, 2008... THE Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has posted a new combustible dust safety and health topics web page at www.osha.gov/dsg/ combustibledust/index.html to help employers address hazardous combustible dust and provide...

Research collaboration.(biofuels BUZZ)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Iowa State University, ConocoPhillips and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have reached a memorandum of understanding to identify promising cellulosic biomass conversion technologies over the near,...

Biogasoline.(biofuels BUZZ)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... A Wisconsin bioscience company and Royal Dutch Shell said they have developed a process to convert plant sugars directly into gasoline and gasoline blend components rather than ethanol. The patented and trademarked BioForming process pioneered...

Urbanchuk joins panel.(biofuels BUZZ)(John M. Urbanchuk)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Economist John M. Urbanchuk of global expert services firm LECG has committed to serving on the select Biofuel Advisory Panel for the Chesapeake Bay Commission. Over the next six months, the Biofuel Advisory Panel will explore the production...

Underground tanks.(biofuels BUZZ)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... A new study by the Steel Tank Institute confirmed that biodiesel and biodiesel blends are safe for use in underground steel storage tanks. The study, presented at the National Tanks Conference & Expo in Atlanta, Ga., reported that low-carbon...

Lower than gas.(biofuels BUZZ)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... According to recent price reports by Axxis Petroleum and the Oil Price Information Service, ethanol for blending is selling for 10-35 cents lower than gasoline, depending on the market. Factoring in the blender's tax credit, this means the...

Groups want Canadian rail costs investigated.(MILL MARKET)
April 7, 2008... A COALITION of grain and farm groups in Canada called on the federal government on March 25 to launch an investigation into the costs, prices and services the country's two monopoly railways are delivering to move western grain to market. ...

Ingredient market.(Statistical table)
April 7, 2008... Ingredient Market The following prices, which include delivery, were obtained April 2 from feed and grain vendors in the U.S. and Canada. The prices represent current trading values, but are not guaranteed. The second column shows...

Hog report comes out gasping.(Livestock/Poultry)
April 7, 2008... IT was not the ides of March but the end of March pork producers needed to be aware of as March 28 brought disastrous news about too many hogs and March 31 brought disastrous news about too little corn. The hogs and pigs report issued March...

Cattle markets.(In 60 seconds)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Cattle markets: The cattle markets actually started trading at midweek last week as a number of factors finally convinced cattle feeders to accept inevitable lower prices and push cattle into the world, according to Feedstuffs sources....

Chicken markets.(In 60 seconds)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Chicken markets: The chicken markets were steady last week as integrators stood tough ahead of the beginning of spring and summer demand, sources said. Chickens were unchanged at 74-77 cents and 72-75 cents/ lb. in the eastern and mid-western...

Turkey markets.(In 60 seconds)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Turkey markets: The turkey markets continued strengthening as at least one significant supermarket system still was "poking around" for fall inventory, sources said. Hens and retail-sized toms were 83-84 cents/lb. everywhere last Thursday, up...

Turkey meat.(In 60 seconds)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Turkey meat: Fresh tom breast meat was $1.74-1.76/lb. last Thursday, down 2-4 cents for the week and 20.1% from last year as fresh product experienced major pressure from frozen stocks, and the situation "could get ugly," sources said. However,...

Egg markets.(In 60 seconds)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Egg markets: The egg markets slid hard last week, losing 24 cents, but at $1.321.36 and $1.23-1.25/doz. for large-sized eggs delivered to eastern and midwestern store doors last Thursday, eggs still were 54% higher than year ago. Sources said...

Corn estimates scary.(Grains/Ingredients)
April 7, 2008... THE U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has a tendency to underestimate corn plantings in its March prospective plantings report, but if the numbers hold true this year, the industry could be facing insurmountable supply concerns. U.S. farmers...

Pioneer releases sequences.(Grain & Ingredient Report)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... PIONEER Hi-Bred is making genomic sequences of a major fungal pathogen of corn plants publicly available to enable scientists worldwide to more quickly complete the sequence and to accelerate disease-resistance studies. Colletotrichum...

House derails trade deal.
April 14, 2008... HOUSE Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D., Cal.) action last week to derail the Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has left Washington's pro-trade lobby, which includes broad support from agribusinesses and farm organizations, searching for words to...

Animal welfare on California ballot.
April 14, 2008... A PROPOSAL to ban procedures currently used to confine some farm animals was certified in California April 9, meaning the initiative will, as expected, appear on the fall ballot in the state. If passed in the November election, the...

Farm bill question: too late?
April 14, 2008... HOUSE and Senate negotiators are engaged in a lightning round to find a compromise that will break a deadlock on funding the new farm bill. With a deadline driving the process, some are holding out hope for a fast finish. Legislation...

Dismissal denied in labeling case.(News Watch)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... A federal judge denied a request for dismissal of a preliminary injunction on the Tyson Foods "Raised Without Antibiotics" marketing campaign. Competitors Sanderson Farms and Perdue Farms seek the preliminary injunction to halt Tyson from...

China boosts hog, poultry subsidies.(News Watch)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... State-controlled media reported April 9 that China's government will give subsidies worth millions of yuan to boost production on large pig and chicken breeding units. Citing the central government's National Development & Reform Commission,...

Publications win NAAJ award.(News Watch)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Feedstuffs and American Agriculturist were feted at the recent North American Agricultural Journalist's (NAAJ) awards dinner in Washington, D.C. The publications teamed up to earn the 2008 Audrey Mackiewicz Special Service Award, which...

Duck producer to close complex.(News Watch)(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Maple Leaf Farms, the largest duck producer in the U.S., is preparing to close its duck farm and processing complex in Franksville, Wis., and centralize its operations in the Midwest, according to an announcement. Co-president Scott Tucker said...

Coleman beef.(News Watch)(Meyer Natural Angus Beef acquires Coleman Natural Foods LLC )(Brief article)
April 14, 2008... Meyer Natural Angus Beef has reached an agreement to acquire the natural and organic beef business of Coleman Natural Foods LLC of Golden, Colo., the companies reported. The acquisition is expected to be completed on June 1. Coleman said the...