The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) today confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an approximately six-year-old cross-bred cow born and raised in Alberta. No part of the animal entered the human food or animal feed systems.

This finding is not unexpected and was identified through Canada’s national surveillance program, which targets cattle at highest risk of being infected with BSE. The program has tested more than 87,000 animals since Canada’s first BSE case in 2003.

The geographic location and age of this animal are consistent with the three domestic cases previously detected through the national BSE surveillance program and the current understanding of BSE in Canada.

Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency/ News Release, Jan. 23, 2006
Source URL: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/newcom/2006/20060123e.shtml

Two California men were charged with selling illegal dairy products, among other items, near Perris on Jan. 21. The two allegedly sold parajetes, a drink made from warm, unprocessed cows’ milk, alcohol, cocoa and sugar, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s office.

In addition, officials seized 600 pounds of unprocessed and “impure” cheese, cash, and equipment related to the illegal making of unpasteurized cheese.

Source: The Press-Enterprise/ Sarah Burge, Jan. 23, 2006
Source URL: http://www.pe.com/localnews/southwest/stories/PE_
News_Local_B_cow23.8c96e63.html

Cold Stone Creamery(R), the fastest growing ice cream concept in the United States, has announced its first master franchise agreement with CJ Foodville. Cold Stone's entry into Korea represents its continued commitment to introducing the world to The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience. The agreement outlines plans for 150 stores over the next six years, with the first slated to open this summer.

Currently, CJ Foodville operates more than 700 restaurants and bakery shops. Despite the fierce competition of the rapidly growing South Korean restaurant business, CJ Foodville has attained a consistent annual growth of 50 percent with some of its concepts.

Source: Business Wire/ Cold Stone Creamery/ News Release, Jan. 20, 2006
Source URL: http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?
ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060120005314&newsLang=en

A second North Dakota person was tested for hantavirus, but results were negative. Officials are still seeking how the Grand Forks woman who contracted the disease was infected.

The woman is recovering from the potentially fatal disease, which is linked to rodents.

Source: In-Forum/ Grand Forks Herald/ Associated Press, Jan. 23, 2006
Source URL: http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8FAFVE8A

USDA announced in the Federal Register earlier this month that they will hold a public hearing on January 24, 2006, to consider amending Class III and IV milk price formulas (see URL: http://www.ams.usda.gov/dairy/proposals/classIII_IV_make_all.htm ) . This hearing will focus on receiving testimony to potentially adjust what processors pay dairy producers for their milk. USDA will do this by making changes in the make allowances to reflect processing costs for butter, cheese, nonfat dry milk and whey. My preliminary analysis indicates that using the changes in make allowances presented by USDA in the Federal Register will lower farm-gate milk prices roughly $0.25-$0.46 per cwt in 2006.

Source: Penn State University/ Ken Bailey, Jan. 20, 2006
Source URL: http://dairyoutlook.aers.psu.edu/Weekly/2006/Weekly
DairyMarketOutlook012006.htm

USDA closed the books last week on the 2005 corn and soybean crop, and provided its first look at consumption. The Final Crop Report and the December Grain Stocks Report both contained price implications that will be difficult for farmers to integrate into their marketing plans. Yesterday three esteemed Extension marketing specialists provided their assessment for corn, and today we’ll ask them back for their analysis of soybeans.

Source: Farmgate/ Stu Ellis/ University of Illinois, Jan. 18, 2006
Source URL: http://www.farmgate.uiuc.edu/archive/2006/01/refine_your_mar_1.html

Spot market exchanges in which commodities are bought and sold for immediate delivery continue to govern most transactions for U.S. agricultural products. But a growing share of farm product transactions are organized through agricultural contracts, agreements between farmers and their buyers that are reached prior to harvest (or before the completion of a production stage in the case of livestock) and which govern the terms under which products are transferred from the farm. Contracts provide for much closer linkages between farmers and specific buyers and may provide the contractor/buyer with greater control over agricultural production decisions.

Source: USDA/ ERS/ James MacDonald and Penni Korb, January 2006
Source URL: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB9/

By relating bacterial count to infectiousness and fitting dynamic epidemiological models to prevalence data from a cross-sectional survey of cattle farms in Scotland, we identify a robust pattern: 80% of the transmission arises from the 20% most infectious individuals.

We conclude that a greater understanding of the cause of the heterogeneity in bacterial carriage could lead to highly efficient control measures to reduce the prevalence of E. coli O157.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academies of Science. January 17, 2006. Vol. 103, No. 3; 547-552. L. Matthews, J.C. Low, D. L. Gally, M. C. Pearce, et al.

Manure management is an important aspect of any livestock operation. Producers need to be aware of the environmental implications of storing manure and applying manure to cropland. When applied at proper rates, manure is a valuable asset to crop producers. Manure contains nutrients essential to plant growth and increases the organic matter of the soil. It aids in water retention, lessens the impact of wind and water erosion, and promotes growth of beneficial organisms in the soil. However, over application of manure above the nutrient needs of the crop can result in potential environmental risks from leaching or run-off into water. Other factors such as method and time of application, rainfall, and soil texture also impact the potential for environmental damage.

Source: University of Minnesota/ Mindy J. Spiehs, Jan. 14, 2006
Source URL: http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairystar/01-14-06-Spiehs.htm

Below is a summary listing of Career notices and awards in the industry. Detailed information about each listing is available by clicking the “Click to read more” link. If you have an announcement you would like us to include here, please send it to Patt Ligman, pattligman@metafarms.com or Metafarms, 2980 Commers Drive, Suite 400, Eagan, MN 55121. The next CareerTrak is scheduled for February 6, 2006.

Job Listings This Week:
None this week

Awards & Accolades:
1. Australia’s Murray Goulburn Wins Agribusiness Award

Faces In New Places:
1. UW-RF Names Gallenberg Dean of CAFES
2. MN Names Sip to New Position as Livestock Land Use Leader