The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has concluded its investigation into the case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) confirmed on January 22, 2006. No additional cases of the disease were detected during the investigation.

The investigation traced two of the affected animal’s offspring and 156 cattle born on the farm of origin within 12 months before and after the affected animal’s birth.

The CFIA considered several potential sources of infection, of which contaminated feed was the most probable.

Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency/ News Release, March 3, 2006
Source URL: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/newcom/2006/20060303e.shtml

The World Trade Organization this morning denied Mexico's appeal on its so-called "soft drink" tax. In a dispute brought by the U.S. in October, WTO found that Mexico's tax on beverages made with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was in violation of world trade commitments.

The price of U.S. corn could rise as much as 10 cents in key corn-producing states -- and as much as 6 cents nationally -- when Mexico's HFCS market is fully restored.

Source: Feedstuffs, March 6, 2006
Source URL: http://www.feedstuffs.com

About 1,300 dairy producers throughout New York and New England will get about 30 cents less per hundredweight for their milk from Agri-Mark for the next nine to 10 months. The cooperative lost $1.6 million and slashed payments to its members by $5.5 million to help the bottom line.

Co-op members are now getting about $13.70 per hundredweight, but they are expected to have even lighter pockets as economists expect the price to fall below $13.

Source: Rutland Herald/ Bruce Edwards, March 5, 2006
Source URL: http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060305/NEWS/603050315/1011

Dairy producers who looked at Erath County in Texas as the land of milk and money have become disillusioned with their location and they blame the city of Waco. After a decade of fighting each other over environmental issues, dairies say the local industry has stagnated; the city blames dairies for polluting Lake Waco, which the city uses as its drinking supply—and 100 miles downstream of Erath County.

The battle and uncertainties it has created in the dairy community is keeping dairy investors far away from the region, dairy proponents charge. Although the city has settled lawsuits with 14 dairies, milk producers are waiting for the shoe to drop regarding the need for state permits to stay in business and expand.

Source: Waco Tribune-Herald/ J.B. Smith, March 5, 2006
Source URL: http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/03/05/20060305wacdairylawsuits.html

When a cheese plant decided to move into the Clovis and Portales area of New Mexico, the area’s dairy industry changed with the announcement.

New dairy farms are moving into the area to supply the 7 million gallons of milk needed each day. Dairy Farmers of America Inc. is a supplier, and officials in that group estimate about two dozen dairies have opened their barn doors within a 50-mile radius of the plant.

Source: Portales News-Tribune/ Marlena Hartz, March 6, 2006
Source URL: http://www.pntonline.com/engine.pl?station=portales&template=storyfull.html&id=7484

Raw-milk producers who offer herd-share agreements may find their arrangements being investigated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The state is investigating herd-share agreements in the wake of two people becoming ill with campylobacter infections in January.

One agriculture official said herd-share agreements appear to take advantage of a legal loophole. Ohio is one of 23 states to ban the sale of raw milk, but the law does not specifically address herd-share arrangements.

Source: Akron Beacon Journal/ Associated Press, March 5, 2006
Source URL: http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/14025607.htm

March 1 marked the midpoint of the 2005-06 marketing year for corn and soybeans. At this time of year, the market traditionally begins to change focus from the rate of consumption of the old crop to prospects for acreage and production of the new crop. That will likely be true this year as well, particularly since old crop supplies of both crops are large.

Source: Farmdoc/ University of Illinois/ Darrel Good, March 6, 2006
Source URL: http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/marketing/weekly/html/030606.html

Our objective was to evaluate the quality of embryos flushed from superovulated lactating cows having moderate or high PUN concentrations. Subsequent embryo survival was determined after transfer to recipient heifers with either low or high PUN.

These results indicate that high PUN concentrations in lactating dairy cows decrease embryo viability through effects exerted on the oocyte or embryo before recovery from the uterus 7 days after insemination.

Source: Detrimental effects of high plasma urea nitrogen levels on viability of embryos from lactating dairy cows. Animal Reproduction Science 91 (2-Jan): 10-Jan, 2006. Rhoads, M.L.; Rhoads, R.P.; Gilbert, R.O.; Toole, R.; et al.

New Zealand will review dairy cooperative Fonterra’s monopoly on export dairy quota, a move that probably will be enough to calm down European concerns about New Zealand’s trade practices.

Late last year Fonterra took heat from European trade officials who were themselves being pressured by the free-trade lobby for more progress at ending Europe’s farm subsidies.

Source: National Business Review/ Marie McNicholas, March 6, 2006
Source URL: http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=14544&cid=4&cname=Business+Today

An animal disease with the potential to affect New Zealand’s overseas meat trade has been found in Whirinaki Forest Park, posing the risk of the infection spreading more widely.

Environment Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and the Department of Conservation are planning a major pest control operation to eradicate pockets of infection in a Bovine Tuberculosis front straddling the regional border. They will do the work on behalf of the Animal Health Board, which is responsible for Bovine Tb management in New Zealand.

Source: Scoop New Zealand/ Environment Bay of Plenty/ News Release, March 6, 2006
Source URL: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0603/S00032.htm