Republican Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas and North Dakota Democrat Heidi Heitkamp are spearheading a bipartisan effort to make sure the Electronic Logging Device mandate for livestock haulers is delayed one year. A group of Senators wrote to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer expressing support for the delay that was written into the House-passed transportation bill. The delay of the ELD mandate is set for one year, which should give haulers time to work with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on the strict hours-of-service rules that truckers have to live by. U.S. Cattlemen’s Association Transportation Committee Chair Steve Hilker thanked each Senator that signed the letter. “We’re hauling a living, breathing commodity that must get to its destination as soon as possible after it’s loaded onto the truck,” says Hilker. “An ELD would only increase the number of stops, thereby keeping cattle in the trailer longer. It would only add to what is already a stressful time in the animals’ lives. The comfort and safety of our cargo is of utmost importance.” He adds that the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association appreciates that Congress recognizes the need for additional flexibility within the rule.

(MODoA) The Missouri State Fair was recently recognized as one of the best in the world by the International Association of Fairs and Expositions.

During the recent IAFE Convention, the Missouri State Fair was recognized for excellence in agriculture education, sponsorship, competitive exhibits and communications. Among the more than 30 awards received, the Missouri State Fair was recognized for excellence in agriculture education with the prestigious Agriculture Sweepstakes Award and excellence in sponsorship activation with the Best of Division Award. The Fair also received first place awards for the Drive to Feed Kids partnership, renovations to the historic Swine Barn and for the 2017 marketing campaign, among others.

The Fair was judged alongside other IAFE fair members of similar size, ranging in attendance from 250,000 to 500,000. A complete list of awards received can be viewed on the Fair’s website.

IAFE, based in Springfield, Mo., is a voluntary, nonprofit corporation, serving state, provincial, regional, and county agricultural fairs, shows, exhibitions, and expositions. Its associate members include state and provincial associations of fairs, non-agricultural expositions and festivals, associations, corporations, and individuals engaged in providing products and services to its members, all of whom are interested in the improvement of fairs, shows, expositions, and allied fields.

(UWA) The World Trade Organization will hold its Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference Dec. 10 to 13, 2017, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, U.S. Wheat Associates and 13 other U.S. farm organizations urged the United States to defend the interests of U.S. agriculture. Specifically, the letter describes industry stances on public stockholding and domestic support, while underscoring the importance of an effective dispute settlement mechanism for agriculture. First addressing attempts to weaken the WTO Agreement on Agriculture by exempting price support programs tied to public stock procurement, the letter said “Market price support is one of the most trade distorting forms of domestic support for agriculture. Relaxing price support disciplines for certain countries could lead to a much more distorted global marketplace.” The letter pointed out a closely related challenge in the push for new domestic support commitments. “It is surreal to witness attempts to negotiate new domestic support commitments when so many countries have flagrantly ignored current commitments,” the organizations wrote. “Any domestic support outcome should carefully target the deficiencies in the system that led to such enormous abuses.” The groups also credited Ambassador Lighthizer for addressing this problem through the dispute settlement case against China on its non-compliant price support programs for wheat, corn and rice. Finally, the farm organizations expressed strong support for the WTO dispute settlement system and its crucial role addressing some of the major challenges in agricultural markets. They pointed to much improved global trade rules for agriculture following the creation of the WTO and negotiation of new free trade agreements. The groups also expressed concern that U.S. actions to block WTO Appellate Body appointments indefinitely could prevent resolution of current cases and discourage new ones that might benefit U.S. agriculture.

Missouri is leading 13 states to the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge a California law regarding egg production requirements. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley announced this week the state would continue its challenge to the California law that requires out-of-state egg producers to comply with California’s farming regulations in order to sell eggs in California. The suit claims that California’s regulations violate both a federal law and the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress exclusive authority to regulate commerce among and between states. A federal appeals court panel rejected similar claims last year in a separate case, ruling that the opposition failed to show California’s law would affect more than just individual farmers. Hawley, who is leading the charge as Missouri’s Attorney General and will also run for a U.S. Senate seat next year, says the California law is “a clear attempt by big-government proponents to impose job-killing regulations.” Missouri is joined by Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin in the Supreme Court filing.

A vote by the International Trade Commission confirms the U.S. biodiesel industry has suffered because of unfairly subsidized imports of biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia. In a case filed by the National Biodiesel Board, the Commission voted 4-0 Tuesday. NBB called the vote “important progress” to addressing the trade issue. Last month, producers testified on the volume and price effects of biodiesel imports from Argentina and Indonesia, and the related impacts to the industry at a hearing before the ITC commissioners. The NBB Fair Trade Coalition filed petitions with the Commerce Department and the ITC in March to address a flood of subsidized and dumped imports from Argentina and Indonesia that has resulted in market share losses and depressed prices for domestic producers. Biodiesel imports from Argentina and Indonesia surged by 464 percent from 2014 to 2016, taking 18.3 percentage points of market share from U.S. manufacturers.

The Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer dropped seven points in November, signaling a slump in U.S. agricultural producers’ confidence compared to a month earlier. At 128, the measure of producer optimism was the second weakest observed this year, and just four points above the lowest reading in 2017, of 124, last March. However, organizers say that although indicating producers were less confident about the agricultural economy than in October, the survey still suggest agricultural producers remain more optimistic than they were prior to the fall 2016 election. The November slide in producer sentiment was driven by producers taking a less optimistic view of the future. The Index of Future Expectations declined ten points compared to October as the index fell to 127. However, the Index of Current Conditions reading of 129 in November was unchanged from October. A rating below 100 is negative, while a rating above 100 indicates positive sentiment regarding the agriculture industry.

Biting and sucking lice are external parasites commonly found on cattle this time of year. Cattle lice cause reduced weight gain and other health issues resulting from excessive scratching or rubbing, anemia and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases.
These small, cool-season pests rest, breed and feed on the animals they infest. They are spread by direct contact from one infested animal to another. Lice cannot live for more than a few days off animals and will seek out a new host to survive.
Because cattle lice live out their entire lifecycle on cattle, even treated cattle can be vulnerable to re-infestation. That’s because many pour-on-treatments and endectocides particularly those that lack an insect growth regulator (IGR)—require a follow-up treatment to kill the eggs the first treatment left behind. Without initial use of an IGR or that follow-up treatment, those eggs can turn into adults that can continue the lice lifecycle. Understanding this lifecycle is critical to controlling lice, and to maximizing the benefits of a product that includes an IGR, which kills the lice eggs before they hatch. Unlike other pests, lice reproduce more in the cold weather. Cattle also tend to bunch together to stay warm, which quickens the spread of lice throughout the herd. A single female louse on an animal in September can result in a million lice by January if left untreated.

For more information on this and other parasites you can go to https://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/UCM347442.pdf