Minnesota turkey growers earn Lifetime Achievement Awards

Minnesota Turkey Growers Association Allied Committee Member Dr. Jim Trites, left, presents Glenn Schulz with a Lifetime Achievement Award, while Dave Fischbach accepts his award from Committee Chairman Errol Lagred, right. 
Dave Fischbach and Glenn Schulz were honored for their many years of service to Minnesota’s turkey industry at the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association (MTGA) Summer Conference in Nisswa, Minnesota. Both received the 2014 MTGA Allied Lifetime Achievement Award.
MTGA Allied Committee Member Jim Trites of Elanco Animal Health, a longtime colleague and friend of both men, presented the awards.
Dave Fischbach's knowledge, experience serves turkey industry well
Fischbach has served the turkey industry well for over 40 years and is highly respected throughout Minnesota and the Dakotas. Since 1987, Fischbach has been a poult, equipment and medication sales representative for PALS, an affiliated company of Life-Science Innovations in Willmar, Minnesota. Fischbach previously managed a turkey farm by Sauk Centre, Minnesota, for five years and then worked as a turkey breeder flock supervisor for Swift and Company (later Butterball) for 10 years in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
Said Trites: "Day-in and day-out, Dave works closely with his customers to help ensure growers attain high quality and output with their flocks. His colleagues, clients, and friends see Dave as an industry specialist. His vast knowledge base enables him to see a problem and quickly find a solution for the grower."
Glenn Schulz has had a lifelong involvement with poultry industry
Glenn Schulz, Storm Lake, Iowa, has been involved with poultry his entire life. As a youth he exhibited poultry at the Iowa State Fair. This interest brought him to Iowa State University where he graduated in 1970 with a degree in poultry science.
Schulz started his career in the chicken business in 1971 as the breeding farm manager at the Montana Hatchery in Great Falls, Montana, and has since worked for such companies as Vilas and Company Hatchery, Thompson Industries, Bil Mar, Sara Lee and I.D. Russell.
With I.D. Russell, Schulz worked as a local sales representative, traveling extensively in the upper Midwest. Alpharma acquired I.D. Russell and Schulz accepted responsibilities for supporting both feed additives and water solubles in the Midwest. In 2012, Alpharma was acquired by Pfizer, and in 2013, Pfizer spun off Zoetis where Glenn currently works as a regional account manager.
"Glenn's life-long passion for the poultry industry and his decades of knowledge have served turkey farmers and companies well," said Trites. "Glenn truly embodies excellence in our industry."
About the MTGA Allied Lifetime Achievement Award
The MTGA Allied Lifetime Achievement Award is based on several criteria:


• Service to the industry that spans 20 or moreyears
• Long-term support of the MTGA
• Well-respected by peers and customers
• Commitment to enhance Minnesota’s turkey industry.

Indiana turkey company to invest in new processing plant

Indiana turkey company Farbest Foods Inc. plans to invest $69 million on a 220,000-square-foot poultry processing plant, according to reports. The plant, which will sit on 100 acres of land in Vincennes, Ind., is expected to create up to 600 new jobs over the next few years, said the company. Hiring has already begun for engineering, administrative and maintenance employees, and manufacturing workers will be hired in 2013. The plant will begin production with 360 employees, with a second shift added that will boost the work force to 600.

US turkey production up first half 2011

Whole turkey stocks remain lower than 2010 numbers.

U.S. turkey meat production during the first six months of 2011 was 2.9 billion pounds, 5.5% higher than in the same period in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
The increase in turkey meat production was due to a higher number of birds slaughtered, up 4.6%, along with an increase in live weights at slaughter. Over the first six months of 2011, live turkey weights averaged 30.1 pounds, up 1.1% from the same period in 2010.
The forecast for turkey meat production in the second half of 2011 is 2.9 billion pounds, down slightly (less than 1%) from the same period in 2010, according to the USDA. The decrease is expected to come chiefly from a smaller number of birds slaughtered, as average live weights at slaughter are expected to continue slightly higher than those of the previous year. In spite of this, turkey stocks are expected to remain above their year-earlier levels through the end of 2011. At the end of the second quarter of 2011, whole birds stocks totaled 271 million pounds, down 3%, and stocks of breast meat were 72 million pounds, 8% lower than 2010 numbers.
Stocks of whole turkeys are still lower than 2010, and the number of birds slaughtered in the second half of 2011 is expected to be lower than 2010 numbers. Both these factors point to continued strength in prices for whole birds. Prices are expected to strengthen in the fourth quarter of 2011 to $1.06 to $1.12 per pound, slightly higher than 2010.

Production down for US turkeys

Turkey production in the U.S. for the first six months of 2009 is down 9.4%, totaling 2.8 billion pounds, compared to the same period in 2008, according to the most recent Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook from USDA's Economic Research Service.
The drop in production of turkey meat was primarily due to a decline in the number of birds slaughtered. During the first half of 2009, the number of turkeys slaughtered decreased 9.5% compared with the first half of 2008. There was also a small reduction in the average weight of birds going to slaughter.
During the first six months of 2009, the number of turkey poults placed for growout totaled only 141 million, down 9.6% from the same period in 2008.

NTF seeks measurable outcome in food safety

National Turkey Federation's chairman of the Technical and Regulatory Committee, Bob Reinhard addressed the House Agricultural Committee, urging that changes in food safety should ensure measurable improvement in public health.
NTF Committee Chairman Bob Reinhard addressing the House Agricultural Committee.
Reinhard pointed out that FSIS pathogen testing data has shown measurable progress in food safety for the turkey industry through its Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point program and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures.
He added that a food safety system should not only focus on blame assessment and punishment following a problem, but should coordinate with the industry and take measures to prevent food safety problems from arising.

ARS finds Bordetella hinzii pathogenic in turkeys

Bordetella hinzii was believed to be nonpathogenic in poultry because previous attempts to cause disease in poultry with the bacterium have failed, but Agricultural Research Service scientists announced study results that prove otherwise.
Scientists at the ARS examined several Bordetella isolates, including some that had caused 100% morbidity in turkey. Although the isolates had been labeled as B. avium, the scientists found that they were actually B. hinzii, showing for the first time that some strains of B. hinzii can cause disease in turkeys.
In a similar study done on chickens no birds developed the clinical disease, suggesting that the pathogenicity of B. hinzii does not extend to chickens.

Aramark wins T.O.M. Award for variety

The National Turkey Federation presented Aramark Corporation with its Seventh Annual “Turkey on the Menu” Award at the National Restaurant Association convention. The award recognizes the non-commercial foodservice operator for its variety of value-oriented, non-commercial turkey menu applications across many day parts, segments and cuisines.
Aramark uses 18 specified turkey products across all segments of the non-commercials business, including fresh and frozen, cooked and raw, totaling more than 30 million pounds of turkey per year.
“Turkey has a consistent presence both as limited time offers and regular menu items because its versatility and health profile allow us to provide our customers with options,” remarked Ed Jones, food production manager, who accepted the award on behalf of Aramark.
Port of Subs, winner of the casual/family style category, J. Alexander’s, winner of the fine dining category, and Jason’s Deli, winner of the fast food category, joined Aramark at the awards reception.

Small-sized turkeys to be in demand

Turkey producers should aim at providing the right spread of weights and have smaller strains, as well, when ordering poults for placement in the summer, suggests Paul Kelly, managing director of turkey poult suppliers, Farmgate Hatcheries.
According to Kelly, the economic downturn may push customers to go for smaller birds. Farmgate Hatcheries offer a range of breeds – both bronze and white turkeys – that will achieve 3 to 10 kg weight from 10 to 26 weeks.
Kelly suggests there may be an even bigger shortage this year compared with last year’s shortage of turkeys in the 4 kg weight range.

USDA to stabilize turkey prices

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Secretary Tom Vilsack announced March 31 that the USDA will purchase up to a $60 million bonus of turkey meat to help stabilize falling turkey prices, according to a National Turkey Federation press release.
The secretary said USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service intends to expedite a major bonus purchase of turkey meat within the next six weeks to help turkey growers and processors who have been hurt in the current recession. His announcement came while testifying before the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.
“This purchase hopefully will help reverse a downward trend in turkey prices.” said NTF President Joel Brandenberger in the release.