North American Meat Institute celebrates 25 years of support for 'Meating the Need'

The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) has recommitted to its "Meating the Need" Partnership with Feeding America as it celebrated the project’s 25th anniversary. All totaled, food banks in the Feeding America network have received an estimated 200 million pounds of surplus meat and poultry from Institute members during the last 25 years.
As part of the celebration, Feeding America’s Managing Director of Manufacturing Partnerships Karen Hanner addressed the Institute’s Management Conference and offered the organization’s gratitude, noting that meat and poultry are among the foods most desired by food banks nationwide.
“Feeding America is deeply appreciative of our 25 year partnership with the North American Meat Institute,” said Hanner. “With over 49 million Americans facing hunger, the valuable protein provided through the ‘Meating the Need’ program has made a measurable difference for clients served by our food bank network. Thanks to NAMI members, millions of families across the country have enjoyed nutritious meals with beef, chicken, pork or turkey that they otherwise may not have been able to afford.”
During the Management Conference, Institute members also participated in a backpack decorating and stuffing event that will provide food and supplies to hungry school-age children.
“We are committed to supporting Feeding America’s fight against hunger,” said NAMI President and CEO Barry Carpenter. “Our products are among the most nutrient dense foods available and so important for healthy growth in children and for good health throughout the lifespan. We pledge to expand awareness of our ‘Meating the Need’ project among our members and encourage continued and hopefully expanded donations in the years to come.”
‘Meating the Need’ was recognized with an Associations Advance America award in 2006 by the American Society of Association Executives.
For more information about donating meat and poultry through ‘Meating the Need,’ click here.

Cargill Executive Chairman Greg Page maps path to a more food-secure world

Speaking at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Global Food Security Symposium, Cargill Executive Chairman Greg Page urged attendees to be mindful of four principles that can help ensure all people have access to safe, affordable and nutritious food.
Noting the symposium’s focus on leveraging the global food system to fight malnutrition and improve health, Page said Cargill has a role to play in ensuring access to enough food for the undernourished and in bringing healthier foods to the market to help improve diets and health.
“There are four things we ought to be mindful of when we think about creating a more food-secure world,” said Page. His “ought to's” include:


• Appreciating the importance of price
• Honoring the principle of comparative advantage
• Embracing the power of emulation
• Ensuring society’s comfort with the science of producing food
On the importance of price, Page said we need to appreciate the value of prices to signal the world’s farmers what to produce. “We saw this in 2012 when, in the face of a severe drought in the U.S. Midwest, prices motivated farmers from South America and Central Europe to increase production, ultimately mitigating the drought’s impact on global food production and ensuring people’s access to safe, affordable, nutritious food,” said Page.
He said it will also be increasingly important to honor the principle of comparative advantage in food production. “To produce the food the world will need in the most economically and environmentally sustainable way, we need agriculture and trade policies that encourage farmers to cultivate the crops best suited for their growing conditions and then trade the surpluses with others,” said Page.
Page also said that the cumulative effects of individual behaviors can be a powerful force for improving food security and fighting malnutrition. “The Chicago Council’s Healthy Food for a Healthy World report acknowledges the power of emulation in its findings that women – in part because of their influence over their families’ diets – will be critically important to combating malnutrition,” said Page.
Expanding on this point, Page said food industry leaders need to enlist and engage consumers in understanding the role of science in the food system, both nutritionally and environmentally. “Science and technology are important not only to producing more food in a more sustainable way, but also to our ability to improve food safety, reduce food waste and make food more nutritious and healthful,” he said.
“Finding solutions to end hunger and reverse the consequences of poor nutrition requires trust, transparency and collaboration,” said Page. “We look forward to being part of this important work.”

Syngenta’s first quarter sales down 14 percent

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  freeimages.com

  Syngenta’s sales for the first quarter were $4 billion, down 14 percent from last year.

  From WATTAgNet:
  Syngenta’s first quarter sales were lower than expected, after the Swiss crop chemical manufacturer took a hit from low commodity prices, a strong dollar and a prolonged U.S. winter.
  Syngenta’s sales for the first quarter were $4 billion, down 14 percent from last year, and lower than the $4.3 billion forecast.
  Integrated sales of $3.8 billion rose 1 percent at constant exchange rates. Volumes were 7 percent lower, and prices were 8 percent higher.
  In Europe, Africa and the Middle East, sales were up 15 percent. In North America, sales were 16 percent lower. Excluding glyphosate, where a deliberate reduction is under way, sales were 13 percent lower. Sales in Latin America were 11 percent lower.
  Corn prices fell 15 percent in 2014, and nearly 40 percent in 2013, causing farmers to scrutinize their spending and putting pressure on companies like Syngenta. However, Syngenta maintained its full-year targets and its longer-term target for 2018.
  Syngenta faces legal issues in the United States, where Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland and hundreds of farmers sued it for damages stemming from China’s rejection of genetically modified U.S. corn. The case is expected to last several years, but Syngenta executives say their defense in the case is strong. 

Nigeria’s HPAI outbreak poses risk for neighboring countries

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed in Nigeria in January this year, the first occurrence of the disease since the epidemic of 2006-2008.
It has already spread to over nine percent of government areas. At least 400 enterprises, including farms and markets have been affected.
Nigeria is major egg producer and the fourth largest broiler producer in the region, and although the government has responded to the disease by implementing quarantine, culling and offering compensation, the disease continues to spread.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) notes that traditional trading patterns, both formal and informal, between Nigeria and its neighbors, provide an opportunity for cross-border or inter-regional disease spread. Currently, the countries at immediate risk are Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, the Niger and Togo, but other countries are also at risk, and the FAO has advised that they should prepare for disease incursions.
It adds that the virus, similar to recent isolates found in Bulgaria, India and Vietnam, is expected to spread more widely in Nigeria and may affect a high proportion of poultry production unless effective biosecurity measures are introduced.

Ontario has second avian influenza outbreak

Ontario has had its second confirmed case of avian influenza, after the virus was detected at a broiler breeder farm in Oxford County. The new avian influenza case was reported April 18 by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Preliminary testing by the Province of Ontario has confirmed the presence of H5 avian influenza at the broiler breeder farm. Further testing by the CFIA is underway to confirm pathogenicity and to determine the precise subtype and strain of the virus. Initial tests for the disease were conducted on April 17 at the Animal Health Laboratory at the University of Guelph, after the chicken farm experienced sudden deaths of birds over several days.
CFIA placed the broiler breeder farm under quarantine to control disease spread and the poultry industry has been notified to adopt enhanced biosecurity practices.
As lead response agency the CFIA will ensure the quarantine of the infected farm, and determine a surrounding surveillance zone for further testing and movement control measures. The CFIA will also lead on required depopulation of birds, while the province will provide technical support on required carcass disposal. Once all birds have been removed, the CFIA will oversee the cleaning and disinfection of the barns, vehicles, equipment and tools to eliminate any infectious material that may remain.
Ontario’s first case of avian influenza was confirmed on April 7 in a commercial turkey flock near Woodstock.
To date, Ontario and British Columbia are the only two provinces in Canada with confirmed avian influenza cases.

Judge rules against foes of JBS pork plant expansion

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  Andrea Gantz

  A judge has denied an appeal from a group opposing an expansion at a JBS Swift pork plant in Kentucky.

  From WATTAgNet:
  An appeal filed by opponents of an expansion at a JBS Swift pork processing plant in Louisville, Kentucky, has been denied by a Kentucky judge.
  An organization known as the Butchertown Neighborhood Association (BNA) fought the Metro Board of Zoning Adjustment’s decision to allow JBS to expand the facility. BNA, which has a history of complaining about odors from the plant, claimed that the zoning board did not follow state law and local development rules. But the judge ruled in favor of JBS and the zoning board, concluding that the zoning board properly granted the permit sought by JBS.
  Glenn Price, an attorney representing JBS, said he and his client were pleased with the ruling. "Our goal remains the same, to continuously improve the performance of our operation and our standing with our partners in the community," he said.
  The Swift plant improvements include a 4,008-square-foot enclosed hog unloading chute, which would allow the animals to move from trucks to slaughter with “less shock to their systems, thereby reducing injuries to both the hogs and JBS employees.” The plant improvements were also designed to limit noise and odors. Other new features at the Swift plant include a covered break area for workers, a decorative fence, and a 162-square-foot addition to an existing building where the animals are stunned, rendered unconscious and bled. The changes have already been implemented, the plant manager said.

Deal gives Canadian Wheat Board marketing freedom

The government of Canada has approved a deal between the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) and G3 Global Grain Group which ensures CWB becomes a fully private and global competitor in the Canadian grain sector. With this deal, the government has fully delivered on its commitment to marketing freedom by increasing marketing choice for Western Canadian grain farmers, Canada Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced.
"Our commitment to marketing freedom and increasing marketing choice has always been about giving farmers the right to sell their own grain to a buyer of their choice,” Ritz said. “The removal of the CWB monopoly attracted numerous investors wanting to expand Canada’s grain capacity and supply chain. This investment deal offers Canadian farmers access to a new global player to compete for their grain and more delivery points for farmers to sell their grain."
The deal will see the investor, a new Canadian company headquartered in Winnipeg, invest $250 million in CWB, with plans to develop a coast-to-coast grain processing and shipping network across Canada. Once fully realized, the growth associated with this deal is expected to increase Canada’s grain export capacity and add hundreds of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of economic growth.
"This deal will enable the CWB to continue to expand its network. CWB's investments to date translate into hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment and hundreds of jobs across Canada. It also establishes a major new player in the Canadian grain industry well into the future, and we look forward to furthering our relationships with farmers across Canada," said Ian White, president and CEO, CWB.
The stronger CWB will offer farmers the opportunity to build significant equity in a growing grain company by delivering their grain. Canadian farmers have the opportunity to financially participate in CWB through the continuation of the Farmer Equity Plan.
This deal will benefit Canada through increased competition in the Canadian grain market and significant Canadian ownership through the farmers trust.
Marketing freedom and the commercialization of CWB is part of the government’s broader modernization of Canada’s grain sector supporting the creation of jobs and economic growth for farmers and Canadians. It includes an aggressive trade and market access agenda, grain transportation and supply chain improvements and investments in science and research.