Over 150 Animal and Health Stakeholders Join White House Effort to Combat Antibiotic Resistance

The Obama Administration has launched an effort to combat antibiotic resistance. The "White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship" Tuesday brought together human and animal health sectors for the development, promotion, and implementation of activities for the responsible use of antibiotics. More than 150 food companies, retailers, and human and animal health stakeholders made commitments to implement changes to prevent the spread of resistant infections.


President Barack Obama also signed a memorandum directing Federal departments and agencies to create a preference for meat and poultry produced according to responsible antibiotic-use. The Presidential Food Service is also committing to serving meats and poultry that have not been treated with hormones or antibiotics.


The forum was intended to build on a number of steps the Administration has taken to combat antibiotic resistance. In September 2014, President Obama signed Executive Order 13676 prioritizing Federal efforts to combat the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The Administration also issued the National Strategy on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, and the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology released a report with recommendations to address the crisis of the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. In March 2015, the Administration released the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, a comprehensive plan that identifies critical actions for key Federal departments and agencies to enhance diagnosis and treatment and limit the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that drug-resistant bacteria cause two million illnesses and about 23,000 deaths each year in the United States alone.  

Click here to read more the Presidential Memorandum creating a Preference for Meat and Poultry Produced According to Responsible Antibiotic-Use Policies and also for reaction from private companies, health care, pharmaceutical and the animal health sectors.

Stakeholders Respond to White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship

Elanco Animal Health, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and National Chicken Council were among the 150 stakeholders participating in the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship in Washington D.C.  Participants included food companies, retailers, and human and animal health stakeholders made commitments to implement changes to prevent the spread of resistant infections.
 

Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly participated in the forum.  President Jeff Simmons unveiled the company's multi-faceted approach to combat the growing concern about antibiotic resistance.  Elanco has committed to an eight-step antibiotic stewardship plan that ensures the responsible use of antibiotics, reduces shared-class antibiotic use and replaces antibiotics with alternatives.  Click here to read more about  Elanco's Eight-Step Antibiotic Stewardship Plan.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association President and Chugwater, Wyoming, cattleman Philip Ellis said this was a great opportunity to highlight what the cattle industry is doing to support the judicious use of these technologies.  "NCBA takes our commitment for antimicrobial stewardship very seriously and seeks to educate our members, consumers, regulators, legislators and the general public on the merits of appropriate antimicrobial drug use within the diversified sectors of the beef industry," said Ellis. "The NCBA Cattle Health and Well-being Committee works to educate members at conferences and conventions on the latest information regarding antimicrobial drug use and the complex problem of increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant bacteria in both human and veterinary medicine."  Click here to read more from NCBA.

National Chicken Council Senior Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Ashley Peterson, Ph.D., said "The top priority of farmers and chicken companies is to raise healthy chickens because healthy chickens are directly related to a safe and wholesome food supply. Responsible, FDA-approved veterinary treatment and prevention benefits animal welfare and health by reducing the need for increased doses of shared-class antibiotics in the event of widespread disease."   Click here to read more from NCC.  
 

FDA Issues New Restrictions for Antibiotics in Farm Animals

In a process that actually began back in December 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) final rule, as a part of the agency's overall strategy to promote the judicious use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals. This strategy will bring the use of these drugs under veterinary supervision so that they are used only when necessary for assuring animal health. The VFD final rule outlines the process for authorizing use of VFD drugs (animal drugs intended for use in or on animal feed that require the supervision of a licensed veterinarian) and provides veterinarians in all states with a framework for authorizing the use of medically important antimicrobials in feed when needed for specific animal health purposes.


The VFD final rule continues to require veterinarians to issue all VFDs within the context of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) and specifies the key elements that define a VCPR. These key elements include that the veterinarian engage with the client (i.e., animal producer or caretaker) to assume responsibility for making clinical judgments about patient (i.e., animal) health, have sufficient knowledge of the animal by conducting examinations and/or visits to the facility where the animal is managed, and provide for any necessary follow-up evaluation or care. The final rule will require veterinarians to follow state-defined VCPR requirements; in states where the FDA determines that no applicable or appropriate state VCPR requirements exist, veterinarians will need to issue VFDs in compliance with federally defined VCPR requirements. All veterinarians will need to adhere to a VCPR that includes the key elements in the final rule.


"The actions the FDA has taken to date represent important steps toward a fundamental change in how antimicrobials can be legally used in food-producing animals," said Michael R. Taylor, FDA deputy commissioner for foods. "The VFD final rule takes another important step by facilitating veterinary oversight in a way that allows for the flexibility needed to accommodate the diversity of circumstances that veterinarians encounter, while ensuring such oversight is conducted in accordance with nationally consistent principles."

Click here to read more about what this new directive will require of producers and veterinarians.    

Peel Says "Drought Reset" Spurs Herd Expansion in Southern Plains

Mother nature has given drought the boot this spring, as there is very little drought left in Oklahoma and the southern Great Plains. That's according to the U.S. Drought Monitor report. May 2015 was not only the wettest May on record but was the wettest month ever in Oklahoma. Oklahoma State University Livestock Marketing Specialist Dr. Derrell Peel said that good news for cattle producers interested in summer grazing. The improvement in forage conditions has been pretty dramatic this spring. He said there is a lot of interest in using those feed resources for feeder cattle as well as for yearling heifers.


In May, the statewide average was nearly 15 inches of rain with numerous locations receiving over 20 inches and a few areas with over two feet of rain. This far exceeds the previous record for the statewide average of about 10.5 inches in May. The resulting floods continue and are causing losses for people and creating management headaches for agricultural producers. Summer crop planting and hay harvest are delayed and the winter wheat crop, nearing harvest, is now threatened by wet conditions after suffering from drought impacts through most of the growing season. Fences have been washed out and some cattle are scattered while others had to be relocated to higher ground. Stored hay has been ruined by flood waters or washed away in some cases.

The tremendous amount of precipitation in May has all but eliminated drought conditions in Oklahoma. The drought that began in the fall of 2010 has remained a specter over Oklahoma agriculture for over four and a half years until this last month. During that time, even when periodic relief came and marginally improved conditions allowed for forage and crop production, the threat of regressing back into drought was a constant factor in producer decision making and a limit to production plans. Agricultural producers have been continuously on the defensive through the long drought.


I featured Peel on the Beef Buzz- as heard on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network. Click or tap here to read or have the opportunity to listen to today's Beef Buzz. 

Campbell Soup Company Cozies Up to EDF in Campaign to "Optimize" Fertilizer Use 

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) announced Tuesday a collaboration with Campbell Soup Company and its subsidiary, Pepperidge Farm, Incorporated, to improve water quality and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by optimizing fertilizer use and improving soil conservation in the company's wheat sourcing areas.


The Environmental group claims that while fertilizer is essential for growing crops- on average 50 percent of fertilizer applied is not absorbed by plants. The leftover fertilizer can run off fields and pollute waterways, contaminate drinking water supplies, and contribute to ocean dead zones that kill aquatic species. Excess nitrogen fertilizer runoff also emits nitrous oxide, a GHG 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

The fifty percent number caught the attention of at least one of our followers on Twitter- John Stotts- and he says that number across the board is simply NOT accurate.  He contends that farmers will not waste money by over applying fertilizer year after year.  We pulled Dr. Brian Arnall of OSU into the discussion and he agrees that this should not be a blanket statement- but can happen from time to time- especially outside of this region.  He cites a study conducted by Dr. Bill Raun of Oklahoma State that documents 33% under utilization of Nitrogen worldwide in cereal grain production.

Anyway- Campbell's sustainable agriculture programs work to drive improvement in five priority areas: greenhouse gases, water, fertilizer and pesticide reduction, and soil quality. The company is expanding its fertilizer optimization programs to 70,000 acres by 2020.  Click here to read more about Campbell's goals.  

Award winning broadcast journalist Jerry Bohnen has spent years learning and understanding how to cover the energy business here in the southern plains-  Click here to subscribe to his daily update of top Energy News.

American Farm Bureau Calls on House to Pass Trade Promotion Authority

America's farmers and ranchers need access to open markets around the world to boost the economy here at home. The American Farm Bureau Federation called on the House Tuesday to protect the future of U.S. agricultural trade by passing the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015, H.R. 1314.


"We lead the world in agricultural exports but will soon give up customers and potential markets without the trade promotion authority needed to secure important new trade agreements," American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman said.


U.S. agricultural exports exceeded $152 billion last year, but stand to fall by $12 billion this year, due in part to the challenges U.S. negotiators are facing in reducing trade barriers. TPA gives our negotiators the leverage they need to resolve trade conflicts, break down barriers to U.S. products and open new markets around the world. The need for this tool is particularly critical now to break through logjams in both the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations. 

Click here to read more from American Farm Bureau.

This N That -  Farm Bureau Has Crunched the Numbers and Announced It's 100 Percenters- and It's Big Iron Wednesday

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau board of directors has announced the members of the 2015 OKFB 100 Percent Club. Presented to 71 Oklahoma legislators, the award is based upon a 100 percent voting record on key Farm Bureau legislative measures during the 2015 Oklahoma legislative session.

"The members of the 100 Percent Club helped support Farm Bureau's mission to protect personal property rights, keep taxes low, and boost agricultural and rural business," said John Collison, OKFB vice president of public policy and corporate communications. "Oklahoma Farm Bureau sincerely appreciates the leadership of this group at the state Capitol this year."   

Clearly the 2015 State Legislature was one that Farm Bureau felt very comfortable with- starting with the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House.  Both Senator Brian Bingman and Representative Jeff Hickman made the 100 Percenter list. 

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It's Wednesday- and that means the Big Iron folks will be busy closing out this week's auction items - all 416 items consigned.  Bidding will start at 10 AM central time.                

Click Here for the complete rundown of what is being sold on this no reserve online sale this week.

If you'd like more information on buying and selling with Big Iron, call District Manager Mike Wolfe at 580-320-2718 and he can give you the full scoop.  You can also reach Mike via email by clicking or tapping here.