Canadian Sheep Federation April 2006
From the
Flock Volume 3, Number 4 |
|
By Florence Henning, Chair
On March 30th I flew to Queretaro Mexico to
attend the first North American Sheep Coalition meeting. Dr. Javier Lara took
myself, Paul Frischknecht, Glen Fischer and Burdell Johnson, from the American
Sheep Industry, to a breakfast meeting with the Secretary of Agriculture for
the State of Queretaro, Senor Hector Lugo. Senor Lugo is a big supporter of the
sheep industry in Mexico and was pleased to see that we were all meeting
together and hoped these meetings lead to greater cooperation between the
countries.
We were taken on three farm tours while visiting Mexico. The
first tour was a hair sheep feedlot, La Cruz de Mayo, which is in the process
of expansion. Lambs from this feedlot go primarily to restaurants, where
Mexicans eat most of the lamb on weekends. Barbacoas are a favourite menu
choice. Lechal, a small milk lamb, is also a popular choice with the Spanish.
We also toured Ovinos Coronel farm which has Dorper, Friesan and Charollais
breeds and do a lot of embryo transplants. On this ranch, East Friesans were
the main receptors for implanted embryos as they receive well and have good
milk production. Rancho A & J owned by Dr. Lara was our third farm visit
where we saw his Katahdin and Romanov sheep. While some grazing is done, most
farms buy in their forage and feed (consisting of 16% protein) rations for
their lambs. The ewes are bred 3 times every two years.
The Coalition members met together and presented an overview
of the sheep industry in their countries. The United States has seen their
sheep population increase 1.5 per cent to 6.23 million head in 2005; they are
anticipating an additional 2 per cent growth in 2006. The price for slaughter
lambs in the States, however, has decreased 20 per cent since November 2005.
In regards to live trade regulations for the import of
breeding stock into the States is still in the works. However, indications are
that sheep are not going to be included in the USDA’s second rule. Blue tongue
restrictions on U.S. sheep into Canada is a big issue for the Americans and one
that they are linking to the border opening for breeding stock.
The Mexican sheep industry continues to grow and expand,
with a sheep inventory of 6.8 million; the majority of which are hair sheep.
The government is promoting the industry and a further 20,000 bred ewes are
being imported from Australia. In addition, the government is offering the
industry a 50 per cent subsidy on all handling systems.
The Mexicans indicated that they would prefer to import
breeding stock from Canada and the United States and so, are actively lobbying
for open borders. They are happy that semen and embryos can now be exported
into Mexico from Canada and vice versa. This trade has not been reestablished
with the United States. In addition, the Mexicans are pursuing support for
their proposal that all sheep for slaughter into Mexico go to federal
inspection plants (they now have three up and working). It was suggested that
each country should promote each other’s products.
Our Mexican hosts were exceptional and very gracious. They
are very active in promoting and expanding all aspects of their industry. I
received an invitation to the Mexican General Meeting on April 29th
in Villahermosa Tabasco. I extended an invitation for the next North American
Sheep Producers Coalition to meet in Canada. Queretaro is hosting the 8th
World Sheep and Wool Congress July 23-29th, 2007.
CSF Programs and
the Future
By Jennifer Fleming, Executive Director
Over the past two years, the Canadian sheep industry has
been overseeing the development and implementation of both the Food Safe
Farm Practices and Canadian Sheep Identification (CSIP) programs.
While no one argues the importance of these programs or the
need for our industry to implement them, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada is
expecting a lot by asking producers to pay to keep them going. At the same time, the fact that AAFC is
predicting lower than ever farm incomes in 2006- $875 million, down from $1.9 billion in 2005,[1]
leaves one shaking their head. The sheep industry in particular has experienced
an 18% decrease in farm cash receipts, falling from $100,864,000 in 2003 to
$85,426,000 in 2004.[2]
Is having
the federal government pay for programs such as On-Farm Food Safety, animal
identification and traceability the answer.
No. Should producers foot the
bill for programs that are deemed a public good? No.
Somewhere in the middle lies the answer but before we get there, we
really need to be able to understand what these programs are costing producers.
To help
answer that question, the CSF undertook a study to estimate the cost of the
CSIP to producers. Although there was a
lower than expected participation rate, the results that were given were
actually quite interesting.
While the
Canadian sheep industry ranks 73rd in the world in terms of sheep
inventory and 40th in terms of export value, our CSIP is more
advanced when compared to New Zealand and Australia, but less vigorous when
compared to EU member countries.
The study,
written by AgraPoint International, was based on respondents who indicated that
the average flock size was 131 breeding ewes and the average tag related costs
were $3.40 per ewe (for all tagging costs) and $2.40 per ewe for mandatory ID
tagging costs. These costs result in an additional annual cost per survey farm
of $446.03 for all tagging and $267.24 for mandatory tagging. This additional
expense is primarily labour costs associated with tag application and record
keeping but also includes tag costs, Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
(CCIA) database fees, CSF administration fee, applicator costs and handling
system cost.
As a
percentage of oval expenses, CSIP costs related to animal health and breeding
expenses were 0.25-.3 per cent.
On an
industry basis, the cost of the CSIP is estimated to be between $1,199,520 and
$1,999,200 per year. That being said, the total annual estimated benefit to
“due diligence” (disease and trade disruption mitigation) is $30.5 million, at
5 per cent benefit allocation to the CSIP the annual benefit is $1.525 million.
While the total annual estimated benefit to management (scrapie eradication,
value chain participation and production management) is $6.098 million, at 5
per cent benefit allocation to the CSIP the annual benefit is $304,900.
Under
current market conditions, there is little opportunity for producers to recover
CSIP related expenses from the commodity market.
In short,
the CSIP is primarily an industry “insurance” program with some opportunity for
revenue benefit, if the CSIP is leveraged for flock management and non-commodity
based production. It follows then, that enhancing the CSIP with RFID would be
expensive based on the ability of the ewe to generate income to pay for RFID
tags. Benefits from RFID for the sheep industry in the current production
environment may not be adequate to offset costs.
With this
in mind the CSF is cautious about any changes in the current CSIP program.
While the cattle industry is moving toward mandatory RFID, the CSF is concerned
that there is limited cost benefit moving in this direction. However there is clearly
indication that greater traceability for the livestock sector in Canada would
be seen as desirable by some. The CSF remains committed to the maintenance and development
of the CSIP program. Changes will only occur when there is a clear advantage
for the industry. We are committed to
the principal that if there is a public good to the program then the public
should contribute.
On-Farm Food Safety Update: Addressing Producer
Concerns Part 3: Time: Friend or Foe?
By
France Lanthier, On-Farm Food Safety Coordinator
In this
issue of From the Flock, I will take the opportunity to clarify some questions
I’ve encountered during producer information and training sessions. Please note that producer comments and
suggestions regarding the Food-Safe Farm Practices program are always welcomed
and appreciated.
Are
the Record forms going to change?
Perhaps… As producers start to use the Record forms
found in the Food-Safe Farm Practices manual it is possible that some of the
information requested will be deemed of little use or redundant. It is imperative that we keep in mind that
our food safety program’s producer manual has passed the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) technical
review. This milestone signifies that
the Canadian Sheep Federation’s food safety program is technically sound
according to the requirements established by the CFIA. This said, additional information will
not be requested from producers unless there is a change in provincial
or federal legislation. On the other
hand, the reduction of information requested cannot be done
unless there is strong evidence (ie. producers showing filled out records)
demonstrating that the information requested is excessive. So the short answer; the program will not
require more unless the law changes, but it will definitely not require less if
we do nothing between now and the time when it becomes mandatory.
Why
do producers need to get a veterinarians signature for products used extra or
off-label?
An animal
health product used in the following situations fall under the classification
of extra/off-label use:
·
Administered
to species that are not listed on the label;
·
Used
to treat diseases and conditions that are not listed on the label;
·
Used
at a different dosage than those stated on the label;
·
Administered
using a route, frequency, duration or timing of treatment not listed on the
label; or
·
Administered
to animals being shipped for slaughter before the stated withdrawal period.
The food
safety concern with the use of any animal health product is the risk of
residues in the animal’s tissues. When
an animal health product is being used in an extra/off-label manner, the risk
may be greater since there is no official recommendation provided by the
company producing the product.
The
Canadian Sheep Federation’s Food-Safe Farm Practices program states the
following;
A valid
patient/client/practitioner relationship with a veterinarian must exist prior
to the extra-label use of an animal health product.
What do
this mean in terms of program compliance?
This means that any product being used in a way that is not described on
the product label or product insert requires that the producer obtain a
veterinarian’s signature for recommendations on product use (dose, route of
administration, frequency) and withdrawal date, prior to use. The questions surrounding this requirement
are focused on the word “use”.
What does “use” mean? Is it use
with each animal, each time you use the product? Etc…
The
definition of use does not mean that a producer would be required to obtain
veterinary council each time the off-label product is used. If, for example, an animal health product
used off-label is administered to every lamb at lambing, then this could be
stipulated in the veterinarian’s instructions, or the scripture could be made
out to cover the whole lambing season.
Therefore 1 vet signature = use of a off-label product covered for whole
lambing season, and not one signature per animal the product is used on.
Why is this
important for producers? Any person using or prescribing the extra-label o off-label
use of an animal health product is subject to regulatory action if product
residues are found in human food.
While it is
recognised that it is a challenge for many sheep producers to obtain veterinary
council due to an array of reasons (geography, availability of vets for small
ruminant practices, costs…) it is deemed feasible, at this time, that producers
could obtain veterinary council for the use of off-label animal health
products, as required by the program.
Water
Quality: Why is it in the manual?
One of the
concerns expressed by producers and other members of our industry is the
following: If a good production practice
is only recommended why is it in the manual? Some have expressed that only mandatory
practices should figure in the manual.
Thus is the
case for the water quality section.
Why is
water quality in the manual?
Water quality is a major area of
concern in terms of food safety.
Chemical residues in water can be absorbed by livestock and end up in
the meat or milk. Residues of
chemicals in foods consumed by humans are controlled under the Canadian Food
and Drugs Act and Regulations administered by Health Canada. Any person found responsible for meat or milk containing chemical
residues product is subject to regulatory action if chemical residues are found
in human food.
Why is
water quality analysis only recommended and not mandatory?
Water quality guidelines, as
established by the Council of Resource and Environment Ministers
(now the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment [CCME]) in
1987 and then revised in 1993, were adopted from various jurisdictions when
they were considered appropriate for Canadian conditions. The guidelines that were developed more
recently, even though they are better supported, still suffer from the absence
of an established and approved formalized protocol. Water analysis is potentially very
costly. While it is true that the only
method to assure adequate water quality is to have a water quality analysis
performed, this is not legislated.
Producers
should be aware to the surroundings of their livestock operation. It is recommended in the Canadian Sheep
Federation’s Food-Safe Farm Practices program
that water quality be monitored though testing on a yearly basis or on
an as-needed basis. Due to the lack of
legislative enforcement on this issue, the Canadian Sheep Federation has opted
to rely on producer’s good judgment rather than make a potentially costly test
mandatory.
So I
ask again, Time… Friend or Foe? In the
case of the Food-Safe Farm
Practices program, I say Friend. As an
industry we are currently in a situation where we have a CFIA approved food
safety program and no industry pressure to implement it. This gives us time to work with the program
and iron out any potential challenges and perhaps even errors (Yes indeed, we
all make them!!!). This is a better
situation than having an unapproved program and an industry that demands
it. With this in mind, I encourage
producers to start learning about, and implementing the program.
With
the advent of various agricultural programs, some mandatory and stringent, many
producers feel trapped and as though their opinions and efforts are not being
valued or considered. This does not have
to be the case with the food safety program in the sheep industry. We have time… we can use it or let it pass us
by. I encourage our producers, our
industry to get on the train.
Quebec leads in
sheep for first time
by Mark Cardwell
Source: AgriSuccess Express
As curling goes, so goes sheep production in Quebec. Just days after the provincial
men's team ended a decades-long drought at the national curling championship by
beating Ontario in the final to win the Brier, the province's sheep producers
learned that they, too, recently overtook Ontario to become Canada's leading
producers of sheep and lambs.
"It's an historic moment for our industry," said Marie-Ève Tremblay,
an agro-economist and interim general manager of the Fédération des producteurs
d'agneaux et moutons du Québec.
Tremblay was referring to Statistics Canada numbers for January, which
estimated the number of head of lambs and sheep in Quebec to be 255,000. That
was 25,000 more the number in Ontario and 100,000 more than Alberta.
Like in curling, Ontario and Alberta have long been the perennial champions in
Canadian sheep production. Quebec, however, has been closing the gap in recent
years.
According to Tremblay, the main reason has been the stabilizing effect that
revenue-subsidy programs have had on the industry in Quebec. "There's been
a big boom since the early 1990s," said Tremblay. "The number
of both producers and animals has tripled since then." She added that the
lamb and sheep federation now has about 1,000 members, most of which are
located in the hilly but pasture-rich Lower St. Lawrence and Estrie regions.
Another reason for the industry's growth has been an increase in consumer
demand in Quebec. The main market is Montreal, which has large numbers of
immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East, where lamb and sheep
consumption is high.
But Tremblay said other people in Quebec are now eating more lamb as well.
She credits that increase to a shift away from traditional cuts of
stronger-tasting ewes to more tender cuts of lamb. That explains, she added,
the strong demand for "heavy" lamb of between
100-110 kgs. Together, Quebec and Ontario accounted for roughly half of the
919,000
sheep and lamb across Canada in January.
Scrapie Programs
from Around the World: Getting the Broader Perspective
In light of the irreversible damage resulting from the BSE crisis,
sheep industries throughout the world are recognizing the importance of
planning ahead when it comes to animal health and global trade. Countries like
Canada, the US, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, France, and
Iceland have all developed national initiatives to prevent, control and
eliminate Scrapie- the most costly disease facing sheep industries worldwide.
Over the next few issues of From the Flock, Scrapie programs from around the
world will be reviewed, highlighting the steps individual nations are taking to
eradicate this threatening disease. This
issue will focus on the Scrapie program initiated by England, Wales, and
Scotland.
A joint effort of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Departments for Great Britain, the National Scrapie Plan (NSP) of England,
Wales and Scotland was launched on July 19, 2001. The NSP has been designed to control and
eradicate Transmissible Spongiform Encepholopathies (TSEs) from the national
flock through genotyping and selective breeding using rams shown to be
genetically resistant to the disease.
Over time, the NSP aims to increase the prevalence of the
‘ARR’ allele, which is the gene known to be highly resistant to scrapie and
TSEs in general. Farms with both purebred and commercial flocks can join the
program, but regulated controls must be put into place to ensure the integrity
of the purebred flock.
At least 40 sheep must be tested per sample visit. All stock rams are genotyped, together with a
proportion of ram lambs. If the total of
stock rams is fewer than 40, additional ram lambs and/ or ewes may also be
tested to make the total up to 40. Once
a farm is participating in the program and breeding using sheep with resistant
genotypes, a proportion of the ram lambs are tested annually.
What is unique about the NSP is that there are numerous
schemes and initiatives that farmers can choose to follow- 10 in total- working
towards a healthier and genetically stronger flock.
And if flock health improvement is not incentive enough to
join, the EU has actually made it the law!
As of April 1, 2005, the EU legislated that all registered purebred
flocks are required to participate in a Scrapie genotyping breeding program, in
one form or another. This decision is based on evidence from the European
Commission’s Scientific Steering Committee, which supported pro-active control
and eradication of scrapie- recommending breeding towards resistance as a way
to maintain national animal health and access to the global marketplace.
The program seems to be a success. In its 5 short years in existence, over one
million samples have already been drawn and analyzed. It is estimated that there are over 40,000
purebred flocks throughout England, Wales and Scotland that could potentially
apply to the program. For more information on the National Scrapie Plan, please
see the following website:
www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/othertses/scrapie/nsp/index.html
Sheep's milk
yogurt
Source: Marcie Fraser, news10now.com/content/health/healthy_living/?ArID=62518
Over
the last 10 years, the health benefits from yogurt have become more popular.
Yogurt is generally made from a cow's milk, but today, we are talking sheep.
About 1,200 sheep call the 600-acre Old Chatham Sheepherding Company home. It's
the largest sheep dairy farm and one of the first to make sheep's milk products
in the U.S.
Owner
Nancy Clark tends to every part of the business and maybe that's why her yogurt
and cheese have won awards. Clark said, "Sheep milk is the original yogurt
that was made in the mountains centuries ago." Comparing cow's milk to
sheep's milk, there is no added sugar, sheep produce a thicker milk so there's
no need for stabilizers, and the nutritional value is higher. "Forty-eight
percent more protein. It has 38 percent more calcium than cow's milk,"
explained Clark.
Twice
a day, the sheep head into the electronic milking stations. The head is secured
while the sheep grazes. Utters are cleaned, inflations are attached, and the
pump does the work. It takes 30 minutes and each ewe produces about one and
half quarts of milk.
The
milk is then taken to refrigeration tanks, then to pasteurization vats where
cultures are added. Next the yogurt cup fillers do their thing and they are
ready to go. They make three different types -- plain, ginger and maple. You
can taste the richness of it. It does have more fat content compared to other
yogurts, but it is the good fat.Clark said the benefits are how the good fat is
digested, "These go directly to the liver and going directly to the tissue
in the liver is what you need for energy and your body to operate."
By comparing sheep's milk to cow's milk, sheep's milk has
double the amount of protein, 50 percent more calcium and iron, it's higher in
vitamin A, D, C, E and B and has less salt.
Composting may be the best option for dealing with sheep losses
By Wendy Sweeter, www.theprairiestar.com/articles/2006/03/17/ag_news/livestock/live16.txt
Current research at South Dakota State University's Sheep Unit may yield a
solution to sheep producers dealing with how to get rid of their sheep losses.
SDSU sheep researcher Jay Daniel started conducting research on composting
sheep at the Sheep Unit in October 2004. Since most rendering companies will
not pick up sheep carcasses in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa or Minnesota,
Daniel thought composting may be an answer for sheep producers.
“We had some sheep that died and we also get all of the offal from the sheep
from the meat lab because their renderer won't take it,” Daniel said. “We had
historically had a lot of predation problems because we were using a pit to
dispose of them and feeding a lot of coyotes. And then when we ran out of dead
stuff for them to eat, they started eating live sheep.”
In order to compost in South Dakota, producers
need to contact the Animal Industry Board in Pierre, S.D., to get approval.
According to Jeff Wild, Nebraska Department of Agriculture investigator and
composting program manager, producers do not need to have a license to compost
in his state.
In South Dakota and most surrounding states, producers can burn, bury, render
or compost their livestock losses. In South Dakota, dead animals need to be
disposed of within 36 hours, unless a producer composts, then it is 24 hours.
At SDSU, Daniel has composted some whole sheep carcasses, a lot of offal from
SDSU's meat lab, lambs and placentas. Producers are not allowed to compost if
the animal died of a communicable disease. “Usually if we compost them we know
what they died from,” Daniel said. “If we had something die from an unknown
cause, we send it to the diagnostic lab to find out what it died from.”
In SDSU's research, they take temperatures on their compost piles daily to get
some usable data. Daniel believes for producers, taking the temperature daily
until the pile reaches 130 to 140 degrees and then weekly until it comes back
down is sufficient.
“If you don't get it to 130 or 140 degrees, a lot of disease-causing organisms
will really stay around and you1ll have more odor problems too. The 130-140
degrees reduces most pathogens and it kills most viable weed seeds too,” he
said.
In Daniel's experiments, he has used open piles
of ground hay and loose hay. The ground hay heated a little better than the
loose hay but the loose hay still got hot enough.
“They were open piles and we did notice some problems with some animals digging
in and scavenging. We think it's mostly skunks because we trapped several
skunks out,” Daniel said. “We decided you do need sides.”
They also conducted experiments using wooden pallets and old tenderfoot for
sides. Daniel liked the tenderfoot better because it let a lot of air move
through, they did not need to worry about rotting and animals could not get
into the pile.
“We were worried that it's metal that it might keep it too cold and we never
really ran into any problems with that. The tenderfoot heated up just as well
as the wood sides did,” he said.
Daniel says composting is a good option for sheep producers because it is a way
to get rid of the carcasses in an environmentally-friendly way. It is also
relatively inexpensive, avoids problems with predators and reduces the spread
of disease.
“It's a more environmentally-friendly way to dispose of them than say
incineration. Burial sounds pretty simple, but there's a lot of concern for
contaminating water with burial,” Daniel said.
Eat wool to keep skin youthful - NZ company
By Kent Atkinson,
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3611464a3600,00.html
A New Zealand company wants to see people eating wool to keep skin young-looking.
The farmer-owned biotech company Karatec Ltd, based at
Lincoln near Christchurch, designs and manufactures keratin-based biomaterials
from the wool of selected flocks of New Zealand sheep.
Keratin is a structural protein that is a main
constituent in skin, hair and nails, and is normally not soluble.
The company has developed a method of extracting up to
800g of keratin from each 1kg of wool in a soluble, digestible form by
separating wool fibres into their constituent parts without destroying the
protein strands.
The company will launch the products next week at an
expo in Arnaheim, California. One of the products is for rubbing on the skin
surface, and the other is to be taken.
The products are expected to help cosmetics companies
diversify into the dietary supplement or "nutriceutical" sector and
companies already working in dietary supplements move into skin care.
Keratec, effectively owned by 12,000 farmers through
Wool Equities Ltd, is hoping it can help companies develop anti-ageing solutions,
consisting of both a topical and an oral element.
It said that the protein fraction being marketed as
Cynergy TK contained copper and zinc, which had roles in promoting healthy
skin, and it contained enzymatic antioxidants superoxide dismutase and glutathione-dependent
peroxidase, recognised free-radical scavengers.
According to Keratec, Cynergy can improve skin
elasticity, hydration and skin cell antioxidant activity, and the availability
of a natural, bioactive, renewable single-product range "changes the
game" for beauty products.
The company launched its first dietary supplement
containing keratin, Cynatine FLX, using a fraction of the protein with an amino
acid profile the company said tests showed had a role in joint health.
Keratec's executive in charge of business development,
Fertram Sigurjonsson, said that 2006 was an important year for the company,
which said last year that it needed $2 million to pursue its strategic plan for
the 2005/06 year.
"We are rapidly changing from being a research
and development company over to being a marketing company, and this is a
crucial year for that transition," he said.
But he said the company was continuing
to extract its own keratin from New Zealand wool at its factory at Lincoln. The
intellectual property involved was partly protected because it is "black
boxed" – outsiders did not get to see critical parts of the technology.
Lamb industry
heads for a new world
By Marius Cumming, National sheep and
wool writer - Australia
SOURCE:
Extract from report in Stock & Land, Vic, March 30.
Long-term
supply contracts, more specialist breeders, more grow out and finishing
facilities and a reduction in saleyard or auction selling - that's the coming
new world for lamb.
The pork and chicken industries have certainly headed down this path and our
lamb sector is evolving in this way, too. The important question about the
future structure of our industries has been asked by the Australian Farm
Institute through a research report compiled by ACIL Tasman consultants.
Report author, Mark Barber says the lamb industry is indeed likely to see a
significant change in its structure along these lines as producers look to
differentiate their product and retailers look to sure up supply and quality.
For example, lamb feedlots and finishing systems are becoming more widespread. And
to make a committed change along these lines, producers are seeking long term
price contracts with processors. Processors themselves are looking to guarantee
a certain quality and quantity, so in some instances the development suits both
parties.
Lamb exports to
Japan and US break more records
Source: www.mla.com.au.
Australia exported 1108 tonnes (dressed) of
lamb to Japan during February – a record volume for that month, up a whopping
131pc above the same period last year.
And Australian lamb exporters shipped a record 4294t to the US during February
– 11pc above year ago levels. The high export volumes so early in the year give
a strong indication that Australia is on track to achieve its forecast 12,500t
of lamb exports to Japan in 2006.
The result builds on a strong performance, with exports to Japan in the
calendar year to February up 129pc. Chilled lamb continued to be Japan's
product of choice, making up 63pc of total exports for the month, at 703t.The
high export volumes are noteworthy given the traditional peak consumption
period for lamb in Japan is summertime, which falls mid-year in Japan.
In recent years, demand seasonality has seen lamb exports exceed 1000t in
mid-year months, when Japanese importers cater for the barbecue season.
However, it seems Japan’s taste for lamb has developed so that many Japanese
consumers are no longer able to wait for summer, with lamb now being consumed
in a wider variety of dishes.
Meanwhile in the US, the high tonnage is mainly in response to this year’s late
Easter (14–17 April).
This year, exports could be concentrated in the month of February rather than
be divided between the second half of January and the first half of February,
and still arrive on US shelves prior to the high lamb consumption period of
Easter. Australian exports to the US in the first two months of 2006 are
roughly on par with year ago levels, at 6880t.
Following last year's record lamb exports to the US – up 27pc on 2004 levels,
to reach 40,700t – export growth in 2006 is expected to be moderate. Meat and
Livestock Australia has forecast that shipments will increase 6pc in 2006, to
reach 43,000t.
The expectation of slower export growth in 2006 is due to three main reasons:
little expansion in Australian lamb supplies; increased competition from NZ in
the US; and a likely reduction in prices for imported lamb in the US (due to
higher NZ and US supplies and the increasing disparity between lamb prices and
other meats in the US).
Another factor that could further impact on Australian exports in the coming
year is the prevailing drought conditions in Texas, which contains 17pc of the
US sheep flock, and surrounding states.
If conditions fail to improve, US lamb production has the potential to increase
prematurely, thwarting efforts of producers in drought affected areas to
rebuild flocks.
LAMB
LOBBY IN EUROPE
Source:
http://www.meatnews.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Article&artNum=11342
EUROPE/AUSTRALIA: Australian
sheep processors and farmers call for greater access to E.U. markets.
Representatives of Australia’s 42,000 sheep farmers are in
Brussels this week to lobby for greater access to the consumer markets of the
European Union.
They are complaining that the annual quota of 18,650 metric
tons allocated to Australia under the E.U. sheep-meat regime compares with an
allocation of 226,700 metric tons to New Zealand. Australia and New Zealand
accounted for well over 90 percent of all mutton and lamb imported into the
European Union last year.
The Australian farmers said they do not have the target of
taking away from sales of New Zealand lamb, or to erode the market share held
by European sheep meat producers. Rather, they see instead an opportunity for
their product to compete against chicken and pork for a share of Euro expenditures
on meat.
Ian Feldtmann, a sheep farmer with 3,000 ewes in Victoria,
who holds the presidency of the Sheep Meat Council of Australia, is heading up
the delegation visiting Brussels. He said that any success in gaining increased
E.U. market access would be followed by moves to work with European sheep
industry organizations on the generic promotion of lamb within E.U. target
countries, for the benefit of all concerned. In this respect the Sheep Meat
Council of Australia would seek to repeat a line of action that it has already
followed in the United States, Feldtmann said.
Joint
promotional activities with the National Sheep Association in the United States
have been successful in securing extra sales by winning the support of
influential chefs. This strategy created a boost in demand that has prompted
some major U.S. grocery chains to re-assess their policy and devote more shelf
space to selling lamb, until then a product that was hard to find in many
American supermarkets.
Feldtmann
said that one such chain has since observed that sales of the meat provide a
valuable indicator for its business. The people who buy lamb are often the
store’s best customers, in that they also tend to spend more than average on
their other purchases.
NEW BSE-LIKE
SCRAPIE STRAIN IN FRANCE
Source:
Bryan Salvage,
www.meatnews.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Article&artNum=11254
In France,
veterinary authorities have detected an atypical form of scrapie in two sheep.
The authorities said that the form of the disease is different from other cases
of the disease they had observed. Samples have been sent to experts at the
European disease laboratory in Weybridge, United Kingdom, for further tests.
The French
veterinarians said that after initial tests, the form of the disease also
showed characteristics different from classical scrapie and bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE), another prion-based brain-destroying disease. The
agriculture ministry of France said the tests will be confirmed through tests
on mice, which will take about one year to complete.
In the United
Kingdom, the British Food Standards Agency has been discussing further findings
by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee over the presence of
atypical scrapie in sheep. The SEAC findings show that this new variant of
scrapie is distinguishable from both classical scrapie and BSE.
SEAC
concluded: “There is no evidence to date that atypical scrapie can infect
humans, although theoretical risk cannot be excluded.”
“The Food
Standards Agency has always been open about the uncertainty surrounding the
possible risk of BSE and other brain diseases in sheep,” said Dr Alison
Gleadle, head of the FSA’s Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Division.
“Emerging evidence and expert opinion is pointing to more uncertainty. Much
more work is needed before we can form a clearer picture of what, if any, risk
there might be to people. While FSA advice remains that they are not advising
people to stop eating sheep or goat meat or products, this issue will be
discussed thoroughly by our Board and kept under review as evidence emerges.”
Johanns says
traceability is becoming a critical trade issue
Source: John
Gregerson, Meatingplace.com
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns told members of the
National Cattlemen's Beef Association that the difficulty of tracing the origin
and history of U.S. livestock underscores the need for a national animal
identification system.
"It is critical that the United States, like other nations, have this in
their trade arsenal," he said. "Australia is aggressively marketing
traceability to gain an advantage. Competitors are out there saying, 'We've got
I.D. They don't.'"
Johanns said USDA still plans to have full participation in a national
identification system by 2009, but emphasized he shares NCBA's desire to
achieve participation voluntarily rather than by government mandate.
Current NCBA policy calls for voluntary, market-driven participation in an
industry-led animal database that protects confidential information.
"Our hope, which I think is the same as yours, is to bring the system
along and hit the benchmarks on a voluntary basis," Johanns said.
"But I just think it's going to be absolutely necessary. Because of the
retail market and foreign competition, nobody can afford to be left
behind."
http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=15738
Sheep and goat NLIS tagging set to begin
Source: http://www.farmonline.com.au/news_daily.asp?ag_id=33232
The roll-out of the National Livestock
Identification System for sheep and goats is about to hit full swing as autumn
lambing gets under way. The NSW Department of Primary Industries is urging
producers to be prepared for tagging all lambs born during this autumn. NSW DPI
NLIS (sheep and goats) co-ordinator, Bill O'Halloran, says sheep and goat
producers' responsibilities under NLIS are simple and involve only two main
requirements - tag 2006 drop lambs and kids and keep a copy of movement
paperwork.
"All sheep and goats born on or after 1 January 2006 must be fitted with a
NLIS tag before they are sent to a saleyard or another property," Mr
O’Halloran said. "The NLIS system uses visually readable ear tags printed
with a property identification code (PIC). Electronic tags can be used as an
option as long as the PIC is printed on them.
"In NSW NLIS tags are not required to have the NLIS logo and are not
required to be a specific colour. "However, it is strongly recommended
that producers use approved NLIS tags that will have the logo on them." The NSW Farmers' Association also supports
this recommendation.
"Producers are also advised to use year of birth colour system,
particularly in instances when stock may be traded interstate," Mr
O'Halloran said.
Sheep shearing via phone may ring true in the future
Shearing sheep in the future could be as easy as dialling
a number on your mobile phone. Researchers at the University of South Australia
are looking for a bioactive substance which would cause wool fibres to break
simultaneously at a predetermined time.
The new method of alternative shearing is still a few
years away but researcher Michelle Hebard says the possibilities are endless. "The
animals would receive an implant, this may be in the ear at tagging time,"
she said. "That implant would contain a bioactive which would be activated
through the mobile."You would just simply dial a certain number, that
would then release the active over a period of perhaps a week and that active
would then cause that window of weakness."
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2006/s1612711.htm
Sheep tag system
labelled a joke
Source: Beth Johnston, http://www.farmonline.com.au/news_daily.asp?ag_id=33269
It has been a case of easier said than done with
the January 1 mandatory deadline for the sheep National Livestock
Identification System. The Western Australian legislation to make NLIS for
sheep mandatory is still in the parliamentary process with no sign of when it
will be given the all clear.
The January deadline has come and gone and although it is a requirement for
sheep to be correctly tagged, those who do not comply cannot be prosecuted.
Some agents have labelled the sheep NLIS a joke, citing that not all sheep
going through the sale yards have the required tags.
Agriculture Department NLIS sheep executive officer, Julian Gardner, says the
department has no power to prosecute those who did not comply with the NLIS
regulations. "We've asked people to implement NLIS as on January 1, but
the legislation is held up in Parliament so we are going a little soft at the
moment, purely because we don't have the legislative back-up," Mr Gardner
said.
He says in WA there will not be a huge change to current practices, but it is a
massive issue in the eastern states because there has been virtually no
identification system in place. Mr Gardner says WA could have a few people who
are not using the pink tags, which are required in the opposite ear of year
colour tags when a new buyer purchases sheep.
"There are always a few hiccups with these things and some people who will
grumble, but it is background noise really," Mr Gardner said.
Tough times loom for sheep, beef farmers
A COMBINATION of factors will see sheep and beef farmers nationwide
experiencing some tougher than usual times this year, and the impact will be
starting to be felt now. Meat and Wool New Zealand's executive director of
economic services Rob Davison said there are several contributing reasons for
the gloomy forecast.
"Basically the lamb
prices are down on expectations we had up to December last year. It's a
combination of factors, like markets in Europe coming off their peak and the
high prices last year masking the high New Zealand dollar. Last year we started
low and ended high and this year we've started high and gone down. Lambskin
prices have also dropped and freezing work costs gone up as they face higher
charges because of holiday pay legislation. "It's a combination of a lot of things
coming together like that." He said
farmers are looking at an eight per cent drop in revenue at the farm gate from
last year, which in dollars equates to $525 million less than last year. This means farmers will have to re-evaluate
budgets for the year and defer repair and maintenance work.
"That will have a flow-on
effect into provincial New Zealand," he said. There are certain things,
like rates and animal husbandry, that can't be put off, and the cost of those
coupled with the falling income translates to a drop of about 33 per cent in
farm profit before tax.
Wairarapa farmer and stock
agent Dick Chamberlain agreed, and said the situation is getting pretty dire
for farmers here in Wairarapa. "They're down 20 per cent on income from
lamb prices last year, coupled with a dry period. Today a 16kg lamb is worth
$45-46, last year it was worth $65." He said the recent lack of rain isn't helping
matters. "It wouldn't be so bad if
we could get some rain, then there would be a light at the end of the tunnel,
but we keep getting these dry southerlies and it's compounding."
He said the cropping farmers
who traditionally buy a lot of store lambs planted feed crops but as there has
been no substantial rainfall the crops have suffered, so farmers aren't in a
good position to buy lambs. Added to these problems are the issues of rising
fuel prices and rates and the grocery and power bills everybody faces. He said
people might think it's just farmers complaining, but that is not the case.
"Nobody who earns wages would like to have a 20-30 per cent wage decrease,
and have the costs still go on."
USDA
program introduces nationwide database for livestock
Knight-Ridder , Tribune
Jeff DeMoss, Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah
BRIGHAM CITY -- The National Animal Identification System is, according to this
story, an effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and industry groups to
establish a nationwide database of all livestock production locations, and
eventually monitor individual animals.
Officials were cited as saying the system will help trace diseases to their
exact source faster and more efficiently, and will help with any issue where
the nation's livestock could be in jeopardy.
The young program, which USDA hopes to have fully operational in 2009, is being
implemented in three phases. The first phase, currently under way, involves
establishing a database of all premises that raise domestic livestock.
Once that is accomplished, the agency will begin identifying individual animals
and groups. The final phase involves the actual tracking of animals. Jim
Rogers, spokesman for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in
Washington, D.C., was quoted as saying, "The goal is to essentially do
what FedEx does with a package. Rather than following a paper trail of farm
records, we're talking about a database that could be accessed instantly."
Rogers said the database will be run by a private entity, but accessible only
to relevant state and national government agencies. Terry Menlove, animal
identification coordinator for the Utah Department of Agriculture, was cited as
saying Utah is ahead of most states in the first phase of the NAIS and that the
department has issued premise identification numbers to about 7,100 ranches and
other livestock locations statewide. The total number of registrations for the
voluntary program could range from 20,000 to 80,000, he said.
[1] Journal
Pioneer (Summerside) Saturday February 11, 2006
[2]
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 21-011
