Here’s a look at the latest company news headlines in the pork industry.
AGCO’s AP Brand Wins AE50 Award for New Feed System
AP, the swine equipment brand of AGCO, has won an AE50 award for its new Flex-Flo XD ULTRA Unloader feed system.
The award was bestowed by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, an educational and scientific organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food and biological systems.
Introduced in June 2021, the Flex-Flo XD ULTRA Unloader offers a 50% larger boot to minimize feed bridging events, a fiberglass-filled wear plate for four times more wear resistance, efficient and cost-effective feed delivery and durable housing with less corrosion, a release said.
USDA and Boehringer Ingelheim Expand Summer Research Opportunities for Veterinary Students
Boehringer Ingelheim and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are joining forces to offer veterinary students the opportunity to research diseases that could affect livestock and public health, according to a release. The collaboration expands the Boehringer Ingelheim-led Veterinary Scholars Program, which has provided stipends to more than 3,500 veterinary students in the last 30 years to pursue biomedical research.
Up to 12 students will have the opportunity to spend the summer at one of nine USDA sites working with an ARS scientist on a research project in livestock infectious diseases. Boehringer Ingelheim and USDA will cover all costs for the students, including a monthly stipend and costs associated with traveling to and from their schools to the USDA centers.
USDA’s funding for the program is part of the Agrosecurity Partnerships for Innovative Research, or ASPIRE platform, which aims to stimulate the entire bio and agro-defense research sector through strategic partnerships. The goal is to enhance relationships with national and international veterinary schools by providing their students with collaborative research opportunities in ARS’s specialized facilities.
“The next generation of scientists tasked with protecting the agricultural industry and the U.S. food supply will need a broad array of expertise because we don’t know what the next global disease will be,” Alfonso Clavijo, DVM, NBAF director, said in a release. “By offering students experiences in biocontainment facilities, the U.S. can help develop veterinarians and prepare the nation for a multitude of animal and zoonotic diseases.”
After spending the summer conducting research and learning from USDA scientists, students will present their work at the annual National Veterinary Scholars Symposium, to be hosted in 2022 by the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine in St. Paul, Minn.
Zinpro Corporation Honored by Minnesota Chapter of National Alliance on Mental Illness
Zinpro Corporation received the Employer of the Year award from the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in November, capping a year full of education for its employees.
“The global pandemic has created new pressures and stresses for all of us, yet many people don’t know where to turn for help,” Zinpro President and Chief Executive Officer Rob Sheffer said in a release. “We are grateful for the incredible learning resources and partnership we have received from NAMI, which help us serve our global team by raising awareness and providing education about mental health.”
Sheffer explained that because Zinpro’s mission is to achieve better health and wellbeing for animals and people, the focus on mental wellness is a natural fit.
“For many of us in the agriculture industry, talking openly about mental health can feel a bit uncomfortable,” he said in a release. “Thanks to the support of our owners, we will continue working to remove the stigma associated with talking about mental illness, so we can be there for our team, our families and our communities when they need it most.”
Over the past year, Zinpro has engaged in an education campaign aimed at employees, offering a webinar series and online resources, the company said. Additionally, Zinpro equipped its sales team with mental health resources specifically for farmers, who have historically dealt with extreme pressures brought on by drought, flooding and fluctuating market dynamics.
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