Kansas

How Will U.S. Producers Maintain Business when New World Screwworm Invades?

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 19:59:33 GMT

With animal disease, prevention and preparation beat panic. Since New World screwworm (NWS) was last eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s, the tools and infrastructure to deal with foreign animal disease have dramatically changed.

Dr. Justin Smith, Kansas animal health commissioner and state veterinarian, during the recent Kansas State University Cattlemen’s Day gave an update on how Kansas and other states are preparing for NWS. The approach is designed to keep producers in business, keep cattle and products moving, and manage NWS in a way that protects both herds and markets.

He says the U.S. animal health officials along with USDA are planning a multistate, coordinated response that aims for consistency across state borders.

Smith summarizes the industry’s preparation to tackle NWS is like a three-legged stool. U.S. producers will be able to maintain business when NWS invades through surveillance, treatment and movement controls.

Surveillance: Eyes on Animals

The first leg of the stool is surveillance. He stresses early detection depends heavily on producers and veterinarians watching animals closely and reporting anything suspicious.

Smith emphasizes they would rather over investigate than miss a case.

“We want to make sure that we err on the side of having to say no on many occasions, versus saying, ‘Yep, this is what we got.’ Eyes on animals is going to be key.”

He was clear this should feel like partnership, not policing.

“They don’t want it to look like Big Brother coming over your shoulder,” he explains. “I hope we want to get this thing quickly.”

Smith explains that once a positive premises is identified, surveillance becomes structured around zones. The infested premises sit at the center, surrounded by an infested zone, an adjacent surveillance zone and a broader fly surveillance area.

The infested zone is 12.4 miles in radius from the infested premises. In this zone, there will be frequent on‑animal checks for wounds and larvae, plus enhanced monitoring in surrounding zones using fly traps and animal observation. The adjacent surveillance zone is another 12.4 miles radius and then there will be a fly surveillance area — an 124-mile radius from the infested premises.

Smith says movements out of the infested zone will require visual inspection for wounds and systemic treatment, including a treatment window of three to 14 days before movement plus a documented certificate of veterinary inspection.

He says the current Kansas response plan aligns with USDA’s playbook and neighboring states’ plans while taking into account specific needs of the Kansas livestock industry.

He stresses the playbook will continue to evolve, and state-by-state implementation may vary, but he says the “zone approach” will be utilized by all states.

Treatment: Limited Tools, Use Strategically

The second leg is treatment. Smith says that after decades without large domestic outbreaks, labeled options are limited.

From the fact that we haven’t had this new tool in our nation, in a large-spread outbreak since the 60s, we don’t have a lot of treatments out there that are labeled for this organism.”

To date, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four products for large animals:

He cautions, “The goal is not to go out there and just habitually treat your animals just in case. We want to make sure that we’re utilizing these [products] responsibly. There’s not an unlimited supply out there, and so we want to make sure that it’s available for us when we do need it.”

On a positive premises, Smith says treatment will be mandatory and systematic.

“There will be a quarantine placed on that premises. We’re also going to require a certain level of treatment on that premises,” he explains.

There will be protocols for daily mortality disposal, so carcasses don’t become breeding sites.

“The last thing you want to do is bury an animal that has larvae and has the ability to advance.”

He says treatment is also tied to movement out of infested zones, with most animals needing prophylactic treatment before leaving.

Movement Controls: Targeted, Not Statewide Shutdowns

The third leg is movement control, designed to be precise rather than broad-brush. Smith stresses NWS is an infestation, not an infection , emphasizing it is not a systemic disease problem, but an infestation that still demands strong controls.

He says there will be movement restrictions if a premises falls into an infested region. To move animals out of that zone, there will be steps to follow but movement will not be completely shut down.

He explains some exceptions exist:

Animals moving directly to slaughter can go without pre‑movement treatment, but those animals have to be hanging on the rail within 72 hours.
Baby dairy calves must be treated but can move right away if treatment and navel care are documented.

He says Kansas is also coordinating with neighboring states to create “synergistic” rules, especially for cattle from higher‑risk states such as Texas. Cattle entering Kansas from recognized infested zones will face inspection, treatment requirements and at least 14 days in drylot containment on arrival.

NWS is Not a Food Safety Issue

Smith reassures producers and consumers that NWS is not a meat safety threat.

“This is not a food safety issue,” he says. “If an animal is presented to slaughter, it has a screwworm wound then it has the ability to be trimmed. That carcass will not be condemned. There are no restrictions on any inspected product for food safety reasons.”

Smith summarizes underpinning all three legs is a commitment to dynamic planning and continuity. He notes a revised USDA playbook is forthcoming and that “plans will be a little bit dynamic” as they learn more.

The core message for producers is clear: watch your cattle, report early, use treatments wisely and expect targeted movement controls — not blanket shutdowns — if NWS crosses the border.

USDA Announces Sterile Fly Production Facility Construction Contract

USDA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced March 9 a construction contract with Mortenson Construction to build a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas.

This facility is a key component in U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ sweeping 5-prong strategy to fight NWS. USACE is partnering with USDA and will provide oversight for the contract, design, engineering and construction of the facility.

“The Army Corps of Engineers is an essential partner in bringing this facility to life and further highlights the Trump Administration’s government-wide effort to fight the New World Screwworm threat in Mexico,” Rollins says. “The Army Corps is the best in the business and their engineering expertise and proven track record in delivering complex projects will help ensure we can build a modern, resilient facility that protects American agriculture from invasive pests for decades to come. This first-of-its-kind facility on U.S. soil will ensure we are not reliant on other countries for sterile flies.”

A sterile fly production facility is a specialized biosecure complex where NWS flies are raised and sterilized using irradiation and then released into targeted areas.

USDA currently produces about 100 million sterile flies per week at the COPEG facility in Panama and disperses them within and just north of affected areas in Mexico. In addition to the COPEG facility in Panama, USDA invested $21 million to support Mexico’s renovation of an existing fruit fly facility in Metapa , which will double NWS production capacity once complete.

With ongoing support from APHIS technical experts, Mexico anticipates sterile fly production will begin at this facility in summer 2026. The new facility at Moore Air Base will be the only U.S.-based sterile fly production facility and will work in tandem with facilities in Panama and Mexico to help eradicate the pest and protect American agriculture.

USDA and USACE will break ground on this new facility later this spring, after initial planning and development meetings with the new contractor. By November 2027, the production facility at Moore Air Base is expected to reach its initial goal of producing 100 million sterile flies per week. After that, construction will continue at the facility to increase production with the long-term goal of producing 300 million sterile flies per week.

K-State Duo Goodband and Tokach Reflect on 30 Years of Swine Industry Impact

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:20:22 GMT

For 30 years, Bob Goodband and Mike Tokach have been in neighboring offices at Kansas State University .

“We had been across the hall from each other for about 20 years, and then Bob tried to move away from me,” Tokach laughs. “He moved to a new office down the hall. When the office opened up across from him, I moved to that office so I could bug him again.”

As the pair approach retirement in January 2026 from legendary careers serving the pork industry through research, teaching and outreach on the K-State swine team, they admit it’s going to be difficult to say goodbye to their hallway conversations and discussions.

“I definitely am going to miss being able to interact with Bob and ask him questions,” Tokach says. “Now who will I yell at about how he’s handling a particular situation?”

In all seriousness, Goodband and Tokach have compiled incredible results during their tenure. It would be easy for them to boast about the thousands of research reports, scientific journal articles, book chapters and Extension articles they’ve written. They could brag about all the money they’ve received from research grants and gifts, the patents they hold, the invited lectures they’ve led, and more.

But that’s not who they are.

In their eyes, it’s always been about one thing: the people, especially the students. The research was not just about solving problems for producers, though it did; it was about building students and the next generation of swine industry leaders.

Elevating Excellence in the Pork Industry

“My personal satisfaction has been watching the students develop,” Goodband says. “When they come in as a green masters or Ph.D. student, what they’re able to do and how they evolve in their specific areas have really moved the program forward. It’s been through them that the great research projects have been developed and have taken off.”

Tokach agrees and says it’s hard to pinpoint one research project or advancement that stands out the most. Every project and each student helped move the industry forward in some way.

“For every student, the research they were involved in was extremely pivotal and important in their careers,” Tokach says. “When I think about some of the major themes or areas that we had a big play in, early in our career, it was in nursery pig nutrition. We helped develop some of the first trials with plasma and blood cells and those technologies.”

He’s amazed by how many aspects of the industry have evolved over 30 years.

“Rodger Main’s work was one that was very fun to watch, because you could see how it moved in the industry,” Tokach says. “I won’t forget watching the average wean age, off of Pig Champ or MetaFarm records at the time, and seeing how wean age moved after that research became public and hit the industry.”

He points out that the most recent work Abigail Jenkins published on the number of pigs that a sow can actually handle based on her number of functional teats as a great example of how research can be implemented quickly on farms to start making a difference.

Secret to the Swine Team’s Success

“We’ve been so fortunate to work with high-quality people — producers, colleagues and students,” Goodband says. “We remember how it was when we were young and starting grad school. You try to keep that in the back of your mind — the people who helped you along the way. We want to be that for the students we are training.”

They admit they each play a different role in their students’ development.

“Sometimes my role is to be the taskmaster, if you want to call it that, holding people accountable,” Tokach explains. “Bob is more of the patient teacher. He has taught hundreds of students swine science and how to write scientific papers.”

In all situations, they operate as a team because they enjoy working together and see students, pork producers and industry as part of the team that makes valuable contributions to the industry.

“We fully understand that any success our team has had is because of the success our students have had going out and their impact on the industry,” Tokach says. “That’s obviously fed back very positively on what our team has been able to accomplish because of the impact that each of those team members, when they’ve went on into their own careers, have been able to do.”

Though it sounds sentimental, Goodband says cultivating a culture of family has been key.

“When the students graduate and take jobs, they’re not going to work in a vacuum,” Goodband says. “It’s important for them to rely on others for help when they have questions that they don’t know the answer to, to call up former grad students to bounce ideas by. That’s been fun to watch and see the camaraderie they have amongst each other that I hope we’ve had some kind of role in fostering.”

What’s Next for Goodband and Tokach?

Tokach doesn’t think anyone will be too surprised that his wife pulls him into “their hobbies.” After retirement, they will move to Minnesota to be closer to family where they have plans to do a lot of trail riding on their mules, bike riding and traveling.

Goodband is hopeful retirement will allow him to get caught up on things around the house and outside of the house that he’s neglected for the past 10 years. He expects that the outside of the house will be immaculate in a year, he says with a laugh.

Both agree that it won’t be the same when they can’t banter across the hallway at each other. Tokach says he’ll miss the tailgates at football games and all the fun they had outside of the office, too.

“Mike holds me accountable in a lot of different things,” Goodband says. “But most importantly, Mike’s my best friend, and I’m going to miss him immensely.”

Goodband and Tokach share about changes in education, research advancements that have left a mark on swine production, and how they built an iconic culture at K-State on “The PORK Podcast.” You can watch it above and on YouTube or listen anywhere podcasts are found.

Watch more episodes here.

Kansas State Shines a New Light on Swine Nutrition

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 13:14:36 GMT

Kansas State University researchers are shedding new light on swine nutrition, with findings that could help producers fine-tune diets for growing pigs — and improve both feed efficiency and economic returns.

Much of the recent work, to be presented at the university’s annual Swine Day on Nov. 20, centers around soybean meal — a major protein source in swine diets — and how it is best incorporated alongside synthetic amino acids.

K-State’s Swine Day features updates on the university’s research on nutrition, management, feed processing, feed safety and more. Information and online registration are available online at www.asi.k-state.edu/events/swine-day.

“Soybean meal is one of the primary protein sources for swine diets,” said Katelyn Gaffield, assistant research professor in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. “We are researching the consistency and quality of soybean meal so that we can integrate it appropriately into the diet.”

Gaffield and the university’s applied swine nutrition team have explored multiple quality parameters, including trypsin inhibitors, which can negatively affect swine performance. Controlling such factors, she said, could improve growth rates and feed efficiency.

Meanwhile, doctoral student Ron Navales is investigating the ratio of lysine to crude protein — a critical relationship in swine diets as producers increasingly use crystalline amino acids to meet nutritional needs.

“In the past, we formulated diets based on crude protein levels,” Navales said. “But now, with better technology and the availability of crystalline amino acids like lysine and methionine, we can more precisely meet amino acid requirements. However, aggressive use of crystalline amino acids can result in reduced crude protein in the diet, and in return, could potentially impact performance.”

Navales’ research, supported by the United Soybean Board, involved feeding more than 2,500 pigs across four experiments, adjusting lysine-to-protein ratios from 85% to 115% of the current estimated requirements.

Among the most promising results is that while pigs maintained steady weight gain, they consumed more feed when dietary protein was lowered — that is, pigs are compensating to meet their nitrogen needs, which Navales said could have been supplied by an intact nitrogen source such as soybean meal.

“This shows there’s a limit to how much we can replace intact proteins with synthetics,” Gaffield said. “Going too low in protein might hurt feed efficiency, even if amino acid levels are technically met.”

Gaffield and Navales emphasize that their research is directly applicable to swine producers. Results from these trials will help guide dietary formulation — particularly the balance between soybean meal and synthetic amino acids — to avoid inefficiencies that could impact profitability.

“It’s practical research,” Gaffield said. “We’re identifying ratios that can be directly implemented by producers and nutritionists.”

The research will also be validated on a commercial scale, Gaffield added, a next step that ensures the findings hold up outside of controlled university environments.

In addition, Gaffield’s team is conducting a nationwide survey — backed by the United Soybean Board — to evaluate the consistency and quality of soybean meal from 27-30 processing plants across the U.S.

“This will help define U.S. soybean meal quality and examine lab-to-lab variation,” she said.

Ultimately, Gaffield and Navales aim to help swine producers make more informed, cost-effective nutrition decisions.

“Feed efficiency affects your bottom line,” Navales said. “If pigs grow the same but eat more to compensate for lower protein, that impacts economics.”

Their sessions at K-State Swine Day will detail both the research on soybean meal quality and the optimal lysine-to-protein ratios, offering producers new insights to take home — and implement immediately.

For questions about K-State’s 2025 Swine Day, contact Katie Smith at 785-532-1267 or katiesmith@ksu.edu.

Veterinarian Becomes Disease Detective: Nichols Connects Animal Disease and Human Health

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 19:26:37 GMT

Growing up on a New Mexico ranch, veterinarian and public health leader Megin Nichols says she learned early the health of animals, humans and the environment are deeply connected.

Initially planning to practice small animal medicine, she says her plans began to pivot when she met a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) epidemic intelligence service officer who sparked her interest in public health. That realization led her to pursue a master’s degree in public health at the University of Minnesota, with a focus on food safety and biosecurity. Her career has included roles in local, state and federal health departments, investigating foodborne illness outbreaks and developing strategies to prevent them.

“Life has a way of taking you in places you never anticipated,” she shared during the 2025 Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems Lecture Oct. 6 at Kansas State University.

Today, as the CDC’s director in the division of foodborne, waterborne and environmental diseases, she lends her expertise to efforts involving disease investigation, food safety, antimicrobial resistance and agriculture literacy.

Megin Nichols has more than 15 years of zoonotic disease experience and has served at the federal and state levels. She has served as the lead of the Enteric Zoonoses Team investigating multistate outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli. Prior to joining CDC, Nichols worked as the Principal Investigator of the Active Bacterial Core Surveillance Program at the New Mexico Department of Health for five years.

(Angie Stump Denton)

One Health: Connecting Animal Disease and Human Health

Nichols’ work focuses on the One Health concept.

“One Health is recognizing the health and well-being of humans, of animals and our environment are all interconnected,” she explains. “One Health is something that many of us do every single day and are very, very aware of, especially if you have ties to agriculture and the land. But One Health as a concept oftentimes is difficult to fully understand.”

Nichols says One Health is:

Ongoing relationships with animal agencies.
Understand the culture of agriculture.
Having access to integrated human and animal surveillance.
Protocols for conducting joint response investigations.
Agreements for sharing biological samples and lab results.
Established lines of communication with agriculture and animal industry.
Plans for unified communication messaging.
Need to build linkages and trust before and outbreak.

“What happens in one area can significantly impact others — whether it’s a wildfire, a disease outbreak or environmental changes,” Nichols summarizes.

Pandemic and Disease Response Insights

Nichols was a leader in investigating and finding unique solutions for the livestock industry and specifically meat packing industry related to COVID-19.

“In April 2020, I got a call from my supervisor saying there are some meat, poultry packing plants that are going down because of labor shortages and illness,” she explains.

She selected and lead a team to figure out how to get the plants opened back up safely and to find unique solution to deal with the related animal welfare issues.

Summarizing the experiences, Nichols reports the estimated economic cost of COVID-19 is $14 trillion. Along with supply chain disruptions the industry experienced changes in consumer behavior, labor shortage and complex operations challenges. On a positive note, she says the industry did experience a lot of innovation and uptake of technology due to the pandemic, which resulted in innovative approaches to workplace safety and communication.

“We saw innovative strategies where if one person got sick, they looked around that worker and said, ‘OK, who do we need to monitor quickly for symptoms?’” she says.

Nichols also discussed the increase in salmonella outbreaks during the pandemic. She links the rise to the increase in backyard poultry ownership and the improper handling of backyard chickens.

“Many new chicken owners were unaware of disease transmission risks,” she explains.

Nichols also shared insights to H5N1 influenza and emphasized the complexity of tracking and preventing. She highlights the need for integrated, cross-species surveillance and communication strategies.

She also touched on emerging threats, including New World screwworm (NWS) . Her message emphasized the importance of prevention, control and preparedness.

She shares these five key strategies related to NWS:

Surveillance. Early dection through wound inspections and reporting in livestock.
Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). Ongoing release of serile male flies to prevent reproduction.
Biosecurity. Movement control of imported animals and monitoring at entry points.
Public Awareness. Education for doctors, ranchers, veterinarians and travelers.
Rapid Response Planning. Multi-agency coordination to contain outbreaks swiftly and deploy sterile flies.

Agricultural Literacy, Communication is Key

“Growing up in the middle of nowhere, I also came to understand that not everyone appreciates — or even understands — where their food comes from,” Nichols says.

She shared a 1993 study that revealed significant gaps in public knowledge about agriculture. She summarizes understanding food systems involves knowing:

Where food comes from.
How it’s produced.
Its impact on economy, environment and technology.

Throughout her lecture she shared the importance of transforming complex scientific concepts into engaging, accessible insights that resonate with students, farmers, ranchers and public health professionals alike.

“It doesn’t matter how much information we have if we don’t get it out to the people,” Nichols says.

She stresses the importance of agricultural communication specialists in translating scientific information and engaging audiences.

“Don’t leave the communications to the scientists,” she says.

Nichols emphasizes that agricultural literacy and effective communication are crucial for bridging knowledge gaps and building public understanding of food systems.

She shares this advice for agricultural advocates:

Bring agricultural perspective to discussions by speaking up and sharing lived experiences.
Challenge misconceptions with personal stories by focusing on storytelling rather than technical details.
Understand your audience and use relatable language and provide context.

Nichols stresses the importance of preparedness and collaboration. She explains the importance of local-level discussions and community preparedness, suggesting that some of the most effective emergency preparedness conversations happen “at the coffee house” or during casual community gatherings.

Where Animals, Data and Decisions Meet

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 17:38:33 GMT

One of the country’s leading authorities on diseases that can jump from animals to humans will be the 12th speaker in the Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems lecture series at Kansas State University.

Dr. Megin Nichols, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, director of the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases , will speak on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. in McCain Auditorium. Farm Journal is the exclusive media partner of the lecture series.

Her talk, titled “Where Animals, Data and Decisions Meet: A One Health Journey,” will explore the often-invisible thread that connects human health, animal populations and the environment. Admission is free and organizers say the lecture will be streamed live online.

One Health is CDC’s collaborative, multi-sectoral and transdisciplinary approach aimed at achieving optimal health outcomes for Americans by recognizing the connection between people, animals, plants and their shared environment.

“If you were to scan the newspaper on any given day,” Nichols says, “you’re likely to see something related to zoonotic diseases — diseases that can jump from animals to humans. These affect our health, our food supply, and even our economy.”

It’s a subject Nichols has studied for decades, and one she says touches every person, whether they know it or not.

She points to recent examples like highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), which disrupted both poultry and dairy industries while raising public health alarms; and the northward spread of New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that threatens livestock.

“These are everyday issues,” Nichols says. “And by understanding how these outbreaks happen, we can prevent future ones. That’s the heart of One Health.”

Understanding zoonotic diseases

The term ‘zoonotic’ may be unfamiliar to some, but the concept is ancient — and personal, says Nichols, who grew up in rural New Mexico.

“My parents used to tell me, ‘Don’t go near that animal burrow; there might be fleas,’” she recalls. “They were teaching me basic zoonotic prevention before I even knew the word.”

Zoonotic diseases are caused by germs that can spread between animals and people through viruses, bacteria, parasites and even fungi. Nichols says about 60% of all known infectious diseases in humans come from animals, and three out of four emerging diseases originate in animals.

“That includes everything from E. coli to plague,” she says. “We still have plague in New Mexico, transmitted by fleas on rodents. These aren’t just things of the past.”

Risks to health and economy

Zoonotic diseases don’t just threaten human health; they can upend economies.

“We saw egg prices spike during avian influenza outbreaks,” Nichols says. “Milk production dropped when H5N1 hit dairy herds. These impacts ripple through supply chains, affecting consumers and producers alike.”

More concerning, she adds, is the potential for some of these pathogens to jump to people and cause outbreaks of their own — a sobering reminder that protecting animal health is often the first step to protecting human health.

Prevention: From barnyard to boardroom

When it comes to prevention, Nichols says there are simple steps every person can take — like washing hands after being around animals, cooking meat thoroughly, and using bug repellent to avoid bites from ticks, fleas and mosquitoes that can carry disease.

“Today, we have a real opportunity to translate science into public health communication, strategy, education and innovations that help us be better prepared to manage these diseases,” Nichols says. “We’re at a really exciting time in our history where we have laboratory techniques like whole genome sequencing to look at the DNA of bacteria, viruses and other organisms that infect us, and learn more about them.”

She adds that new technology can help to reduce the risk of transmission, such as a real-time traceability system that can help monitor disease in livestock. Innovations in facility design can also reduce risk — especially in places like petting zoos.

“You can still let kids interact with animals, but we can design safer spaces where they aren’t putting their hands and mouths on contaminated railings,” she says. “It’s about smart interaction.”

The Role of NBAF and K-State

Nichols says she’s particularly excited to speak in Manhattan, a hub of animal health research that includes the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) — the first U.S. facility with Biosafety Level 4 containment for livestock.

“NBAF is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and plays a critical role in diagnosing emerging diseases, developing vaccines, and protecting food and public health,” she explains.

K-State, while not managing NBAF, is deeply involved through education and research, training students and professionals to be on the front lines of disease detection.

“We rely on that first line of defense — the veterinarian, the family physician — to say, ‘Wait a second, I’ve seen this before,’” Nichols says. “That early detection can save lives.”

Looking to the Future

Though the Oct. 6 lecture will include students, researchers, and community members, Nichols says her message is meant for everyone.

“One Health is about understanding that our health is deeply connected to the animals and the environment around us,” she says. “And the more perspectives we bring — whether from agriculture, medicine, or public communication — the stronger we are when we face new threats.”

She adds: “Mentorship is key. We need to prepare the next generation of scientists, veterinarians, doctors, and communicators to face diseases we haven’t even imagined yet. And that starts by having conversations like the one we’ll have in Manhattan.”

K-State established the Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems lecture series to provide science-based education about world food issues. The series allows students, faculty, staff and Kansas citizens to interact with U.S. and international food industry leaders on topics of current interest.

The lecture series is funded by the Gardiner family of Ashland, Kan. Henry C. Gardiner, who passed away just days before the first lecture in 2015, was known as a visionary leader who dedicated his career to improving the beef industry through science and technology.

More information on this year’s lecture, as well as videos of past speakers, is available online .

Merck Animal Health and State of Kansas Announce $895 Million Investment

Fri, 16 May 2025 15:07:42 GMT

Merck Animal Health and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly recently announced the $895-million expansion of Merck Animal Health’s manufacturing facility in De Soto, Kan. Site preparation and facility design is starting immediately, creating 2,500 construction jobs. Commercial manufacturing is expected to begin in 2030, creating more than 200 full-time roles.

This marks one of the largest economic development projects in Kansas’ recent history and the largest for Merck Animal Health. The expansion will be constructed on an existing Merck-owned property that is the site of its biologics facility in De Soto. It includes an $860 million investment in the site’s existing manufacturing facility and a further $35 million investment in its research and development laboratories, the company said in a release.

“Our De Soto, Kansas manufacturing facility is strategically located in the heart of the Animal Health Corridor. This region is renowned for its concentration of animal health companies, fostering an unparalleled ecosystem for innovation, collaboration and industry leadership,” Richard DeLuca, president of Merck Animal Health said in a release.

Merck says the 200,000-square-foot manufacturing facility project will expand filling and freeze dryer capacity for large molecule vaccines and biologic products for the company.

(Merck Animal Health)

“As a Center of Excellence, it will play a pivotal role in the manufacturing of Merck Animal Health’s products and will complement Merck Animal Health’s extensive U.S. and international network of animal health product manufacturing plants,” the company said.

This investment will enhance Merck’s research capabilities, focusing on advancing Merck Animal Health’s global drug discovery and development initiatives. The investment will continue to drive innovative research and development of novel parasiticides and therapeutics.

“This investment in our site is designed to increase Merck Animal Health’s ability to meet the growing customer demand for its portfolio of animal biologics products and ensure the company remains at the forefront of innovation in the animal health sector,” DeLuca said. “This initiative also reflects our dedication to advancing animal health and our on-going investment in the communities where we operate.”

Merck Animal Health is partnering with the state of Kansas on expansion of the existing manufacturing facility. Since the advent of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Merck has allocated more than $12 billion to enhance its domestic manufacturing and research capabilities, with additional planned investments of more than $9 billion by the end of 2028.

“This extraordinary investment by Merck Animal Health underscores my administration’s commitment to securing a strong economic future for our state and ensuring prosperity for generations to come,” Gov. Kelly said in a release. “Public-private partnerships that lead to major global projects, such as those with Merck, Fiserv and Panasonic – just to name a few recent successes – are occurring because people believe in Kansas. They believe in who we are, what we are doing, and the direction we have taken.”

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland believes the opportunities and ripple effects of having almost $1 billion surge into the local economy will have far-reaching and long-lasting reverberations across the entire state.

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American Royal Hosts Barn Raising at New Site

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:11:09 GMT

The American Royal has been a Kansas City tradition since 1899, whose mission is to be the nation’s leader for food and agriculture education, events and engagement. In order to execute this mission, the American Royal has placed an intentional focus on developing the nation’s epicenter for food and agriculture.

Nearly 500 competitors, volunteers, board members, and supporters witnessed American Royal history on November 28 as the vertical construction process began and the first piece of steel was placed on its new facility.

“The American Royal is constructing a purpose-built complex designed to attract visitors year-round to Kansas and Wyandotte County for food and agriculture events,” explained Walt George, chair of the new building committee and secretary of the American Royal Board of Directors, during the barn raising ceremony. “It all starts today with the barn, although it sounds so simple to just call it the barn.”

The facility will span more than 390,000 square feet—the equivalent of nearly seven football fields. In addition to three arenas and a state-of-the-art learning and engagement center, the complex can house more than 1,500 horses or nearly 4,000 head of cattle.

“The agriculture industry is the lifeblood of our great state, and this new American Royal campus is going to serve as a national leader in education, events, and engagement – creating a food and agriculture innovation district that will be unlike any other in the world,” said Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. “It will also play a critical role in building up our workforce by instilling in young visitors a sense of pride about Kansas’ deep agriculture heritage, perhaps inspiring them to pursue a career here.”

Before the barn raising program, supporters enjoyed lunch, toured the future home of the American Royal, viewed updated renderings and signed a steel beam that will be used in constructing the new facility.

“The new American Royal complex will be a place where relevant conferences, collaborations and events focused on innovations in food, fiber and fuel can happen,” said Cliff Illig, member of the American Royal Board of Directors. “Visitors of all ages and backgrounds will come together to learn, celebrate and advance an industry that impacts each and every one of us, every single day.”

Lindsey Patterson Smith, co-chair of the American Royal campaign cabinet, shared a vision for the American Royal Association from her late father, Neal Patterson, with barn raising attendees.

“I am beyond thrilled to celebrate this milestone for the American Royal,” said Patterson Smith. “My father, the late Neal Patterson, saw the opportunity the American Royal holds in creating a connection between agrarian and urban lifestyles, but knew that the organization needed to continue to evolve. The vision for the American Royal is aligned with that opportunity, and this facility is a critical tool to get there.”

The American Royal’s new development will have a significant impact on the agricultural community and the Kansas City region as the organization positions itself as the epicenter of agriculture. The facility is expected to host its first event in late 2025 or early 2026.

For more information about the American Royal and the new facility, visit https://www.americanroyalontherise.com/ .

Kansas Farm Income: Livestock Receipts Up, Crop Receipts Down

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 21:37:33 GMT

A regional analysis of farm income that includes a look at how Kansas farmers are doing indicates that livestock receipts are up and crop receipts are down.

And, said Kansas State University agricultural economist Jenny Ifft, “where you are in the state matters.”

“We’re expecting $4 billion of income across the entire state,” said Ifft, who is the Flinchbaugh Agriculture Policy chair at K-State. “That’s almost the same as the previous year but within sectors there’s a lot of variability.”

Ifft and Joe Parcell, director of K-State’s Center for Risk Management Education and Research, have taken a look at a recent analysis from the Rural and Farm Financial Policy Analysis Center, located at the University of Missouri. According to Parcell, the center – known as RaFF – was formed to fill a gap between the national farm income outlook and the Kansas farm income analysis from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“These forecasts cover agriculture in the entire state of Kansas,” Ifft said.

Ifft said the USDA expects corn production at the national level to rebound and soybean production to decline slightly.

“Prices are softening up on the crop side across the board. Expenses have gone down as well,” she said. “On the cattle side, drought has reduced cattle numbers and that’s really pushing up prices for both feeder cattle and fed cattle.”

Ifft added that there is increased use of vegetable oil for biofuel, providing extra support for soybean prices. Hay prices are still strong this year with the average last year being $172 per ton.

“This year, it’s estimated at $186 per ton,” Ifft said. “This is an average, so it can vary wildly depending where you are on the quality of the hay, but hay prices are still strong.”

Another factor influencing hay prices are parts of the state remain in a continued drought.

“Parts of the state have recovered, but their inventories have been depleted,” said Ifft, adding that if conditions continue and yields get back to normal, she expects prices to go down over the next couple of years.

“On the corn side of things, the variability is still there across Kansas, especially with the late season drought,” Parcell said. “We were dealing with lower prices this year than we had last year, and so that’s going to help drive down some of that income from corn.”

Ifft said soybean acres are down and are projecting below average production yield and lower prices. Wheat and sorghum had quite a bit of variability across Kansas.

“Kansas cattle numbers are following the national trend. With the drought and higher grain prices, we’re seeing less cattle out there,” Parcell said. “Feedyards are paying higher value for calves and hoping to send high value fed cattle to market, which is helping drive the income, but it’s costing a lot to get those cattle through the feedyard.”

Parcell said hogs are the outliers. Producers are still dealing with high grain prices and feed costs, but haven’t seen the high pork prices yet to see a rebound in their income outlook.

Ifft said the Kansas dairy sector is growing, and the RAFF outlook continues to follow that trend.

Because of variability between sectors, Parcell said risk mitigation is important.

“It’s outside of the individual producers’ control what these markets are going to do, so you’re always going to look to the futures market or contracts there, more and more,” Parcell said, who recommends producers consider purchasing crop or livestock insurance. “We can look at the past a little bit to tell us about the future, and we know we’re down from 2022.”

More information on RaFF’s report on Kansas farm income can be found here.

340 Stakeholders Plead for Ag Research Infrastructure Funding in the Farm Bill

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 23:22:08 GMT

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), in its 2023 farm bill primer , estimates baseline spending for ag research will take up $1.3 billion of the total $709 billion farm bill dollars.

House and Senate ag committees received a letter on Monday from 340 ag groups and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), urging legislators to take farm bill spending a step further by prioritizing ag research infrastructure.

“The United States has long been recognized as having the world’s most innovative and productive ag sector, but a massive deferred maintenance backlog and crumbling research infrastructure threatens our ability to innovate and lead at a time of heightened global competition,” said Mark Becker, APLU president.

A 2021 report from Gordian sheds light on the cracks in America’s ag research infrastructure.

Gordian found that 70% of U.S. colleges and schools of ag buildings are at the end of their useful life. To address the long-overdue building maintenance, Gordian estimates a $11.5 billion investment. It also put a price tag of $38.1 billion on buildings that need complete replacement, pushing the total over $50 billion.

In the letter to the ag committees, the authors say a $5 billion investment in ag research infrastructure would be a “significant” step in the right direction.

“With this once-in-a-generation investment in research facilities at colleges of agriculture, we can spur new economic opportunities and innovations for farmers, ranchers, and producers in every state,” the authors said.

But some state legislators aren’t waiting on the Biden administration’s assistance; instead, they’re taking the reins on ag infrastructure investments in their own states.

Latest Ag Investments by State

Kim Reynolds, Iowa governor, announced a $40 million investment to Iowa State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (VDL) in January to “protect” the state and country’s ag industry and food supply.

“The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is enormously important to Iowa’s nation-leading livestock industry and provides immeasurable expertise on worldwide animal health and food safety issues,” said Mike Naig, Iowa secretary of ag.

Reynolds also hopes to allocate another $60 million to the project through the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund (RIIF).

Similarly, the Kansas Legislature announced a three-to-one program for private and state funding. Kansas State jumped on the opportunity, raising $75 million in private donations for a $125 million ag infrastructure investment.

“This infrastructure project will provide both new and improved teaching spaces for more than half of all the students taking courses in the College of Agriculture and will eliminate approximately $56 million in deferred facilities maintenance,” said Ernie Minton, Kansas State college of ag director of research and extension.

According to the press release , the buildings will position K-State to attract students and faculty focused on expanding next-generation research.

Kansas’ ‘Ag-Gag’ Law Denied a Revisit by Supreme Court

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:54:10 GMT

Another state’s effort to restrict undercover animal rights activists from using false statements to enter an animal facility with the intent to damage the business has been denied.

“In a 2-1 decision, a panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Kansas’ appeal of two Kansas City federal court rulings that say sections of the Kansas Farm Animal and Field Crop and Research Facilities Protection Act runs afoul of free speech protections,” Reuter’s reported in Aug. 2021.

In attempt to revive this ‘ag-gag’ law, Kansas’ appealed to the Supreme Court.

On Monday, Apr. 25, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal and left in place the previous ruling that the law is a violation of First Amendment rights.

Kansas is joined by several other states, including Idaho, Iowa and Arkansas, working to inhibit the ability for activists to enter facilities without the owner’s consent or under false pretenses to take photographs and video.

These states have also experienced split decisions and several appeals with similar laws.

Most Things in Life Are Simply Better with Bacon

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 20:18:45 GMT

Most things in this world are simply better with bacon. Over 2 billion pounds of this beloved pork product are produced in the U.S. and the average American consumes 18 lb. of it each year, according to AgHires .

What is your favorite way to make and serve bacon?

From bacon-wrapped favorites to pig candy to traditional bacon and eggs, the possibilities are endless for bacon-lovers.

To capitalize on consumers’ fondness of bacon, this year, the Kansas Pork Association teamed up with 10 Instagram influencers in their #BaconAmbassador campaign to highlight the pork favorite, according to a National Pork Board (NPB) release.

More than 130 posts have reached over 12.3 million people since January, as ambassadors share photos, videos and recipes of their masterful pork creations using proper cooking temperatures.

“The campaign was partially funded by NPB’s state grant program, which allows state pork associations to leverage additional Pork Checkoff funds beyond their return-to-state funding,” NPB says.

The state grant program has an approved budget of $1.5 million, by the NPB board of directors, to be used to “address local issues that may impact freedom to operate.”

Share your favorite pork recipes on Instagram and use #BaconAmbassador to join the fun!

Automation and Robotics Unveiled at Next-Gen Facility by Smithfield Foods and Lineage Logistics

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 16:24:22 GMT

“The robotics and software fully automate over 97% of the product movement through the facility,” said a recent press release.

Smithfield Foods, Inc. teamed up with Lineage Logistics, LLC to design and build a new, nearly 20 million cubic feet, fully-automated, next-generation distribution center in Olathe, Kan., according to the release.

The facility houses 18 automated cranes that move inventory, “featuring one of the largest temperature-controlled layer-picking systems in the world,” to assemble and disassemble pallets of goods. Utilizing Lineage’s technology, “Computer vision systems automatically identify the contents of each pallet,” the release said.

“The facility also features Lineage’s patented blast cell technology that reduces freeze time and energy use by approximately one-half relative to traditional blast cells, aligning with Smithfield’s industry leading commitment to sustainability,” the release said.

Smithfield’s President and CEO Shane Smith explains that their company is working to implement these enhancements across Smithfield’s value chain and distribution network, to support customers and reduce its environmental footprint. Smithfield has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, become carbon negative and halve food waste in its U.S. operations by 2030, the release explained.

“Automation is an increasingly important element of our strategy to achieve efficiencies across our business and exceed customer expectations,” said Brady Stewart, Chief Operating Officer for Smithfield Foods. “The opening of our new facility in Olathe brings unmatched innovation and new levels of resiliency to our supply chain.”

In addition to state-of-the-art software inside the building, Lineage Link, a customer platform provides Smithfield the ability to access and control their product and see inventory levels. Interacting seamlessly with the operating software inside the facility, Smithfield can ensure tasks are prioritized and “maintain the highest level of throughput and productivity.”

Tyson: “Months Not Weeks” For Rebuild

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:50:46 GMT

Tyson is working “as quickly as possible” to return its Holcomb, Kan., beef processing facility to full operations after fire caused “major damage,” Tyson Fresh Meats Division president Steve Stouffer said. However, he told media in Garden City Wednesday “it will be a matter of months, not weeks, but no specific timeline at this point.” A spark from welding during maintenance likely caused the fire, Stouffer said.

Wednesday’s cattle market showed signs of stabilizing after two volatile days to begin the week. CME Live Cattle closed mixed, ending two days of limit-down losses. October closed down 75 cents at $98.50, while December rose 60 cents to $104.80. CME Feeder cattle contracts surged $4.70 higher to the maximum $6.75.

A few cash cattle traded on Wednesday. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service reported 280 head weighing 1,490 pounds sold at $106, fully $5 per cwt. lower than on Friday before the fire. On a dressed basis, 330 steers and 726 heifers sold at $170 per cwt., $10 under last week.

Spiking higher since the fire, the Choice Beef cutout values rose another $5.98 Wednesday to $232.34. Select increased $5.34 to $205.92 per cwt. Since Friday’s close, the Choice cutout has increased $15.97 per cwt.

Market reaction since Friday’s fire confirms packer’s solid leverage in the current market. Cattle bought at $5 under Friday’s price is $75 per head, and a choice cutout price $16 per cwt. higher adds $120 to $150 per carcass on the sales end. Per head profits were calculated by Sterling Marketing at $191 per head last week before the fire.

Such margins will likely be labeled “excessive” by cattle feeders. Yet, Sterling Marketing president says the current situation is better with packers solidly in the black.

“They (Tyson) will be more inclined to get that plant running quickly, and other packers will be more aggressive to take up the slack if they are all making good profits,” Nalivka said. “The opposite might be true if they were only making a few dollars per head.”

At Wednesday’s press briefing, Tyson officials said the square footage of the damaged area is small compared to the entire plant, but that the fire impacted critical operating systems. Tyson says structural work can begin immediately, but other repairs, particularly electrical, will likely take more time. The company says it’s completing a full assessment of the plant with electrical and structural engineers on site.

Related stories:

Overdone? Cattle Markets Continue Retreat After Tyson Fire

Updated: Fire Shutters Tyson Plant Near Garden City

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:50:38 GMT

A “large fire” Friday night (Aug. 9, 2019) closed the Tyson Foods beef harvest facility near Garden City, Kansas.

A 911 call was received about 8:35 p.m. Friday by the Finney County Communications Center from the operations manager at the Tyson plant in Holcomb, reporting a fire in the building’s west end near the slaughter operations.

About 10 p.m. an alert from the Garden City Fire Department said the roof collapse was “imminent” as “fire has breached the roof of [the] structure.”

Update: A statement from Tyson Foods on Saturday said the “fire started in the box shop. We have had no reports of injuries. The plant will be down indefinitely until we can assess the damage. We will soon be notifying our team members about informational meetings.”

Update: A Tyson spokesman confirmed the company will pay Holcomb plant employees “a weekly guarantee until production resumes. We are here to ensure our team members are taken care of. We understand that this is a difficult time.”

Also on Saturday, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly directed Secretary of Commerce David Toland and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam to travel to Finney County to meet with representatives from Tyson, local government and economic development officials to coordinate state aid if needed.

About 1,200 employees were at the facility Friday night, with 400 working the harvest shift. All employees were evacuated and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are unknown at this time.

Garden City Police Department Sgt. Lana Urteaga released a statement at 11:30 p.m. that employees were still on the scene, but would be transported to Wiley Elementary School in Holcomb by Garden City USD 457 buses. The American Red Cross arrived at Wiley to assist any employees in need of help.

There was no Saturday morning A-shift production for processing and harvest at the plant, according to Tyson.

Tyson’s beef processing plant at Holcomb employs about 3,300 workers, and harvests between 5,000 and 6,000 head per day.

Tyson Will Utilize Other Sites To Keep Supply Chain Full After Fire

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:50:38 GMT

Tyson Foods says it plans to rebuild the Holcomb, Kan., beef packing facility after a fire Friday night forced the plant’s closure, and is taking steps to minimize disruption to the beef supply chain.

In a statement released Sunday (Aug. 12, 2019) Tyson said it is still assessing the damage and a timeline has not been established, but work to clear the damage has already begun. The company said it will continue to pay workers and is “taking steps to move production to alternative sites.”

In the statement, Steve Stouffer, group president of Tyson Fresh Meats, said, “Tyson Foods has built in some redundancy to handle situations like these and we will use other plants within our network to help keep our supply chain full.”

Stouffer also said Tyson will pay full-time, active team members “weekly until production resumes.” He called the aftermath of the fire a “difficult time for our team members and their families, and we want to ensure they’re taken care of.”

Holcomb team members may be called on to work during the reconstruction to help with clean-up and other projects, but regardless of the hours worked, all full-time active employees are guaranteed pay, the statement said.

Stouffer commended plant management for quickly and efficiently evacuating the building, and noted there were no injuries as a result. He also commended the Garden City, Kan., fire department and the Finney County sheriff’s office.

Tyson Foods operates six plants in Kansas, employing more than 5,600 people. In the company’s fiscal year 2018, it paid $269 million in wages, and estimated its total economic impact in the state to be more than $2.4 billion.

Read about the Tyson fire here:

Fire Shutters Tyson Plant Near Garden City

Tyson Holcomb Fire May Shutter Marketing Pace

Cattle Markets Hammered Monday By Tyson Fire News

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:50:38 GMT

Monday’s CME cattle futures opened and locked limit lower on reaction to Tyson was forced to close its Holcomb, Kan., beef processing facility due to Friday night’s fire. In the short-term, analysts say the fire will be bearish for cattle prices and bullish beef prices. Futures contract limits expand to $4.50 for live cattle and $6.75 for feeder cattle futures tomorrow.

For its part, Tyson affirmed it would work to reopen the Holcomb facility and is “taking steps to move production to alternative sites.” Yet, traders realize that even in the best of scenarios, daily cattle slaughter will drop in the near-term with the loss of operations at Holcomb. The plant has a capacity of 6,000 head per day, though actual slaughter numbers are likely lower.

According to CattleFax, Tyson’s Holcomb plant accounts for 6% of total U.S. fed cattle packing capacity, and 23.5% of Kansas fed cattle packing capacity. CattleFax also noted the growing supply of finished cattle stood at 11.5 million head July 1, which was record large. About 21% of U.S. total cattle on feed are in Kanas.

In a statement, the Kansas Livestock Association asked the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to make contact with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. NCBA made the regulatory agency aware of the situation and contacted the office of U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue to apprise USDA of the plant fire.

Alternative Tyson facilities are located in Amarillo, Tex., and Lexington, Neb., though both are three-plus hours from Garden City, Kan. The industry anticipates other packers may pick up the slack by adding Saturday shifts, but no announcement has been made. While the industry may hope other plants could pick up the slack, America’s packing industry was already struggling with significant labor shortages, and expanded hours at other plants may prove problematic.

Tyson has not announced a timeline for the plant repairs, but industry speculation was rampant Monday. The low-end of such speculation is two months.

Sterling Marketing president John Nalivka said U.S. beef packers were running at about 91% of capacity before the fire, and absorbing cattle from the Holcomb plant would push packer capacity utilization to about 96%. He said the beef industry is set to harvest about 26 million cattle this year, and Tyson’s Holcomb plant accounts for about 5% of that total.

“It will definitely hurt front-end demand,” Nalivka told Drovers. “There’s the potential that with Holcomb out of commission the marketing pace will slow down and carcass weights will increase. That could certainly take the bloom off this fall’s fed cattle market.”

Tyson Foods’ stock price was unchanged Monday at about $88.36 per share, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1.5%.

If a silver lining is visible in the Holcomb tragedy it may be the fact most feedyards are current in their marketings. Analysts say cattle in northern feedlots are especially current, and the pace of slaughter this summer has been very good.

While near-term cash cattle prices will come under pressure until the loss in slaughter capacity is absorbed, analysts also believe boxed beef values will increase going forward. That could also boost packer profit margins, which were already in the exceptional category, which will further incentivize packers to expand their Saturday operations.

Related stories:

Tyson Will Utilize Other Sites To Keep Supply Chain Full After Fire

Tyson Holcomb Fire May Slow Marketing Pace

Fire Shutters Tyson Plant Near Garden City

Kansas Announces Milestone in Secure Food Supply Plans

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:16:47 GMT

The Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Health (KDA–DAH) is pleased to share that Kansas now has more than one million head of cattle covered by Secure Beef Supply Plans, a significant step toward supporting the economic viability of the Kansas cattle industry in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak.

KDA-DAH has been working with Kansas beef, milk and pork producers to develop Secure Food Supply Plans in conjunction with the national plans developed by the Center for Food Security and Public Health. Kansas was the first state in the nation to work with feedlots to implement individual biosecurity plans, and to date more than 1.24 million head of beef cattle are covered under a Secure Beef Supply Plan. In addition, 118,000 head of dairy cows and 1.49 million head of pigs are covered under Secure Dairy Supply and Secure Pork Supply Plans, respectively.

The Secure Food Supply Plans are voluntary tools which help maintain business continuity for producers, transporters and food processors within the animal agriculture industry while protecting animal health during an animal disease event. The Secure Food Supply Plans involve development of protocols including biosecurity plans, self-assessment, training, and other elements that will demonstrate the ability of the business to prevent the potential spread of disease.

The impact of a foreign animal disease outbreak on the Kansas economy would be immense, and the Secure Food Supply Plans Project is just one of the ways the Kansas Department of Agriculture works to prevent, mitigate and respond to potential incidents. These plans provide guidance for increased biosecurity measures at feedyards, dairies and hog operations across the state, which supplement the state’s foreign animal disease response plan. KDA annually conducts an emergency preparedness exercise involving hundreds of individuals in a multiday effort to test the state’s ability to respond to a foreign animal disease. This year’s exercise will take place Dec. 17–20, 2018.

Beef, dairy and pork producers and operations across Kansas are encouraged to participate in the voluntary Secure Food Supply Plan Project. To find out more about the project in Kansas, go to agriculture.ks.gov/kssecurefood or contact David Hogg, assistant emergency management coordinator, at David.Hogg@ks.gov or 785-564-7468.

Kansas Agency Has No Full-time Large-scale Feedlot Engineers

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 03:29:37 GMT

Millions of cattle and hogs fatten up at Kansas’ more than 1,750 large-scale livestock feedlots, yet the state regulatory agency entrusted with overseeing those confined feeding operations has no full-time professional environmental engineers at the moment.

There are four vacancies in the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Livestock Waste Management Section, the last created by a retirement in November. That’s created a backlog of between 20 and 30 permits for new or expanding feeding operations and delays of an additional three months to process wastewater permit applications for confined animal feeding operations, known as CAFOs, said Tara Mahin, the section’s head.

“It has really put the brakes on anybody getting a new facility started or expanding their facility,” said Mahin, who hired a part-time engineer in February and notes that it’s hard to recruit replacements because of a shortage of available engineers and the lower government pay compared to private industry.

The state says the vacancies aren’t causing public safety concerns because wastewater plans for new or expanding facilities are still being reviewed — though at a slower pace — but activists and residents who live near the feedlots say qualified engineers are needed to protect the environment and the people living near the facilities.

“The public should care because the two main risks of waste management in these CAFOs is the leakage of waste to groundwater or overflow to surface water,” said Craig Volland, chairman of the agriculture committee for the Kansas Sierra Club. “And in order to ensure this does not occur, it requires sufficient engineering judgment to ensure these are done correctly.”

Kansas — which the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says has the nation’s third-most cattle in feedlots at 2.09 million — does not require CAFO developers to use a professional engineer to draw up the plans for their facilities, although most of them do, Volland said, noting that makes it even more vital for state regulators reviewing such plans to have qualified engineers.

Mahin pointed out that engineers don’t handle the routine inspections of existing facilities.

Joyce Quinn found out about the vacancies when she tried to call the engineer she normally deals with in order to check on the proposed expansion of a hog-feeding facility near her home in Almena, just a few miles from the Nebraska border.

“I was very surprised to find out there weren’t any engineers,” Quinn said. “I don’t know how they can expect to go through the applications and determine who is going to be permitted if they don’t even have someone on staff to do that job. And it’s a big issue in our county.”

She said she is concerned about the water, because that resource won’t be there forever and CAFOs use a lot of it. Plus, she said, the methane from the feedlots is so bad that if you go outside in the evening it gives you a headache, although she concedes that without state air quality laws on the books there is not much the engineers can do about that.

“We can’t be in our yards any more in the evenings because it just reeks,” Quinn said. “When it rains, we don’t know what ... the rain smells like anymore.”

The Kansas Livestock Association has its own for-profit company that offers environmental engineering services, said Clayton Huseman, executive director of the KLA’s feedyard division.

“This isn’t a pressing issue from our standpoint,” Huseman said. “We don’t have the industry beating on our door saying we have a problem here that needs to be fixed.”

But the private industry’s engineers are working on behalf of the facilities’ developers, not the public interest, Volland argues.

“KDHE’s job is to provide these technical overviews on behalf of the public interest, he said. “There needs to be somebody with adequate qualifications to double check the work of the CAFOs or livestock operations.”

New Type of Trap Helping Fight Against Feral Hogs in Kansas

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 03:29:06 GMT

Kansas’ war on feral swine is being fought largely on a 40-mile front along the Oklahoma state line.

But Curran Salter is winning battles from his Hoisington home about four hours away, often in the middle of the night with the simple push of a button. That’s all it takes to drop a new style of trap that’s greatly improved his efficiency.

A pile of corn was placed near a trail camera by Curran Salter. If a herd of feral pigs starts using the bait site, he’ll put a remote-controlled drop trap at the sight.

“The main thing is that this lets us decide when we want to drop the trap,” Salter said about a 22-foot across drop trap. “When they’re here, we get a video so we know exactly what is under the trap. We’ll know if it’s just one animal, or maybe a deer or a raccoon, or the entire (herd of pigs). The whole process of getting these traps set up, and the pigs in them, is so much faster, too.”

America’s wild pigs are descendants of domestic pigs gone wild. Feral pigs are found in more than 40 states, from Florida to California, and three Canadian provinces. Their range has more than doubled in the past 30 years. Some estimates put the U.S. population at more than 6 million. That’s a jump of 2 million from five years ago. Feral sows often have two litters per year, each with six to 10 piglets, The Wichita Eagle reported .

Kansas is one of the few states to keep the feral swine population at bay.

Salter, a U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife biologist, said Kansas has been fighting feral pigs since 2006, when a population appeared on Fort Riley. It’s thought most Kansas populations were pigs that had been trapped farther south, then released in Kansas by hunters wanting to create a local population. That practice is now illegal.

Over the past decade, Salter and other biologists have killed 6,000 feral pigs within about 20 Kansas counties, or in bordering parts of neighboring states. Localized populations have been eradicated. Salter estimates the Kansas population is fewer than 1,000 animals.

One of Kansas’ two main pig problem areas is in Bourbon County, where several landowners want a huntable population and forbid federal eradication efforts.

The other area is between Montgomery and Cowley counties, along the Oklahoma line, where the pigs are expanding northward from Oklahoma, a state with an estimated population of more than 600,000 wild pigs.

Trapping has been a vital tool for controlling Kansas’ populations since 2006. Never has it been more efficient.

Initial traps involved using piles of corn for bait. When trail cameras showed a sizable herd in the area, biologists began a slow process of getting the pigs acclimated to a trap of welded wire panels attached to posts in the ground, gradually building it around the corn, adding a new piece every several days.

“It used to take three or four weeks, or even months for the pigs to accept things, and get used to an enclosure on the ground,” said Salter. “We had to go in every few days and get things gradually constructed, keep baiting it.”

Early traps relied on trip wires to lower a gate at one end of the trap. A gluttonous single pig might trip the trap before others were within. Worse, would be if a non-target animal dropped the gate before a herd of swine arrived.

“If they walk up, and see that animal, a deer or a raccoon trapped, you about have to start over,” said Salter. “Pigs are too smart to come back to that trap.”

A few years ago, biologists started using similar traps that had a door that could be dropped remotely, thanks to a camera that sent images to biologists via cell phone signal. His best single night catch in one trap was 42 pigs.

Now, with a similar trigger system, paired with the new style of drop trap that sits 44 inches above the ground, the waiting game can be greatly reduced.

Last week, he made the rounds checking trail cameras and bait piles south of Cedar Vale. His last stop was where a drop trap sat in a sprawling field of harvested milo. The trap stuck out like a battleship on a sea of flattened stalks.

“That’s one of the benefits to these is that we can set them about anywhere and they don’t seem to notice them,” Salter said. “I think it’s because when they walk up they can see completely underneath these things so they feel secure. Sometimes you can catch the entire (herd) the night after you set it up. These save us so much time.”

Speaking of time, this is the time of year Salter and the two other USDA wildlife biologists in Kansas are working their longest hours. With the end of deer seasons they have access to most properties for baiting and trapping. (Salter said almost all landowners asked have allowed his crews to eradicate feral pigs on their lands.)

They also have an annual program of shooting feral pigs from a helicopter, which usually makes up about 60 percent of the annual kill in Kansas. Some days, crews have killed more than 100 feral pigs and totally eradicated isolated populations. Carcasses are disposed of as per the landowner’s request.

Even with such weapons, and a well-funded feral swine control program within the current farm bill, Salter sees no end to the fight to keep Kansas as wild pig-free as possible.

“We can keep them beat back, but they’re always going to keep coming,” he said. “We’re in this for the long haul.”

Large Hog-Feeding Operation Gets New Permit

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 03:28:52 GMT

Kansas environmental regulators have approved a permit for a new hog-feeding complex in Greeley County, a move that will vastly expand Seaboard Foods’ operations in the state and generate wastes that conservationists say are equivalent to a city of 1 million people.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a permit Tuesday for the Shawnee Mission-based Seaboard Foods to build nine lagoons to house waste from 120 enclosed swine buildings with a total of 132,000 pigs.

The Ladder Creek West site will be located about nine miles from its existing operations in the sparsely populated western Kansas county and swells Seaboard’s operations there to 330,000 mature hogs.

Seaboard Foods said in an email Thursday that it has not yet scheduled the start of construction.

The Kansas chapter of the Sierra Club has long opposed the hog operations, questioning whether the Ogallala Aquifer has enough water left to properly operate the facilities.

Seaboard’s barns are located above a part of the aquifer that the Kansas Geological Survey has deemed effectively exhausted for agricultural purposes. But Seaboard says it has enough water to run the existing complex and the new site, citing flow tests of wells show a sufficient amount of water.

KDHE is not required by statute or regulation to ensure the facility has access to sufficient water to properly operate its waste management system. If Seaboard does not meet permit requirements, KDHE can require the company to modify its design or operation.

Virus-Resistant Pigs Provide Answers to Global Threats

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 05:07:59 GMT

Researchers have successfully produced a litter of pigs that are genetically resistant to the deadly Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus (TGEV) that infects the intestines of pigs, causing almost 100 percent mortality in young pigs.

A team of researchers from the University of Missouri (MU), Kansas State University (KSU) and Genus plc has succeeded in breeding pigs that are resistant to the virus by means of gene editing.

“It’s a tremendous financial burden for farmers to put time, money and labor into animals that will get sick,” says Kristin Whitworth, co-author on the study and a research scientist in MU’s Division of Animal Sciences. “Breeding pigs with genetic resistance will help to ease that burden. In terms of animal welfare, if we can prevent these pigs from getting sick, we have a responsibility to do so.”

Gene editing identifies solutions
Previous research had identified an enzyme called ANPEP as a potential receptor for the virus, meaning it could be an important factor in allowing the virus to take hold in pigs, explained Randall Prather, distinguished professor of animal sciences in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at MU.

“We were able to breed a litter of pigs that did not produce this enzyme, and as a result, they did not get sick when we exposed them to the virus,” Prather says.

Prather and his colleagues edited the gene responsible for making the ANPEP enzyme, resulting in a litter of seven pigs with a “null” gene that did not produce the enzyme. When exposed to the TGEV virus, these pigs did not become infected, showing that the presence of the ANPEP enzyme is necessary for an infection and gene editing can create pigs that are resistant.

In comparison to the scores of gene mutations that occur naturally during the reproductive process, researchers only altered the expression of a single gene. Those pigs lacking the enzyme were healthy and experienced no changes in development.

“For TGEV, we have unequivocally identified the molecule that the virus uses to infect the cells,” Prather says. “In that process we have also created pigs that do not become infected with TGEV. While the ANPEP-null pigs may be useful in and of themselves, identification of the entry mediator (ANPEP) may also aid in further development of other preventatives.”

Engineering answers for producers
Coronaviruses are a major threat to the swine industry. These highly contagious and widespread viruses are known for their distinctive microscopic halos and are responsible for a variety of deadly intestinal diseases in livestock, including TGEV.

“Porcine coronaviruses are a global threat to the pig industry. One of the greatest concerns for U.S. producers are outbreaks of new coronaviral diseases. Once again, this work demonstrates the importance of this technology in solving complex disease problems. Genetic modification to protect pigs from endemic and emerging diseases is the future of the pork industry,” says Raymond “Bob” Rowland, a professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at KSU and co-author on the study.

The study also sought to determine whether editing out ANPEP would produce resistance to Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, which killed nearly 7 million pigs in a 2013 outbreak. While pigs lacking the enzyme still contracted the virus, researchers are optimistic that the study bodes well for future research.

“With ANPEP eliminated, we can focus on a smaller field of potential culprits,” says co-author Kevin Wells, associate professor of animal sciences at MU. “In this area of research, every step helps.”

Commercializing the technology
This study follows a similar success achieved in 2015, when MU’s genetic engineering team made pigs resistant to the deadly and costly Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) virus by using gene editing.

“From a big-picture standpoint, some problems in production agriculture simply have no other solution,” Prather says. “The PRRSV-resistant pigs that we created a few years ago are an excellent example. Vaccines are not effective, genetic selection has not been effective, biosecurity has not been effective. Gene editing has solved the problem. We just need to get FDA approval to move the solution into the field.”

MU has partnered with Genus plc to commercialize this method of producing virus-resistant pigs, which will improve animal health and wellbeing and greatly reduce losses in livestock production worldwide due to viral infections, making global pig farmers more sustainable. Genus plc is currently seeking FDA approval for the use of gene editing technology to help eradicate the PRRS virus.

“Successful studies like these are critical to our continued quest at Genus to nourish the world by pioneering improved genetics and new innovations,” said Jonathan Lightner, Global head of Research and Development at Genus plc. “The opportunity to advance technologies like gene editing—which have the potential to eradicate deadly animal diseases—is incredibly exciting and strong partnerships like ours with the University of Missouri are critical to this prospect, and the future of food and agriculture.”

Prather says his team will continue to use gene editing to work on making pork production more sustainable and to solve animal welfare issues.

“Pork production in both the U.S. and around the world is amazingly efficient,” Whitworth says. “However, viruses like PRRS can decimate even a well-managed swine herd. Using gene editing can be used to both prevent infectivity of viruses like PRRSV and TGEV and help scientists and veterinarians better understand how viruses enter the pig and replicate causing disease.”

The study, “Resistance to coronavirus infection in amino peptidase N-deficient pigs,” was published in Transgenic Research. Researchers involved in the study were Randall Prather, Kristin Whitworth, Melissa Samuel and Kevin Wells of the University of Missouri; Raymond Rowland, Vlad Petrovan, Maureen Sheahan, Ana Cino-Ozuna, Ying Fang and Richard Hesse of Kansas State University; and Alan Mileham of Genus plc. Genus plc and the Kansas NBAF provided funding for the study.

More Pork at the Parks: Kansas City!

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 05:02:11 GMT

Known as “The gateway to the west,” Kansas City conjures up images of barbecue, jazz, the American Royal, Chiefs football and of course, the Kansas City Royals, winners of the 2015 World Series. In the Lenexa, Kan., Farm Journal offices, co-workers taped oversized royal-blue “W”s to a wall every time the Royals knocked off an opponent last year – all the way to that final win. They’re hoping for a repeat this year, and they’ll be enjoying some great local fare along the way.

Here’s more great pork offerings featured at the Royals’ Kauffman Park to tease your tastebuds.

Read the full story on Pork Network.

K-State Swine Releases Updated Swine Nutrition Guide

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 04:51:27 GMT

Source: Kansas State University

Looking for recommendations regarding swine applied nutrition? Mariana Boscato Menegat, veterinarian and PhD candidate in Applied Swine Nutrition at Kansas State University, recently updated the KSU Swine Nutrition Guide . Produced by the Kansas State University Applied Swine Nutrition Team, this guide serves as a reference for understanding swine nutrition principles and offers recommendations regarding applied nutrition to the swine industry.

The guide was first developed nearly 25 years ago, and according to Dr. Bob Goodband, K-State swine nutrition professor and extension specialist, through the years it has been updated as new research and knowledge became available.

“Over the years, the guide gained widespread popularity with U.S. swine producers and also in other countries around the world,” Menegat explains. “Thus, there was a need to update the latest version of the guide with current nutrition recommendations and practices, as well as to adapt the content and the format to a broader audience.”

The updated Swine Nutrition Guide can be found linked off the KSUSwine.org website. This website serves as an important tool to the K-State swine research program and producers, offering a layout that is conducive to finding and accessing practical swine nutrition research data in the form of new technology. An exciting new feature the update offers is smartphone compatibility. This demonstrates the Applied Swine Nutrition team’s dedication to adopting new technology for the ultimate advancement of the swine industry.

“The new edition of the Nutrition Guide contains several new features that we really think will make it very helpful to swine producers and nutritionists,” Goodband explains. “We have updated diet formulations and amino acid recommendations as well as several new web-based tools for producers to use to help them make nutrition decisions. Mariana has done a wonderful job updating the guide and we think it’s an important resource for pork producers.”

Menegat spearheaded the Swine Nutrition Guide update. Thus far, updates to the general nutrition principles and nursery nutrition sections have been applied to the website. New information regarding finishing pig and sow nutrition are expected to be available this spring.

Menegat summarizes about the updated guide, “The content was elaborated to communicate to a broader audience, providing practical information of interest to farm managers, swine producers, animal scientists, veterinarians, swine nutritionists and students.”

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