Poultry Times January 20, 2014 Edition

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Since 1954, the nation’s only poultry industry newspaper

January 20, 2014

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Poultry Times

January 20, 2014 Volume 61, Number 2 www.poultrytimes.net

Fatal case of bird flu reported in Canada The Associated Press

AP Photo/Andy Wong

H5N1: In this November 2011 file photo, workers inspect labels on vaccine vials containing H5N1 influenza vaccine in Beijing, China, at Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

TORONTO — Canadian health officials said Jan. 8, a fatal case of H5N1 bird flu has been reported in Canada, the first such case in North America. The victim was travelling from China when symptoms first appeared.

Health Minister Rona Ambrose said the case, in Alberta, was an isolated one and that the risk to the general public is very low.

Officials said the person began to feel ill on a flight to Canada from Beijing on Dec. 27. They said it was the first case of H5N1 circulating in Beijing and said China looking is looking into it.

“This is the first evidence of this

particular virus circulating in Beijing. Chinese authorities are going to be very interested. We’ve contacted them already,” Dr. Gregory Taylor said.

Taylor said the victim only visited Beijing in China. The victim did not travel to a farm or visit markets, he said.

The World Health Organization says that as of mid-December, there had been 648 laboratory-confirmed human cases of H5N1 flu, reported mostly in Asia. Of that total, 384 infections have been fatal.

Experts are cautious when it comes to bird flu viruses infecting humans.

They have been closely watching the H5N1 bird flu virus. The virus

remains hard to catch with most human infections linked to contact with infected poultry, but scientists fear it could mutate and spread rapidly among people, potentially sparking a pandemic.

Officials declined to release the sex of the victim, who died Jan. 3.

They said they don’t know how the person contracted the virus.

There is no evidence that anyone else was infected by the victim. Dr. James Talbot, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, said that family members of the victim are being monitored and treated with medication, but noted that there’s nothing to indicate they are sick.

See Flu, Page 3

Texas ranchers hit hard by drought eye rebuilding cattle herds The Associated Press

LUBBOCK, Texas — After a dispiriting stretch of years, many Texas ranchers are optimistic as drought, expensive feed and other conditions that decimated their cattle herds start to loosen their grip.

But rebuilding their herds will be neither cheap nor a short-term process, even in the nation’s top cattleproducing state.

Texas lost 15 percent of its cattle — or about 2 million animals — between January 2011 and January 2013, as ranchers sold them to out-of-state buyers or sent them to slaughter amid an unrelenting drought. That helped the size of the U.S. herd drop to 89.3 million head, the lowest level since the 1950s.

Many ranchers are now interested in starting to rebuild, eyeing improving beef markets. But they’re relying on several variables, the most

important being reliable pastures, said Eldon White, executive vice president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

“It’s going to be a slow, gradual increase as long as we have moisture,” added Shawn Fryrear, who manages about 2,500 cattle on 10 ranches in Central Texas. “I feel like everyone is looking at the glass half full.”

Ranchers also need females — especially pregnant heifers, which are now going for as much as $2,500 each, compared to $1,500 before the drought. Many ranchers sold more of their heifers, females that haven’t had their first calf, and mother cows during the drought to save feed costs.

David Anderson, an agricultural economist with Texas A&M University, said he expects producers will hold on to more of their heifers but noted that ranchers have tough

decisions.

“It’s like a tug of war or a seesaw between a future return, from what that female would produce over her life, versus the price I would get today to sell her,” Anderson said. “I think it’s still up in the air how many they’re really going to get to keep.”

Ranchers in the driest areas aren’t as keen to buy costly replacement heifers despite the economic incentives, including Rob Sandidge, whose herd west of San Antonio is about a quarter of the size it was before the 2011 drought.

“Those heifers are worth a lot of money, but that’s what it takes to rebuild,” he said.

But his water sources remain dry, so the 64-year-old plans to hold off building up his herd for now.

“We did grow some grass,” he said last month. “We still don’t have

See Texas, Page 9

AP Photo/Betsy Blaney

Texas cattle: One bovine pauses during a midday meal at a feedlot near Lubbock, Texas, on Dec. 16, 2013. Some Texas cattle producers are beginning a lengthy climb after a brutal and dispiriting stretch of years of drought. Hundreds of thousands of herd in the nation’s leading cattle producing state were liquidated since 2011, the state’s most intense one-year drought on record.

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POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

IPPE program to examine ground poultry pathogen reduction ATLANTA — Sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the “New Approaches to Ground Poultry Pathogen Reduction” program will be held Jan. 28–29, 2014, during the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. The program will bring together industry, academic, government and consumer representatives to discuss current interventions and explore

new approaches to pathogen reduction. The two-day program is $150 for registered IPPE attendees.

The program will feature an “Overview of the State of Poultry Inspection Today and Changes Needed to Impact Public Health” presentation by Dr. Richard Raymond, former U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary for food safety. Christine Summers, director of food safety and quality assurance for Costco, will also speak on “Poul-

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try Food Safety Management in Retail.” Other topics include “Current On-Farm / In-Plant Interventions that Have Caused a Positive Impact in Salmonella Reduction;” “Ground Poultry Food Safety Across the Supply Chain;” “Developing Research and Interventions for Salmonella Control;” and “Alternative Measurements to Consider.”

A panel discussion on “Alternatives to Make a Positive Impact on Public Health” will be held on

Wednesday. The following panelists are scheduled for the event: Mike Robach, vice president, corporate food safety and regulatory affairs, Cargill; Dr. Barbara Kowalcyk, CEO and director of research, The Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention; Dr. David Goldman, chief medical officer, USDA Food Safety & Inspection Services; and Dr. Robert Tauxe, deputy director, Center for Disease Control & Prevention, Division of

Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases.

IPPE, the world’s largest annual poultry, feed and meat industry event, will be held Jan. 28–30, 2014, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. The “New Approaches to Ground Poultry Pathogen Reduction” program is scheduled from 8 a.m.–noon on Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 28– 29, 2014.

VIV International Pork Production Summit set for IPPE ATLANTA — A roundtable discussion on “Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus” (PEDv) will be held during the VIV International Pork Production Summit to be held in conjunction with the 2014 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE).

Dr. Matthew Turner, swine veterinarian with Prestage Farms, and Dr. Mary Battrell, swine veterinarian with Murphy-Brown LLC, will be the featured speakers for the discussion. Both veterinarians are on the front lines of the PEDv crisis for their respective companies and pig production facilities across the

country. The panel will be moderated by Terrence O’Keefe, editor for Egg Industry magazine.

The VIV International Pork Production Summit will be held from 1–5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

The program, sponsored by Watt Global Media, will bring together industry and academic representatives to review technical best practices related to pig health, farm management and feed and nutrition. The program is $100 for registered IPPE attendees.

In addition to the roundtable discussion and a variety of parallel, 25-minute walk-in seminars, a

IPPE & Hard Rock partner on “Pig” pin ATLANTA — The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is partnering with the Hard Rock Cafe to offer a “pig” pin for sale during the Expo. With the introduction of the Pork and Swine Pavilion and the VIV International Pork Production Summit education program at the upcoming 2014 Expo, IPPE thought the “pig” pin was an appropriate item to feature.

The “pig” pin will be on sale in the main lobby near attendee registration during IPPE show hours, as well as at the Hard Rock Cafe at 215

Peachtree St. in downtown Atlanta, Ga. A portion of the proceeds from the pin will benefit Sunshine on a Ranney Day. Founded by Holly and Pete Ranney, the non-profit organization provides safe, fun and uplifting dream-room makeovers for children with long-term illnesses, as well as care and encouragement to the families of each child.

The IPPE will be held Jan. 28-30.

More information about the 2014 IPPE is available at www.ippexpo. org.

plenary session on the “Challenges in the U.S. Pork Sector” is also planned that would appeal to all protein sectors. James Kenwood, managing director and coverage banker for Rabobank International, will present on “The Future Position of the U.S. Pork Sector in a Global Perspective,” and Ma Chuang, vicesecretary general for the Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine and partner at Boyar Communication, will provide a “Chinese Perspective.”

The IPPE will be held Jan. 28–30, in Atlanta, Ga.

INDEX AEB Hotline...........................15 Business.............................6--7 Calendar...............................12 Classified..............................12 Markets................................14 Viewpoint................................4 A directory of Poultry Times advertisers appears on Page 15

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3

POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

Government might deregulate corn, soybean seeds The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE — The federal government on Jan. 3, proposed eliminating restrictions on the use of corn and soybean seeds that are genetically engineered to resist a common weed killer, a move welcomed by many farmers but feared by scientists and environmentalists who worry it could invite growers to use more chemicals.

The herbicide known as 2,4-D has had limited use in corn and soybean farming because it becomes toxic to the plants early in their growth. The new seeds would allow farmers to use the weed killer throughout the plants’ lives.

Farmers have been eager for a new generation of herbicide-resistant seeds because of the prevalence of weeds that have become immune to Monsanto’s Roundup. But skeptics are concerned that use of the new seeds and 2,4-D will only lead to similar problems as weeds acquire resistance to that chemical too.

“It’s just so clear. You can see that you have this pesticide treadmill effect,” said Bill Freese, a chemist with the Washington, D.C.-based Center For Food Safety, which promotes organic agriculture.

Most corn and soybeans grown in the U.S. are already genetically engineered, largely to resist Roundup, which was introduced in 1976. Be-

fore that, most farmers tilled their fields prior to planting, flipping the soil over and burying the weeds to kill them. The technique also exposed tilled earth to the air, creating problems with erosion and runoff.

Herbicide-resistant seeds permitted most farmers to stop tilling because they could spray fields after their plants emerged, killing the weeds but leaving crops unharmed.

The new generation of plants “allowed us to do a better job of controlling the weeds, and therefore, we’ve been able to do a better job of preserving the soil, which is our primary natural resource,” said Ron Moore, who grows 2,000 acres of corn and soybeans with his brother in western Illinois.

The USDA’s plant-inspection agency concluded that the greatest risk from the new seeds developed

by Dow AgroSciences was increased use of 2,4-D, which could hasten the evolution of weeds resistant to it.

But, the agency said, resistance could develop anyway because 2,4-D is the third most-used weedkiller in the nation.

Freese and other advocates also raised concerns about possible health risks from increased use of 2,4-D and the chemical’s tendency to drift beyond the area where it is sprayed, threatening neighboring crops and wild plants.

Dow AgroSciences has attempted to address that by developing a new version of 2,4-D and new equipment to use with it, company spokesman Garry Hamlin said.

The seeds and new 2,4-D have been approved in Canada but not yet sold there. The company has targeted their release in the U.S. for 2015, pending approval by various federal agencies. In anticipation of that, it has received import approval from seven nations and has applications pending in about six others to allow farmers who use the seeds sold under the Enlist brand to export their crops.

Some nations, particularly in Europe, have been resistant to genetically engineered crops, and consumer concerns have created a market for organic and other foods made without genetically modified ingredients. Minneapolis-based General Mills announced on Jan. 2, that it had switched the sugar and cornstarch in original Cheerios to make that product GMO-free.

For now, Dow AgroSciences’ seeds can only be used in tightly controlled trials.

The Center for Food Safety and the environmental group Earthjustice threatened legal action if restrictions on the seeds are lifted.

The public has 45 days to comment on the USDA report published on Jan. 3, as part of the deregulation

no signs of becoming sick.

“This is not a disease that’s transmitted between humans so unless you were in the infected in the area

and were in contact with an infected bird you are not going to get this illness,” Dr. Theresa Tam of Health Canada said.

•Flu (Continued from page 1)

Talbot said two companions traveled with the victim but have shown

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process. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is conducting a separate review on the impact of expanded use of 2,4-D, although it previously found the herbicide safe.

The EPA plans to release a report in the coming months, and the two agencies are expected to make final decisions simultaneously on use of the chemical and seeds. It was not clear when that would happen.

Dow AgroSciences has asked the USDA to deregulate one corn and two soybean varieties, all resistant to both 2,4-D and glyphosate, the generic form of Roundup.

The USDA said farmers could help curb resistance to 2,4-D by using a variety of means to fight weeds and not relying solely on the one herbicide.

Eighty-six percent of corn, soybean and cotton farmers in the South and 74 percent of those in the Midwest have had problems with hard-to-control weeds, Hamlin said, citing private data from agricultural services.

“These growers need new tools,” he said.

Moore said he currently uses both glyphosate and another herbicide in an effort to discourage resistance. He was not certain whether he would use the Enlist seeds and

2,4-D if that became an option because he has not had problems with Roundup resistance.

But he said he knows farmers who have had trouble, and some have gone back to tilling. Weeds cannot be left in fields because they suck up the nutrients, water and sunlight meant for crops.

“Those are the three things that plants all need to grow,” Moore said.

“I don’t want anything competing with my soybeans.”

Freese said he would rather see farmers use organic means to control weeds, perhaps by using cover crops that go into the ground after the harvest to hold soil in place and deter weeds until the next growing season.

Among its critics, 2,4-D is best known as a component of the Vietnam War-era herbicide Agent Orange, which has not been produced since the 1970s.

Agent Orange has been tied to health problems in Vietnam veterans, but scientists do not believe 2,4-D was the culprit. Instead, their research focused on dioxin, a cancer-causing substance found in another ingredient known as 2,4,5T, which was banned by the EPA in 1985.

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4

POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

Viewpoint Compiled by Barbara Olejnik, Associate Editor 770-718-3440 bolejnik@poultrytimes.net

AFIA looks back on 2013 -- and into the future

By Joel G. Newman

Special to Poultry Times

ARLINGTON, Va. — Happy New Year! The last year has been a challenging year for the feed industry. With the publication of the long-awaited Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) animal food proposed rules on Oct. 29, 2013, American Feed Industry Association staff and members are wading Newman through the rules and exchanging many e-mails about what terms mean, how to word AFIA’s comments and finding surprising tidbits proposed by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

The rules cover both hazard identification and preventive controls and provide an additional set of rules for all facilities (no exemptions) for good manufacturing practices. Comments on this rule are due by late February unless an unlikely extension is granted by FDA. If an Joel G. Newman is president and CEO of the American Feed Industry Association with offices in Arlington, Va. He is also a director of the International Feed Industry Federation and is an appointed member of the USDA Technical Advisory Committee to the Secretary.

extension is permitted, it cannot surpass a March 31 deadline due to a court order.

Two other rules related to FSMA were released in 2013, the Foreign Supplier Verification Program for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals (FSVP) and the Accreditation of Third-Party Auditors/Certification Bodies to Conduct Food Safety Audits and to Issue Certifications (Third-Party Auditors). FSVP, which requires domestic importers of record to verify that their foreign suppliers of food, feed, ingredients and pet food have sufficient documentation to verify the supplier is complying with FSMA’s applicable rules, was published July 26, 2013, as a proposed rule in conjunction with the Third-Party Auditors proposed rule. Comments on these two rules are due in late January. And in addition to these, we also now have the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rule to comment on in February.

For the first quarter of 2014, AFIA staff and members will be very busy preparing comments for FDA on these extremely important rules, as they are the largest overhaul the industry has seen. To date, over 100 people from more than 60 companies are assisting AFIA staff in the development of industry comments. It’s very important AFIA receive feedback from companies on the impact these rules may have on their businesses so the final rules are reasonable.

After AFIA submits comments on all the FSMA rules, we will switch gears and begin working with the industry on the implementation of FSMA. We plan to conduct various

webinars, face-to-face trainings and will possibly develop some distance education programs for the industry to use. Many of these materials will be available on our new website and member’s only website, set to launch in spring 2014.

Finally, we cannot talk about 2013 without mentioning the highly successful International Feed Expo.

Last year, more than 25,000 industry stakeholders from over 100 countries attended the International Feed Expo which was co-located with the International Poultry Expo and for the first time, the International Meat Expo. Now known as the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), the co-location of the three shows has been extremely successful for both attendees and exhibitors alike.

The 2014 IPPE will be hosted Jan. 27-31, in Atlanta, Ga., at the Georgia World Conference Center. The show hours are: yy Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. yy Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. yy Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

New to the expo in 2014, AFIA will host “Exporting Feed and Feed Ingredient to the U.S.” This program will be held on Jan. 29, from 8:3011:15 a.m. I will be giving the attendees an overview of the U.S. feed industry and we will have speakers from the FDA discuss FSMA and how it impacts companies exporting to the U.S. AFIA will again host our successful Pet Food Conference (Jan. 28, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.), which will provide attendees with high-level regulatory and legislative updates from industry leaders and key federal decision makers. Of course, the conference will cover FSMA and its impact on the pet food industry.

The International Education Program (Jan. 29, from 8:30-11:30 a.m.) will highlight issues imperative to feed manufacturers and related industries including regulatory updates on FSMA, hazard identification requirements as well as Occupations Safety and Health Administration updates.

We believe the 2014 International Production and Processing Expo is a great way to begin the New Year

“

‘Although the new year will bring new challenges to AFIA’s forefront and the industry as a whole — the outlook for the feed industry for 2014 is an overall optimistic one.’

Joel Newman

AFIA president and CEO

and hope you will stop by the AFIA booth on the A-Hall show floor, booth No. 1757.

Although the new year will bring new challenges to AFIA’s forefront and the industry as a whole, AFIA’s staff looks forward to the year to come. The outlook for the feed industry for 2014 is an overall opti-

mistic one, as the industry and our customers enjoy lower commodity prices. The AFIA staff cannot wait to dive in head first as we continue to tackle regulatory and legislative challenges as the organization has done for the last 104 years. On behalf of everyone at AFIA, we wish you the best for the new year!

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5

POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

Viewpoint

“

‘At the center of all these controversies are some common themes: fear and misunderstanding.

The best medicine for these conditions are contact and communication.’

Compiled by Barbara Olejnik, Associate Editor 770-718-3440 bolejnik@poultrytimes.net

Changing landscape makes collaboration & communication more important than ever

By J. Patrick Boyle

Special to Poultry Times

WASHINGTON — As they say, the only constant is change. In 1990, I joined the American Meat Institute and it was an important time in so many ways.

The war on fat was giving way to the war on pathogens.

The United Kingdom was seeing the earliest signs of a new cattle Boyle disease that could not be explained. Americans were leaving farms and becoming separated from the source of their food by generations.

These issues were playing out on the news in a new format: television magazine shows. The success of “60 Minutes” spawned shows like “60 Minutes II,” “Dateline NBC,” “20/20” and “Turning Point.” Networks were looking for compelling stories to draw readers into their competing shows. Industry critics could be seen in Prime Time as consistently as Ed Sullivan appeared in the evenings of my youth.

Policymakers were called upon to solve our social and scientific challenges with regulations and the failure to act in a way that critics

liked meant that public embarrassment was a serious risk and with it, political damage.

High profile scandals involving companies like Exxon and Enron eroded public trust in corporations and CEOs. A public that formerly assumed the best now assumed the worst and it became industry’s problem to establish trust.

Eventually, magazine news shows receded and the Internet emerged as a new “force” for change. While certainly the Internet and social media have connected us in ways we never imagined and been a force for good, they have also created a mythology about our products and our industry.

For too long, we’ve been traditionalists, striving for the high road and avoiding dignifying the absurd allegations and factual misstatements with responses, fearing we’d only fuel them. But the 2012 controversy over lean finely textured beef taught us that it’s often riskier to stay quiet these days than it is to engage.

Where we once studied and appreciated the industrial revolution and its impact on the development of our nation, today, “industry” is a word we avoid using because it seems “off putting” to consumers.

How ironic that industrial is also a word to describe a hardworking person or people and we are certainly that and the fruits of our labor can

be seen in our safe, abundant and affordable meat and poultry supply.

While our external challenges are numerous, increasingly it seems, our challenges come from within.

Whether it’s a cartoonish ad about meat production from a customer or full court press for costly and tradedisrupting country-of-labeling from some corners of our industry, there is much work to be done.

So I’ve told you the problem and now I owe you a solution. I think it is safe to say that while there are no silver bullets, at the center of all of these controversies are some common themes: fear and misunderstanding. The best medicine for these conditions are contact and communication.

We cannot change minds in meaningful ways through press releases alone. The public that likes our products and our critics must see and hear to believe. We must show them what we do, why we do it and listen carefully to their questions and concerns just as we ask them to listen to us. It’s been said these days that anyone with a keyboard is a journalist. There’s definitely truth in that statement and it plays out daily in the blogosphere.

But we should remind ourselves — we’ve got keyboards. We have cell phones with video and camera capabilities. We have the tools needed to participate in the conversations occurring around us.

We just aren’t accustomed to engaging in this way. During the last 18 months, AMI’s “Glass Walls” videos, which showed the inner workings of our packing plants and how we turn livestock into meat and poultry, have taught us that many people want to know more and they

J. Patrick Boyle

AMI president and CEO

want the information presented in honest, transparent ways. Nearly 200,000 people have viewed these videos on line and thousands more have seen them in classrooms and lectures nationwide. We must continue to talk about our work courageously, openly and unapologetically.

Resolve in this New Year to start building bridges, understanding consumer attitudes and sharpening communications at the International Processed Products Exposition (IPPE).

Building upon the success of the first integrated IPPE in 2013, which brought together the International Poultry Expo, International Feed Expo and International Meat Expo, this year’s show will feature 25,000 anticipated attendees, more than 400,000 net square feet of exhibit space and 1,000+ exhibitors, making it one of the top 50 largest trade shows in the United States. It is truly the global marketplace for the poultry, feed and meat industries.

Take advantage of your time here in Atlanta to explore inside and outside the convention center. Check out the education programs where you can hear leading experts talk about many issues, including how to communicate to media, the basics of blogging, how to leverage the social media and how to understand the current mindset of the consumer on some of today’s hottest issues.

One of the best ways to build public trust is by running the best possible operation. There’s no shortage of ideas to help you do just that in our

comprehensive education program.

On the exhibit floor, you’ll find a vast array of equipment, supplies and services used in the production and processing of poultry, meat, eggs and feed products. Stop in at the Tech Xchange, an opportunity to get an in depth look at some of the most advanced technology available.

Attendees can network with others in the industry and share your ideas while learning some of theirs.

You can connect with industry colleagues throughout the show and at receptions Tuesday on the show floor with exhibitors and show organizers from 4-6 p.m. and Wednesday at the Georgia Aquarium immediately following the close of the show.

Our goal is to make IPPE an experience that gives you all the resources in one place to enhance your business whether it is through new technologies or equipment, new insight on industry issues or new connections with colleagues.

But we’ll also give your ideas to tell your story, too.

There’s a benefit to hosting the industry’s biggest and best convention in the first month of the year: it’s a time for new beginnings. Let IPPE inspire you with new ideas and new strategies to make your business better and to help communicate about your work openly and confidently.

J. Patrick Boyle is president and CEO of the American Meat Institute with offices in Washington, D.C.

6

POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

Business Compiled by David B. Strickland, Editor 770-718-3442 dstrickland@poultrytimes.net

Food companies cut 6.4 trillion calories The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Some of the nation’s largest food companies have cut calories in their products by more than 6.4 trillion, according to a new study.

The study, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found between 2007 and 2012 the companies reduced their products’ calories by the equivalent of around 78 calories per person per day. The total is more than four times the amount those companies had pledged to cut by next year.

Seventy-eight calories would be about the same as an average cookie or a medium apple, and the federal government estimates an average daily diet at around 2,000 calories. The study said the calories cut averaged out to 78 calories per day for the entire U.S. population.

The 2010 pledge taken by 16 companies — including General Mills Inc., Campbell Soup Co., ConAgra Foods Inc., Kraft Foods Inc., Kellogg Co., Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc. and Hershey Co. — was to cut 1 trillion calories by 2012 and 1.5 trillion calories by 2015.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation signed on to hold the companies accountable, and that group hired researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to painstakingly count the calories in almost every single packaged item in the grocery store.

To do that, the UNC research-

ers used the store-based scanner data of hundreds of thousands of foods, commercial databases and nutrition facts panels to calculate exactly how many calories the companies were selling.

The researchers aren’t yet releasing the entire study, but they said on Jan. 9, that the companies have exceeded their own goals by a wide margin.

Dr. James Marks, director of the Health Group at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said the group is pleased with the results but the companies “must sustain that reduction, as they’ve pledged to do, and other food companies should follow their lead.”

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a nonpartisan philanthropic and research organization that works to improve the nation’s health.

Even though the companies that made the commitment represent most of the nation’s most wellknown food companies, they sold only around a third of all packaged foods and beverages at the beginning of the study. Missing are many off-label brands sold under the names of retailers, and it’s unknown whether those products have changed.

It is also unclear how the reduction in calories translates into consumers’ diets. When the companies made the pledge in 2010, they said one way they would try and reduce calories would be to change

See Calories, Page 7

Other Business News AMI announces staff promotions

Sanderson reports quarter & FY results

WASHINGTON — American Meat Institute President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle has announced two staff promotions that will enable AMI in continuing to serve the needs of the meat and poultry industry and its members.

Dr. Betsy Booren will become the vice president of scientific affairs.

She will direct AMI’s scientific activities and staff AMI’s Scientific Affairs Committee. Booren joined AMI in January 2009 after completing her doctorate in food science and technology at Texas A&M University, her masters degree in animal science from the University of Nebraska and her bachelors degree in food science from Michigan State University.

Her responsibilities include responding to the technical and scientific needs of AMI members and coordinating research activities for the AMI Foundation.

Also, Susan Backus was promoted to vice president of the AMI Foundation. In this role, she will manage AMIF’s research program and staff with the AMI Health and Wellness Advisory Committee.

Backus has been a member of AMI since June 1997, and is responsible for the administrative management of food safety research projects initiated by the foundation.

She also serves as the director of administration for the Shelf-Stable Food Processors Association, which is managed by AMI. Backus received a bachelor of arts degree in history from West Virginia University.

“These promotions recognize our colleagues’ increasing contributions to the programs and services that AMI provides to its member companies,” Boyle said. “I am confident that they will continue to serve the institute and the industry well.”

More information about AMI can be obtained at www.meatami.com.

LAUREL, Miss. — Sanderson Farms Inc. has reported results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Oct. 31, 2013.

Net sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 were $727.1 million compared with $648.4 million for the same period a year ago. For the quarter, the company reported net income of $45.3 million, or $1.97 per share, compared with net income of $9.3 million, or 41 cents per share, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012.

Net sales for fiscal 2013 were $2.683 billion compared with $2.386 billion for fiscal 2012. Net income for the year totaled $130.6 million, or $5.68 per share, compared with net income of $53.9 million, or $2.35 per share, for last year.

“The fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 marked a strong finish to a successful year for Sanderson Farms and the poultry industry,” said Joe F. Sanderson Jr., chairman and CEO of Sanderson Farms Inc. “We reported record annual sales of $2.683 billion, a 12.4 percent increase over fiscal 2012. While poultry markets improved compared to fiscal 2012, grain prices remained near record high levels during much of fiscal 2013 before moderating during the fourth quarter on optimism surrounding the current year’s grain harvest.

“However, the improved poultry market prices more than offset the higher feed costs, and our margins improved significantly during fiscal 2013 compared to fiscal 2012.

For the year, we sold 3.031 billion pounds of dressed poultry, another record, compared with 2.952 billion pounds in fiscal 2012.”

According to Sanderson, overall market prices for poultry products were higher in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 compared with prices a year ago, but came down significantly from peaks earlier during the year. As measured by a simple av-

erage of the Georgia dock price for whole chickens, prices were higher by approximately 10.9 percent in the company’s fourth fiscal quarter compared with the same period in fiscal 2012, and were higher by 10.4 percent for the fiscal year compared with the prior year.

The Georgia Dock whole bird price remained in record territory through all of fiscal 2013 and reflected steady demand for the company’s retail chill pack product during this fiscal year, Sanderson noted. Boneless breast meat prices averaged 8.4 percent higher in the fourth quarter than the prior-year period. For fiscal 2013, boneless prices were 15.3 percent higher when compared with fiscal 2012.

Jumbo wing prices averaged $1.43 per pound during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, down 16.5 percent from the average of $1.71 per pound during the prior-year period. Jumbo wing prices averaged $1.50 per pound during the fiscal year, down 5.1 percent from the average of $1.58 per pound for fiscal 2012. The average market price for bulk leg quarters decreased approximately 1.4 percent for the quarter, and decreased approximately 0.5 percent for fiscal 2013. The steady dark meat prices reflect continued good export demand during the year.

Cash prices for corn and soybean meal, the company’s primary feed ingredients, increased during the year but were down 32.8 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively, during the fourth fiscal quarter when compared with the fourth quarter a year ago, the company added. For the year, total feed costs in broiler flocks processed were 5.7 percent higher than fiscal 2012.

“We are pleased that our profitability during fiscal 2013 allowed us to significantly reduce outstanding debt and strengthen our balance sheet,” Sanderson said. “As a result, we are well positioned to continue our growth strategy, and we began construction of our new poultry (Continued on next page)

7

POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014 (Continued from previous page)

complex in Palestine, Texas, in October. Operations at that new facility are scheduled to start in the first calendar quarter of 2015, and the pounds produced in Palestine, at full production, will represent a 16 percent increase in our capacity.”

“As of Oct. 31, 2013, our balance sheet reflected $924.6 million in assets, stockholders’ equity of $671.6 million and net working capital of $269.2 million,” he said. “Our total long-term debt at year-end was $29.4 million. A strong balance sheet is an important advantage in our industry, especially given today’s economic environment, and provides us with the financial strength to not only support our growth strategy, but also to manage our operations through challenging market conditions. We deeply appreciate the hard work and dedication to excellence of our employees, growers and everyone associated with our company.”

More information can be obtained at www.sandersonfarms.com.

Dr. Elizabeth Hagen joins Deloitte NEW YORK — Deloitte has announced that Dr. Elizabeth Hagen, recent undersecretary for food safety at USDA, has joined Deloitte’s con-

sumer products practice as a food safety senior advisor with Deloitte & Touche LLP. Hagen will advise Deloitte’s clients on increased Hagen regulatory requirements, food and product safety challenges, supply chain, traceback, preventionbased policies, strategy and communications, the company noted.

“Elizabeth will bring to Deloitte an impressive blend of regulatory level oversight and hands-on experience, stemming from her role as the highest ranking food safety official in the U.S.,” said Pat Conroy, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and Deloitte’s U.S. consumer products practice leader. “Her understanding of the policies and programs of the Food Safety & Inspection Service and FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration), and her recognized status as a thought leader in national food safety policy, will further strengthen our practice’s capabilities and enhance the industry insights we offer our clients.”

Hagen took office as USDA’s undersecretary of foodsafety in August 2010. She oversaw the policies and programs of FSIS, the USDA’s pub-

lic health regulatory agency that ensures that the nation’s commercial meat, poultry and egg products are safe, wholesome and labeled correctly. She also served as a principal member of the President’s Food Safety Working Group.

As leader of FSIS, Hagen implemented many new initiatives and modern management tools, and ushered in new policies that have enhanced consumer protection — including a proposed rule that will completely modernize U.S. poultry inspection, the company noted.

Prior to this she served in a number of roles at USDA, including as the department’s chief medical officer.

“Food safety is an issue of extreme and increasing importance, not only for the end consumer but also for the manufacturers whose businesses rely on the public’s trust,” Hagen said. “I am excited to be joining the team at Deloitte as we help manufacturers and producers that focus on safety as a top priority, and guide them as they comply with increasingly complex regulation.”

Hagen holds an M.D. from Harvard Medical School and a bachelor’s degree from Saint Joseph University. She is specially trained in internal medicine and infectious diseases.

More information can be obtained at www.deloitte.com/us.

popular snacks, for example — and smaller cans of sugary drinks may have contributed to the reduction in calories. He says the main contributors most likely were the public’s increasing willingness to buy healthier foods and companies responding to those consumers.

The companies involved are all part of an industry coalition of food businesses called the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation that has organized to help reduce obesity. The foundation pledged to reduce the calories as part of an agreement with a group of nonprofit organizations and made the 2010

announcement as part of first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign to combat childhood obesity.

Lisa Gable of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation says the study’s findings “exceeded our expectations.”

She said the companies achieved the goal by coming together and also competing to make new lowercalorie foods. Market studies have shown that many of the healthier foods have outperformed other products, she said.

“This is a very significant shift in the marketplace,” Gable said.

•Calories (Continued from page 6)

portion sizes in an attempt to persuade consumers to eat less. The companies also said that they would develop new lower-calorie options and change existing products so they have fewer calories.

Evidence of those efforts are visible on any grocery store shelf. Many products now come in lower calorie versions, are baked instead of fried, or sold in miniature as well as larger versions.

Marks says he believes that companies’ efforts to package smaller servings — 100 calorie packs of

Business McDonald’s key sales metric rises The Associated Press

OAK BROOK, Ill. — McDonald’s said on Dec. 9, that a key sales figure rose 0.5 percent in November, even as the world’s biggest hamburger chain faced tough competition and basically flat traffic in the U.S. Its global sales performance was the same as in October. Shares slipped in afternoon trading.

Sales at stores open at least a year is a key gauge of health because it excludes results from stores recently opened or closed.

The company said that the metric fell 0.8 percent in the U.S. While breakfast items, chicken options and its new expanded value menu did well, that was pressured by intense competition and flat traffic.

In Europe, it increased 1.9 percent on strong performances in the U.K., France and Russia. This was somewhat offset by weakness in Germany.

It declined 2.3 percent in the region including Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and Africa mostly because of softness in Japan.

McDonald’s Corp. said that the figure includes sales at all restaurants open at least 13 months, including those temporarily closed.

The lackluster results come as McDonald’s faces intensifying competition and changing eating habits. People are increasingly reaching for foods they feel are fresh, healthy or higher quality, with chains such as Chipotle enjoying relatively stronger growth. To keep pace, McDonald’s has introduced options such as chicken wraps and breakfast sandwiches with egg whites. But the company remains a target for health critics, and changing public perceptions about its food won’t be easy.

In the meantime, McDonald’s is

also trying to win over diners with cheaper fare. But its focus on its famous Dollar Menu has been a sore point with franchisees, who are seeing their profit margins hurt as costs for ingredients climb. As such, McDonald’s recently revamped the menu as the “Dollar Menu & More,” with a range of items costing up to $5. It is not clear yet how the strategy will go over with customers.

McDonald’s has more than 34,000 locations around the world.

Stroner appointed Bettcher sales VP BIRMINGHAM, Ohio — Bettcher Industries Inc. has announced that Russel W. Stroner has joined the company as vice president of sales.

In this position, Stroner is responsible for directing the national and international sales activities for Bettcher’s food processing and foodservice products, including managing the company’s direct and companyowned presence in the four leading meat processing regions of the world — the U.S., Western Europe, Brazil and China.

Stroner comes to Bettcher Industries with an extensive career in the meat processing and foodservice equipment fields. Joining Formax in the late 1990s, he held positions of increasing responsibility as that company transformed into Provisur Technologies. At Formax/Provisur, his responsibilities began in field service, progressing to regional sales and global sales management in support of major meat processing and foodservice brands worldwide.

“We’re pleased to welcome Russ to Bettcher Industries,” said Don Esch, Bettcher president. “His wide-ranging experience in managing national and international sales and service programs, along with supporting many important global enterprises across food processing and foodservice, aligns perfectly with our goal of achieving 100 percent customer satisfaction.”

More information can be obtained at www.bettcher.com.

8

POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

China promises to promote U.S. beef imports The Associated Press

BEIJING — China has promised to ease restrictions on imports of U.S. beef and to speed up work on opening its market for government purchases of software and other goods.

The pledges came as American and Chinese envoys ended a Dec. 20 meeting of the annual U.S.China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade amid disputes over market access for goods from solar panels to genetically modified corn.

A Chinese deputy commerce minister, Wang Chao, said at a news conference the two sides agreed

to “promote U.S. beef exports to China” but gave no details. A deputy agriculture ministry, Niu Dun, said the two sides will work on technical issues but gave no timetable for when full-scale imports might be allowed.

Beijing banned U.S. beef in 2003 due to fears of mad cow disease. It has promised in recent years to ease those restrictions but effectively maintained its ban.

Wang said Beijing also committed to submitting a new proposal next year to join the Government Procurement Agreement, which extends the World Trade Organization’s free-trade principles to pur-

chases by governments.

Government agencies, hospitals and other official entities in China are major purchasers of software and other goods. Business groups say extending the GPA to China could create multibillion-dollar new opportunities for foreign suppliers.

Beijing promised to join the GPA when it became a WTO member in 2001. But the United States and other governments complained its proposed terms were unrealistic.

They would have kept large areas of government purchasing off-limits on security grounds and allowed Beijing to wait up to 18 years before implementing all of its promises.

Wang, the commerce official, said Beijing promised next year’s offer would be in line with proposals by other countries.

The two governments also pledged to strengthen cooperation in criminal enforcement of trade secrets and in combating violations of patents, copyrights and other intellectual property.

The JCCT, established in 1983, is meant to resolve conflicts over trade issues before they disrupt trade.

The U.S. delegation to the meeting was led by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. In

addition to Wang and Niu, the Chinese delegation was led by a deputy finance minister, Zhu Guangyao.

The United States and China have one of the world’s most active trade relationships, with total commerce of some $500 billion a year, but ties are fraught with tension over Beijing’s multibillion-dollar trade surpluses and complaints about market barriers.

On Dec. 20, China’s product quality agency announced it has rejected 12 batches of U.S. corn totaling 545,000 tons that were found to contain an unapproved genetically modified strain. (See article below).

China rejects 545,000 tons of corn from the United States The Associated Press

BEIJING — China has rejected 545,000 tons of imported U.S. corn found to contain an unapproved genetically modified strain, the country’s product safety agency announced on Dec. 20.

China’s government is promoting genetically modified crops to in-

crease food production. But it faces opposition from critics who question their safety, especially those imported from the United States.

An unapproved strain called MIR162 was found in 12 batches of corn at six inspection stations, according to the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. It said the shipments

would be returned to the United States.

In a statement, the agency called on U.S. authorities to strengthen controls on corn exports to ensure unapproved strains are not sent to China.

China allowed its first imports of a genetically modified crop, soybeans, in 1997. Authorities are try-

ing to develop others that produce bigger yields or can resist insects without use of pesticides.

An announcement in June that regulators had approved imports of three new types of modified soybeans prompted an outcry by opponents who said they might be dangerous. The Ministry of Agriculture has launched a publicity campaign

to dispel concerns and says the criticisms are unfounded.

U.S. officials were in Beijing at the time of the announcement for trade talks. One participant, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, said earlier that U.S. officials hope they “help open even more markets for U.S. exports.”

IFEEDER receives largest donation in organization’s history ARLINGTON, Va. — The Institute for Feed Education and Research received more than $80,000 in donations during the American Feed Industry Association’s Equipment Manufacturers Conference in November in Amelia Island, Fla. Amongst the funds contributed during the conference, the nonprofit organization was presented with a check for $78,000, the single largest contribution donated to the charity since its founding in 2009.

“The Equipment Manufacturers Committee is proud to be able to make such a significant contribution to IFEEDER as it is a nonprofit that ensures continual research and education in our industry, something our committee believes in wholeheartedly,” said EMC Chairman Randy Stauffer.

AFIA’s EMC presented IFEEDER Executive Director Ken Thomas with the sizeable check to be used toward collegiate scholar-

ships for students pursuing degrees related to the feed industry.

Additional funds were raised during the overall conference through an annual golf tournament, raffle and individual contributions made by meeting attendees.

“We are thrilled by this generous donation to IFEEDER as it will go toward a worthwhile cause,” said Thomas upon receiving the funding. “The donation will fund scholarships for students at Kansas State

University as well as two additional universities (yet to be determined) during five-year commitments.

I cannot think of a better gift than that of education and that is exactly what the Equipment Manufacturers Committee is providing with this funding.”

IFEEDER will work with EMC to allocate the funds, which will still be dispensed through the EMC Scholarship Fund.

Created by the American Feed

Industry Association in 2009, the Institute for Feed Education & Research (IFEEDER) was formed to support the future of the feed industry as it is challenged to sustain the escalating world population. The IFEEDER foundation broadly represents the feed industry, including representation from academia and experts in science and technology.

More information can be obtained from the American Feed Industry Association at www.afia.org.

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POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

•Texas (Continued from page 1)

any (full stock) tanks, none of the creeks are running. We’re just kind of holding on right now.”

With the exception of West Texas, where the chances for rain through February are below normal, forecasters are offering equal chances for above, below or near normal precipitation for the rest of the state.

The drought of 2011 was Texas’ most intense one-year drought on record, and its devastation remains fresh. Agriculture in Texas lost $7.6 billion that year, including $3.2 billion in livestock losses, such as

selling off cattle or higher costs for feed. Pastures were left cracked and barren by triple-digit heat, far too little rain and windier than normal conditions.

At its worst, 88 percent of the state was in the most severe stage of drought on the U.S. Drought Monitor map.

Now, about 44 percent of Texas is amid drought, and far less land is in the worst dryness categories than in previous years, while 28 percent of the state is considered abnormally dry. There is no drought in East Texas and parts of Southeast Texas, where many of the state’s cattle are produced.

Those with decent conditions are eyeing market positives. All fresh beef in the U.S. averaged $4.92 a pound from January through October 2013, an increase of 5.3 percent compared to the same period in 2012, according to reports from the Livestock Marketing Information Center and the U.S. Meat Federation, a trade association.

Foreign demand also is growing. Total beef exports for last year through October were up 2 percent and valued at $5.1 billion. By the end of 2013, the total was expected to surpass 2012’s record $5.5 billion.

Mexico and Japan each bought 40 percent more beef in October than the same month in 2012, and Hong Kong’s imports skyrocketed 148 percent.

In addition, a good corn crop has prices for the grain down as much as $2.50 a bushel, while hay stocks have increased, said Kevin Good, an analyst at CattleFax, a Coloradobased information group that serves all segments of the cattle business.

Good noted that cow slaughter numbers could be down by 200,000 for the year when the U.S. Department of Agriculture releases its January inventory report. The number

needs to drop by at least 500,000 in each of the next two years for an expansion of the overall U.S. herd to have a chance, he said.

“That’s what it takes to go from liquidation to expansion,” Good said.

Austin-based rancher Dan Dierschke didn’t sell any of his animals during the drought — and he’s glad he held onto them.

“To go out and pay what today’s prices are it takes more nerves than I have,” the 74-year-old said. “I’m glad there are people that want to do it because it supports the markets, the prices for those animals that I’m selling.”

Research projects to develop plant feedstocks for bioenergy WASHINGTON — USDA and the Department of Energy (DOE) have announced $8 million in research grants to develop non-food feedstocks that can be used for bioenergy. The grants are part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to develop domestic renewable energy and advanced biofuels to help provide a more secure future for America’s energy needs and enhance rural economies.

“Today’s investments are a critical piece of President Obama’s strategy to create a clean source of energy and advance the sustainable use of natural resources,” said Ag-

riculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

“Innovative research plays a vital role in boosting rural economies and creating jobs in rural America, and the benefits this type of research may offer is another pressing reason we need a new Food, Farm and Jobs bill passed.”

Overall, the USDA and DOE projects are designed to improve biomass to be grown for biofuels — including selected trees and grasses — by increasing their yield, quality and ability to adapt to extreme environments. Researchers will rely on the most advanced techniques of modern genomics to develop breed-

*SRB40 Corrosion Champion_Layout 1 12/31/13 8:31 AM Page 1

ing and other strategies to improve the crops. The research will be conducted on switchgrass, poplar and pine, among other plants.

The potential benefits of this research range from decreasing oil imports to increasing options for American farmers. Because these non-food crops will be optimized to tolerate conditions such as drought and poor soils, they can be grown on marginal lands unsuitable for food crops, thereby avoiding competition with food production. Farmers will have the option to grow bioenergy crops in addition to other existing crop choices.

The joint USDA and DOE funding program was begun in 2006.

DOE’s Office of Science will provide $6.1 million in funding for five projects, while USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will award $2 million to fund two projects. Initial funding will support research projects for up to three years.

USDA-NIFA funded grants were awarded to the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $1 million; and Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore., $1million.

DOE-funded grants went to Colorado State University, Ft. Collins,

Colo., $1,385,763; University of Georgia, Athens, Ga., $1,314,235; University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill., $998,564; Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., $863,576; and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C., $1,543,490.

Project descriptions can be found online at: http://genomicscience.energy.gov/research/ DOEUSDA/#page=news.

More information on the joint DOE-USDA Plant Feedstocks Genomics for Bioenergy research program is available at http://genomicscience.energy.gov/research/ DOEUSDA/index.shtml.

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POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

Food-tech startups aim to replace eggs and chicken The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — The startup is housed in a garage-like space in San Francisco’s tech-heavy South of Market neighborhood, but it isn’t like most of its neighbors that develop software, websites and mobile-phone apps. Its mission is to find plant replacements for eggs.

Inside, research chefs bake cookies and cakes, whip up batches of flavored mayonnaise and pan-fry omelets and French toast — all without eggs.

Funded by prominent Silicon Valley investors and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Hampton Creek Foods seeks to disrupt a global egg industry that backers say wastes energy, pollutes the environment, causes disease outbreaks and confines chickens to tiny spaces.

The company, which just started selling its first product — Just Mayo mayonnaise — at Whole Foods Markets, is part of a new generation of so-called food-tech ventures that aim to change the way we eat.

“There’s nothing to indicate that this will be a trend that will end anytime soon,” said Anand Sanwal, CEO of CB Insights, a New York company that tracks venture capital investment. “Sustainability and challenges to the food supply are pretty fundamental issues.”

Venture capital firms, which invest heavily in early-stage technology companies, poured nearly $350 million into food-related startups last year, compared with less than $50 million in 2008, according to the company.

Plant-based alternatives to eggs, poultry and other meat could be good for the environment because it could reduce consumption of meat, which requires large amounts of land, water and crops to produce, backers say.

It could also benefit people’s health, especially in heavy meateating countries like the U.S., and reduce outbreaks of diseases such as avian flu, they say.

“The biggest challenge is that people who consume a lot of meat really like meat, and to convince them to try something different may be extremely difficult,” said Claire Kremen, faculty co-director of the Berkeley Food Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.

The American Egg Board, which represents U.S. producers, said eggs can’t be replaced.

“Our customers have said they’re not interested in egg substitutes.

They want real, natural eggs with their familiar ingredients,” Mitch Kanter, executive director of the board-funded Egg Nutrition Center, said in a statement.

The industry has reduced its water use and greenhouse gas emissions, and hens are living longer due to better health and nutrition, he said.

Hampton Creek’s quest to replace the ubiquitous chicken egg is also backed by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel and Khosla Ventures, a venture capital fund started by Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla.

In its food lab, biochemists grind up beans and peer through microscopes to study their molecular structure, looking for plants that can fulfill the culinary functions of eggs.

So far, the company has analyzed some 1,500 types of plants from more than 60 countries.

The research has resulted in 11 “hits,” said Josh Tetrick, the company’s CEO. “Our approach is to use plants that are much more sustainable — less greenhouse gas emissions, less water, no animal involved and a whole lot more affordable — to create a better food system,” said the former linebacker on West Virginia University’s football team.

The company’s first product — the mayonnaise — is sold for roughly the same price as the traditional variety. It soon hopes to start selling cookie dough and a batter that scrambles like eggs when fried in a pan.

“The egg is a miracle, so one of

AP Photo/Eric Risberg

Can plants replace eggs?: In this photo taken Dec. 2013, CEO Josh Tetrick holds a species of yellow pea used to make Just Mayo, a plant-based mayonnaise, at Hampton Creek Foods in San Francisco. Can plants replace eggs? A San Francisco startup backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates believes they can. Hampton Creek Foods is scouring the planet for plants that can replace chicken eggs in everything from cookies to omelets to French toast. Funded by prominent Silicon Valley investors, the upstart seeks to disrupt a global egg industry that backers say wastes energy, pollutes the environment, causes disease outbreaks and confines chickens to tiny spaces.

the hardest parts of replacing it is all the functions that it can do,” said Chris Jones, the company’s culinary director of innovations and a former contestant on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef.”

While Hampton Creek takes aim at the egg, another Gates-backed company is targeting the chicken itself.

Beyond Meat, located in Southern California, sells “chicken-free strips,” which have the taste and

stringy texture of poultry but are made from plant protein. It is sold at Whole Foods and natural food stores. It’s also working on a product that mimics beef.

Inside its test kitchen in El Segundo, Caitlin Grady, the company’s culinary ambassador, stir-fried the strips with broccoli, onion, peppers and sesame oil. “I cooked it just like a regular stir-fry, but I don’t have to worry about the meat being raw,” Grady said.

The company is also funded by Obvious Corp., a startup incubator founded by Twitter’s founders, and Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, one of Silicon Valley’s premier venture capital firms.

“It can fit in a vegan’s diet. It can fit in a carnivore’s diet,” said Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown.

“We’re trying to appeal to the full range of consumers that are making some shift toward healthier protein.”

11

POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

USDA okays flexibility in protein servings for school lunch WASHINGTON — Agriculture Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon has announced that USDA is making permanent the current flexibility that allows schools to serve larger portions of lean protein and whole grains at mealtime.

“Earlier this school year, USDA made a commitment to school nutrition professionals that we would make the meat and grain flexibility permanent and provide needed sta-

bility for long-term planning. We have delivered on that promise,” said Concannon.

USDA has worked closely with schools and parents during the transition to healthier breakfasts, lunches and snacks. Based on public feedback, USDA has made a number of updates to school meal standards, including additional flexibility in meeting the daily and weekly ranges for grain and meat/ meat alternates, which has been

available to schools on a temporary basis since 2012.

USDA is focused on improving childhood nutrition and empowering families to make healthier food choices by providing science-based information and advice, while expanding the availability of healthy food. Data show that vast majority of schools around the country are successfully meeting the new meal standards.

Recent actions by USDA to help

combat child hunger and obesity include: yy In December 2013, USDA awarded $11 million in grants to help schools purchase needed equipment to make preparing and serving healthier meals easier and more efficient for hardworking school food service professionals. yy In November 2013, USDA issued an additional $5 million through the Farm to School grant program to increase the amount

of healthy, local food in schools.

USDA awarded grants to 71 projects spanning 42 states and the District of Columbia. yy USDA awarded $5.6 million in grants in FY2013 to provide training and technical assistance for child nutrition foodservice professionals and support stronger school nutrition education programs, and plans to award additional grants in FY 2014.

Lobbyist hails importance of ethanol to national security The Associated Press

PRATT, Kan. — A strong ethanol industry is vital to national security because it reduces U.S. reliance on foreign oil-producing countries, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark said during a speech at the newly reopened Pratt Energy ethanol plant in southern Kansas.

Clark, a lobbyist for the ethanol industry as co-chairman of the national group Growth Energy, was recently in Kansas to speak at Pratt Energy, which re-opened in September and produces 20 truckloads of ethanol and 45 truckloads of

dried distillers grains for livestock per day.

In November, the EPA proposed cutting the federal government’s ambitious 2007 mandate that required petroleum companies to purchase ever-increasing amounts of ethanol to blend into gasoline.

Almost all automobile fuel is 10 percent ethanol, but oil companies and other industry groups have lined up against the mandates. They argue raising the amount of ethanol in automobile fuel will hurt engines and raise the cost of gasoline.

“They’ve done everything they

could to drag out implementation and gut the law,’’ Clark said.

Pratt Energy opened in 2008 but went into bankruptcy and closed a year later.

The previous owners didn’t know what they were doing, said current plant manager Jerry Schroeder.

The Scoular Co. bought the facility for its grain-buying and grainhandling operation and searched for a buyer. Pratt Energy bought the plant in 2012 and spent millions to renovate it before reopening it in September.

Scott Anderson, national ethanol

Researchers develop new method to control flies TUCKER, Ga. — U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the USPOULTRY Foundation have announced the completion of a funded research project at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Gainesville, Fla., regarding a new method to control flies on poultry farms.

The project is part of the association’s comprehensive research program encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing. The project summary is

as follows: Dr. Christopher Geden, in a research project funded by USPOULTRY, developed a novel method to apply an insect growth regulator, pyriproxyfen (PPF), to prevent the development of fly larvae into adult flies. Geden constructed a bait station that attracts adult flies, which become contaminated with PPF dust as they feed. When the flies subsequently lay eggs, they contaminate the egg-laying site with

PPF which prevents the eggs from becoming adult flies. This unique application method, which is called autodissemination, delivers the PPF directly to the site of egg and larvae development. In tests, the method has provided greater than 93 percent control.

A complete report, along with information on other association research, can be obtained by going to USPOULTRY’s website, www. uspoultry.org.

marketer for Pratt Energy, said the plant buys locally and sells regionally. It consumes 65 truckloads of grain per day — half corn and half grain sorghum — from nearby counties.

Its capacity is 55 million gallons of ethanol per year.

Pratt Energy mainly sells the ethanol in Wichita, Oklahoma City,

Tulsa, Okla., and surrounding markets, he said.

Both Anderson and Schroeder agreed with Clark’s message that ethanol is good for America, farmers and Pratt Energy.

“People have to understand that this is an agriculture economy and that this plant is a big part of that,’’ Anderson said.

12

POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

Calendar

Farm Bureau Federation, 600 Maryland Ave., S.W., Suite 1000 W, Washington, D.C. 20024. Ph: 202406-3682; martyt@fb.org; www.fb.org.

FEB 9-12 — NGA SHOW, Mirage Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nev. Contact: National Grocers Association, 1005 N. Glebe Road, Suite 250, Arlington, Va. 22201-5758. Ph: 703516-0700; amamone@nationalgrocers.org; www.nationalgrocers.org

Compiled by Barbara Olejnik, Associate Editor 770-718-3440 bolejnik@poultrytimes.net

JAN 27-28 — UEP BOARD MTNG., Omni Hotel & CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Contact: United Egg Producers, 1720 Windward Concourse, Suite 230, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005. Ph: 770360-9220; www.unitedegg.com.

JAN 28 — NCC TECHNICAL & REGULATORY COMMITTEE, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Contact: National Chicken Council, 1152 15th St., N.S., Suite 430, Washington, D.C. 20005. Ph: 202-296-2622; ncc@ chickenusa.org; www.nationalchickencouncil.org; www.eatchicken.com.

JAN 28-30 — INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION & PROCESSING EXPO, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga . 300847303, Ph: 770-493-9401; American Feed Industry Association, 2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 916, Arlington, Va.

22201, 703-524-1921; American Meat Institute, 1150 Connecticut Ave., N.W., 12th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036, 202-587-4200; www.ippexpo.org.

JAN 30 — NATIONAL EGG QUALITY SCHOOL STAKEHOLDERS MTNG., Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Denna Baldwin, program manager, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Food Quality Assurance Program, 50 Harry S. Truman Pkwy., Annapolis, Md. 21401. Ph: 410-8415769; denna.baldwin@maryland.gov.

JAN 30 — NCC BOARD MTNG., Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Contact: National Chicken Council, 1152 15th St., N.S., Suite 430, Washington, D.C. 20005. Ph: 202-296-2622; ncc@ chickenusa.org; www.nationalchickencouncil.org; www.eatchicken.com.

FEB 7-10 — YF&R LEADERSHIP CONF., Virginia Beach, Va. Contact: Marty Tatman, American

FEB 10 — ISPA BANQUET, Indianapolis, Ind. Contact: Indiana State Poultry Association, Purdue University, Animal Sciences, 915 W. State St., West Lafayette, Ind. 479072054. Ph: 765-494-8517; ispa@ purdue.edu; www.inpoultry.org.

FEB 10-23 — AFIA/KSU ADVANCED PELLETING COURSE, Four Point

by Sheraton, Manhattan, Kan. Contact: American Feed Industry Association, 2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 916, Arlington, Va. 22201. Ph: 703524-0810; afia@afia.org; www.afia.org.

FEB 16-18 - AMI ANNUAL MEAT CONF., Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Ga. Contact: American Meat Institute, 1150 Connecticut Ave., N.W., 12th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036. Ph: 202-587-4242; www.meatami.com.

FEB 19-20 — NPI CONV., Norfolk Lodge & Suites, Divots Conference Center, Norfolk, Neb. Contact: Nebraska Poultry Industries Inc., University of Nebraska, 102 Mussehl Hall, P.O. Box 830721, Lincoln, Neb.

68583-0721; 402-472-2051; eggturkey@uni.edu; www.nepoultry.org.

FEB 20-21 — USDA AGRICULTURAL OUTLOOK FORUM, Arlington, Va. Contact: www.usda.gov/oce/forum.

FEB 24-26 — PEPA ANNUAL CONV., Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, Lahaina, Hawaii. Contact: Pacific Egg & Poultry Association, 1521 I St., Sacramento, Calif. 95814. Ph: 916-441-0801; dmurdock@cgfa.org; www.pacificegg.org.

FEB 27-March 1 — COMMODITY CLASSIC, San Antonio, Texas. Contact: American Soybean Association 12125 Woodcrest Executive Drive, Suite 100, St. Louis, Mo. 63141.

Ph: 800-688-7692; membership@ soy.org; http://soygrowers.com.

MAR 3-5 — FMI ANNUAL BUSINESS CONF., Hilton Anatole, Dallas, Texas.

Contact: Food Marketing Institute, 2345 Crystal Drive, Suite 800, Arlington, Va. 22202-4813. Ph: 202452-8444; fmi@fmi.org; www.fmi.org.

MAR 4-23 — HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW & RODEO, Houston, Texas. Contact: Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, P.O. Box 20070, Houston, Texas 77225-0070. Ph: 832-667-1000; questions@rodeohouston.com; www.hlrs.com.

MAR 10-12 — ASA BOARD MTNG., Hyatt Regency, Washington, D.C. Contact: American Soybean Association 12125 Woodcrest Executive Drive,

Suite 100, St. Louis, Mo. 63141.

Ph: 800-688-7692; membership@ soy.org; http://soygrowers.com.

MAR 10-14 — AFIA SPRING COMMITTEE MTNGS./PURCHASING & INGREDIENT SUPPLIERS CONF., Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, Nev. Contact: American Feed Industry Association, 2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 916. Arlington, Va. 22201. Ph: 703524-0810; afia@afia.org; www.afia.org.

MAR 11-12 — NCC DAY IN WASHINGTON, Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel, Washington, D.C. Contact: National Chicken Council, 1152 15th St., N.S., Suite 430, Washington, D.C. 20005. Ph: 202-296-2622; ncc@ chickenusa.org; www.nationalchickencouncil.org; www.eatchicken.com.

MAR 11-14 — LPF POULTRY SMNR., DiamondJacks, Bossier City, La. Contact: Louisiana Poultry Federation, Poultry Science, 120 Ingram Hall, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La. 70803.

Ph: 225-578-2473; tlavergne@ agcenter.lsu.edu; www.lapoultry.org.

MAR 12-13 — AEB MTNG., Hilton Hotel, Rosemont, Ill. Contact: American Egg Board, 1460 Renaissance Drive, Park Ridge, Ill. 60068. Ph: 847-2967043; aeb@aeb.org; www.aeb.org.

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POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

Food Trends McDonald’s McDonald’s has taken a small step toward offering breakfast items outside of its usual breakfast hours.

The fast-food chain says participating 24-hour restaurants in select locations will offer an “After Midnight” menu that includes its Egg McMuffin, Big Mac and Chicken McNuggets. Customers will be able to create “Midnight Value Meals,” with either fries or hash browns as their side items.

The menu is available from midnight to 4 a.m. Local franchisees may adapt their offerings based on local preferences. The “After Midnight” menu is already available in North Delaware, Del., and College Station, Texas. McDonald’s says nearly half of its restaurants are open 24 hours.

yy More information: www. mcdonalds.com

Tyson Foods Tyson Foods now is offering Tyson Simply Fried Boneless Fried Chicken for grocery and deli retailers. Citing a recent report that indicated that 58 percent of consumers strongly prefer boneless chicken over bone-in items, Tyson said “boneless options (are) a priority for retailers looking to energize shopper buying in the deli marketplace.”

The product “helps grocers capitalize on consumer trends and adds tremendous value to any deli section instantly,” Brand Manager T. FuQua said. “This product captures high-value, impulse deli shoppers,” noting the “high-quality coating that

retains maximum internal moisture creating longer hold times.” yy More information: www. tysonfoods.com

Gold’n Plump Gold’n Plump has added two new flavors to its line of seasoned whole chicken: Mesquite and Pesto. The Mesquite chicken provides a smoky, grilled flavor combined with onion, garlic and spices to bring a real down-home meal to the kitchen.

The Pesto chicken brings a taste of Northern Italy with flavors of garlic, basil and Parmesan cheese seasoning. Both come with a convenient bake-in-bag to provide easy preparation and clean-up. yy More information: www. goldnplump.com

Norbest Norbest Inc. has introduced Signature Classics Single Lobe Turkey Breasts, a new line of premium, tender whole muscle breast meat that is delicately roasted, lightly browned using gourmet recipes and available in a variety of taste-tempting selections such as Oil Browned, Golden Roast, Sun-Dried Tomato, Italian-Style and Black Pepper.

The turkey breasts are skinless and 97 percent fat free. And because they are fully cooked, these Signature Classics are ready to heat and serve. yy More information: www. norbest.com

ConAgra Foods

ConAgra Foods now offers 23 new restaurant-quality meals and desserts from Bertolli and P.F. Chang’s to help people with athome meal solutions. Single-serve Al Dente meals from Bertolli deliver rich Italian recipes with sophisticated sauces, savory melted cheeses and pasta cooked to perfection in the microwave.

These include Chicken Florentine Alfredo, Chicken Carbonara, Chicken Parmigiana & Penne and Chicken Portabella Ravioli. Bertolli Skillet Meals for Two include Chicken Margherita & Penne. P.F. Chang’s also has new Skillet Meals for Two including Mongolian Style Chicken. yy More information: www. conagrafoods.com

14

POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

Markets Compiled by David B. Strickland, Editor 770-718-3442 dstrickland@poultrytimes.net

Nat’l. Turkey Market: (Jan. 13): The market on frozen hens and 16-24 lb. toms was steady with undertones mixed. Demand was light. Offerings of frozen hens

and 16-24 lb. toms was light to moderate with sellers holding product with varied degrees of confidence.

Frozen Grade A basted equivalent processor offering prices on a national basis for hens were 97¢$1.04 f.o.b. and 16-24 lb. toms were

94-99¢ f.o.b. for current shipments.

The market on white meat and white trims was generally steady. Demand and offerings were light to moderate. The market on institutional sized breasts was steady. Demand was light to moderate, mostly light.

Offerings were very light to moderate. The market on tom bulk parts was steady. Demand and offerings were light to moderate. Trading was light moderate on all items.

Exports: Trading was light to moderate. The market was generally steady. Demand and offerings were light to moderate.

F owl: Jan. 10: Live spent heavy fowl

Final prices at Farm Buyer Loading (per pound): range 10-22¢

P arts: Georgia:

The f.o.b. dock quoted prices on ice-pack parts based on truckload and pool truckload lots for the week of Jan. 13: line run tenders $1.92; skinless/boneless breasts $1.88½; whole breasts $1.07; boneless/skinless thigh meat $1.31; thighs 74¢; drumsticks 72½¢; leg quarters 50½¢; wings $1.27.

N ational Slaughter: Broiler: Estimated slaughter

for week ending Jan. 11 is 153,880,000.

Actual slaughter for the week ending Jan. 4 was 125,164,000.

Heavy-type hen: Estimated slaughter for the week ending Jan. 11 is 1,633,000.

Actual slaughter for the week end-

The following chart provides an annual high and a comparison of recent activity of major poultry company stocks.

USDA Shell Eggs AMS weekly combined region shell egg prices Average prices on sales to volume buyers, Grade A or better, White eggs in cartons, delivered warehouse, cents per dozen.

Company Annual High Jan. 9 Jan. 14

Cal-Maine 61.34 55.05 54.14 Campbell Soup 48.83 42.49 42.63 37.28 33.75 33.88 ConAgra Hormel 46.52 45.11 46.43 Pilgrim’s Pride 19.23 16.59 16.11 Sanderson Farms 75.53 73.63 73.34 Seaboard 2948.24 2673.00 2620.94 Tyson 34.92 34.60 34.47 (Courtesy: A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc.)

Jan. 10

Extra Large Regions: Northeast 116.00 Southeast 116.50 Midwest 106.50 South Central 123.50 Combined 116.00

Large

Medium

114.00 105.00 114.50 107.00 104.50 99.50 115.50 107.50 112.23 104.85

Computed from simple weekly averages weighted by regional area populations

Grain Prices OHIO COUNTRY ELEV. Dec. 24 Jan. 9 Jan. 14 No. 2 Yellow Corn/bu. $4.12 $4.02 $4.20 Soybeans/bu. $13.10 $12.64 $12.89 (Courtesy: Prospect Farmers Exchange, Prospect, Ohio)

Broiler Eggs Set/Chicks Placed in 19 States EGGS SET (Thousands)

CHICKS PLACED (Thousands)

Dec. 14

Dec. 21

Dec. 28

Jan. 4

Dec. 14

Dec. 21

Dec. 28

Jan. 4

Del Fla Ga Ky La Md Miss Mo. N.C. Okla Pa S.C. Tex Va Other states

28,399 21,013 9,420 4,418 1,222 34,000 7,766 3,849 7,666 18,022 8,419 20,433 7,008 3,907 5,023 14,442 6,334 7,822

28,068 20,522 9,961 4,430 1,220 34,253 7,808 3,743 7,640 17,695 8,188 20,202 7,025 3,882 5,291 14,209 6,415 7,712

27,857 21,055 10,484 4,392 1,220 33,856 7,908 3,788 7,160 17,504 8,261 20,305 6,931 3,830 5,255 13,983 6,571 7,866

28,038 21,029 8,926 4,411 1,224 33,946 7,927 3,834 7,001 17,677 8,452 20,214 6,896 3,842 5,249 14,593 6,168 7,788

20,766 20,257 9,638 6,054 1,680 26,231 6,136 3,159 4,915 14,139 6,268 15,688 3,878 3,163 4,790 11,614 5,657 6,020

21,487 20,273 10,109 5,621 1,369 26,312 6,434 3,381 5,635 14,574 6,196 15,924 3,904 3,151 4,309 12,236 5,055 5,578

22,289 20,328 9,291 5,137 1,278 25,435 6,408 3,317 6,179 14,678 5,895 15,769 3,593 3,033 4,538 11,771 4,895 6,043

21,311 19,288 9,010 5,469 1,349 27,212 6,450 3,324 5,735 14,850 5,163 15,362 5,498 3,077 5,041 11,911 4,814 6,407

19 States Total

201,341

200,552

200,360

199,427

164,033

165,970

163,834

164,864

% Prev. yr.

103

102

103

102

101

99

103

101

Ala Ark

Ca,Tn,Wv

1/Current week as percent of same week last year.

Estimates: The estimated number of broiler/ fryers available for slaughter the week ending Jan. 11, was 157.3 million head compared to 132.2 million head slaughtered the same week last year. The estimated U.S. slaughter for the week of Jan. 11, was 154.2 million head or 3.1 million less than estimated available. For the week of Jan. 18, the estimated available is 148.7 million head, notes USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, Poultry Programs.

Broiler/Fryer Report

Industry Stock Report

ing Jan. 4 was 1,348,000.

Light-type hen: Estimated slaughter for the week ending Jan. 11 is 2,137,000. Actual slaughter for the week ending Jan. 4 was 1,276,000.

Total: Week of Jan. 11: 157,650,000.

Week of Jan. 4: 127,788,000.

USDA National Composite Weighted Average For week of: Jan. 10 For week of: Jan. 3

98.36¢ 95.83¢

Jan. 10 98¢-$1.03 99¢-$1.03 87¢--95¢ 87¢--95¢ 94¢-$1.03 94¢--$1.02

Majority (whole body) Eastern Region: New York: Central Region: Chicago: Western Region: Los Angeles:

Negotiated prices in trucklot and less-than-trucklot quantities of ready-to-cook whole body broiler/fryers delivered to first receivers; prices in cents per pound.

Turkey Markets Weighted avg. prices for frozen whole young turkeys Weighted average (cents/lb.) F.O.B. shipper dock National

Week ending Jan. 10 Last year Hens (8-16 lbs.)

99.90 95.23 Toms (16-24 lbs.)

97.50 95.22 Week ending Jan. 3 Hens (8-16 lbs.)

Toms (16-24 lbs.)

102.13 98.50

Dec. avg.

103.83 101.80

Egg Markets USDA quotations New York cartoned del. store-door: Jan. 9 Jan. 14 Extra large, no change $1.21--$1.25 $1.21--$1.25 Large, no change $1.19--$1.23 $1.19--$1.23 $1.07--$1.11 $1.09--$1.13 Medium, up 2¢ Southeast Regional del. warehouse: Jan. 9 Jan. 14 $1.13½--$1.43 $1.11½--$1.35 Extra large, down 2¢ Large, down 1¢ $1.11--$1.33 $1.10--$1.27 Medium, down 3½¢ $1.04--$1.22 $1.00½--$1.20

15

POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

AMERICAN EGG BOARD HOTLINE AEB Hotline appears regularly in Poultry Times and provides an update on programs and services provided for egg producers by the American Egg Board. Details on any item mentioned may be obtained by contacting AEB at 1460 Renaissance Dr., Park Ridge, Ill. 60068.

Phone: 847-296-7043. yy Using AEB’s State Support Funding, the Chicken and Egg Association of Minnesota (CEAM) attended the 2013 Education Minnesota conference in St. Paul. The conference drew teachers of all subjects from across the state and college students pursuing a future career in education. The CEAM booth handed out 300 free teacher kits during the conference. The teaching kits included information such as industry facts, activities for children, information on protein provided by eggs, a diagram of all parts of the egg, food safety, recipes and careers within the poultry industry. one. yy AEB presented egg product functional advantages and basic application formulations to students enrolled in American Institute of Baking’s (AIB) fall 16-week Baking Science & Technology resident course.

Upon successful completion of the course, each participant earns recognition as a baking technologist and is eligible to earn 14 college credit hours through Kansas State University. For more information about AIB’s courses, visiAIBonline. org. yy To help promote holiday

baking with eggs, AEB placed signage in the egg case at 7,700 grocery stores across the U.S. Shoppers were reminded to “Take Home an Extra Dozen Eggs for Your Holiday Baking” via signage in the egg departments of chains including A&P, Albertson’s, Hy-Vee, Safeway and Winn-Dixie. During Easter 2013, a similar effort by AEB resulted in an egg category lift of 4 percent versus those stores that didn’t feature a sign. yy Each year in November, the Egg Nutrition Center releases a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the upcoming research year. This year, ENC expanded its reach beyond research institutions by promoting the RFP through a banner ad in American Society for Nutrition (ASN) newsletters and via an upcoming Nutrition and Research Symposium and the Research Dietetic Practice Group. The 2014 ENC Research Program will focus on the following priorities: Protein in an Optimal Diet; Cardiometabolic Health and Nutrient Density, Nutrient Function and Nutrient Interactions. yy The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) is the world’s largest gathering of credentialed nutrition professionals and Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) This year ENC traveled to Houston, Texas, to present “Changing Paradigms on Weight Management and Macronutrient Intake” to approximately 200 registered dietitian nutritionists.

AFIA opens PISC registration ARLINGTON, Va. — Registration for the American Feed Industry Association’s annual Purchasing & Ingredient Suppliers Conference is now open. The conference will be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nev., March 12-14, 2014.

More than 550 buyers and sellers of feed and pet food ingredients attend the annual event. The conference offers industry experts the chance to exchange knowledge and learn about issues affecting the industry.

New in 2014, attendees will receive a $50 discount for completing registration online. To register for PISC, visit AFIA’s website at www. afia.org “This year’s program, ‘Where

Business Gets Done!’ will feature well-known industry experts who will present on topics that are currently affecting the feed industry and agriculture as a whole,” said Veronica Rovelli, AFIA director of meetings and events. “PISC is AFIA’s highest attended individual event and is designed to benefit all feed, ingredient and pet food professionals.”

This year’s program highlights include: “The Truth about Sustainability,” Dr. Frank Mitloehner; “Animal Economics Report,” Dr. Ron Plain; “Grain Outlook,” Richard Brock; “Humor for the Heart of Agriculture,” Damian Mason; and the “World Food Supply Outlook,” Dr. Jay Lehr. The conference sched-

ule also incorporates networking opportunities and outings including the annual golf tournament and the newly added skeet shooting excursion.

In addition to the regularly scheduled PISC programming, the AFIA Nutrition Committee will host a Nutrition Symposium on Tuesday, March 11, from 1-5:30 p.m., on “Protecting Your Investment and Sustaining Agriculture for the Future.” The seminar is open to all PISC attendees for an additional fee. The symposium will feature experts from several fields discussing a gamut of topics including consumer trust in modern agriculture, biosecurity, post-harvest losses and water rights and agriculture.

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16

POULTRY TIMES, January 20, 2014

Urban hens are often abandoned once egg-laying ends The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa — Five chickens live in artist Alicia Rheal’s backyard in Madison, Wis., and when they age out of laying eggs, they may become chicken dinner.

“We get egg-layers and after a couple of years we put the older girls in the freezer and we get a newer batch,” Rheal said.

Rheal is a pragmatic backyard chicken enthusiast who likes to know what’s in her food. But others find the fun of bringing a slice of farm life into the city stops when the hens become infertile. Hesitant to kill, pluck and eat a chicken, some people abandon the animal in a park or rural area.

As a result, more old hens are showing up at animal shelters, where workers increasingly respond to reports of abandoned poultry.

“The numbers are exploding. We had hoped that the fad had peaked and maybe we were going to get a little bit of a break here, but we haven’t,” said Mary Britton Clouse, who operates Chicken Run Rescue in Minneapolis.

In 2001, she had six calls from people seeking homes for abandoned chickens. That rose to nearly 500 last year, said Clouse, who takes animals from the city’s animal control department and works with local humane groups to place unwanted birds.

As winter approaches the number of abandoned chickens rises, Clouse said: “The summer fun is over.”

Chickens begin laying eggs where they’re 4 to 6 months old and are most productive for about two years, University of Wisconsin poultry specialist Ron Kean said.

Egg production drops off significantly after that, but the hens can live another decade or more.

Urban chicken populations have been on the rise since the mid2000s, championed by people who wanted to know where their eggs came from and whether the animals were free-range and hormone-free.

It’s unclear how many people have backyard chickens and there’s no official count of the number of cities that have approved chicken-friendly ordinances.

Clouse said the problem wors-

ened around 2007, and her organization and others began pleading with cities to either deny requests to allow backyard chickens or to budget for regulation, inspection of coops and enforcement of animal cruelty laws. It didn’t slow the trend.

“What you’ve got are all these people who don’t know what the hell they’re doing. They’re sticking these birds in boxes the size of battery cages in their backyard,” said Clouse, who like many opponents of keeping urban chickens advocates a vegan diet.

Many backyard chicken keepers build or buy elaborate fence-enclosed houses with elevated nesting areas to make the chickens feel safe. Some communities, including Madison, offer tours to show off chic coops.

Aside from the eventual drying up of egg production, there are a number of headaches that backyard chicken farmers may face.

Feed, shelter, litter and veterinary bills add up, and chickens are vulnerable to predators and must be in a secure shelter. Their feed can attract rodents, and chickens can contract

parasites requiring veterinary care.

Plus, there’s always the chance that a baby chick turns out to be a rooster.

Most cities don’t allow roosters because their crowing is a nuisance, but determining the sex of a baby chick isn’t easy. Kean said about one in 20 chicks turns out to be a rooster, a surprise that he thinks is a bigger problem than the unwanted elderly hens.

The USDA said it’s seeing an increasing number of requests for data and is considering a nationwide survey of cities to see how many permit them. In April, the agency published a report on urban chicken owners in Denver, Los Angeles, Miami and New York, finding 1.7 percent of Miami residents had their own flocks, followed by 1.2 percent in L.A. and less than 1 percent in the other two metropolitans.

The survey results mirror what observers anecdotally say occurs in cities that pass local ordinances allowing chickens — small numbers of people actually get birds. Kean said the issue of abandoned chickens, while real, is often overstated

by animal rights activists.

Iowa City officials approved an ordinance in 2012 allowing up to four chickens with a permit and consent from neighbors. A spokeswoman at the city’s animal control and adoption center said typically one or two people a month file applications.

A Minneapolis city spokesman said the city has about 1,500 chickens permitted and gets between six and 10 application requests a week during spring and summer months, fewer when it gets cold.

For all the naysayers, chicken keepers stand behind their ventures.

Rheal said she intends to have the hens hang around far into the future, both for the eggs and the meat.

But even Rheal has a soft spot for some of her flock, especially Minnie and Scoozie, 7-year-old Bantams. Rheal says those two will be in her yard until they die, describing Scoozie as a sweet chicken who mothers baby chicks.

“Everyone loves Scoozie. She’s just a very gentle bird,” Rheal said.

Mo. specialist notes winter cover crops offer beef grazing ALBANY, Mo. — Winter cover crops on corn and soybean acres are a natural fit for crop-and-beef farms.

Cover crops offer beef profit potential for the time between fall crop harvest and spring planting, says Rob Kallenbach, a University of Missouri Extension forage agronomist. He gave his ideas in an interview before taking part in a three-state series of beef meetings.

Kallenbach sees a natural fit for cover crops with spring-calving cow herds in northern Missouri, southern Iowa and eastern Nebraska.

The winter cover, which can be grasses, legumes, brassicas or a mix, offers extended grazing into winter for stocker calves.

Instead of selling calves in October, traditional market time for calves, they can be kept another 65 to 85 days.

Another 100 pounds of gain can be added to the calves. “Think what that means at today’s calf prices,” Kallenbach adds.

In past stocker-calf budgets, Extension specialists would plug in a dollar a pound for calculations. Now those gains can be worth double that.

Green growing forages offer some of the best nutrition for growing calves.

Kallenbach says he wants producers to realize the variety of cover crops available, and the best livestock to capitalize on that growth.

In a grazing study at Linneus, Mo., MU bred heifers gained body condition and 2 pounds a day on winter cover crops, he said.

Cover crops are being promoted for soil conservation and improved soil health.

“Planting cover crops is not costfree,” Kallenbach said. Without grazing gains, that cost comes out of the crop budget.

Long-recommended winter grazing species make excellent cover crops, he says. For livestock producers, this is not a new concept.

Cereal grains, whether wheat, rye or oats, are good cover crops and livestock feed.

Wheat offers an added benefit of a grain crop, if grazing livestock is removed early. “There will be little loss of wheat-yield potential,” Kallenbach said. “Rye doesn’t offer much demand as a cereal crop, but it offers more grazing than wheat.”

Oats offer grazing, and easy transition to spring crop planting as the cereal winterkills. There’s no herbicide expense next spring, he added.

Legumes add nitrogen to the soil and protein to the grazing mix. However, they are slow starters and add little fall grazing. Brassicas-turnips or grazing radishes-make excellent feed. Cattle like them so much they can overeat, causing bloat. They do well when mixed with grasses to dilute the diet, or when strip grazing is used to control eating hours.

Cover crops added to a cropping system complicate management.

The crops must be seeded early enough to get a good start on growth before winter, Kallenbach noted.

That may mean aerial seeding into soybeans before leaf drop, for example. Then there is timing of ending grazing and killing the forage crop before spring crop planting.

It works. It just takes close timing, which may be delayed by weather.

For livestock-crop farmers, it’s a natural fit. Getting a dollar return, in addition to more intangible benefits, makes financial sense, Kallenbach said.

Also, grazing cover crops requires management of livestock fencing and water. Strip grazing improves efficiency and adds pounds of gain per acre.

The spring forage growth works best when harvested as haylage.

That is bales wrapped in plastic, which allows ensiling the highmoisture spring forage.

Attention to management adds quick economic value to a conservation practice that offers slow returns in saving and building soil.

Kallenbach’s three-state tour consisted of stops in Creston, Iowa; Albany, Mo.; and Beatrice, Neb.

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