Farmed
Animal Watch
A Project of Animal Place
May 15, 2002
(To Search This Page Press Ctrl F)
Issue #68
CONTENTS
1. Organic Poultry Get Outdoor Access
2. Government to Purchase and Kill Buffalo
3. Kansas to Outlaw Cockfighting
4. 250,000 "Happy Hens" to Be Killed in Australia; US AI
Update
5. South Korea: 94,000 Pigs Ordered Killed to Control FMD
6. USDA Pig Industry Survey Available Online
7. First-Ever Animal Welfare Judging Competition Held
8. Dairy and Pig Production Field Trip Courses
1. ORGANIC POULTRY GET OUTDOOR ACCESS
The National Organic Standards Board met this month to determine the
requirements for poultry to be labeled as "organic." Congress has
authorized the Board to make recommendations to the USDA regarding the
definition of substances and practices which can be labeled as organic under
the Organic Foods Production Act. Despite heavy lobbying by factory-farming
interests to minimize requirements and profit from the nearly $8 billion
organic market, the board voted 12 to 1 to keep outdoor access as a
requirement. The board has stated that "access to the outdoors fulfills
an integral role in health care and living condition requirements in organic
poultry production." Noted one organic producer, "Organic has to
mean something."
2. GOVERNMENT TO PURCHASE AND KILL BUFFALO
The USDA will spend $13 million this year to buy and kill buffalo. Bison
ranching grew quickly in the 1990's, primarily for the upscale restaurant
trade. The resulting stockpiled "trim products," coupled with
drought through much of the country, has the industry struggling to reduce the
herd population. There are about 2,400 buffalo ranches, primarily in the
Dakotas, Montana, Colorado and Wyoming, with 300,000-400,000 buffalo. Last
year, 19,400 bison were slaughtered, compared to the 100,000 cattle who are
slaughtered every day. It takes 2 to 3 years for buffalo to reach market
weight, compared to 18 months for cattle. The purchase is part of the USDA's
$155 million surplus food commodities program. Some of the meat will be
donated to various organizations and some may end up in the school lunch
program. The National Bison Association plans to step up marketing efforts
with such slogans as "The Original Red Meat." Whole Foods Markets,
the national health foods chain, recently began selling buffalo meat.
"Feds Thinning Out Buffalo Herds,"
Fox News, Carol McKinley, May 14, 2002.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,52782,00.html
"Buffalo to be part of USDA program," United Press International,
May 2, 2002.
http://upi.com/print.cfm?StoryID=02052002-023143-4306r
3. KANSAS TO OUTLAW COCKFIGHTING
A bill to outlaw cockfighting in Kansas was overwhelmingly passed by state
lawmakers. The vote count was 112-10 in the House and 36-4 in the Senate. The
bill is expected to be signed into law by the governor. It includes criminal
penalties of up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
4. 250,000 "HAPPY HENS" TO BE KILLED IN AUSTRALIA; US AI UPDATE
Veterinarians in Victoria began killing 250,000 chickens at the Happy Hens Egg
Farm due to an outbreak of Newcastle Disease. Happy Hens is one of the largest
egg operations in the state. This is the first case of the disease in Victoria
since the 1930's. (Victoria is west of Melbourne.) A similar strain of the
disease occurred near Sydney in 1999, resulting in the killing of 1.9 million
birds at poultry operations and aviaries in a restricted area. Accusing the
state of turning a blind eye to conditions at the operation, a spokesperson
for Animal Liberation Victoria explained: "Whenever hundreds of thousands
of birds are crammed into a few sheds, you've got a ticking time bomb waiting
to explode....The problem is intensive farming: sunlight will destroy the
virus." The Victorian Farmers Federation Egg Producers Group expressed
concern about the potential rise in egg prices.
The avian influenza (AI) epidemic afflicting
the northeastern U.S. (see issue #67) is believed to be abating. Virginia
residents near landfills and an incinerator where many of the millions of dead
birds have been taken are complaining of odors. Smoke from the incinerator is
said to settle in the mountain valley like thick fog, hurting residents'
throats and making their eyes water. The state Dept. of Environmental Quality
has assured them that the air is not harmful to breathe.
5. SOUTH KOREA: 94,000 PIGS ORDERED KILLED TO CONTROL FMD
South Korea announced that 33,000 pigs have been killed and an additional
61,000 pigs have been condemned to die in the attempt to contain and eradicate
an outbreak of highly infectious foot and mouth disease (FMD). Ten individual
cases of the disease have been confirmed. FMD halted the country's $400
million annual pig meat export trade in 2000. A high-level government meeting
was held to discuss maximizing security to prevent the spread of the disease
during the upcoming World Cup soccer finals which South Korea will be
co-hosting.
6. USDA PIG INDUSTRY SURVEY AVAILABLE ONLINE
The USDA's Swine Survey 2000 Part II: Reference of Swine Health and Health
Management in the U.S. (see issue #63) is available in its entirety in the
"What's New" page at:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/cahm/index.htm
7. FIRST-EVER ANIMAL WELFARE JUDGING COMPETITION HELD
Animal welfare judging made its debut at Michigan State University as part of
a pilot educational program. Using computers, students viewed different
management approaches for pigs, chickens, cows and horses. Management was
rated by its impact on animal behavior. Ed Pajor, Purdue University assistant
professor of animal sciences, compares the technique to other farmed animal
judging competitions. Welfare judging may be formalized as a program to
increase awareness of management alternatives. Students from Purdue, the U. of
Wisconsin, and the U. of Guelph (Ontario) participated in this initial event.
8. DAIRY AND PIG PRODUCTION FIELD TRIP COURSES
The 2002 Public Health Institute of the University of Minnesota is focusing on
safety and biosecurity in food production systems. The Institute is offering 9
courses ranging from 1.5 to 5 days. Two field trip courses will provide an
opportunity to tour food production, packaging and distribution facilities.
One, entitled "Pork" (PubH 7100-106) includes a tour of a commercial
pig operation, a processing plant and a retail facility. It will be held May
29-30th. Another, "Dairy" (PubH 7100-107) includes a tour of a dairy
operation, a milk processing plant, and a retail facility. It runs June 5-6th.
A mini-series of 3 seminars on science, politics and food safety will be open
to the general public as well as course participants. Registration and other
information can be found at: http://www.cpheo.umn.edu/institute/coursedesc.html
or call 612-626-4515.
