News Update
October 14, 2011
New Global Harvest Initiative Report Finds Progress,
Highlights Challenges
Wednesday at the World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa, the Global Harvest Initiative (GHI) released its second annual Global Agricultural Productivity Report™ (GAP Report™), which, since the inaugural 2010 GAP Report, finds progress in the current growth rate of agricultural productivity worldwide but highlights the challenges that lie ahead to maintain the current growth rate over each of the next 40 years. These challenges are especially critical in overcoming deficiencies in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, where the vast majority of global population growth will occur.
“The 2011 GAP Report sheds new light on the steps necessary to address the challenge of feeding the more than 9 billion people expected to inhabit the earth by 2050,” said William Lesher, GHI chairman of the board. “We can be cautiously optimistic about the new evidence of faster productivity growth revealed this year, but the long-term solutions to hunger and food security remain daunting. We must continue to pursue key policies with proven results in improving global agricultural productivity and development, such as investing in agricultural research, removing trade barriers, adopting new technologies and innovation and enhancing the role of the private sector.”
Factoring in new data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the 2011 GAP Report includes an updated GAP Index™, which measures the difference between the current rate of global agricultural productivity growth and the rate required to meet future needs.
“Based on the new FAO estimates, the current rate of global total factor productivity (TFP) is 1.7%, on target for the projected rate required each year to produce enough food to feed the world by 2050,” said Keith Fuglie, branch chief for resource, environmental and science policy of the Resource and Rural Economics Division of the Economic Research Service (ERS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). “But many parts of the world are falling short; Africa’s TFP rate, for example, is growing at less than one percent a year. A productivity measure like the GAP Report allows us to track TFP progress on both a global and regional scale, and gauge the capacity to feed a growing global population in the future.”
Total factor productivity reflects the amounts of total inputs used per unit of output, including comparisons of the growth of output to growth of input use.
“Combined, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia will account for nearly 90% of the population growth over the next 40 years. In these regions and throughout the world we are also seeing a notable increase in protein-based diets, which will increase overall demand on agriculture,” said Neil Conklin, president of the Farm Foundation NFP. “Looking past the necessary productivity improvements to meet future needs, even greater challenges to address hunger and food security lie in our ability to facilitate the movement of food through international trade and to develop the necessary infrastructure to support more food production such as roads, processing and storage facilities.”
Through national-level case studies of the emerging market economies of Brazil, China, Indonesia and Ghana, the GAP Report highlights how select policies can help address hunger and food security while also addressing poverty by empowering farmers with new technologies to boost productivity.
While each of the four profiled nations applied a different strategy with varying levels of success, active government support for the agriculture industry, investment in research, the adoption of science-based technologies and a shift toward more open markets enabled all four nations to achieve meaningful increases in agricultural productivity.
The full 2011 GAP Report is available on GHI’s website, http://ow.ly/6T2yA.
AWA Revamps Quarterly Publications
Animal Welfare Approved has redesigned its quarterly newsletter to include more information and practical advice on sustainable farming. The revamped newsletter — which is free to subscribers — will provide farmers with news and cutting-edge advice on high-welfare, sustainable farming to ensure competitiveness in the marketplace and the long-term sustainability of their operations.
Each issue combines thought-provoking articles on current food and farming topics, together with technical and marketing advice backed up by real-life case studies to help farmers share knowledge and learn from each other’s successes. Readers will also find news, farm profiles and AWA certification advice, as well as information on AWA’s ever-expanding support services and marketing materials.
“There really is nothing else like this available,” says AWA Program Director Andrew Gunther. “Farmers consistently tell us how valuable this publication is to growing and improving their farming enterprises. While we are seeing an explosion of interest in sustainable farming, there is a dearth of information that is both relevant and available to the farmer. Let’s face it; you’re unlikely to see an article on understanding fecal egg counts in your local paper.
“Our aim is to deliver relevant, science-based content to anyone who has an interest in sustainable farming,” he continues. “This publication is dedicated to ensuring our farms lead the way in high-welfare, sustainable agriculture.”
Fall Grazing of Alfalfa Provides Good Feed with Strict Management
Fall grazing of alfalfa can provide a cheap feed source for cattle producers. However, several management practices should be followed. One of the first things that come to mind with cattle grazing alfalfa is bloat.
Good management can reduce the likelihood of bloat. Since we are in the season of frost, we should look at this concern first. If you place cattle in fields that have not yet frozen then close attention to the weather must take place. After a frost or freeze the cell walls in the alfalfa plant rupture, which increases the release of soluble protein in the plant, thus increasing the chances of bloat in cattle. If a frost/freeze occurs when cattle are grazing alfalfa, cattle should be pulled immediately. Producers need to wait a minimum of three days or longer after a frost or freeze before putting cattle back on the field.
This should allow the plant to start drying down before any cattle are placed back on the alfalfa. Likewise, if it was not a complete killing freeze, each subsequent frost or freeze needs to be monitored for additional plant damage.
Other management Do’s and Don’ts to fall grazing alfalfa:
Do:
- Wait until alfalfa is in full bloom or mature to graze to reduce bloat incidence.
- Feed bloat-preventing compounds, such as poloxalene, for several days before and after the start of grazing alfalfa.
- Fill up cattle with good-quality grass hay before moving out to alfalfa fields.
- Move cattle into the alfalfa sin the afternoon.
- Monitor grazing several times (minimum of 2-3) times per day for the first three days for bloat incidences and then once a day, preferably midmorning.
- Have an escape pasture in case conditions arise that cattle must be moved promptly.
Don’t:
- Do not turn hungry cattle into alfalfa.
- Do not move cattle onto alfalfa first thing in the morning. Wait until late morning or afternoon.
- Do not leave cattle on alfalfa fields that just had a frost or freeze the night before.
In addition to feed savings during the fall/winter months, grazing after frost helps control insects. If alfalfa weevils are a problem, then grazing can help control them. The eggs in the stems are consumed, reducing the number of eggs available for hatching the following spring. However, caution should be taken if weather conditions change from dry to wet as grazing alfalfa in wet, muddy conditions can cause damage to the plant’s crown. Damaging the crown can reduce production in future years.
Grazing alfalfa in the fall/winter can be a cost savings on feed supplies, but strict management must occur to prevent death loss.
October Beef Management Calendar
Spring-calving herds
- Work calves prior to weaning, administer preweaning vaccinations.
- Wean calves this month or early next month.
- Market calves to your best advantage.
- Make arrangements for backgrounding calves.
- Feed replacement heifers to gain 1.5-1.75 lb. per day or use the target weight method to calculate rate of gain.
- Pregnancy-check cows.
- Score cows for body condition at weaning and separate thin cows.
- Cull open, old and very thin cows; check feet and legs, udders and eyes.
- Switch to high-magnesium minerals to prevent grass tetany.
- Finalize winter-feeding strategies and inventory feed supplies, and secure feed for winter.
Fall-calving herds
- Continue calving.
- Move pregnant heifers and early calving cows to calving area about 2 weeks before due date.
- Check cows three to four times per day, heifers more often — assist early if needed.
- Keep calving area clean and move healthy pairs out to large pastures three days after calving.
- Score cows for body condition at calving; plan nutrition/grazing program based on BCS.
- Ear-tag and dehorn all calves at birth; castrate male calves in commercial herds.
- Give selenium plus vitamin E and vitamin A & D injections to newborn calves.
- Feed cows extra energy after calving; protein supplementation may be needed if good pasture is not available. Cows calving at BCS < 5 should receive special nutritional attention.
- Keep high-quality, high-magnesium, high-selenium minerals available.
- Reproductive tract score (RTS) and measure pelvic areas on yearling replacement heifers; RTS should be 3 or better, and pelvic areas should be >150 sq. cm.
- Plan estrous synchronization program; line up AI technician and supplies.
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