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News Update

January 23, 2012

National FFA Organization Seeks Student Travelers

The National FFA Organization is now accepting applications for its 2012 International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program. FFA will take 12 students to Southeast Asia this spring; the tentative program dates are May 19-June 1.

This conference allows students the opportunity to study global agriculture and international marketing. Students will learn about current international trade and cultural issues and gain awareness of how international markets for agricultural products operate. Upon completion of the program, students will give educational presentations to local groups and organizations about their experiences.

The I-CAL program was developed as a partnership with the U.S. Grains Council and The Grains Foundation. The deadline for applications is February 15, 2012, at 5 p.m. EST. Potential participants can learn more about the program and download an application at www.ffa.org/collegiate.


Another Record-High Month for Pork Production

Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.22 billion pounds (lb.) in December, down 3% from the 4.35 billion lb. produced in December 2010.

Beef production, at 2.13 billion lb., was 6% below the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.75 milion head, down 6% from December 2010. The average live weight was down 8 lb. from the previous year, at 1,297 lb. Veal production totaled 10.7 million lb., 8% below December a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 72,90 head, down 6% from December 2010. The average live weight was down 8 lb. from last year, at 253 lb.

Pork production totaled 2.07 billion lb., up 1% from the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 9.94 million head, up slightly from December 2010. The average live weight was up 1 lb. from the previous year, at 278 lb.. Lamb and mutton production, at 12.5 million lb., was down 180,700 head, 16% below last year. The average live weight was 139 lb., up 1 lb. from December a year ago.

January to December 2011 commercial red meat production was 49.2 billion lb., up slightly from 2010. Accumulated beef production was down slightly from last year, veal was down 4%, pork was up 1% from last year and lamb and mutton production was down 9%.


Veterinary Groups Partner to Address Profession’s Challenges

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) today, Jan. 23, announced a partnership with veterinary school leaders to address the future of the profession and the continued emphasis on high standards for veterinary medical education. Nearly 70 leaders, representing AVMA, 35 veterinary medical colleges, and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) met at an economic summit in Orlando, Fla., earlier this week to explore solutions to the challenges facing the veterinary medical profession and veterinary medical colleges. Workforce concerns, educational debt, demand for clinical veterinary services and public support of veterinary medical education were discussed and will be among the issues to be addressed in an upcoming series of meetings beginning in March.

“There are a number of economic issues, pressures and stresses impacting the profession, including cuts in state funding to veterinary schools and a decrease in the public’s utilization and perceived value of our services,” explains Rene Carlson, AVMA president. “The challenges before us are complex, yet there are great potential opportunities for increased animal health and welfare if we pursue them.

“Over the past two years, there have been $104 million in state cuts to veterinary medical education and those cuts directly impact the tuition that students pay. As a result, tuitions, on average, have doubled over the past 10 years ($9,134 in 2001 for in-state students to $18,326 in 2011). In addition, the true overall cost of attending a veterinary medical program is about $41,000 per year, leaving students with an average debt of more than $140,000.”

Gerhardt Schurig, AAVMC president and dean of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, says, “I think we need to fight to sustain and garner public support, but we will also have to start looking at alternative funding sources and educational models if we want to maintain quality. We also need to work with other stakeholders of academic veterinary medicine to find ways to increase student financial aid.”

Progress reports will be released periodically to AVMA and AAVMC membership. For more information, visit the AVMA website.

The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world, with more than 82,500 member veterinarians worldwide engaged in a wide variety of professional activities.

The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) is a nonprofit membership organization working to protect and improve the health and welfare of animals, people and the environment by advancing academic veterinary medicine. Its members include all 33 veterinary medical colleges in the United States and Canada, nine departments of veterinary science, eight departments of comparative medicine, three veterinary medical education institutions, nine international colleges of veterinary medicine, and five affiliate international colleges of veterinary medicine.


FFA Shares Farm Bill Ideas with USDA

With more than 100,000 new farmers needed during the next few years, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack challenged the National FFA Organization’s young leaders. “I would like you, with your fellow students and the adult leadership of the organization, to develop a series of recommendations around the upcoming Farm Bill that will encourage more young people to pursue careers in farming,” Vilsack said.

It was a challenge that the 2010-2011 national FFA officer team took seriously. The students immediately got to work — framing key questions, consulting with FFA members, engaging leaders in agriculture, compiling input and formulating recommendations.

“Never before had we been invited to submit input directly to the Secretary of Agriculture that could enhance the ability of agricultural education and FFA to help students succeed and strengthen American agriculture,” said Riley Pagett, 2010-2011 national FFA president. “We were honored to be invited to be a part of this process.”

In December 2011, the 2010-2011 national officer team met with Vilsack to share their recommendations, which fell under four main categories. Those are:

Getting started in production agriculture: USDA and other agencies should encourage and assist beginning farmers to start or continue in production agriculture; USDA should help transition farms from older related and non-related farmers to younger or beginner farmers who may not come from a farm.

Creating vibrant rural communities: USDA should help keep young people in rural communities and make rural communities an even more important part of our nation’s economy and society.

Who should care about agriculture and why: USDA should support efforts to increase the public’s knowledge of agricultural literacy.

Planning for the future: USDA should strengthen the capacity of agricultural education to produce more students that pursue production agriculture and other agriculturally related careers and the USDA should provide authority, responsibility and support for school-based agricultural education and FFA.

“We believe it is in the best interest of the nation for the Department of Agriculture to affirm its commitment to develop strong, experienced leadership for agricultural education,” Kent Schescke, director of strategic partnerships, said. “FFA is prepared to assist in every way possible to this end. We believe, with the significant challenges facing American and global systems of agriculture, an investment must be made and we believe the farm bill provides the department an opportunity to demonstrate it believes in the future of agriculture.”

The full response to the secretary’s challenge can be found here.


Register Early for Livestock Producer
Meetings on Animal Welfare, Other Issues

Gering and three other Nebraska cities will host meetings in early February to educate livestock producers about perceptions and perspectives of animal welfare in relation to consumers, retailers and advocacy groups. It is valuable information for producers as the world population grows and safe and wholesome food production remains a top priority, organizers say. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) will sponsor the educational programs to address these issues and also provide information on the most current industry issues. Dates and locations are:


Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the program runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Early bird registration (before Feb. 1) is $50 per person and $25 for each additional person from the same operation. Registration at the door is $60 per person, and $30 for each additional person from the same operation. Price includes meal, break, and proceedings.

Speakers include Candace Croney, Purdue University; Dan Thomson and Glynn Tonsor, both from Kansas State University (K-State); and Jim Robb from the Livestock Marketing Information Center.

For more information, contact one of the following Extension educators, or visit their county website for the program brochure:


 

 
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