Latest news with #DepartmentofAgriculture
Agriland
6 hours ago
- Health
- Agriland
NI brucellosis compensation rates for June 2025
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has published the brucellosis compensation rates for Northern Ireland for June 2025. Farmers are compensated for losses if animals have to be slaughtered under DAERA's brucellosis prevention and eradication control programme. The compensation payable, for reactors and negative in contacts for which notice of intended slaughter is issued in June 2025 will be either: 75% of the animal's market value; 75% of £2,632 (75% of £2,932 in the case of pedigree animals). Valuations on animals are carried out by a DAERA livestock valuation officer and, in the case of a disagreement over the DAERA valuation, a second individual valuation is carried out by an independent valuer. DAERA Separately DAERA has advised that from Sunday (June 1) bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) herd restrictions are being introduced for herds with animals over 30-days-old that have not been tested for BVD. New BVD legislation, which came into force in Northern Ireland on February 1, 2025, introduced a number of BVD control measures in a phased manner. Initially targeting herds with positive animals these measures will now be extended from Sunday to introduce movement restrictions on herds with animals over 30 days old that have not been tested for BVD. These measures will initially be applied if there are 20 or more untested animals in a herd, with the threshold for the application of restrictions being reduced over the next 12 months. Herd restrictions will prohibit all moves into the herd, and all moves out except to direct slaughter or for disposal. The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, has warned that in Northern Ireland there are a 'small cohort of farmers that are not testing all their animals for BVD on time, some of which may be infected with the virus, therefore posing a risk to their herd and to other herds.' The minister said: 'I therefore urge all farmers to test their calves promptly and test any BVDU status cattle in their herd either by using a supplementary ear tag or through blood sampling carried out by their own vet. 'Only through the concerted efforts of all livestock keepers will we continue to make progress towards the eradication of this disease in Northern Ireland.'
The Citizen
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Policy issues of legal cannabis and marula industries discussed at festival
The fourth annual Insangu-Maganu Symposium, Expo and Culinary Festival took place on Friday, May 23. Cannabis entrepreneurs exhibited a wide range of products, with insangu (cannabis) and maganu (marula) taking centre stage. Exhibitors and cannabis enthusiasts came out in numbers to showcase their ideas and products. The symposium aimed to create awareness and build capacity for producers of legal cannabis and marula products – with a focus on cannabis policy issues, opportunities, challenges, markets and synergies – and highlighted the environmental, cultural, medicinal and economic values locked in these plants. ALSO READ: Security cluster conduct dagga busts in Pienaar schools Shiba Mashinini, a manufacturer of medicinal and industrial cannabis products, said that the cannabis industry can combat South Africa's poverty. 'I would like the government to engage with people that are already producing in the cannabis industry. Managing it wouldn't be difficult if the government simply involved the people who've been working with cannabis for years. But current regulations are holding us back from fully benefiting in the industry. We'd like to see the government ease up, so we can be more productive and help create jobs for our communities.' ALSO READ: Unutilised public buildings in Mpumalanga converted into shelters for GBV victims The event, the brainchild of the Lisango-Guma Cultural Village in Schagen, was supported by the the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs, the Small Enterprise Development Agency, and other stakeholders. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
China bans all poultry imports from Brazil on bird flu case
The sweeping ban from China clouds the outlook for exports from Brazil. PHOTO: REUTERS China bans all poultry imports from Brazil on bird flu case China has banned imports of all poultry products from Brazil after a bird flu outbreak was detected in the world's top exporter, halting a trade worth more than US$1 billion (S$1.29 billion). Direct and indirect imports of all poultry and related products from Brazil are banned in order to prevent the importation of bird flu, China's customs agency said in a statement published on May 30. The agency also said all plants and animal waste arriving from Brazil must undergo disinfestation. The sweeping ban from China, the largest buyer of Brazilian chicken meat, clouds the outlook for exports from the South American country. That comes even as the two nations work to bolster relations amid the ongoing global trade war launched by US President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, Brazil halted chicken shipments to China and the European Union for 60 days after the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza was reported on a commercial farm in the South American nation. Brazil, responsible for about a third of the world's chicken meat exports, shipped more than 10 per cent of its products to China in 2024, according to data from the Department of Agriculture. The bilateral trade was worth about US$1.5 billion in 2024, according to China customs data. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
North Carolina agriculture commissioner speaks out against raw milk consumption; ‘puts human health at risk'
RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP) — North Carolina's top agriculture leader is weighing in on the national debate over the safety of raw milk. Department of Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, a Republican, released an op-ed on Friday in which he offered his opinion on the consumption of raw milk. This debate has garnered national attention as figures like U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have advocated it as a healthier alternative to widely available pasteurized milk. The milk traditionally sold in most grocery stores has been pasteurized, meaning it has been heated to at least 161 degrees to kill the majority of pathogens that could be transferred from a cow to a human through milk. Raw milk is not heated in this way. 'Grade A Milk is one of the safest food products available because food science, specifically pasteurization, has made it that way,' Troxler wrote. 'The development of pasteurization has proven effective in killing bacteria in milk that caused tuberculosis, Q fever, diphtheria, severe streptococcal infections, typhoid fever and other foodborne illnesses. 'In 1938, 25% of disease outbreaks due to contaminated food and water were milk related. Today, thanks to pasteurization, it is less than 1%. Of that 1%, it should be noted that 70% of today's milk-related numbers are linked to raw milk.' Troxler emphasizes that studies have repeatedly shown that raw milk is not healthier or safer than pasteurized milk, stating that numerous studies have shown that 'raw milk puts human health at risk' and that the FDA and CDC advise against human consumption of raw milk. He acknowledged that there is a loophole allowing for the sale of raw milk if it is marketed as being for pets. So-called 'pet milk' is not regulated by the FDA in the same way as milk for human consumption. 'RFK Jr. is bad medicine': 400 NC doctors urge rejection of RFK Jr. to lead DHHS It is a not-so-well-kept secret that this loophole provides access to a completely untested and minimally regulated product that people are consuming and giving to their children. With regulatory responsibility over food safety, Grade A milk and even the safety of animal feed falling to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, I cannot turn a blind eye to what we know is going on with the sales of raw milk, especially since children are involved. Science says raw milk is not safe. Raw milk is 150 times more likely to cause an outbreak than pasteurized milk. Even with our best efforts and diligent work, foodborne illnesses, stillbirths and miscarriages will occur if we allow the retail sale of raw milk. Steve Troxler Troxler adds that raw milk can transmit avian influenza, commonly called bird flu. His department has documented cases of pets dying after drinking raw or unpasteurized milk. 'Raw milk offers no scientifically proven safeguards,' Troxler wrote. 'The risk of consuming raw milk far outweighs any perceived health benefits being claimed. The bacteria found in raw milk are not probiotics.' According to Troxler, the FDA and CDC have found no meaningful difference between the nutrition found in raw milk and pasteurized milk. While the agriculture commissioner says he understands that farmers might see raw milk as another avenue to make money, he says the liability is too high as an outbreak linked to raw milk is unlikely to be covered by insurance and could create a financial burden that would significantly impact farmers. 'As I have looked over the data and information, the science shows me raw milk presents a significant public health risk particularly to children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly,' Troxler wrote. 'Having seen the impacts of food-borne illnesses and being charged with food safety for humans and pets, my conscious leads me to push for changes to legislation that will protect the most vulnerable among us – our children.' While Kennedy has nationally advocated for relaxing regulations on the sale of raw milk, more Americans favor those regulations than don't, according to Associated Press polling. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Agriland
a day ago
- General
- Agriland
Teagasc celebrates International Potato Day at Bloom
The world is celebrating International Potato Day today, Friday, May 30, to recognise the crop's critical role in global food security. In December 2023, the United Nations General Assembly officially proclaimed May 30 as International Potato Day. The initial momentum for the declaration was sparked during the World Potato Congress, in Dublin in May 2022. The conference highlighted the importance of the potato on an international stage. As the third most important food crop worldwide, the potato is gaining even more relevance, especially in developing countries, where it plays a key role in sustainable agriculture and nutrition. To mark the very first International Potato Day, Teagasc potato breeder, Dr. Denis Griffin will give a special talk at the joint Teagasc and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) stand at Bloom on Friday, May 30. Dr. Griffin will talk about the potato crop's global significance and Ireland's long history with the crop. He will also cover the cutting-edge research being conducted in Ireland to aid sustainability, and how Irish science supports the sector both domestically and globally. He will discuss the Teagasc potato group breeding programme at the Teagasc crops research department in Oak Park, Co. Carlow and the traits being pursued to improve future crops. Two new potato varieties, Buster and Fidelity, recently released by the breeding programme will also be discussed. International Potato Day In other news, last week, May 22, Kate Curran from Kilmagemogue, Portlaw, Co. Waterford was named the winner of the Teagasc / FBD Student of the Year 2024 award. The awards were presented to the top graduates of the Teagasc level 6 agriculture, horticulture, equine, and forestry training programmes in 2024 by Teagasc chairperson, Liam Herlihy in Dublin. Curran completed the Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate in Farming (Distance Education) at the Teagasc Kildalton College in Piltown, Co. Kilkenny. In addition to winning the overall award, Curran was also successful in the Part-Time and Distance Education category award.
