Ag in the News

01/02/2008

National and International

Smithfield reaches contract agreement with union workers at Iowa plant
After bargaining since last October, nearly 1,000 workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1142 at Smithfield Foods' John Morrell plant in Sioux City, Iowa, ratified a new four-and-a-half-year contract agreement, the union announced. MORE!

AMI announces animal care handling conference
The 2008 AMI Foundation Animal Care and Handling Conference for the Food Industry will be held Feb. 14-15 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo., AMI announced. MORE!

Purdue students sniff livestock manure for cash
For most people, smelling the stench from livestock farms is unpleasant at best, but for Purdue University students, it helps provide a living. MORE!

IPE discussion explores pitfalls of animal welfare audits
At this year's International Poultry Expo, POULTRY will present "Pitfalls of animal welfare audits," a discussion of the pros and cons of animal welfare audits and how processors can assess vulnerabilities. MORE!

Wrap Up

USDA's Joint Ag Weather Facility says cold, windy weather stresses livestock in northern and central High Plains areas, as wind chills drop below 0 degrees F. "Low temperatures fell below 0 degrees F yesterday in sections of eastern Montana, which continues to lack a comprehensive layer of protective snow cover. Some what milder conditions exist farther south, with lows generally in the teens degrees F," they add.

In the West, USDA says an approaching Pacific Storm system is generating locally heavy rain and snow showers in the Pacific Northwest. "Southern California faces one more day of dry, windy weather ahead of the storm," they add.

In the Corn Belt, USDA says snow showers linger in the east and in the Great Lakes Region. "Dangerously low wind chill temperatures (below -10 degrees F) grip much of the Midwest. Combined with locally deep snow, the bitter cold poses significant stress on some of the region’s livestock," they add.

In the South, USDA says freezing temperatures have been reported as far south as the Gulf Coast. "A significant freeze event is expected for much of Florida Thursday morning, with lows in the mid-20s degrees F expected in citrus areas of the state’s central interior," they add.

In their outlook, USDA says arctic air has enveloped the eastern half of the Nation, although temperatures are expected to rebound to above-normal levels by the weekend. "Snow showers will end today in the Great Lakes region and central Appalachians, and dry weather will prevail east of the Rockies for the remainder of the week," they add. "By week’s end, a series of storm systems will begin batter the West, including California and the Sierra Nevadas, where up to a foot of precipitation is expected."