23 May 2024

In this Issue:

Headlines
Reminder: Register for OSHA Heat Stress Webinar
Avian Influenza Update
House Ag Committee to Start Work on Farm Bill
Farm Journal's 2024 State of the Dairy Industry Report
Upcoming Events

Headlines

articles and press releases of interest this week

With temperatures climbing into the mid-eighties and lower-nineties throughout much of GMP E-News land, it’s time to remind our farmers that the Occupational Safety and Health Administrattion (OSHA) is continuing its march towards adopting permanent rules for worker heat stress prevention. In a Congressional hearing earlier this month, Labor Secretary Julie Su said the agency will post its proposed rule for public comment later this year. In the meantime, the agency insists it can enforce its heat stress guidelines under its general worker protection provisions.

What is worker heat stress? It happens when workers are exposed to high heat environments for long periods of time without proper hydration or rest. Heat stress can lead to serious medical emergencies like heat stroke, and in some parts of the country farm workers have passed away while harvesting in the fields. To combat this, OSHA has developed a “National Emphasis Program” that is focusing on agriculture and other industries that work primarily outside or in high-heat environments. This includes dairy farms.

OSHA Inspectors are authorized to come onto your farm and inspect the premises for worker heat stress. OSHA conducted at least one dairy inspection for worker heat stress last year. Producers are expected to train their employees on the risks of heat stress and have a plan in place to limit the risk to employees.

Georgia Milk Producers is partnering with AgriTrust of Georgia to provide a webinar on FRIDAY, MAY 31 at 10:00 AM for producers who want to learn more about OSHA’s guidelines and how they can protect their workers and their farm. AgriTrust is a self-insured workers comp insurance program started in 1992 under the umbrella of the Georgia Agribusiness Council. For 30 years, the professionals at AgriTrust have been advising farmers and agribusinesses on workplace safety and insurance matters.

Your Weekly HPAI Update

USDA AHPIS is reporting the total number of herds that have tested positive for H5N1 is now 52 herds across 9 states. There have been zero new cases outside of Michigan, Idaho, and Texas over the last two weeks.

Avian Influenza Case Count

Michigan: 15

Texas: 14

New Mexico: 8

Idaho: 6

Kansas: 4

Colorado: 2

North Carolina: 1

Ohio: 1

South Dakota: 1

Farmworker in Michigan Tests Positive for H5N1

Officials with the CDC and Michigan announced yesterday that a dairy farm worker in Michigan did test positive for H5N1 after showing mild symptoms of conjunctivits (pink eye). The worker has already recovered. This marks the second case of H5N1 in dairy workers this year after a Texas dairy worker tested positive earlier this year after developing conjunctivitis. Including a case from 2022 when a poultry worker experienced fatigue after depopulating a poultry operation, there have been three confirmed cases of avian influenza infecting humans in the United States.

While the symptoms are mild, dairy farmers are encouraged to limit exposure of their employees as much as possible by incorporating the use of personal protective equipment into the milking parlor. This can include gloves, aprons or coveralls, rubber boots and boot covers, and some form of eyeware or face covering. It is also important to not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with uncleaned hands or gloves when working with animals (this is a good rule of thumb generally).

The Georgia Department of Agriculture has PPE available to farms at no cost. Contact your dairy inspector for more information.

FDA Retail Milk Testing

The FDA released a list of the states from which retail samples were collected during its retail milk tests for avian influenza in April. The published results include the state where the milk was processed (this does not mean the milk was produced in that state), whether live virus was detected in the retail sample (no samples tested positive for live virus), the number of retail samples tested, the number of samples that contained deactivated (dead) virus RNA, and the samples that were negative for any deactivated virus RNA.

FDA tested 8 samples from Georgia dairy processors, and all 8 were negative for any trace of avian influenza virus. In Florida, one of our 10 samples contained fragments of dead virus RNA. South Carolina had three samples that did show deactivated virus fragments and Tennessee had three samples that all tested negative for any amount of virus.

The states with the highest number of samples that contained deactivated virus were Texas (13), Kansas (6), Oklahoma (10), Arizona (5), and Michigan (4).

Reminder: Deactivated virus means that pasteurization killed the virus or that the virus was already dead. There can still be fragments of RNA from the virus, but there is no cause for concern. The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) is designed to ensure that milk is free of pathogens.

FDA Retail Milk Testing Details

National Milk Producers Federation Webinar(s)

The National Milk Producers Federation hosted a webinar last week to discuss new tools to reduce the impact and spread of H5N1 on dairy farms. You can view that webinar HERE.

They are also hosting another webinar titled “H5N1 Updates and Biosecurity Essentials for Dairy Farmers” today at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. To register for that webinar, click HERE.

Resources for Dairy Producers

Information on Assistance for Farmers Affected by H5N1 in Dairy Cattle

AP: Feds Announce New Funding to Address Avian Influenza Spread

May 7 Guidance on Movement Order

USDA HPAI in Dairy Cattle Resource Page

USDA Order on Movement of Lactating Dairy Cattle

USDA Additional Guidance on Movement Order

USDA Movement Order FAQ

Secure Milk Supply Biosecurity Website

UGA Veterinary Diagnostic Lab Email Guidance

Important Contacts for Dairy Producers

Georgia Department of Agriculture Animal Health Division

404-656-3667

animalhealth@agr.georgia.gov

Georgia Milk Producers

Bryce Trotter

229-221-3906

bryce@gamilk.org

UGA Veterinary Diagnostic Lab - Athens

706-542-5568

athndlab@uga.edu

UGA Veterinary Diagnostic Lab - Tifton

229-386-3340

dlab@uga.edu

Additional Resources for Dairy Producers

Farm Bill Process Starts Up Today

The House Agriculture Committee will “mark up” Chairman GT Thompson’s Farm Bill draft today. This is the first official step towards moving the bill towards a vote. Members of the committee will also have the opportunity to propose amendments to the bill.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the House Farm Bill draft would result in a budget deficit between $37 and $39 Billion. House Ag Chairman GT Thompson insists that provisions removing USDA spending authority elsewhere in the bill should balance out increases to reference prices in crop insurance programs and other program enhancements in the commodities title.

The pushback to the Republican-led Farm Bill draft also includes strong admonitions from top Democrats including Georgia’s David Scott (D-Atlanta). Scott is the Ranking Member on the Committee and recent past-chairman. In a series of press releases issued over the past two weeks, Scott has blasted House Republicans for what he calls “ignoring the red lines and core values of House Democrats.” Scott and House Dems have recruited anti-hunger and climate groups to condemn the current House draft as it makes significant changes to nutrition programs (mainly, the Thrifty Food Plan) and takes away the climate sideboards and associated funding that was part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Much of the discussion surrounding the Farm Bill this year, and probably into next year, will focus on issues that are not directly tied to the dairy industry. Friend of the E-News, Sherry Bunting, has a good article on the AgMoos blog detailing the dairy provisions in the House draft and providing some great quotes from the Chairman himself.

One non-dairy item that we are keeping an eye on: the EATS Act. This is a measure that the chairman and House Republicans have been fiddling with for a year. California’s Proposition 12 (passed by popular vote in 2018) requires that all meat products sold in California comply with very strict animal housing and production protocols (regardless of where the livestock were raised or processed). Given the size of California’s economy (the 5th largest in the world), this forced the entire livestock industry to alter production practices just to be able to sell to the state’s 39 million residents. The EATS Act would curtail a state’s ability to prohibit interstate commerce by mandating certain preharvest raising conditions. The version in the House Farm Bill draft is a more targeted version that would focus on the livestock industries specifically.

AgMoos: Thompson Pushes Effective Transformational Farm Bill

Politico Weekly Ag: It's House Farm Bill Markup Week

Agri-Pulse Daybreak: CBO Scores Farm Bill Draft

GMP Classifieds

Dairy heard sale next Thursday, May 23. 250 Milking cows, 25 dry cows, and 15 springer heifers for sale. Excellent genetics & tests.

Call Troy Yoder at 478-344-2172 for more information.

Special thank you to GMP E-News sponsor Kreeger & Associates LLC. Check out www.kreegerdairy.com or call 517-294-3484 to learn more about current listings and upcoming auction events.

Want to showcase your business to dairy producers and industry professionals across the Southeast and US? Email info@gamilk.org to learn more about how you can advertise in the GMP E-News

The Big Picture - State of the Dairy Industry Survey Results

Farm Journal’s State of the Dairy Industry 2024 Report surveyed 210 dairy producers throughout the U.S. whose cowherds range from 100 to 20,000 head. Our forward-thinking survey asked participants about the challenges they face, along with future opportunities. We wanted to know what they envision their operations will look like in five to seven years. We are proud to present the findings and share several insights of what’s to come in the years ahead.

One clear insight documented is U.S. producers are feeling the weight of the challenges they face. Nevertheless, their outlook appears to be promising.

More than two-thirds of dairies reported five years of profitability, and more than half have a growth mindset with plans to expand in one way or another in the next five years. More than a third of the survey respondents said they plan to grow by increasing cow numbers or adding new sites, while others will invest in on-farm revenue streams or upgrade their facilities to increase cow comfort and production.

DairyHerd.com's Karen Bohnert has the details on Farm Journal's 2024 State of the Dairy Industry Report. Click here to read the full article and download the report.