NEWS
THE WESTERN PRODUCER | WWW.PRODUCER.COM | MARCH 3, 2011
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GOING STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE
LIVESTOCK | VACCINATE WILDLIFE
Wildlife vaccines sought Wildlife cause disease and abortions in domestic livestock BY BARBARA DUCKWORTH CALGARY BUREAU
DENVER, Colo. — Finding effective ways to vaccinate wildlife could curb diseases such as brucellosis and tuberculosis in domestic animals. “A lot of the brucellosis we have in the United States comes from wildlife,” said Eileen Thacker, national program leader of animal health at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. The ARS has a $31.7 million animal health budget and is working to combat disease in livestock and wildlife with new vaccinations, she told a meeting on emerging diseases at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention held in Denver Feb. 2-5. Brucellosis can cause abortions in cattle, bison, elk and feral swine. Bison and elk carry brucella abortus and feral swine have brucella suis. Bovine vaccines work on bison, but researchers need to find a way to deliver it to wild populations. Dart guns carrying the vaccine RB51 have been used on bison at Yellowstone National Park. Elk can infect cattle, but the bovine
vaccine does not work on them. Researchers are also looking for a vaccine against brucella suis in the feral swine of the southern United States. “We have found the pigs will pass it onto cattle herds. Vaccinating your cows now will not protect them from the feral swine.” Wildlife appears to be a disease reservoir for the low incidence of tuberculosis in the U.S, especially in Michigan and Minnesota. “We are also looking at strategies to control it in white tail deer populations,” she said. Other research includes vaccines for Johne’s and bovine viral diseases. Researchers are also studying foreign animal diseases and potential vaccines. A vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease is needed that can be differentiated from the antibodies created by the actual disease. Studies are also ongoing into the vectors that carry exotic bluetongue and Rift Valley fever. These tick borne diseases have not been found in the U.S., but scientists need to know if the viruses and ticks can survive the American climate and live to spread the diseases. access=subscriber section=news,livestock,none
A mule deer doe and fawn look for spilled grain underneath bins in a farmyard near Aylesbury, Sask. The deer leave the valley to look for food because the ice crusted deep snow makes it hard for them to reach their natural food source. | MICKEY WATKINS PHOTO
RUSSIA | GRAIN EXPORTS
Russia to decide on wheat export ban MOSCOW, Russia (Reuters) — Russian officials will soon debate whether to extend the country’s ban on grain exports beyond July 1, depu-
ty prime minister Viktor Zubkov said after meeting prime minister Vladimir Putin. The ban caused a spike in global
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wheat prices. It was aimed at ensuring domestic supplies and restraining inflation after a drought cut the grain crop by more than a third. Russian officials have said extending the ban will depend on this year’s harvest. The forecast is for 85 million tonnes, which should provide a small exportable surplus after domestic consumption and restocking. However, the head of a grower’s union said the forecast depended on access to financing for spring seeding. The state agricultural bank slashed collateral needs in late February for farmers with little to pledge after the drought. Russia began intervention tenders of milling and feed grain last month to fight rising prices, but it may suspend milling grain sales as it monitors market developments. Inflation has surged to 2.9 percent this year, compared to 2.1 percent in the same period last year. Milling grain prices have cooled slightly but concerns are mounting about feed grain prices, which have soared following last summer’s devastating drought, causing farmers in some regions to slaughter much of their livestock. Russia could sell feed grain from inter vention stocks at the purchase price, which is about half the market rate, while pausing intervention sales of milling grain, Zubkov said. “Milling grain can continue to be sold at auction, but perhaps it can be suspended for an indefinite period in order to take another look at market prices,” Zubkov told president Dmitry Medvedev according to a transcript of the meeting posted on the Kremlin’s website. Medvedev had earlier said grain tenders might be suspended, citing corruption concerns. The government plans to sell 2.5 million tonnes of grain at intervention tenders in the first half of this year. At recent intervention tenders, the price range for feed barley has exceeded the range for milling wheat.