There are 23 item(s) tagged with the keyword "ensuring a stable food supply".
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American Feed Industry Association President and CEO Constance Cullman delivered a short video message today to members detailing how the association is addressing industry challenges in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic. She asks that members continue sharing their concerns with the staff so that our essential industry can make it through the public health crisis together.
Over the past few weeks, we have received several questions from members, media and the public about the novel coronavirus’s impacts on the animal food industry and its products. American consumers are rightly concerned about access to affordable and nutritious protein and dairy products for their families and pet food for their companion animals during this trying time. The American Feed Industry Association has responded to these questions, based on what we have learned from our members and regulatory agencies.
“It’s a challenging time but I think our industry, the animal food industry, we’re here. We’re ready to help. We’re going to make sure our livestock and poultry and companion animals have the food that they need so you and I can continue to have the food that we need…for our families.”
The theme of this year’s National Agriculture Day, “Food brings everyone to the table,” hits home for the animal food industry. While the animal food industry may not be the most well understood in the overall agricultural industry, we play a unique and very important role in U.S. agriculture – making sure America’s livestock (and thus people) and pets are fed nutritious and safe food!
A lot has changed since our last blog on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on March 6. In fact, it seems information is changing hourly. Companies and individuals are now trying to figure out how they can “flatten the curve” instead of wondering if the deadly virus will really spread across the U.S.
With nearly a dozen states now issuing orders to close non-essential businesses in an attempt to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the American Feed Industry Association took quick action last week to ensure that feed, feed ingredient and pet food manufacturers could continue supplying their customers with food to feed their livestock, poultry and companion animals.
I clearly remember one of my early classes as an animal science student at the University of Vermont, ASCI 141 - Feeds and Feeding. Throughout the semester, Dr. Jim Welch walked us through the formation of diets for every stage of growth, pregnancy and lactation for a number of livestock species. As earnest students, we agonized over the correct combination of forages, grains and mineral mixes to meet the exact nutrient requirements for a lactating sow or a weaned dairy calf. We carefully balanced the availability of an ingredient with its cost and benefit to the intended animal. In our homework exercises, ounces and pennies would impact our decisions and the validity of our answers. We rigorously defended our answers and challenged anyone, including Dr. Welch, to question our findings.
While you would not think it from the news and your social media feeds, the risk to the average American from the new coronavirus (COVID-19) is still low. However, if you are near Seattle or have family or friends there, you are well aware that there are pockets in the U.S. where the virus is spreading more rapidly, bringing more attention to ways we can prepare for the virus should it spread further. Now is an opportune time to look at the policies and procedures in place for your animal food business to protect your employees and still be able to provide feed and pet food to your customers.
Most people can count the number of animal rights groups they know on one hand. If only that were how many actually exist. Not only are there hundreds of animal rights groups, but they are working together to make farming and ranching more difficult and cause distrust with your customers.
Many of the questions I’m asked in my role with the Merck Animal Health Veterinary and Consumer Affairs team are about antibiotics. It’s easy for those of us in the agriculture industry to forget just how many people in the United States aren’t involved in agriculture and often the opinions they form are based on information they hear on the news. Most of the time, people just want the same few questions answered.
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