Livestock Gross Margin Insurance for Dairy (LGM-Dairy) is a subsidized insurance policy that provides protection to dairy producers against the loss of gross margin (market value of milk minus feed costs) for specified portions of milk produced by their dairy cows. Livestock Gross Margin Insurance for Dairy establishes a floor (minimum) on income over feed costs (IOFC), ensuring that the gross margin will not be less than the amount specified in the LGM-Dairy policy. It is a risk management tool very similar to using a bundled options strategy.

Click here to download a pdf of the latest export watch, provided by U.S. Dairy Export Council. PD

This year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would soon be modifying extra-label use of cephalosporin drugs in cattle. Effective April 5, 2012, veterinarians can continue to prescribe extra-label use of any cephalosporin as long as it is the same dosage, used through the same route of administration and in the same species as its FDA-approved label. The new order does not affect FDA’s approved indications for ceftiofur. When was the last time you reviewed your dairy’s protocols for pharmaceutical use? If it’s been a while, now is the time to make sure your product use is in line with these new guidelines and is helping you avoid any residue violations.

Scientists at the USDA have found that a commercial vaccine is effective against leptospirosis in cattle. A widespread zoonotic disease, leptospirosis is transmitted naturally from domestic and wild animals to humans. The contagious disease, which is caused by Leptospira bacteria, is spread through contact with food, water or soil contaminated with urine from infected animals. It can affect all farm animals, rodents and wildlife.

Cattlemen and veterinarians primarily use commercially licensed vaccines to immunize livestock against common diseases. These commercial products are manufactured in USDA-licensed facilities, have been shown to be relatively safe when used as directed and have demonstrated some level of efficacy in controlled studies. Once a bacteria or virus is isolated, modified and approved for use in a licensed vaccine, the vaccine may occasionally be updated with more recent strains from the field. Often vaccines continue to use the original isolates for several years without being updated.

When the Professional Nutrient Applicators Association of Wisconsin (PNAAW) formed a decade ago, it identified road and bridge issues as one of its top three priorities. The problem is that all types of farm equipment are getting larger and larger, while town roads are not designed to handle large and heavy loads. To find out what was really happening to the roads, PNAAW initiated a four-state, four-year $630,000 study. Partners in this endeavor included the state Departments of Transportation for Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin; Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin; Minnesota Pork Producers and other agribusinesses and associations.