Scientists to tackle burden of cattle disease on UK farms
Researchers from the University of Liverpool are leading a new campaign to tackle a disease in cattle that costs the UK economy £300m each year. The £1 million project will look at how to improve the detection and control of liver fluke, a disease that is transmitted by the dwarf pond snail and is found […]
Receding flood waters pose new dangers to animals, warn vets
Vets at the British Veterinary Association (BVA) are warning animal owners in flood-stricken areas to be aware of the new dangers posed by receding flood waters. The water, which has flooded homes and land across the UK, is finally beginning to subside but vets are warning that the danger to pets and livestock remains. In […]
Arla Foods to increase direct milk price
Arla Foods is raising its standard litre milk price for direct suppliers from 1 March 2014, to 33.50ppl. The increase is as a result of improved business performance in the UK and follows the increase in the global owner milk price from February. Commenting on the 1 March increase, Ash Amirahmadi, Arla UK’s head of […]
Foot-and-mouth anniversary highlights the risks of feeding swill to pigs
The reminder comes in the same week that African swine fever, another serious notifiable disease, is reported in Poland, carried across the border from Belarus by a wild boar, and putting the European Union commercial pig industry at increased risk of infection. Foot-and-mouth was confirmed on February 20 at an Essex abattoir, in swill-fed pigs […]
New identification system offers hope to livestock farmers
A ground-breaking project to develop an accurate and cost-efficient method for monitoring sheep movements is now under development thanks to a project team headed by Melton-Mowbray based Pera Technology. The objective of the ‘ROSEI’ project is to develop a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) ear tag that will improve the probability of 100% accurate identification of […]
Time to say goodbye to the ‘weakest link’
The association hopes when abattoirs see how they are rated against their competitors, the poorest performers will be encouraged to invest in improved lorry-washing facilities. Many pig producers and hauliers consider sub-standard lorry washes to be the weakest link in the industry’s armoury against endemic diseases such as swine dysentery, and imported diseases such as […]
Keep vigilant against swine dysentery
At this time of year, the risk of dysentery is high and cases have been found in Yorkshire. “The disease can spread rapidly both within and between units, particularly in the current cold, wet conditions,” warns BPEX’s interim veterinary programme manager, Helen Clarke. “With such an economically damaging infection, it is imperative any suspected symptoms […]
Protein Measurement Standard expanded
IDF and ISO have joined forces to expand the scope of an international standard used worldwide in the dairy industry to measure the protein content of cow’s milk. The Kjeldahl method* now encompasses milk from other species as well as internationally traded dairy products covered by Codex standards. The revised Standard reconfirms the crucial role […]
Arla Foods to increase milk price by 0.74ppl
Further to last week’s announcement of a one eurocent increase in the Arla Foods amba milk price, the Arla Milk Link and Arla Milk Cooperative boards confirm that this equates to a 0.74ppl increase for the 2,800 British owners of Arla Foods amba, from 3 February 2014. The increase is due to the continued strengthening […]
