November Red Meat Production Down and USDA Milk Testing Grows
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**USDA says red meat production fell year over year in November as cattle and hog slaughter both declined.
Commercial meat output totaled 4.56 billion pounds in November, down 3% from a year ago.
Beef production dropped 3% on an annual basis to 2.22 billion pounds.
Cattle slaughter fell 6% to 2.57 million head last month.
Pork output was 2.33 billion pounds in November, down 2% year over year.
**The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced another round of states coming on board with the National Milk Testing Strategy launched December 6.
It requires unpasteurized milk samples to be collected and shared with USDA for testing for the H5N1 virus.
The seven states included in the second round of testing are Indiana, Maryland, Montana, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and Washington.
USDA is working with other states to bring them on board.
**A person in Louisiana has been hospitalized with the first severe illness caused by bird flu in the U.S.
Louisiana health officials tell www.agrimarketing.com the patient is in critical condition with severe respiratory symptoms.
The person, who is over 65 with underlying medical issues, had been in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock.
This year, more than 60 bird flu infections have been reported, over half in California.
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