Energizer´s New Lights, No bunny necessary

Amigos Ganaderos,

Seguro nos serán de utilidad en nuestra operación. No dejen de darle click al link para que vean las fotografías.

Les compartimos este artículo.

 

Energizer Solar-Powered Lights

Lantern and Spotlight, $40 each

It was a dark and stormy night. The three of us sat crunched up in our tent in the Grand Canyon campground. The ominous dark clouds blocked out the last rays of daylight, suddenly turning the inside of our tent pitch black. I flipped the switch of the Energizer Solar Lantern, instantly flooding our canvas shelter with 66 lumens of white light from the eight LEDs.

Like a Toyota Prius, the Energizer Lantern has multiple power options — use a solar charge from its amorphous silicon panel, or suck juice from its three D batteries. The D batteries will supply up to 165 hours of run time. The solar panel pulls in about 2.5 hours worth of run time after spending five hours charging in full sunlight. Even under overcast skies, the solar panel continued to charge, just not as efficiently.

Unlike the Prius, the user gets to choose which power source to tap with a five-position switch. You can also dial in varying levels of brightness — from an amber night light to full strength, which throttles the lumens high enough to foil a penitentiary escape.

When you’re just holding it by the handle, the lantern shines in only one direction. But on top of the lantern’s lighting element is a hinge. The “back” of the lantern swivels upwards, exposing the other side of the lighting element and giving you 360 degrees of light. Our tent has a ceiling hook, so latching the lantern to the hook let me spread light in all directions throughout the tent at night.

We tested another Energizer product on our trip, the company’s Solar Spotlight. The handheld torch came in handy when we had to walk out of the tent in the dark to get to our Jeep. It kicks out 24 lumens from four LEDs in a bright, tight spot beam. It weighs practically nothing, and it’s water resistant, which came in handy since it poured during our trip.

The power options on the spotlight are a tad more limited than on the lantern. The solar panel provides 3.5 hours of run time after five hours of full-sun charging, which is better than the lantern even though the spotlight isn’t nearly as bright. Alternatively, an included 12-volt DC car adapter produces six hours of light, but only after half a day of charging. And just how often does anyone keep their vehicle running 12 hours straight? Unfortunately, there is no AC power charging option.

Still, it’s swell that Energizer is exploring the greener horizons of solar power and using the state-of-the-solar technology in the form of amorphous thin-film silicon panels. These lights are part of an expanding family of solar chargers for phones and other mobile devices the company has been showing off this year.

WIRED Low-cost, solar-powered portable lantern and spotlight each produce copious beamage and have alternative power sources. Lantern boasts a run time of up to 165 hours on battery power. The lantern unfolds for versatile lighting choices. Low-powered amber nightlight is a plus.

TIRED The lantern’s three D cell batteries make it heavier than expected. Spotlight takes 12 hours to charge with the car adapter and has no AC adapter.

 

Fuente: Wired

http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/07/energizer/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29

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En España: Un premio por servir 'on-line' al Agricultor

Como ganaderos tenemos la oportunidad de generar herramientas que nos ayuden a producir más y mejor. La red es un ejemplo de eso. Miremos hacia otras industrias que están aprovechando esta situación.

 

Les compartimos esta nota…

 

El Registro de Explotaciones Agrarias (REA) de la Consejería de Agricultura, Ganadería y Medio Ambiente del Gobierno de La Rioja ha sido galardonado con un accésit (segundo premio) en los últimos 'Premios a la Calidad e Innovación en la Gestión Pública 2010' en la categoría de 'Premio Ciudadanía a las buenas prácticas en los servicios públicos' otorgados por el Ministerio de Política Territorial y Aministración Pública.

El accésit reconoce el trabajo desarrollado por el REA como instrumento para el mejor uso de la información, gestión y comunicación directa entre la Consejería y los sectores agrícola y ganadero riojanos.

Al concurso, fallado en Madrid el pasado 13 de junio, se presentaron siete proyectos: el Ayuntamiento de Málaga, Hacienda, AENA, la Policía Foral de Navarra, la Junta de Castilla y León, la Universidad Pablo de Olavide y el Registro de Explotaciones Agrarias de La Rioja.

Estos premios son, en palabras del jefe del Servicio de Estadística y Registros Agrarios, Juan Doménech, «los máximos galardones a los que podemos optar los órganos administrativos, aunque también pueden participar empresas públicas, como AENA». Fue precisamente la gestora de los aeropuertos españoles la que se alzó con el primer premio, gracias a un sistema de ayuda a personas discapacitadas.

El REA nació para facilitar a los agricultores y ganaderos riojanos la gestión de sus explotaciones y agilizar y simplificar las tramitaciones con la Administración.

Así, desde 1999, los usuarios cuentan con un registro on line -alojado en la web del Gobierno de La Rioja- de sus propiedades y un archivo de su explotación año a año.

No es el primer reconocimiento que recibe esta institución ya que el año pasado ganó el primer premio de Calidad e Innovación en la Administración riojana.

 

http://www.larioja.com/v/20110727/rioja-region/premio-servir-line-agricultor-20110727.html

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Impulsa Sagarpa proyectos pecuarios en Michoacan

Les compartimos este link...


http://ping.fm/pNLON

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Watch for cattle eating poisonous plants

The relentless drought that has settled over much of Kansas and states across the South brings more problems than the lack of pasture forage growth for livestock producers.

One potential problem, according to K-State Research and Extension veterinarian Larry Hollis, DVM, MS, is that weedy species with greater drought tolerance sometimes out-compete desirable grasses and begin to proliferate. Another scenario is that desirable forage species are consumed but fail to re-grow, and only weedy species are left in a green vegetative state.

“Either of these scenarios can become a major problem if these remaining plants also contain toxic components,” Hollis says. “Fortunately, many toxic plants are also unpalatable, so livestock species tend to leave those plants alone. However, the problem comes when pastures are not properly managed, or forage supplementation is not provided in a timely fashion, and livestock are left with no choice but to consume toxic plants or go hungry.”

“Good pasture and livestock management call for knowing the toxic plant species that are common in your area or pastures,” he says. “It’s also important to recognize when pastures are getting short enough that cattle may be forced to consider undesirable options, and either supplement the cattle with hay or other feedstuffs or move them to dry lot situations or different pastures where available forages do not pose a toxicity threat to them. Cattle will eat toxic plants if starved.”

 

Fuente: CattleNetwork

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Una nota para conocer nuestra industría en China: China Modern Agriculture Inc a high-tech livestock company…

China Modern Agriculture Inc. a high-tech livestock company specializing in the breeding of cows and calves, the production and sale of milk, the sale of organic fertilizer, as well as the promotion of agricultural information, announced the presentation on acquisition of Shangzhi Yulong Cattle Co., Ltd. ("Shangzhi Yulong" hereinafter) .The presentation is available on the http://www.hljzhongxian.com/zx/eng_zx/news_3.asp?id=58 .
On July 10, 2011, China Modern Agriculture Inc. has entered into the Letter of Intent with Harbin Jinshangjing Technology Investment Co., Ltd., to purchase the 100% share equity of Yulong Cattle owned by Harbin Jinshangjing Technique Investment Co., Ltd. Both parties have agreed to sign formal Equity Acquisition Agreement within 90 days from the signing date of this Letter of Intent.
Yulong Cattle, located in Economic Development District of Shangzhi, Harbin, is a high-tech livestock company engaged in the breeding of caw and raw milk sales. It possesses a series of modern and advanced facilities and technologies that ensure the optimum fresh milk production. The acquisition of Yulong Cattle will further expand the cattle numbers and the production of milk in China Modern Agriculture, Inc.
About China Modern Agricultural Information
China Modern Agricultural Information, Inc. is a high-tech livestock company specializing in the breeding of cows and calves, the production and sale of milk, the sale of organic fertilizer, as well as the promotion of agricultural information. For more information please visit http://www.hljzhongxian.com/zx/eng_zx .
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information
Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding the success of our investments, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, our ability to sustain our previous levels of profitability including on account of our ability to manage growth, intense competition, wage increases in China, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, withdrawal of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts and legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside China. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our 8K/A dated March 31, 2011, and other recent filings. These filings are available at http://www.sec.gov/ . We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on our behalf.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.
This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com
SOURCE: China Modern Agricultural Information, Inc.

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Costa Rica gestiona exportar carne a Rusia

 

La ministra de Comercio Exterior, Anabel González, informó hoy que Costa Rica está gestionando el ingreso de carne a Rusia bajo un trato arancelario preferencial que se espera completar a principios de 2012. González se reunió en Ginebra, Suiza, con el jefe negociador de la Adhesión de Rusia, Maxim Medvedkov, para tratar sobre los compromisos que Moscú asumiría en el momento de su incorporación a la Organización Mundial de Comercio (OMC). La ministra comentó que Rusia, por su dimensión de 142 millones de habitantes y su capacidad de pago, es un excelente mercado para otros productos de exportación como el banano, la piña, los follajes, las plantas y el café, que también podrían gozar de un beneficio arancelario. Enaldo Miranda, director ejecutivo de la Corporación de Fomento Ganadero (Corfoga), dijo no tener conocimiento de las gestiones.

 

Fuente: ACZ

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Alimentación del Ganado en climas cálidos - Cattle feeding essential in hot weather

Ojo productores, hay cosas interesantes de manejo de ganado y alimentación.

No esta de mas darle un leída.

Que lo disfruten…

 

I don’t know about you, but I have not enjoyed the recent 100-degree heat wave. Most likely, cattle in the area have not enjoyed it either.

Cattle have a temperature comfort zone that ranges from 0-75 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature rises above 75 degrees, cattle begin to experience levels of heat stress.

They can generally cope with this heat stress until the temperature reaches 90 degrees. After that, many cattle begin to exhibit noticeable signs of heat stress. One of these signs is for the cattle to reduce consumption of feedstuffs. There are some management tactics that have been used in an effort to maintain feed intake.

Maintain an ample water supply. Cattle will drink more water when they are suffering from heat stress. The extra water consumption helps the animal dissipate body heat, through sweating and urination.

It is important to make certain that cattle have adequate mineral intake during these times, as the increased urination removes minerals from the body. Feedlot cattle should have at least three linear inches of water trough space per animal in the pen during periods of extreme heat.

Some producers will add extra water tanks in the pens. Others have lined feed bunks with plastic and filled them with water. The water should be fresh and clean. This will promote drinking. Cattle do not like the taste of stale, dirty water.

Also, it is beneficial to provide cool water. The rumen temperature can be influenced by the temperature of water that is consumed. In turn, the animal’s blood temperature reflects the rumen temperature and signals the nerve centers in the brain that control feed consumption. Therefore, the consumption of cool water can increase feed consumption.

Another way to maintain feed intake during hot periods is to add and adjust feeding times. Fresh feed is generally more palatable to cattle than feed that has been in the bunk for a while. This is especially true when silage or fats are included in the ration. So by feeding less feed more times per day you can increase the amount of time that available feed is fresh.

Another feed-time factor relates to temperature patterns during the day. During hot periods, cattle will eat more when the daily temperature is decreasing. So if you feed 70 percent of the day’s total ration between two and four hours following the peak heat of the day, cattle are more likely to maintain intake. Research suggests that this late-day feeding schedule can help prevent sub-clinical acidosis during heat waves.

In theory, digestibility and quality of feedstuffs can also be factors in maintaining feed intake during excessively warm periods. Producers often refer to “hot” and “cool” feeds. Typically, hot feeds refer to high energy items, like corn; while cool feeds are low energy, such as grass hay or straw.

Many feeders don’t like to back cattle down from hot rations once they have stepped the animals up to a new level. However, research suggests that lowering the energy level of a ration, or switching to a storm ration, during periods of heat stress can reduce the animal’s metabolic heat load.

On the other side of this argument, concentrates like corn are far more digestible than the cool feeds. This infers that the heat of digestion that is created when feedstuffs are broken down is less significant when cattle are consuming grain when compared to forage digestion.

These are just a few thoughts to consider when feeding cattle during heat stressed times. There are many other management practices that can help your livestock in hot weather.

I hope that you find this article helpful, and feel free to contact your local Colorado State University Extension office at 854-3616 if you have questions about this.

 

Fuente: Michael Fisher, Golden Plains Area Livestock Extension Agent

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Consumers should be able to make an informed choice in the store

Consumers often don't know it, but sometimes when they purchase packaged meat they're paying, in part, for high-priced salt water. That's because processors incorporate various solutions to some meats, typically to add flavor and improve juiciness of what otherwise might be a lower-quality cut.

The situation might be changing, as the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service this week proposed a new rule to "establish common, easy-to-understand names for raw meat and poultry products that include

injections, marinades, or have otherwise incorporated added solutions which may not be visible to the consumer."

Sometimes the addition is obvious, such as in cuts seasoned with marinades in the package. Others are much less apparent, containing saline solutions that are not visible, up to 40 percent of the product's weight. The solution is listed on the product label, but in many cases you have to look for it. These solution-added products are most common in the poultry section, but some beef items at big-box retailers and club stores also contain added solutions.

"Consumers should be able to make an informed choice in the store, which is why we need to provide clear, informative labels that will help consumers make the best decisions about feeding their families," said Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Elisabeth Hagen. "It has become evident that some raw meat and poultry labels, even those that follow our current guidelines, may not be clear."

Currently, USDA notes, raw meat and poultry products that contain added solutions such as water, teriyaki sauce, salt, or a mixture thereof may have the same name on their labels as products that do not contain added solutions. For example, a single-ingredient chicken breast and a chicken breast with added solution both may be labeled as "chicken breast," even though one package contains purely chicken breast and one may be comprised of 60 percent chicken breast and 40 percent solution. While the label of the chicken breast with added solution must state that it contains solution, consumers may not notice such information if it is not a part of the product's name. An example of a product name under the proposed rule would be: "chicken breast - 40% added solution of water and teriyaki sauce."

Clearer label requirements for these additives should benefit the beef industry, as lack of information can be misleading in terms of value and in the healthfulness of the product. Consumers sometimes believe they're

getting a "better deal" on their poultry purchase, as the per-pound price is considerably lower than that for beef. But if they know the poultry contains 40 percent high-sodium solution while the beef package contains 100 percent pure beef, the value proposition changes.

The vague labeling also concerns branded-beef suppliers who focus on high-quality products. These companies have invested in building supply chains based on proven genetics, best management practices at every production stage, process verification and intensive quality control through processing to assure a top-rate beef-eating experience. Their products understandably cost more than generic beef, but many consumers believe they are worth it.

Some big-box retailers meanwhile, use mechanical tenderization and injected solutions for lower-quality commodity beef, and try to convince their customers they're getting equal quality to the branded, pure products at a lower price.

The proposed rule, according to FSIS, would require that the common or usual name of these products include an accurate description of the raw meat or poultry component, the percentage of added solution, and the individual or multi-ingredient components in the added solution. The print for such labels would be presented in a font, size, and color that are easily visible to consumers.

Fuente: Dovers

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Late planting challenges weed control

Ohio crop growers faced numerous challenges planting corn and soybeans this

spring, and with the crop progressing through mid-July, they now face an

interesting weed control scenario, as well.

"The late planting presents challenges and makes weed control easier at the

same time," said Mark Loux, Ohio State Extension weed specialist. The

unusual planting season resulted in an abnormal timeline for producers' weed

control systems.

Because farmers couldn't get into fields as early as they would have liked

to this spring, Loux said farmers saw significant weed pressure throughout

June in both no-till and conventional tillage fields. In addition, some

producers were not aggressive enough with their application of a burndown

herbicide in no-till, and some weeds simply survived tillage this year.

Perhaps the biggest challenge to producers' weed control strategies boiled

down to simple logistics.

"When we're planting that late, everyone gets jammed up and some missed

applications," Loux said. "So, we have some fields that are really clean and

some that are really messy."

In his travels around the state Loux said he was concerned that some

producers had not yet sprayed a post-emergence herbicide. There is no point

in waiting, he said, because establishing control of weeds as early as

possible is critical in late planting situations.

Aside from the obvious challenges, a potentially shortened growing season

does yield some positive impact on weed control.

"The good news in a late planting situation is you don't have as many weeks

of weeds, and the crop grows faster," Loux said. "If you start weed-free and

make that work, you can spray your post-emerge a little earlier and it makes

control a little easier if you get the right start."

He continues to see glyphosate-resistant marestail as the key weed problem

in the state, and 2011 may prove to be an enlightening year for some farmers

because of the late planting.

While traditionally found in the southwestern portions of Ohio, Loux said

resistant populations of marestail are now found throughout the state.

"We have a lot of marestail this season," he said. "We can't control it

post-emergence very well. We have some problems in beans because farmers

didn't pick the right combination of burndown herbicides, or they didn't

want to spend enough money."

He also noted that in some cases, control efforts proved challenging because

burndown application timing was much later than usual this season, and

accordingly some products didn't work as well as in a typical year.

Since control efforts were hampered in some areas, Loux is hopeful affected

producers will better understand how significantly their fields are infested

with resistant weed populations and plan accordingly for next year.

"Because we have up to two types of resistance in some marestail

populations, the biggest thing is to realize you have a problem," he said.

"More of it is going to go to seed this year than last year. When you plan

for next year, consider a fall application of herbicide, and be aggressive

enough to control it next year."

The basic control recommendation in no-till soybeans, where Loux sees the

most weed control issues, is to use a comprehensive spring burndown

herbicide protocol while using the correct rate of a residual control

product at the same time. Beyond that, farmers can modify a post-emergence

application of glyphosate as needed.

He said some plans do include a fall application for marestail or other

problem weeds, as well.

"For historically resistant fields, farmers can consider some Liberty Link

soybeans to break up the use of glyphosate and get those issues under

control," Loux advised. "Some farmers aren't willing to do that, though,

because the variety selection there isn't as diverse."

Fuente: DCN

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Utilizan bacterias que proporcionan tolerancia a la sequía

Todas las plantas requieren de una serie de nutrientes y minerales que les proveen estos microorganismos al estar asociados con la raíz

El doctor Gabriel Iturriaga de la Fuente, del Centro de Investigaciones en Biotecnología (CEIB) de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) trabaja con bacterias del suelo para que proporcionen tolera

Etiquetas de Technorati: frijol,siembra,agricultura,invernaderos,cosecha

ncia al estrés abiótico (sequía, salinidad y temperaturas extremas) a plantas de maíz y frijol.

De acuerdo con el investigador, todas las plantas requieren de una serie de nutrientes y minerales que les proveen estos microorganismos al estar asociados con la raíz; razón por la cual decidió modificarlos genéticamente para incrementar su contenido de trehalosa y ver cuál era la reacción en los ejemplares vegetales.

La trehalosa --explicó-- es un azúcar insípido que, durante un periodo de sequía, sustituye al agua protegiendo a las proteínas y membranas de las células para que no se rompan. En este lapso, las plantas se deshidratan quedando marchitas, pero cuando aumenta la humedad ambiental éstas rehidratan sus tejidos y continúan su crecimiento.
A decir de Iturriaga de la Fuente, las semillas de maíz y frijol fueron inoculadas con las bacterias modificadas genéticamente. Tras haber germinado y verse sometidas a condiciones de sequía, las plantas “revivieron” cuando recibieron agua nuevamente. Además, los ejemplares vegetales aumentaron en más de 50 por ciento su rendimiento en producción de grano.

El investigador universitario aclaró que por el momento sólo han realizado pruebas en invernadero y que para los ensayos en campo emplearán microorganismos que no estén modificados genéticamente.

Gracias a esta decisión, el Centro de investigación universitario podrá liberar las bacterias al ambiente sin necesidad de trámites complicados como es el caso de la liberación de Organismos Genéticamente Modificados.

El equipo de trabajo del CEIB-UAEM empleará los microorganismos como biofertilizantes que no sólo proporcionarán nutrientes incrementando la productividad de las plantas, sino que con la presencia de la trehalosa, las harán resistentes al estrés abiótico.

Iturriaga de la Fuente destacó que a diferencia de los fertilizantes químicos, estas formulaciones no serán contaminantes y tendrán un costo accesible, además de que su peso ligero les permitirá llegar a regiones remotas del país.

Conforme a lo dicho por el experto, durante esta investigación descubrieron que la trehalosa también funciona como una hormona que le indica a la planta qué genes activar durante un periodo de estrés abiótico.

Por otro lado, el investigador del centro morelense aseguró que este proyecto fue motivado por los trabajos realizados con la Selaginella lepidophylla, mejor conocida como planta de “resurrección” o Doradilla, un ejemplar mexicano rico en trehalosa que suele emplearse para curar padecimientos de riñón.

Cabe señalar que Iturriaga de la Fuente ha trabajado durante 22 años en esta línea de investigación que abarca la tolerancia al estrés abiótico en plantas y microorganismos.

Con información de la Agencia ID.

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Ojo Señores Ganaderos: Lanzan la carne marca "Brangus"

 Para ser exitosos no necesitamos ser los inventores del agua tibia...aqui tienen un ejemplo.

Hay que ponernos las pilas y encontrar buenas formas de comercializar la carne que producimos.

Suerte!!!

Les compartimos este texto....

En una alianza estratégica entre la Asociación de Criadores de Brangus del
Paraguay (ACBP), la empresa frigorífica Frigomerc y la cadena de
supermercados Superseis, en el marco de la Expo 2011, fue lanzada la carne
con marca "Brangus", que apunta al mercado interno. El presidente de la
Brangus, Dr. Jorge Reinau, señaló que el lanzamiento de la carne con marca
de la raza es el resultado de un largo trabajo de mercadeo para ofrecer un
producto de calidad "premium" a los consumidores nacionales.
Los cortes que destinarán al mercado interno son el bife ancho, bife
angosto, lomito, tapa cuadril, carnaza negra, peceto, colita cuadril, bife
de vacío y vacío, que serán envasados por Frigomerc.
La carne con marca Brangus se caracteriza por su cobertura ideal de grasa,
terneza, excelente color y jugosidad, además del marmoleo correcto (grasa
intramuscular).
Por otro lado, la Brangus informó acerca de las exportaciones de carne a la
Unión Europea para la Cuota Hilton. Al respecto, del total de 1.000
toneladas exportadas en la zafra 2010/2011, unas 52 toneladas fueron
enviadas directamente por la Brangus de Paraguay, haciendo uso inclusive del
cupo de otras razas que no estaban en condiciones de atender la demanda, con
cortes como el bife angosto, el lomito, corazón de cuadril y bife ancho
Fuente: abc

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En el mundo Árabe: Govt takes emergency action to end cattle feed shortage

RIYADH: The Ministry of Finance has signed contracts for the immediate import of barley as an emergency move to alleviate the acute shortage of cattle feed in the domestic market.

The consignments of 2.7 million tons of barley will start arriving in various Saudi ports from early August. Delivery under this emergency measure will continue through September, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday quoting a ministry statement.

The ministry will also sign contracts to import an additional 3.5 million tons of barley to replenish the market from October to December.

Currently a daily average of 800 truckloads of barley, or 400,000 bags weighing 50 kg each, are being sent to markets from ports of entry.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah recently ordered a 50 percent hike in the total cattle-feed subsidy in an attempt to stabilize prices.

“Those who inflate prices of essential commodities, particularly of barley and other animal feeds, are subsidy-stealing thugs,” Royal Court Adviser Abdul Mohsen Al-Obaikan told Al-Madinah daily recently.

Shoura Council member Osama Qabbani criticized traders who attempt to monopolize markets by creating artificial shortages.

Economist and Shoura member Zainal Abidine Beri said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry should take firm steps to counter illegitimate price hikes, and he urged the public report incidents where traders attempt to gouge customers.

Punishment for illegitimate price hikes include shutting down businesses. Traders also risk losing subsidy payments if they do not adhere to the price stabilization that the subsidy payments are meant to ensure.

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CNOG BOLETIN DE PRENSA: LOS ESTANDARES SANITARIOS DE MEXICO PERMITEN MANTENER EXPORTACIONES PECUARIAS

     México, D.F., 28 de Julio del 2011

LOS ESTANDARES SANITARIOS DE MEXICO PERMITEN MANTENER EXPORTACIONES PECUARIAS

·        Se lleva a cabo en México el Simposio Internacional de Tuberculosis Bovina

·        Aplica SENASICA rigurosos controles sanitarios en el sector pecuario

·        El 88% del territorio mexicano en fase de baja prevalencia de tuberculosis bovina con menos del 0.5 por ciento de esta enfermedad.

A nivel mundial México ocupa uno de los primeros lugares en baja prevalencia de tuberculosis bovina, lo que le permite mantener e incrementar sus exportaciones de ganado en pie a Estados Unidos, principalmente, con más de un millón de cabezas de ganado de esta especie, los cuales representan para nuestro país ventas superiores a los 600 millones de dólares anuales, adicionalmente a las ventas de carne a otras naciones.

Los controles sanitarios al sector pecuario mexicano son muy rigurosos y estrictos por parte del Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASICA), ya que lleva a cabo acciones como el control de la movilización, inspección en rastros, muestreos y pruebas de diagnóstico, lo que permite que el 88 por ciento del territorio mexicano se encuentre en fase de baja prevalencia con menos del 0.5 por ciento de esta enfermedad.

Lo anterior fue dado a conocer por el director de Sanidad Animal de la Confederación Nacional de Organizaciones Ganaderas (CNOG), Juan Ramón González Sáenz-Pardo, al participar con la representación del presidente de esta organización, Oswaldo Cházaro Montalvo, en el Simposio Internacional Aspectos Técnicos de la Tuberculosis Bovina (normatividad, diagnóstico, biológicos utilizados y epidemiología), celebrado en las instalaciones de la Facultad de Medicina y Zootecnia de la UNAM.

Expresó que nuestro país también cuenta con el reconocimiento por parte de autoridades responsables del sector pecuario de otros países, como el Departamento de Agricultura de Estados Unidos, principal país con el cual mantenemos ventas importantes de productos pecuarios.

Por su parte, el presidente del Consejo Técnico Consultivo Nacional de Sanidad Animal (CONASA), Francisco Suárez, señaló que a nivel mundial se hacen grandes esfuerzos por combatir esta enfermedad, así como la aplicación de mecanismos y normas que se han establecido para evitar su diseminación.   

Sin embargo, expuso, el conocimiento y la tecnología existente para enfrentar este problema no permite soluciones rápidas y de bajo costo, por lo que es necesario articular diferentes tipos de capacidades y recursos para que sin menoscabo de la producción y de los ingresos económicos de los productores se pueda erradicar y mantener libres los hatos de esta enfermedad.

Este Simposio contó con la participación, por parte de México, de José Angel Gutiérrez Pabello, quien dictó la ponencia la Resistencia Natural en Tuberculosis Bovina y Citlaltepetl Salinas, con el tema Patología de la Tuberculosis y su Correlación Fisiopatogénica; Luis Osvaldo Barcos, de la Oficina Internacional de Epizootias con el tema las Normas de la OIE como Referencia Mundial en Diagnóstico y Epidemiología; Cristóbal Zepeda, de Estados Unidos, con el Proceso para la Evaluación de Opciones de Intervención en Salud Animal.  

También participó por parte de Argentina, Pedro Marcelo Torres, con Estrategias de Capacitación: Cursos y Taller para los Médicos Veterinarios Oficiales y de la Actividad Privada en la Argentina; José Luis Sáez Llorente, de España, con Puntos Críticos en la Realización de las Pruebas de Diagnóstico de la TB y de este mismo país Christian Gortázar, con Opciones para el Control de la Tuberculosis en Reservorios Silvestres y de Chile, Luis Alfredo Paredes, con Experiencias de Control de Tuberculosis en un Predio Totalmente Infectado.  

Debido a la importancia que este evento reviste para el sector pecuario internacional, se llevaron a cabo simultáneamente videoconferencias en varios países, entre ellos Estados Unidos, Argentina, España, Chile y Uruguay, entre otros.

JOSE ARTURO ORTIZ CASTRO

COORDINADOR DE PRENSA
CONFEDERACION NACIONAL DE
ORGANIZACIONES GANADERAS (CNOG)

Melchor Ocampo 405- 402
Col. Anzures
México D.F.

ortizcastro@hotmail.com
ortiz02@prodigy.net.mx
ortizcastroarturo@yahoo.com

044 55 13 60 60 60
044 55 39 77 01 99
044 55 43 61 79 79
52 54 05 83
25 95 60 58

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OFRECE EL SECTOR PECUARIO MEXICANO CARNE DE CALIDAD

 

México, D.F., 27 de Julio del 2011

OFRECE EL SECTOR PECUARIO MEXICANO CARNE DE CALIDAD

·        Se producen anualmente en promedio más de 2.9 millones de toneladas de las diferentes especies.

·        Genera el sector pecuario nacional más de 4.2 millones de empleos directos y más de 12.5 millones de indirectos.

El sector pecuario mexicano goza de la confianza que le ofrecen tanto los consumidores nacionales como los internacionales, así lo demuestran las más de dos millones 964 mil 365 toneladas que se obtienen anualmente de carne de bovino, porcino, ovino y caprino, con un valor superior a los 93 mil millones de dólares, adicionalmente los mil millones de dólares por las exportaciones de ganado bovino en pie y carne de esta especie a países como Estados Unidos, Japón y Corea del Sur, entre otros.

Esta producción permite que una cuarta parte de la población que vive en el campo tenga empleo, ya que el 27 por ciento de ella se dedica a actividades relacionadas con la cría, desarrollo, venta y transformación de las distintas especies de ganado que tenemos en el país, lo cual genera más de 4.2 millones de empleos directos y más de 12.5 millones de indirectos.

En México se crían becerros y se produce carne de todos los tipos con los más altos estándares de calidad, lo que permite ofrecer a la población alimentos de origen animal que no representan ningún riesgo para la salud de la población que los consume.

Además, en el país la cría de animales y los diversos procesos de producción cárnica son altamente cuidados, lo que le permite a nuestro país gozar de un status sanitario favorable que le da prestigio a nivel mundial.

El año pasado se registró un consumo de carne de bovino de alrededor de un millón 307 mil toneladas, con una ingesta per cápita de 11.6 kg;  de porcino, un millón 184 mil toneladas, con 10.5 kilogramos por persona en al año; de ovino, 71 mil toneladas, con 600 gramos per cápita y de caprino, 43 mil toneladas con 400 gramos per cápita.

Actualmente México exporta a Estados Unidos animales en pie por el orden de los 600 millones de dólares; carne de bovino fresca o refrigerada a los mercados de Estados Unidos, Japón y Corea del Sur por el orden de los 120 millones de dólares; carne de bovino congelada a EU, Japón, Corea del Sur, Puerto Rico, Panamá, Cuba, Angola y Portugal, por 54 millones de dólares y carne de cerdo fresca y refrigerada a Estados Unidos y Japón, por 232 millones de dólares.  

Por lo que se refiere a la producción de carne en canal de bovino fue de un millón 705 mil toneladas, con un valor de 55 mil millones de pesos; carne de porcino, un millón 162 mil toneladas, con valor de 33 mil 600 millones de pesos; carne de ovino, 54 mil toneladas, con un valor de 2 mil 412 millones de pesos; caprino, 43 mil toneladas, con valor de mil 717 millones de pesos.

A nivel nacional existen 1.4 millones de ranchos o explotaciones familiares ganaderas que poseen menos de 20 cabezas por unidad de producción; adicionalmente, se utilizan más de 110 millones de hectáreas, para el desarrollo de esta actividad, equivalente al 56 por ciento del territorio nacional.

Cabe señalar que la Confederación Nacional de Organizaciones Ganaderas está conformada por más de 500 mil productores, 44 uniones ganaderas regionales, generales o estatales, especializadas y de registro, 6 uniones ganaderas regionales de porcicultores, una Unión Nacional de Apicultores, 25 asociaciones nacionales especializadas y de criadores de ganado de registro, mil 724 asociaciones ganaderas locales, mismos que ven al sector pecuario nacional como un patrimonio, generador de alimentos de alta calidad para la población y de empleos en el medio rural.

Finalmente este sector tiene la responsabilidad de aprovechar los recursos naturales no utilizables en otras actividades y es fuente de ingreso y reserva económica de muchos miles de productores pequeños y campesinos diseminados en el medio rural.

JOSE ARTURO ORTIZ CASTRO

COORDINADOR DE PRENSA
CONFEDERACION NACIONAL DE
ORGANIZACIONES GANADERAS (CNOG)

Melchor Ocampo 405- 402
Col. Anzures
México D.F.

ortizcastro@hotmail.com
ortiz02@prodigy.net.mx
ortizcastroarturo@yahoo.com

044 55 13 60 60 60
044 55 39 77 01 99
044 55 43 61 79 79
52 54 05 83
25 95 60 58

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USDA Proposes Stricter Meat Labeling Rules

The agency invites comments on the proposed rule, which is intended to clarify meat products.

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing a new rule to establish common, easy-to-understand names for raw meat and poultry products that include injections, marinades, or have otherwise incorporated added solutions which may not be visible to the consumer. FSIS has determined that some labels do not clearly identify if a solution has been added to a raw product to enhance flavor or texture. As a result, consumers may be purchasing raw meat and poultry products with higher sodium content than they realize. The agency invites comments on the proposed rule, which is intended to clarify these products’ labels so consumers can easily distinguish them from raw meat and poultry that do not contain added solutions.

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En España, crece la presencia de mujeres como jefas de los ranchos

Quien no se de cuenta que existe una igualdad de generos en todos los sectores de nuestra sociedad, comete un gran error.


Les compartimos esta nota...


Euskadi ha perdido tres de cada diez superficies agrarias en los últimos diez años, según el Eustat Bilbao. Durante la última década, el peso de la participación de personas menores de 40 años al frente de explotaciones agrarias vascas ha caído 9,6% del total al 7%, mientras que la presencia de mujeres como jefas de explotación ha aumentado 6 puntos, llegando al 31%, según datos del Instituto Vasco de Estadísticas, Eustat. El colectivo de personas con edades comprendidas entre 40 y 65 años que dirigen una explotación agraria en Euskadi ha subido casi 5 puntos desde 1999, mientras que el correspondiente al de más de 65 años ha experimentado una ligera caída de alrededor de 2 puntos.
 
Según el censo agrario de la CAV, en 2009 el número de explotaciones se situó en 16.554, con una disminución del 32,8% respecto a 1999. Por su parte, la Superficie Agrícola Utilizada (SAU) disminuyó en más de 65.017 hectáreas desde 1999 (un 25,5%) y se situó en 190.273. Esta disminución de la SAU tuvo reflejo tanto en las tierras labradas (-6,4%), como en las tierras para pastos permanentes (-34,9%). Asimismo, las unidades de trabajo-año por explotación (UTA media por explotación) registraron un caída del 7,2% entre 2009 y 1999.
 
En el caso de la ganadería, el número de explotaciones de cada especie se redujo en la última década, registrándose las mayores caídas las de las explotaciones de porcinos (-68,9%), aves (-39,7%) y bovinos (-35,5%). Igualmente, el número de explotaciones de ovinos y caprinos disminuyó entre el 5 y el 10% y el de equinos un 19,9%. No obstante, en el periodo intercensal se produjo un aumento en el número medio de cabezas por explotación en todas las especies de ganado, excepto en ovino (-8,5%). Los mayores incrementos se produjeron en las explotaciones de bovinos (88,3% más de número medio de cabezas), equinos (un 56,4%) y en las avícolas (44,5% más).
 
Por especies, el número mayor de cabezas corresponde a aves, con casi 1,57 millones, seguido de los ovinos, con 272.167 cabezas, y los bovinos, con 136.246 cabezas. Entre los años 2009 y 1999, el número de cabezas se ha incrementado en el ganado equino (25,3%), bovino (21,4%) y caprino (11,1%). Por el contrario, se ha reducido en el ganado porcino (-57,7%), ovino (-13,3%) y aves (-12,9%).

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Manejo de Pastos: ¿Que tanta humedad hay?

Amigos Ganaderos,

Hay zonas en las que han llovido mas de 25 pulgadas y el pronostico nos indica que lloverá aun mas.

Les compartimos este texto que nos da puntos de vista de como manejar nuestros pastos.

Esperamos que les aporte buenas ideas.
 


How wet is you pasture?


Spring of 2011 had brought significant challenges to livestock grazing
operations. In many areas, 10 to 12 inches of rain fell from April to May,
preventing land from drying out during early spring grazing. Many times when
the spring grazing season begins, pastures are soft and wet and this year
had been exceptionally wet in many areas. Normal grazing can quickly get
these pastures muddy from damage by hoof traffic where livestock hooves are
punching through the upper sod layer.
Special grazing techniques are needed to limit damage in soft, muddy
paddocks. One way is to graze all your cattle together in one small
"sacrifice" paddock until the ground gets solid again. This technique may
destroy the area grazed and require reseeding in that individual paddock.
This works for 3 to 4 days. If more time is needed, you will need to pull
cattle to a sacrifice lot and feed hay until the ground is firm enough to
turn back out. This may create some forage maturity challenges that require
mechanical harvest. Both options can help protect most of your pasture acres
from trampling losses and should be considered when conditions are not
improving.
The worst thing you can do is graze a pasture for several days until it's
all torn up and then move to a new area. Repeated trampling over several
days greatly weakens plants and can reduce production for months, or even
years, due to subsoil compaction. In contrast, pastures muddied up by
grazing only briefly usually recover quickly. It may not happen as fast as
when the ground is solid, but it will be fast enough to minimize yield or
stand loss.
Take advantage of this rapid recovery by moving animals frequently, at least
once a day, to a new area.
Fuente: Brett Wessler

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En Nicaragua, La Ganadería con pasos muy firmes

El sector ganadero nicaragüense afianza su lugar dentro de las principales actividades económicas del país. Las exportaciones a junio llegaron a US$290 millones y todo apunta a que logrará la meta de US$570 millones a final del año.

La ganadería de Nicaragua avanza a buen paso en su meta de lograr un crecimiento del 10% este año, al reportarse que al primer semestre las exportaciones del sector totalizaron US$290 millones, aunque apuesta a conseguir US$570 millones durante todo el 2011.

La Comisión Nacional Ganadera de Nicaragua (Conagan) inauguró en Managua su II Congreso, en el que productores y el Gobierno coincidieron que una de las principales necesidades es el acceso al financiamiento.

El titular del Ministerio Agropecuario y Forestal (Magfor), Ariel Bucardo, instó a la banca a otorgar más créditos a los ganaderos, pues —refirió— la cartera ha caído de US$86 millones en 2006 a US$30 millones el año pasado.

El ministro Bucardo admitió que el estatal Banco de Fomento a la Producción (Produzcamos) tiene disponibles para este año US$20 millones, pero son para atender a diversos sectores productivos.

El presidente de Conagan, René Blandón, confirmó que los ganaderos necesitan más financiamiento para mantener el crecimiento de la producción y, en consecuencia, de las exportaciones de rubros como carne, leche y queso, entre otros.

Blandón señaló que las recientes protestas del Movimiento de Productores y Comerciales, conocido como los No Pago, han hecho que la banca comercial sea “más conservadora” para otorgar créditos.

En ministro Bucardo detalló que la matanza industrial y municipal para la producción de carne bovina alcanzó 444 mil cabezas de ganado en el primer semestre del año, lo que representa un avance de poco más del 51% de la meta programada para este año.

Entre tanto la producción de leche totalizó 106 millones de galones, aunque durante el año se pretenden obtener 202 millones de galones.

El aumento de la productividad es una de las tareas pendientes, subrayó Wilmer Fernández, presidente de la Cámara Nicaragüense del Sector Lácteo (Canislac).

Al respecto, el ministro Bucardo indicó que es necesario formular un programa nacional de alimentos complementarios para el ganado, con el fin de satisfacer las necesidades del hato durante la época de verano cuando baja la producción de leche y se reduce el peso de los animales.

Fuente: LPN

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Australia: Farmer shoots starving cattle

A CATTLEMAN has started shooting his stock to save his animals from starving to death.

NT Chamber of Commerce chief executive Chris Young said the farmer was not able to afford to feed or water his cattle which were stranded on his property after the month-long ban of live cattle exports to Indonesia.

Although the ban has been lifted, cattlemen across the Northern Territory are still waiting for their animals to board ships to Indonesia, while even major agricultural companies such as Elders and Wellards have not been able to obtain export permits to send cattle to abattoirs in Indonesia.

Only last week the Northern Cattlemen's Association's Luke Bowen said he was "very frightened" about what the future would hold for the industry.

The Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce has now confirmed what many cattlemen had predicted in the past week - one farmer had to start shooting his animals.

"It was a situation where he had mustered his cattle and they were in a holding pen on his property (when the live export ban was put in place), but he couldn't ship them," Chris Young, Chamber of Commerce, said.

"So he had more cattle than he knew what to do with.

"He couldn't pay the fuel bill to pump the water to them or feed them so he felt like he had no choice as he was not going to let them starve to death."

Mr Young said he had been made aware of a number of farmers who were under the supervision of worried friends.

"There are a number of them being watched by their neighbours," he said.

Two weeks ago Donna Fraser from the Katherine Women's Crisis Centre had warned about the aftermath of the live export ban.

"We've seen suicide rates go up when times were tough.

"And the pressure that has been put on cattlemen and their families because of the ban can become too much for them to handle."

 

http://www.katherinetimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/farmer-shoots-starving-cattle/2235697.aspx

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Australia: Cattle farmers 'on brink of ruin'

MORE than 85 per cent of cattle producers are out of pocket because of the Indonesian live export crisis, with half having to sack staff and others struggling to meet bank payments.
According to one of the first government surveys since the Gillard government suspended trade for a month on June 8, West Australian farmers are immediately concerned about having enough cash to provide food and water for their stranded cattle.
No Australian companies have yet to be granted an export permit and meet new animal welfare requirements set in place by the federal government when the ban was lifted on July 6.
Industry figures warned yesterday that many farmers were on the brink of financial ruin as the $320 million sector would not return to previous levels until next year at the earliest.
Elders is hoping to have a permit granted soon and its first cattle shipment to Indonesia by early next month, but trade will start small as tracking systems and independent auditing of abattoirs are implemented.
The WA government survey questioned 37 pastoralists and 10 related businesses on June 17 in Broome and in Geraldton on June 24. It found future profitability was a major concern.
Forming part of the state government's submission to a Senate inquiry into a permanent ban on live exports, it concludes 86 per cent of pastoralists "have (incurred) or are incurring additional costs" and the ban had hit their business. These costs included feeding stranded cattle, freight costs, loss of export sales and lower prices for cattle.
The suspension has also caused 51 per cent of pastoralists to reduce staff, 73 per cent to change mustering plans and 70 per cent to defer maintenance.
"Short term, the main constraints on pastoral businesses are cashflow and the additional feed and water required for retained cattle," the survey, conducted by the WA Department of Agriculture and Food finds.
"Restricted cashflow will result in staff being laid off, cancellation of all non-essential spending and in some cases difficulty making repayments."
The department said the survey reflected the situation last month; it expected cattle producers would have "moved forward in planning and action" since the lifting of the ban.
WA Agriculture Minister Terry Redman said he was hoping to visit Indonesia again in September and urged the federal government to help exporters meet new permit conditions.
"There are two immediate things the federal government needs to be doing," he said. "Maximum engagement with industry to ensure export permits can be issued as a matter of speed, and investing every energy into rebuilding Australia's trade and diplomatic relationship with Indonesia if the industry is to have a long-term, sustainable and growing future."
Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association chief executive Luke Bowen said farmers would be affected for months by the temporary suspension.
"It is possible that only 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the historic trade may go this year," he told ABC yesterday."If that happened, 60 per cent or more would need to go somewhere else or be held back on properties if it was physically possible to do so, and financially possible to do so."


Fuente: The Australian

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Productores rurales industrializan chapulines

Un ejemplo mas de productores aprovechando las ventajas competitivas que tiene su entorno.
 
Les compartimos la nota…
 

San Bartolo Coyotepec, Oaxaca.- Uno de los alimentos típicos de esta región del país es el chapulín, y pequeños productores rurales han encontrado una forma de compartirlo con el resto de los estados y próximamente el mundo: chapulines deshidratados, sal de chapulín y de gusano de maguey, y salsas.

Hace una década una familia integró un proyecto productivo para darle valor agregado al chapulín, mismo que tiene un sabor exótico; empezaron con 150 kilogramos para su proceso y hoy, en 2011, tienen considerado procesar cinco toneladas del producto.

Su asistencia a una feria de productos orgánicos no tradicionales, en 2005, invitados por la Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación (SAGARPA), les abrió los  mercados de Morelos, Puebla, Guerrero, Tlaxcala y Estado de México a sus chapulines deshidratados.

Su demanda en el mercado ha crecido y tienen el ofrecimiento de un comprador de Japón para adquirir su producto, mismo que ya ha probado el éxito en el mercado nacional.

Actualmente, más de 200 familias del sector rural en la región proveen durante un año casi cinco toneladas de chapulín a INALIM, en donde se le da valor agregado a este tipo de producción orgánica.

Sus productos son chapulines deshidratados sabor limón, ajo y adobo; las sales de chapulín y gusanito de maguey; y salsas de chile de árbol, pasilla, habanero, verde, cacahuate, chipotle, roja, macha y aguacate.

Durante una gira de trabajo, el Secretario de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación, Francisco Mayorga Castañeda y el Gobernador del Estado, Gabino Cué  Monteagudo, realizaron visitas a proyectos productivos, donde  constataron la inversión del Gobierno Federal y Estatal para aumentar el empleo e ingresos de la zona rural en la entidad.

El titular de la SAGARPA y el Gobernador visitaron una exposición de pequeños productores rurales adheridos al consejo de agroindustriales de Oaxaca.

La organización está integrada por 37 empresas dedicadas a la elaboración y desarrollo de productos del campo, una parte con procesos tecnificados. Está orientada a apoyar el desarrollo de capacidades de la población de comunidades de alta y muy alta marginación en la entidad.

Elaboran productos como mezcal, miel, amaranto, dulces típicos, salsas, bebidas, café, gelatinas, tortillas,  frutas deshidratadas, nopal, jamaica y tamarindo, entre otros. Dan empleo a 350 personas de manera directa y tienen como clientes a tiendas departamentales.

Fuente:AN

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Crearán un clúster agrícola en Morelos

!Bien por los productores de esa zona!

Les compartimos esta nota...

Productores de hortalizas buscarán crear un clúster de hortalizas, es decir, un conjunto de invernaderos para evitar la saturación de mercado con una sola de éstas; por tanto, acordaron con la Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación (Sagarpa) una mayor diversificación a través del impulso de agro parques y escuelas de invernaderos. 

Al respecto, la delegada de la dependencia federal en el estado, María Guadalupe Guerrero Córdova, refirió que: “Se nos invitó a participar junto con productores del sistema-producto morelense, que encabeza Adolfo Trejo Toledo, en Mazatepec, indicando que, siguiendo el cause para este tipo de proyectos, esta organización de productores ve con buenos ojos un proyecto que abarque 35 hectáreas en el lugar factible al respecto”.
 

La funcionaria mencionó que, en esa reunión, Ramón Ocampo Ocampo, productor de la zona Poniente, destacó que: “Gracias a los viajes que hemos hecho a diferentes zonas productivas del país, y al intercambio de experiencias, nos lleva a concluir que en Morelos hay las condiciones de importancia para producir en clúster, es decir, un conjunto de invernaderos con infraestructura anexa necesaria, porque mercado sí lo hay, sólo es necesario organizarse”.
 

Guerrero Córdova comentó que en la mesa de trabajo, entre otros aspectos, se dio a conocer que el Comité es un sistema-producto joven que se ha sumado a la estrategia nacional alimentaria, trabajando con buenas prácticas agrícolas, de manufactura y post cosecha, por lo que, incluso, recibieron apoyo para contar con una marca consolidada que integre a los 13 estados, con un protocolo bien elaborado que permitirá estandarizar la calidad del producto
 

Apuntó que, asimismo, el secretario de Agricultura, Francisco Mayorga Castañeda, solicitó que sean considerados los proyectos de industrialización del jitomate, con el fin de tener una estrategia por si el mercado cambia, o para el producto que no cumpla con los requisitos, siendo esto una válvula de escape.

Fuente: DDM

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Summer's heat means watching cattle for heat stress

With summer just starting and temperatures already

approaching 100 degrees earlier this spring, cattle producers need to take

steps to ward off heat stress in their herds, a University of

Nebraska-Lincoln beef specialist said.

Late spring 80-degree days with rain are always welcome, but the current

abundance of moisture in the Central and Northern Plains will certainly

contribute to elevated relative humidities in the near future, which can be

disastrous for cattle that have not had a chance to get adapted to hot

conditions, said Terry Mader, beef specialist at UNL's Haskell Agricultural

Laboratory near Concord.

Cattle can begin to experience some level of heat stress when the heat index

approaches 80 degrees, with most cattle being severely stressed when the

heat index exceeds 100 degrees. 

Also, when early morning temperatures and/or the heat indices are in the
mid-70s, chances are cattle did not adequately cool down at night, and
feedlot managers should be prepared to provide as much relief to cattle as
possible during the day.

Water is probably the best avenue to dissipate heat, Mader said.

Cattle normally take in about 5 to 8 gallons of water per day. However, when
temperatures rise, that amount can double or even triple.

"It's important to have plenty of available water," he said. "When there is
competition for water, it creates problems because the dominant animals will
occupy waterer space and not allow other animals access."

If cattle are crowding around the watering trough, add more waterer capacity
or move a portion of the animals to pens that will allow the animal to have
adequate access to water, Mader said.

In an emergency, cattle can be sprayed with water to cool them down.
However, once producers do that, they need to repeat or continue spraying
until the heat subsides. Spraying cattle with water will allow the animal to
rapidly dissipate heat through evaporative cooling processes but this may
limit the animal's ability to adapt to the heat.

If the pen surface is dry, then wetting the pen will also provide relief to
confined animals. It is always beneficial to start the wetting or cooling
process in the morning prior to the cattle getting too hot.

Another suggested heat stress mitigation tactic is to use bedding to
decrease surface temperatures animal's are exposed to, Mader said. Generally
it's thought bedding is for insulation against cold stress. However, straw
can aid in breaking up or diffusing the solar heat load that often
contributes to heating up dry, bare ground. The degree bedding is effective
in doing this is unknown. However, if used, it is suggested bedding be
placed in the pen early in the morning when the ground has cooled, otherwise
heat will be trapped in the pen surface. Also, wetting the bedding would
allow for additional cooling to occur when the animal uses it.

Producers should avoid handling cattle when it's hot and never after 10 a.m.
Cattle body temperatures can rise an additional 0.5 to 3.5 degrees during
handling.

Cattle yards also should be free of any structures that restrict airflow.
 

Cutting down vegetation around pens and moving cattle away from windbreaks
can all help. Building earth mounds in pens also can increase airflow by
preventing cattle from bunching together. Other heat stress mitigation
strategies include: providing shade, controlling biting flies and other
parasites, keeping very current on cattle marketings and being mindful of
heat effects on personnel as well.

Fuente: University of Nebraska Extension

For more information about managing heat stress in feedlots, consult UNL Extension NebGuide G1409, Managing Feedlot Heat Stress <http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/sendIt/g1409.htm> , available from local UNL
Extension offices or on the Web.

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When to Hire a Non-Family Leader... suena raro ¿no? pero es de los articulos obligados

En este artículo tocamos temas difíciles para algunas generaciones...Nos cuesta mucho aceptar que, alla afuera, puede haber alguien con mayor capacidad que nosotros o nuestros familiares directos. No aceptamos que "ser familia" no quiere decir que estemos capacitados para hacer bien las cosas. 

Es un paso dificil pero... si es por el bien del negocio, hay que darlo...

Investment firms have a quote that flashes at the end of their commercials
or is written in small-type on their marketing materials: "Past performance
is not an indicator of future results." Because something worked before does
not mean it will work again. So in the spirit of disclaimers, here is one for the family business: Family membership is not an indicator of successful family business leadership.

While a good number of farms and ranches have survived several generations
with a family member at the helm, more and more agricultural family business
members are beginning to ask the question, "When is it time to hire a non-family CEO?"
 

Before working on the answer, note the inherent assumption: Someone in
ownership is suggesting that the business continue to operate even if a
family member may not be the leader. Before embarking on the journey to find
an outsider, make sure your family talks through this assumption. Why do you
want the family business to continue operating if your bloodline is not in top spot?
 

Hopefully, the owners receive a good return on their capital by continuing to own the business, even if they don't lead it. Perhaps continuing the business is important to your legacy. Maybe the next generation has some emotional attachment but not the interest in living on the farm. Whatever the reason, a good discussion about why you would continue to own a business together will build a strong foundation for the consideration of a non-family leader.

A non-family leader is often considered for at least two reasons, the first being lack of skills, knowledge, experience or desire by the next generation. It may be that family members don't have the necessary skills in or knowledge of key areas like grain marketing or managing people. It could be that no one wants to be out in front as the leader, or has a desire to be the boss. Or, it could be that the right elements are there in small quantities, but the next generation just isn't ready to step into the buck-stops-here position. The volatility in the grain markets over the last 10-15 years, coupled with the litigious nature of our society, has also amplified the importance of sound, seasoned leadership, critical thinking and principled decision-making. The wrong move can jeopardize the future of the business and the financial health of the family.
 

Another reason some family businesses consider an outside leader is to balance the power of multiple owners. If there are several family members (who are also owners) working in the business, the title and authority might throw family relationships off-kilter. Family members might become jealous over the difference in status, varying levels of compensation, or the ability of one family member to control the direction of financial and operational resources that affect other family members.

If you think that one of these situations applies to your business -- that
you lack a qualified family member or see that elevating one member may
cause significant conflict -- then beginning the discussion about a non-family leader as early as possible becomes important. The time it takes to think through what you want in a leader, the process of finding and interviewing candidates, structuring the deal and implementing a transition can take several years.

Most important, however, may be the need to get your own house in order before asking someone to step in. What will the prospective outside leader see when he or she looks at how you operate your business? Will they find a professional atmosphere with regular communication and accountability, a sound decision-making process, a disciplined marketing program, clarity in
roles and responsibilities, and an evaluation system for employees? Or will they encounter conflict, a lack of communication, role confusion, and a haphazard decision-making process?

From a practical standpoint, what size operation can justify professional management? That's a good question. One way to look at it is by the dollars
it takes to get the talent. On the low end, salaries would range from $150,000 and up to $350,000 or more on the higher end, generally for the ag organizations I see. If that makes sense, then one couldn't be much lower
than $5 million to $7.5 million in gross revenue to consider the concept.
 

(Of course much of it depends on how you manage net income, including what
kind of income comes from various other sources. Seed dealerships and
oil/gas income can "cover up" inefficiencies in the farm or ranch.) 

The other issue is what kind of returns the shareholders are expecting and what the business is currently paying family members.

Make sure you spend time making the investments in your business that have
the best chance of leading to success. While you may not be able to guarantee future results, there are many strategies you can employ to better the odds that you will succeed for yet another generation.

Fuente: Lance Woodbury lance@lancewoodbury.com

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La prohibición del uso de antibioticos en el Ganado...¿solución falsa?

Las personas que no están dispuestas a consumir carne de res, en muchas

ocasiones argumentan que, los ganaderos utilizamos antibióticos y estos

hacen que la carne sea de mala calidad y genere resistencias en los seres

humanos. Imaginan que los utilizamos como una herramienta diaria y sin

responsabilidad. En su orden de ideas, no conciben que también los animales

se enferman y usando antibióticos se curan.

Hay un movimiento mundial que intenta prohibir el uso de antibióticos en el

ganado.

Les compartimos este texto.

Banning agricultural antibiotic use is a false solution

There's a lot of misinformation out there among the general public about
food and food production. And a lot of that can be shaken off and we move
forward in a constructive manner. But if there's one issue where
agriculture really takes it on the chin it's about the use of antibiotics in
livestock. 

That's not surprising; when two critically-important, complex issues
together into the crucible there's potential for lots of misdirection.
That's unfortunate because the judicious use of antibiotics (or lack
thereof) and potential for antibiotic resistance is a matter of public
health – it touches us all in some form or fashion. That importance
underscores the necessity of having genuine, science-based discussion around
the issue. Smoke and mirrors won't suffice. Nonetheless, the issue has
come to the forefront in recent months.
 

First, there was the lawsuit filed by a coalition of public interest groups.
The suit asserts the Food and Drug Administration has violated federal law
by failing to actively withdraw approval of penicillin and tetracycline
usage in animal feed for non-therapeutic, growth-promotant purposes despite
claims FDA previously concluded that such tactics facilitate development of
antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Hence, the suit is predicated on
the claim of, "…growing evidence that the spread of bacteria immune to
antibiotics has clear links to the overuse of antibiotics in the food
industry." Dovetailing that effort came proposed legislation in both the
House and Senate aimed at reduced antibiotic use in animal agriculture.
The bills are primarily designed to phase out non-therapeutic use of
antibiotics in livestock. The talking points are the same. For example,
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), upon reintroduction of the legislation: "The
rampant overuse of antibiotics in agriculture that creates drug-resistant
bacteria, an increasing threat to human beings….The effectiveness of
antibiotics for humans is jeopardized when they are used to fatten healthy
pigs or speed the growth of chickens."
 

So the logic is this: antibiotics are utilized in farm animals, resistant
strains of bacteria fail to be contained and thus escape the farm, the
public is subsequently exposed to such bacteria via various avenues
(including consumption of meat), citizens eventually become ill, and
ultimately the illness is unresponsive to treatment. Therefore, you see
efforts to curtail ongoing use in food production settings and pre-empt
approval for new antibiotics and/or uses of currently existing
antimicrobials in livestock. That all sounds simple enough. And the
average citizen hearing that type of rhetoric is going to immediately assume
that such litigation and legislation is necessary.
 

However, the issue isn't that simple. As mentioned above, it's a public
health issue and the matter of resistance can't end simply with removing
subtherapeutic use of antibiotics in livestock production; the solution is
only as good as the weakest link. There's no sense in limiting use on the
farm if medical misuse is also not going to be curtailed. The issue must
be addressed comprehensively, not to mention that there's never been a
scientifically documented link between antibiotic use in livestock and
increasing risk of bacterial resistance in humans. Therefore, lawsuits and
legislation simply make agriculture a political scapegoat; that's a
disservice to the broader public - it's disingenuous, inappropriate, and
most importantly, ineffective. In fact, to the contrary, Hurd et al.
(Journal of Food Protection, 2004) demonstrated in their farm-to-patient
risk assessment the use of antibiotics in farm animals represents a "very
low risk of human treatment failure" - depending on the pathogen assessed
the treatment failure risk ranged from 1 in 10 million to 1 in 3 billion.
The medical community must take part in this conversation. Most notably,
antibiotic prescription practices must be addressed. Frivolous treatment
has become increasingly widespread. Numerous studies reveal that patients
expect antibiotics (regardless of appropriateness – the desire of to preempt
any secondary infection). Doctors, often time-crunched and motivated to
maintain their respective patient base, often acquiesce to patient pressure.
The system is designed around the individual patient – public health
concerns about potential resistance go unaddressed amidst the individual
doctor-patient relationship. Moreover, none of this addresses misuse of
antibiotics (failing to take the full course and subsequently saving for
some later illness) once the prescription is in hand.
 

Lest we forget, resistance is not a new phenomenon and was on the radar
screen long before antibiotic use was regularly implemented in livestock
production. Maryn McKenna (Superbug, c. 2010) explains it like this:
Penicillin [released to the public in 1944] was a wonder drug, the first
glimpse of the antibiotic miracle that would quell the ancient scourge of
infectious disease, and its inventors were heroes. A portrait of [Sir
Alexander] Fleming appeared on the cover of Time in May 1944 over the
caption:
 

"His penicillin will save more lives than war can spend." The drug cut
cases of syphilis and deaths from pneumonia by 75 percent and deaths from
rheumatic fever by 90 percent. It did so well against serious diseases that
its benefits were shared around for minor problems too. It was freely sold
over the counter, in mouthwash, sore-throat lozenges, first-aid ointments,
even cosmetics. In the United States, it was not made prescription-only
until 1951. Fleming himself predicted what would happen next. In his
speech accepting the Nobel Prize in December 1945, he said:
"There is the danger that the ignorant man may easily under-dose himself and
by exposing his microbes to non-lethal quantities of the drug, make them
resistant. Here is a hypothetical illustration. Mr. X has a sore throat.
 

He buys some penicillin and gives himself, not enough to kill the
streptococci but enough to educate them to resist penicillin. He then
injects his wife. Mrs. X gets pneumonia and is treated with penicillin. As
the streptococci are no resistant to penicillin the treatment fails. Mrs. X
dies."
 

Fleming was sadly right, though amidst the joy over penicillin's impact, the
research that would prove his prediction received little publicity. In
December, 1940, before the drug had ever been tested in a human, [biochemist Ernst] Chain and his Oxford University colleague Edward Abraham said in a letter to the journal Nature that the common gut bacteria E. coli seemed to be evolving a defense against the new drug and was producing an enzyme that kept penicillin from working. Two years later, Charles Rammelkamp and Thelma Maxon of Boston University demonstrated experimentally that staph bacteria could also develop protection against the effects of penicillin. 

At the end of the day, strict focus on eliminating use of subtherapeutic
antibiotic use in livestock is a case of target fixation (fixated on the
target – livestock lest we forget to take necessary action to avoid the
dangers of collision – widespread resistance). We can try to be like
Denmark but that fails on several counts: First, it's not effective in
eliminating antibiotic use at the farm level; we can try to be like Denmark
and completely eliminate the subtherapeutic use of antibiotics in livestock
production. The Denmark experience reveals that therapeutic use of
antibiotics to treat animal disease increased over 200 percent between 1998
and 2009. Second, there's been no documentation of antibiotic resistance in
humans has declined. Lastly, it completely overlooks the human side of the
issue.
 

General perception that somehow, someway A new rule always makes everything better….but does it? In this case, most definitely not!!!

Lulling general public into a false sense of security!
 

Source: Nevil C. Speer, PhD, MBA, Western Kentucky University

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