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Every year, the American Feed Industry Association sponsors awards that recognize industry leaders who are making an impact on the health and nutrition of livestock and poultry. Read about this year’s animal nutrition award winners below.

Have you ever seen dogs, specifically beagles, at your airport terminal? Not ones riding in carry-on bags preparing to travel, but working dogs? If you have, there is a chance that working dog was trained at the “Beagle Brigade” facility. This facility, run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, is formally known as the National Detector Dog Training Center located in Newnan, Ga.

Biosecurity is often defined as procedures intended to protect humans or animals against disease or harmful biological agents. For the animal food industry, biosecurity manifests as putting in place plans or programs intended to prevent feed, people and vehicles from introducing and/or spreading pathogens to livestock and poultry.

As mothers, we often find ourselves stating words of caution to our children and while some of those get adhered to, others are ignored, despite our pleading. But that is “how our children learn,” so they say, by making choices based upon the information available. When it comes to the introduction of foreign animal diseases like African swine fever (ASF), our desire is that our message and words of caution get heard, and the feed industry acts accordingly NOW to do its part to prevent the introduction or spread of ASF into the United States.  

African swine fever (ASF) is top of mind for industry members and government officials alike since its confirmation in the Dominican Republic last July. For the first time in a long time, the highly contagious swine disease is in our hemisphere and although the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) had already been preparing for a “what if” ASF outbreak situation, efforts have significantly increased, and all stakeholders are engaged.

The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), Animal Nutrition Association of Canada (ANAC) and United Soybean Board (USB) have joined with the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) to launch a research project that will evaluate several methods for cleaning and disinfecting feed mills following a potential African swine fever (ASF) outbreak. 

If Dr. Cassie Jones’ presentation on African swine fever (ASF) at last week’s Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference didn’t scare you, then I really don’t know what will! Jones, the undergraduate research coordinator in Kansas State University’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, gave a chilling update on the status of the virus that has ravaged parts of the Eastern Hemisphere over the past three years.

From the moment I started at the American Feed Industry Association, I have been consumed with all things China--the restrictions, barriers, questions, unknowns, complexities and just plain confusion of trying to get U.S. animal food products into that market.