—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 16, 1977
30
USD A to develop pseudorabies plan i
WASHINGTON, L). C. -
Within a month, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture
will identify control
measures needed in a
program on pseudorabies,
based on information
presented at a two-day fact
finding session held in Ames,
lowa on this serious disease
of swine.
“We will be contacting was voiced again and again
Use of soybean
meal declining
HUDSON, la. - Two dif
ferent surveys indicate that
the use of soybean meal is
declining and that fanners
also intend to plant over 10
per cent more soybeans this
Spring than last year, ac
cording to the American
Soybean Association (ASA).
“Price rationing is already
taking effect even though it
will not show up in official
statistics for at least two
months,” said Dr. Kenneth
L. Bader, chief executive
officer of the association.
Soybean processors' are
operating at six to eight
percent less than normal and
animal feeders are switching
to alternate sources of
protein or reducing the
amount of soybean meal in
rations, according to in
dustry sources.
“Most of the soybean meal
went out of the ruminent feed
market about two months
ago, and hog farmers who
mix their own feed are
simply using more grains
and less soybean meal. When
they cut protein from 16 to 14
per cent of the ration - that’s
a 12.5 per cent decrease in
demand,” said Bader. Since
soybean meal is 44 per cent
protein, that means a
reduction of soybean meal
demand in excess of 20 per
cent.
He said that the futures
price of soybean meal has
continued its upward trend
because of the false demand
generated by speculators.
The cash meal price and the
futures price for soybean
meal is drifting further apart
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different groups within the
swine industry during this
period to get additional in
put,” said I>r Frank
Mulhem, administrator of
USDA’s Animal and I’lant
Health Inspection Service
(APHIS).
Concern about
pseudorabies - a growing
threat to the swine industry -
because of the difference in
real demand and speculated
demand.
Healso complimented
Secretary Bob Bergland on
his statements concerning
the possibility of an embargo
on soybean exports. “The
situation is entirely different
this year because there is a
good supply of fish meal and
other sources of protein.
More wheat and corn are
available, and I don’t believe
we’ll see anyone drowning
baby chicks on television this
year, said Bader.
“We’ve got one embargo
experience under our belts,
and 1 think everyone will
look at the situation in a
rational manner.
“Our soybean farmers
have always produced
enough to fill the demand if
the market was right. Their
plans to plant 55.6 million
acres this year, or a 10.6 per
cent increase over last year
indicates their willingness to
continue supplying the
market with all the soybeans
it can take.
“If we average 28 bushels
per acre, we will produce
1,558,872,000 bushels of
soybeans, thus make up for
the small carryover ex
pected at the end of this
marketing year."
The ASA survey showed
that farmers in the corn belt
plan to increase soybean
acreage by 9.5 per cent in the
south by 12.4 per cent,
Southeast by 13.3 per cent
and the East Coast by 7.6 per
cent.
by more than 600 hog
producers, veterinarians,
state and federal animal
health officials and
representatives of other
segments of the swine in
dustry attending the April 4-5
conference.
Although the feeling of
concern was almost
unanimous, there was not
agreement on exactly how to.
deal with the disease.
“The consensus was that
the ultimate goal is to get rid
of the' disease,” said
Mulhem, “but we can’t get
there immediately. What we
need right now are ways to
stop the spread of the disease
and to protect clean herds.”
Pseudorabies, also known
as Aujeszki's disease or
“mad itch” in cattle, may
cause death losses of up to
100 per cent in pigs less than
two weeks old. Swine can
transmit pseudorabies to
cattle and sheep, where it is
almost always fatal. In these
species, it produces an en
cephalomyelitis with signs of
severe itching and self
mutilation - hence the name
“mad itch.” As pigs grow
older, they develop more
resistance to pseudorabies.
Adult animals may not show
signs at all, although some
strains of the virus cause
severe death losses in grown
pigs. Pseudorabies does not
affect humans.
The incidence of
pseudorabies in swine has
Courthouse Squares
increased dramatically in
recent years, laboratory -
confirmed cases - an in
dication of actual incident -
rose from 125 in 1974 to 225 in
1975 and to 714 last year.
I imports at the conference
mdiealc w<> may already
have equalled last year’s
total during the first three
months of 1977,” Mulhem
said.
Purebread and com
mercial swine producers
from the “hog belt” states of
the Midwest detailed how
pseudorabies' had
dramatically affected them.
One producer from Illinois
related how he had lost about
140 litters per month for four
months in his hog-raising
operation.
Following are additional
points brought out at the
conference:
- A safe and effective
vaccine is needed to reduce
losses and control outbreaks
in areas where the disease is
a serious problem. Although
there is presently no USDA
licensed vaccine, one is
under development. It was
recommended that any
vaccine should be used under
strict controls, with its use
restricted so that it would not
interfere with a long-term
goal or eradicating the
disease.
- Additional research is
needed, but actions to
control the disease cannot
wait.
- The test for pseudorabies
needs to be standardized,
and additional simpler,
quicker and more
economical tests should be
developed.
- A top priority is deter
mining die actual extent of
pseudorabies infection
nationwide.
- Movement of swine from
diseased herds should be
controlled now to protect
free herds and areas.
- A proposal was made to
have a three-stage program
to combat the disease.
Approximately 3o
speakers, including scien
tists from Hungary, lien
mark, Canada and Mexico -
plus work producers from a
number of states - presented
short talks on many aspects
of pseudorabies. Extensive
questions and answers
sessions were interspersed
among the talks.
DD
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