NATIONWIDE NEWS
Bird flu risk is ‘a real wake-up call’ for dairy farmers
The following information is provided by Nationwide ® , the No. 1 farm and ranch insurer in the U.S.* U.S. dairy farmers are well-acquainted with challenges, from market volatility to industry consolidation and shifting con- sumer preferences. Now, a new hurdle has emerged that could transform herd management practices: H5N1 bird flu on dairy farms. While the virus is lethal to poultry, it poses a significant financial threat to dairy farmers. Bird flu in dairy cattle could ne- cessitate operational changes to prevent or minimize the impact of these disruptions to production. Federal testing confirmed H5N1—highly pathogenic avian influenza—in dairy cows in March 2024. The discovery marked a first: the zoonotic transmission of the virus from birds to dairy cattle and later, farmworkers. The virus normally infects domestic and wild bird species. It is highly contagious and often fatal for birds. It is rarely fatal for cattle and humans and often limited to flu-like symptoms, but other animals—namely hogs—may be more susceptible to severe, potentially mortal symptoms. It has gotten a lot of attention on how dairy farmers re- spond to the bird flu threat. For dairy farmers, bird flu can cause
financial losses from decreased milk production and the inability to meet con- tracted milk deliveries; higher production costs; costs to add biosecurity measures to a farm; and replacing cows lost or that see sharp declines in milk output. “While dairy cows that have been in- fected with H5N1 generally recover well, it does dramatically limit milk production, causing financial losses for producers with affected premises,” according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. Those losses—and the costs dairy farm- ers may incur to test for and slow or stop the spread of H5N1—were the motivation behind USDA expanding dairy farmer sup- port in the wake of the virus. Historically, dairy farms don’t have the biosecurity mea- sures in place that are more common on poultry and hog farms. “This is a real wake-up call that we have to be more diligent with biosecurity. You can’t even go into a hog farm today without show- ering in first,” said Nationwide Senior Dairy Consultant Dan Rice. “On most dairy farms, you don’t even have to sanitize your boots. We need to be more mindful of biosecurity by adding things like this to our farms.” Minimizing farm entry points and lim- iting access to only workers, veterinarians and other essential people can help keep
the virus away from a dairy farm. “Hauling cattle from multiple farms to a sale barn, for example, is one way to spread the virus easily. You can help prevent this risk by locating a loading area where you can move cattle so a truck isn’t driving onto your main farm,” Rice said. “I have seen dairy farms with five entry points. That makes it extremely difficult to control access. Though it’s not always easy, one entry point is ideal.” These steps—on top of regular herd health monitoring, securing feed from reli- able suppliers and creating a plan for if bird flu does show up on your farm—can help farmers be ready. That readiness will go a long way to keeping the virus away from not just dairy cows but other livestock such as hogs that may be more in danger by bird flu. “Create a culture of safety to keep your farm safe for your families and workers,” Rice said. “In the case of H5N1, that culture needs to be about safety and biosecurity to prevent the disease from spreading.” Rice recommends having regular con- tact with a veterinarian in case testing be- comes necessary. It’s also a good idea to stay in touch with a risk management part- ner. Talk to a Nationwide Farm Certified agent to see what can be done to build a culture of safety on the dairy farm. Visit AgInsightCenter.com for more re-
sources and expert tips to help you run a successful business and maintain the safe- ty of your operation. *A.M. Best Market Share Report 2023. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle, and Nationwide is on your side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2024 Nationwide
Pesticides Continued from Page 3
time it takes for the department to process registrations for new pesticides doubled from 2019 to 2023, increasing to more than three years, according to a California State Auditor report released last year. “The reality is that we have to have these tools to be able to feed all the people that we’re feeding,” said Merrill, the Santa Barbara County farmer. “There are less and less farmers all the time feeding more and more people, and if you don’t have some of these pesticides in your toolbox to deal with these things, we won’t have that food supply.” (Caleb Hampton is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. He may be contacted at champton@cfbf.com.)
Having the safety talk with your kids isn’t just important— it’s essential. In 2023, 19% of deaths in off-highway vehicle (OHV) accidents were children under 16, with only 2% wearing helmets. 1 This alarming statistic prompted Nationwide to launch the Let’s Champion Rider Safety SM campaign, providing tips and resources for effective safety discussions and protection for young riders. Let’s work together to help save lives and teach everyone to ride like a champion.
Let’s talk about ATV safety
Learn more at Nationwide.com/ATVsafety
Scan code to get safety tips for your young riders.
1 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Nationwide and the Nationwide N and Eagle and Let’s champion rider safety are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. The Farm Bureau, FB and the FB National logo are trademarks of the American Farm Bureau Federation and are used with permission under license by Nationwide. © 2024 Nationwide (05/24)
8 Ag Alert July 31, 2024
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