A new way to vaccinate cattle

A new approach to vaccinating cattle could help farmers worldwide, research suggests.

Scientists have developed a technique using a harmless parasite, which lives in cows but has no effect on their health, to carry medicines into the animals' bloodstream.

Researchers created the vaccine by inserting key genetic material from a vaccine into the parasite's DNA.
The manipulated parasite is intended to be injected into cattle, where it would continue to thrive in their bloodstreams, releasing small amounts of vaccine slowly over time. More >>

BAI Gears Up for Livestock Exporting Opportunities

"Given our FMD free status, let us continue to work together towards promoting the Pinoy pork and other livestock commodities. This meeting aims to create an advisory body which will come up with the mechanics on the promotion and marketing of pork products within the country and throughout the world"

This statement was made by the Bureau of Animal Industry Director Efren C. Nuestro during the June 8 consultative meeting with the hog industry stakeholders and inter-government agency collaborators at the Office of the Director�s Conference Room. This was done immediately upon his arrival from his trip to Paris, France to attend the 79th General Session of the Office International des Epizooties(OIE) also known as World Organisation for Animal Health. During this session, a certificate for a Philippine Foot and Mouth Disease Free Zone was awarded to the Philippine government dated 26 May 2011. The said certificate, signed by OIE President Carlos A. Correa Messuti and Director Bernard Vallat was received by the Director together with Assistant Secretary Davinio P. Catbagan in behalf of the Agriculture Secretary. It states that " being free from foot and mouth disease(FMD), vaccination is not practiced in accordance with the provisions of Article 8.5.4 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code." Such recognition is based on the documentation submitted to the OIE by the Official Veterinary Services of the Philippines in 23 November 2010. It comes with the obligation to immediately notify the OIE of any significant epidemiological event in relation to FMD in the country and to annually confirm that the situation has remained unchanged. This certification has cleared the country�s FMD Affected regions and provinces referred to as Zone 2 (regions I, III, IV-A and NCR). Earlier certification cleared other parts of the country referred to as Zone 1, 3, Visayas and Mindanao Zones. FMD Free status paves the way to export opportunities for the Philippine livestock industry.

Among the concerns discussed in the stakeholders meeting are as follows: 1) livestock industry and inter-government agency collaborators to form advisory body with the primary objective of promoting local pork, beef, goat and other livestock products within the country and to the rest of the world; 2) the possibility of seeking the cooperation of the advertising experts 3) the status and capability of slaughterhouses in the country for possible export opportunities.

In an earlier media release, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said that negotiations are ongoing to export pork products to Singapore and Malaysia. Swine farms, abbatoirs and meat processing establishments initially from Mindanao are being accredited by the Department of Agriculture through its concerned agencies, the National Meat Inspection Service(NMIS) and the bureau. The country has been exporting poultry products mostly to Japan given its bird flu (avian influenza) free status. Data obtained from the National Veterinary Quarantine Services (NVQS) showed the Philippines has been exporting broiler day old chicks (DOC)/ parent stocks(PS) to Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Brunei and Cambodia. Moreover, the country has been exporting processed meat products to Saudi Arabia, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Cambodia and Australia.

Asec Catbagan said that the country�s FMD free status works well for the domestic livestock industry because livestock and swine raisers, along with meat processors can now freely transport and trade livestock and pork products within the country. He said the free movement and transport will enhance productivity, particularly in improving, upgrading, and increasing current livestock herd and swine population.

Relative to this, Assistant Director and FMD Task Force Chairman Victor C. Atienza instructed the regional task force coordinators and animal quarantine staff to be vigilant in maintaining and monitoring the epidemiological situation that the country currently enjoys. To enhance public awareness, a celebration for an FMD Free Philippines is scheduled on July 26, 2011 the highlight of which will be scientific paper presentations featuring international speakers from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and OIE.(Source)

Grow your own meat?

Professor Mark Post: "The basic problem with current meat production is that it's inefficient"

Mark Post has been given €300,000 to make a hamburger, in one year. Easy money, you might think, but try doing that without using meat that has come from an animal.






Professor Post is one of the few people on the planet who can. As head of the department of vascular physiology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, he is in the vanguard of a new wave of research to create a way of producing meat that cuts out the need for animal husbandry altogether. [More . . .]

Livestock Philippines 2011 Expo

With a population approaching 100 million, the Philippines is the next big growth market. LIVESTOCK PHILIPPINES 2011 Expo & Conference - the Philippines International Feed, Livestock Production & Meat Industry Show is the event that will bring together thousands of key decision makers including integrators, farmers, feed millers, pre-mixers, meat processors, slaughter houses, veterinarians, distributors and retailers.[More details]

Cattle Industry Performance Report (Jan - Jun 2011)

As of July 1, 2011, the total cattle inventory in the country was 2.49 million head. This was 2.10 percent lower than last year's record of 2.55 million head. The inventory of cattle from backyard and commercial farms decreased by 2.00 percent and 3.47 percent respectively. Around 93 percent of the total cattle inventory were raised in backyard farms and only 7 percent were raised in commercial farms. [More . . .]
Source: Philippines Bureau of Agricultural Statistics

Recent Farm Visit - September 2011

Posting some pictures taken during our farm visit last September 2011

Armando - frontal view

Armando at 3 years old

At this stage 2 weeks more and it's harvest time

The lake beside the farm which never run out of water even during summer

My first kuliglig ride. it was fun

A stop over at the creek for a fresh swim

Philippines: Smallholder Livestock Development Project

This article is all about the current status of a livestock development project in the Philippines but somehow didn't materialize for a lot of reasons. The report also indicated on what has been done and what has been achieved based on the objectives.
I still believe that this effort can still be push for a possible success. I just don't know how. Read on.

Animal Identification System and History

Given the opportunity and time this is a very good thing to do on a farm system as it helps farm owners identify and track animals and livestock easily.

With the current situation such as backyard cattle raising I believe this is not appropriate to do at this time as it involves investment on the actual tool in implementing. At the moment this is only applicable for large scale cattle raising.

LIVESTOCK IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

Animal ID system, and from farm to fork products world-wide tracking is a system which must be implemented. 

Today, animal identification and tracking system for animal health and food security are very important tools in the management. In many countries, domestic animals and animal products to ensure follow the implementation of these legal procedures is required.

Traceability system for each different type of animals or a homogeneous group of animals in their movements by making identification of the tracks, to detect precursors and that the correct information to be recorded with the appropriate receiver is connected. 

Disease prevention and control of animal products, food security and export certificates and principles related to the impact of activities to increase the World Animal Health Organization member countries and the state of animal identification and traceability system implemented in that direction is helping. Traceability for the first time in 1998 at Argentina-Buenos Aires the international "From the farm to the fork of the Permanent Animal Identification and Traceability Systems" meeting has been presented by OIE

Why national or regional animal traceability systems? 

First, manufacturers and facilities to manage more effectively in animals are helping, cattle/sheep animals or animal health programs, or applications of genetic improvement programs provide. 

In response to outbreaks or illness in the context of prevention, traceability in the region to countries that emerged to prevent the spread of disease, monitoring, early detection of outbreaks and notification, faster response, animal movement control and documentation or help on how to partition.

OIE and International Food Standards set by the Commission according to the standards and animal production throughout the food chain-from farm to fork-tracked to ensure origin of live animals and animal identification and tracking system with traces of animal products between has an important place. 

Various factors, national or regional animal identification and traceability system may affect the structure. In this sense, factors as the country's animal and public health status, changing the population of animals (sex and reproduction, number and geographical distribution, etc.), production type of animal activity areas, appropriate technology and costs, animals and animal products trade organization shape up must take into account. The system developed, the cultural perspective as well as cost / benefit analysis and other economic, geographical and environmental conditions also must not be neglected. 

Production and gene transfer in animal cloning with animals (Transgenic) animals, such as new technologies being created in the future regulations may require additional animal tracking. Authorities in certain situations, and this in itself is an animal all animals were obtained from the newly developed methods to track every product will have. New technologies will also offer new solutions. For example, DNA identification in the retail level for the creation of animal identification and monitoring system would allow. However, advanced technology or with a method is simple on paper, the "Land of the animals living in the Health Code" is defined as the universal principles and traces can be applied in all cases.

Food chain to be assessed even Traceability system, control of diseases in animals and is a tool for food safety and animal as our starting point for a product from the farm track provides. Traceability systems, animal health, food safety and food origin, extending the organoleptic (sensory) creates a link between properties. 

And other domestic animals used to determine the identity of the ear tag is made of plastic material. 

The animal identification numbers that belong to seal the ear usually does. This identification number (ID) only to be determined by national organizations with specific, usually in the form of Property Identification Code will be found. National Live Animal Identification System (NLIS) regulations in all the areas of bovine animals before being removed from the ear marked with the seal or a rumen bolus and requires this action to be notified of NLIS'ye. Besides, if animals in the herd or farm is labeled, in the wider region does not have identification numbers only. Seal of the ear tags also NLIS for cattle and sheep running conditions. This seals and monitoring rumen and are used for identification bolus identity and supplied by the vendor with the transport document is complete. 

Livestock identification system with the ear tag yet to be discovered in 1913, despite tuberculosis test in the UK BSE epidemic is visible with the emergence of an increase was recorded. Today, in many different ways, designed to provide ear tagsl, to prevent theft and to get to the epidemic under control is widely used all over the world.

In 1953, the first two parts, the plastic ear seal itself invented by the patent has been received. Options and visibility of the color of plastic with easy-to-use features metal extension application in the process of this seal also reduces the risk of infected blood through. 

Some insect control bovine animals to ensure that seals the ear contains chemical substances. 

How should Ear Tag be Applied?  In implementing a successful ear tag of the principles are the same for cattle and milk cows. To correctly apply the ear tag of the animals should be avoided piercingg ear again. 

Best time of using for ear tag begins to show the features of beef and milk is taken from the period. 

Ear Tag to the use of time to the maximum level of use of the ear tag you should read the user manual carefully. After a time, ear tags can not be reused. 

Ear tag or stud cattle breeding period to ear a time before being sealed need. If the cattle is tagged, do not remove the ear tag or not installing a second ear tag. 

You must use the correct applicator. If an incorrect applicator is used, the ear tag into the ear remains in danger of seal can be crushed. 

Application for selecting animals to be the most peaceful moment and must be clean applicator.

Source

Cloning cattle in the Philippines - 20 Nov 07

The title of the video says - 'Cloning cattle in the Philippines but actually it's a water buffalo or in lay man's term - carabao.