Hay on the Way to Cattle Stranded by Ida; Here’s How to Help
Bales of hay are headed to Plaquemines Parish to help cattle and horses impacted by Hurricane Ida.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry says that the hay will be used to feed cattle and horses stranded following the storm.
LDAF says the delivery was made possible thanks to their partners at the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, Louisiana Cattlemen's Association, the LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association Equine Committee, Texas Equine Veterinary Association, Texas A&M Veterinary Association and The Foundation for the Horse.
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Addressing Concentration in the Meat-Processing Industry to Lower Food Prices for American Families
The President understands that families have been facing higher prices at the grocery store recently. Half of those recent increases are from meat prices—specifically, beef, pork, and poultry. While factors like increased consumer demand have played a role, the price increases are also driven by a lack of competition at a key bottleneck point in the meat supply chain: meat-processing. Just four large conglomerates control the majority of the market for each of these three products, and the data show that these companies have been raising prices while generating record profits during the pandemic. That’s why the Biden-Harris Administration is taking bold action to enforce the antitrust laws, boost competition in meat-processing, and push back on pandemic profiteering that is hurting consumers, farmers, and ranchers across the country.
Secretary Vilsack and Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese will be joining White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki for today’s White House Press Briefing at 2:00pm ET. They will discuss competition in agriculture and assistance for farm and food workers, as well as small producers, processors, distributors, and farmers markets. You can watch the briefing at 2:00pm ET here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yilI-1ggXw.
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Good Samaritans Rescue 60 Cows From Hurricane Ida Floodwaters
It might be “herd” to believe, but some Louisiana cowboys recently undertook a very different kind of cattle drive after Hurricane Ida left grazing lands flooded—and they’ve been using airboats to do get the job done.
“We got about 300 head of cattle… out here that we couldn’t get out from the back pastures in time before the storm came in, being that it was a quickly developing storm,” lead volunteer Derek Billiot told WGNO News.
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LSU AgCenter Assessing Damage from Hurricane Ida
LSU AgCenter agents are beginning the arduous task of damage assessment and recovery from Hurricane Ida.
Given the geographic area affected, the biggest economic impact is likely to be to agricultural infrastructure and timber, said Kurt Guidry, LSU AgCenter region director and agricultural economist. But sugarcane, livestock, soybeans, fruit and vegetable crops, and the horticulture industry also experienced losses.
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Louisiana Farm Bureau Opens Hay Clearinghouse
The Louisiana Farm Bureau Livestock Advisory Committee is again working to help ranchers through a natural disaster by reengaging its hay clearinghouse in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.
Through the hay clearinghouse, the volunteers and staff of the Louisiana Farm Bureau connect ranchers who need hay or pasture for their cattle with people who have hay to donate, pasture space available or the ability to transport hay.
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Louisiana’s Public Health Officer Pleads: ‘Don’t Take Horse Meds’ to Treat COVID’
Louisiana's Public Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter and Republican Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain are warning people against taking a drug designed to deworm large livestock as a treatment for COVID-19.
Social media medicine has fueled a run on ivermectin at farm and feed supply stores, but Kanter and Strain, a large animal veterinarian, said it's a misinformation campaign that could be dangerous.
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Will Livestock Dewormer Cure My COVID? No, but Some People Try This Home Remedy Anyway
Home remedies for COVID-19 now include the livestock dewormer ivermectin, causing a run at area farm supply stores and leaving doctors shaking their heads at what people will do to avoid a coronavirus vaccine.
“It’s not recommended for people,” said Stephanie Cayson, a vet tech at Garden District Animal Hospital. “It’s something you have to be very careful with. It’s not something to be taken willy-nilly.”
There are human uses for ivermectin, either to treat parasitic worms or, in a topical form, to combat head lice and the skin condition rosacea. Misinformation traced to a Virginia doctor has led to some considering it a miracle drug for COVID-19.
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