Company Says it Received Conditional Approval for Bird Flu Vaccine from US Department of Agriculture

The US Department of Agriculture last week issued a conditional license for an avian flu vaccine for use in chickens, amid an outbreak ravaging poultry flocks, contributing to the sky-high price of eggs.

Zoetis, the manufacturer behind the vaccine, announced the conditional approval Friday, saying in a news release its scientists had begun updating its existing avian flu vaccine in 2022.

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PoultryAvery Davidson
The State of Louisiana's Legislative State

As we approach the 2025 regular session of the Louisiana legislature, beginning April 14th and ending June 12th, many people wonder when is the best time to connect with their legislator to educate them regarding issues important to agriculture. The answer is all year long. You should be talking to your legislators in their office in your district, in your churches, grocery stores, and your festival grounds any chance you get.

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Secretary Rollins Takes Bold Action to Stop Wasteful Spending and Optimize USDA to Better Serve American Agriculture

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins addressed more than 400 USDA staffers, stakeholders and friends and pledged to bring greater efficiency to USDA to ensure it better serves American farmers, ranchers, and the agriculture community. She reviewed findings from the Department of Government Efficiency and welcomes the opportunity to optimize the USDA workforce and stop wasteful spending.

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USDAAvery Davidson
Louisiana Paper Mill to Close, Lay Off 450 Workers

Some 450 employees of a Natchitoches Parish paper mill will lose their jobs by the end of April after their parent company announced the facility’s pending closure Thursday.

International Paper is shutting down its Red River Mill in Campti that makes containerboard, as well as a recycling plant in Phoenix, a box-making plant in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and sheet feeder facility in St. Louis.

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ForestryAvery Davidson
Trump Administration to Release Avian Flu Plan, Shift Away from Depopulating Farms

The Trump administration is preparing a plan for combatting avian flu that will move away from depopulating entire infected flocks and rely instead on “biosecurity and medication” to contain outbreaks, says President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser.

Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said on CBS’ Face the Nation Sunday that he has been working on the plan with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and “all the best people in government, including academics around the country and around the world.”

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USDAAvery Davidson
Did An Increase In Alligator Populations Lead To A Hunting Season Extension?

Just last week, the state department of wildlife and fisheries released a notice of intent, extending the wild alligator hunting season, leaving some wondering if there’s an overflow of gators in the state.

“Currently, for the past three years, our population estimate has been, actually lower than the previous 10 years because we’ve had better water cycles, but it’s been very comparable to long term average of 30 years,” Linscombe said.

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Aquaculturedon molino
Silicon Ranch Announces Solar Installation

Nashville-based Silicon Ranch has plans to build a local solar farm on a 55-acre plot, according to Hanna Nordin, economic and community developer for the company.

Nordin announced the company’s plan at the Police Jury’s regular meeting on Thursday, Feb. 6.

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Avery Davidson
Advocate Editorial: La. Rice Farmers are Collateral Damage in Fight Over USAID

The hastily developed and executed pause in aid from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, has thrown some of Louisiana's farmers into limbo as they wait to find out if programs that bought a significant portion of their crops will continue.

Within weeks of taking office, President Donald Trump and his point person on governmental spending, Elon Musk, abruptly shuttered many operations at USAID and ordered freezes on many aid programs, alleging wasteful spending. Among the programs affected were those that bought crops — including Louisiana rice — for foreign food aid.

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RiceAvery Davidson