This week’s RURAL WRAP-UP covers the week of May 6-11, 2024.
For a list of today’s top headlines, check out the RURAL RUNDOWN.
Work-In-Progress: Updates following the Port of Baltimore bridge collapse
Progress is being made to restore cargo traffic at the Port of Baltimore. Four temporary channels have been opened since the bridge’s collapse, and the plan is to have traffic back online by the end of the month.
U.S. farmer sentiment drops to lowest level since June 2022
Purdue University Professor of Ag Economics, Dr. Jim Mintert spoke with RFD-TV’s own Suzanne Alexander on what contributed to the decline in sentiment, farmland value expectations, and his big takeaways from the report.
Michigan issues emergency order further protecting poultry & livestock industries from HPAI
Michigan Dept. of Ag and Rural Development Director Tim Boring spoke with RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender on the Market Day Report about HPAI’s impact on the state, details of their emergency order, and how this will protect producers and the industry.
Supply Chain Kryptonite: What are the possible ripple effects of a rail strike in Canada?
Mike Steenhoek with the Soy Transportation Coalition spoke with RFD-TV’s own Suzanne Alexander on the latest updates, how it will impact the ag supply chain, and if U.S. producers will be affected.
Texas man who contracted HPAI wasn’t wearing PPE, according to a new report
New details from the New England Journal of Medicine show the Texas dairy worker who fell ill with High-Path Avian Flu (HPAI) was not wearing any protective equipment, or “PPE,” when he contracted the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says the worker had a serious case of pink eye but did not show signs of respiratory issues or fever. The CDC strongly urges farm workers to wear protective gear when working with livestock, especially dairy cattle and poultry, raw milk, sick birds, or other animals.
New pre-published studies link HPAI H5N1 infections in dairy cattle to the mammary gland rather than a respiratory infection, increasing the likelihood that humans and cattle are infected and transmit HPAI in new and different ways than cases involving poultry. Further study needs to be done to determine how the virus is descending into dairy cattle’s mammary glands and confirm the path of cow-to-cow and cow-to-human transmission.
