” Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program

Are you a swine, chicken, or turkey producer who suffered losses due to insufficient access to processing facilities during the coronavirus pandemic? USDA’s Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP) provides financial relief for those losses and costs associated with depopulation due to COVID-19. This new program is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency will accept PLIP applications from July 20 through October 12, 2021. FSA extended the original signup deadline, which was September 17, 2021.” – https://www.farmers.gov/coronavirus/pandemic-assistance/plip

USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service has a resourceful video on ‘Protecting Cereal Grains from Stem Rust’ available on their website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/maps/plant-health/barberry-cereal-gains

An image gallery of stem rust pictures is available at https://www.ars.usda.gov/midwest-area/stpaul/cereal-disease-lab/docs/cereal-rusts/cereal-rust-image-gallery/

Picture provided by USDA Image Gallery

“Stem rust (also known as black rust) was once the most feared disease of cereal crops worldwide. In the U.S., it has not been as damaging since the 1950’s due to the development of resistant cultivars with earlier maturity; however, outbreaks may occur when new pathogen races appear.” – USDA

Additional videos available on the USDA interactive plant protection pest maps include:

• Citrus Disease, and Citrus Disease Federal Quarantines
• Domestic Data Improvement Initiative
• Imported Fire Ants Quarantined Areas
• Emerald Ash Borer Story Map
• Federal Gypsy Moth Quarantines
• Commodity Based Resource and Assistance Specialist Team

At the request of the NJAES Board of Managers, RCE authored a guidance directory of practicing NJ veterinarians that provide care for food and fiber animals. The series was recently published as a bulletin and two accompanying fact sheets on the NJAES website at https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/.

The list of large animal and poultry veterinarian practices can be found in the bulletin ‘What kind of Veterinarian do I need? How do I find one?. The accompanying state and federal resource fact sheets are excellent resource documents for producer business plan development.

1. Livestock and Poultry Veterinary Care Services Series, Part III: State Resources
2. Livestock and Poultry Veterinary Care Services Series, Part II: Federal Resources
3. Livestock and Poultry Veterinary Care Services Series, Part I: What Kind of Vet Do I Need? How Do I Find One?

Current and Future NJ Livestock & Poultry Producers. Please note, there is currently a shortage of practicing livestock and poultry veterinarians in NJ that has only been exasperated by the Pandemic. With an estimated state inventory (Eklund, 2017) of 25,000 head of cattle and calves; 17,791 sheep and lambs, 7,500 swine, 1.6 million laying hens, 25,000 broilers, 15,000 turkeys, 16,000 chukars, 29,000 Hungarian partridge, 105,00 pheasants, and 18,000 quail there is a great need to recruit veterinarians.

– Data from National Agriculture Statistical Service. NJ. Census of Agriculture, New Jersey, 2017

–  Author’s note: “Many thanks to the veterinarians in private, state and federal practice who provided input for this resource publication”. – Melissa Bravo, Salem County ANR Agent, September 18th, 2021. 

African Swine Fever Action Week

“Every day the week of September 13-17, from 2:00 pm – 3:00pm EDT, APHIS will host a webinar on a different ASF topic. These webinars will also be recorded. The webinars will be as follows:

• Monday, September 13: African Swine Fever: Where it Exists and What’s at Stake
• Tuesday, September 14: Steps APHIS is Taking to Prevent and Prepare for ASF
• Wednesday, September 15: ASF and the Benefits of Biosecurity
• Thursday, September 16: What to Expect in an ASF Outbreak
• Friday, September 17: ASF and the Feral Swine Factor”

Interested producers can register at

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/swine-disease-information/african-swine-fever/seminar/asf-action-week