Ag News: Mad Cow in Florida Atypical
**The USDA recently confirmed the discovery of an ‘atypical’ case of Mad Cow Disease in a six-year-old mixed-breed beef cow in Florida.
Atypical is different than classical Mad Cow, and it generally occurs in older cattle and seems to arise rarely and spontaneously in all cattle populations.
Agweb.com reports, news of the discovery had little, if any, impact on cattle markets.
**A stealth competitor is stealing space at the grocery meat counter, in the packaged meal freezer, on menus at restaurants across the country AND on consumers’ plates.
It’s alternative, plant-based and, potentially, lab-grown animal cellular proteins.
According to agweb.com, U.S. sales of plant-based proteins totaled $553 million in 2012, but in just five years, plant-based protein sales jumped to $670 million in 2017.
National Port Board’s Jarrod Sutton says the alternative protein segment “is something we are well aware of and something we’re focused on understanding, especially the composition.”
**Staff level talks are setting the stage for the farm bill. Former House Ag Chair, and current member, Frank Lucas of Oklahoma says lawmakers return to Washington this week and will begin mending the two versions of the farm bill.
According to the Radio Oklahoma Network, Lucas says having five years of certainty on the books is significantly more preferable in his mind rather than seeking a one-year extension to the current farm bill and continuing to kick the can down the road.
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