COVID

New Ways To Address Healthcare Issues Are Needed For Rural Americans

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 14:36:27 GMT

It’s no secret the rural U.S. healthcare system faces ongoing pressures from financial struggles and labor shortages. Rural hospitals, in particular, have been hit by the shortages, according to Carrie Cochran-MacClain, chief policy officer for the National Rural Health Association (NRHA).

“We are raising a stink out here in Washington about what we’re seeing in terms of the status of our rural hospitals,” Cochran-MacClain says. “We know that coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, a lot of hospitals really took a hit during that time. They did everything they could to provide services to the people in their communities, and now they’re struggling, and we’re continuing to see closures.”

Since 2005, 104 rural hospitals have closed. An additional 600 rural hospitals — 30% of all rural hospitals in the U.S. — are at risk of closing in the near future, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform.

In response, Cochran-MacClain says one stop-gap measure Congress has enacted now is the development of rural emergency hospitals (REH), a Medicare provider designation established through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

New Methods Of Care

REHs are meant to reinforce access to outpatient medical services and reduce health disparities in rural areas that are unlikely to be able to sustain a traditional, full-service hospital. Today, there are about 18 such facilities across the U.S.

“It’s a great model that’s keeping a level of (medical care) access in rural settings, and that’s fantastic,” she told Chip Flory, host of AgriTalk, on Monday.

“But I think our perspective is, in addition, we hate to see hospitals closing their in-patient units, because they can’t afford to keep them open and are being forced to turn to this model,” Cochran-MacClain adds. “We want to make sure those facilities that are in rural communities and want to keep their inpatient care are able to do that.”

Achieving that goal – and continuing to provide rural Americans with healthcare options – will require addressing the costs and labor issues, she told Flory.

“We have to do more to make sure that we’re training (medical) folks from rural areas, that we’re recruiting folks to rural areas, and really investing in that workforce,” she says.

Reimbursement rates to rural hospitals also need to be addressed. Many rural hospitals struggle to maintain financial viability under traditional Medicare payment models.

“When we moved to the way that we pay hospitals now, called prospective payment rates, those rates were not made for small, low-volume facilities,” Cochran-MacClain says. “So, we continue to really need some adjustments to the way we are paying for health care in rural areas. And that’s what we’re trying to do with a whole slew of proposals in Washington.”

The rural healthcare discussion between Cochhran-MacClain and Flory is available here.

More Funding Resources Needed

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced in late 2023 some of the steps underway to help rural communities keep access to local healthcare available to residents. These include:

Funding to rural providers to join value-based care initiatives. Medicare’s largest value-based care program, the Medicare Shared Savings Program, encourages providers to collaborate to provide coordinated, high-quality care to people with Medicare by forming or joining Accountable Care Organizations.

Grants to rural hospitals and communities to provide health care services. HHS has several grant opportunities to support rural communities, including $28 million to provide direct health services and expand infrastructure and $16 million to provide technical assistance to rural hospitals facing financial distress.

Developing and investing in the nursing workforce. Nurses play a critical role in primary care, mental health care and maternal health care, particularly in rural areas. HHS has announced more than $100 million in awards to address the increasing demand for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and nurse faculty nationwide.

Expanding access to services provided via telehealth. During the first year of the Covid pandemic, Medicare telehealth visits increased 63-fold, especially benefiting patients in rural communities. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is extending many of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities that were provided during the Covid pandemic through December 31, 2024.

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Rural Bankers Share Top Concerns Index

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:51:18 GMT

The rural economy is slowly improving after being crashed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. For the third time in the past four months, the Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) climbed above growth neutral.

For January 2021, the monthly survey of bank CEOs in a 10-state Midwest region sits at 52, which is up slightly from December’s 51.6.

The current reading is the second highest level since January 2020. The index ranges between 0 and 100 with a reading of 50 representing growth neutral.

“Recent sharp improvements in agriculture commodity prices, federal farm support payments and Federal Reserve’s record low short-term interest rates have underpinned the Rural Mainstreet Economy in a solid and positive growth range. However, the rural economy remains well below pre-pandemic levels,” says Ernie Goss, who chairs Creighton’s Heider College of Business and leads the RMI.

Bankers were asked their top concern for the economy in 2021. The results showed:

Excessive inflation and higher long-term interest rate.
A double-dip recession (W-shaped recover).
Trade restrictions and/or higher tariffs
Higher loan defaults and bankruptcies.

“I feel the economy is moving in a positive direction that can be rattled by a combination of higher taxes, higher inflation, and a return of stricter regulation,” shared Jim Levick, president of Nebraska State Bank in Oshkosh, Neb.

Farmland Values on the Rise

For a fourth straight month, the farmland price index advanced above growth neutral. The January reading climbed to 56.3, its highest level since July 2013. This is first time since 2013 the RMI has recorded four straight months of above growth neutral farmland prices.

“Farmland values in our general area are not on the decline as supported by recent auctions,” reports Jeff Bonnett, president of Havana National Bank in Havana, Ill.,

Bankers once again reported anemic loan volumes. The January loan volume index dropped to 33.9 from December’s 43.7, but up from November’s record low 25.8. The checking-deposit index soared to record high 88.0 from December’s 78.1, while the index for certificates of deposit, and other savings instruments increased to 46.0 from 42.2 in December.

“Approximately 44% of bank CEOs expect low loan demand to be the greatest issue facing their banks for 2021. This is up from 7% that recorded this as a top concern last year at this time,” Goss says. “One year ago, 32% of bankers indicated that rising loan defaults and bankruptcies were their greatest concern for 2020. This is significantly above the 4% of bankers that registered this as their greatest 2021 issue.”

However, 24% indicated that rising competition from untaxed credit unions and Farm Credit posed the greatest 2021 bank threat. This is well up from the 5% recorded last year at this time.

“We compete day-in-and-day-out with them and they simply have a 21% advantage that they can leverage over tax paying banks,” reports Joseph Anglin, senior vice president and chief financial officer at Pioneer Bank & Trust in Rapid City, S.D.

The confidence index, which reflects bank CEO expectations for the economy six months out, declined slightly to a still healthy 60 from December’s 62.9.

“Federal farm support payments, improving gain prices, and advancing exports have supported confidence offsetting negatives from pandemic ravaged retail and leisure and hospitality companies in rural areas,” Goss says.

This RMI, which started in 2005, represents an early snapshot of the economy of rural agricultural and energy-dependent portions of the nation. It focuses on 200 rural communities with an average population of 1,300.

SHIP IT Act Could Save Truck Drivers Up to $10,000 and Cover CDL Costs

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 19:32:55 GMT

Foreign ocean carriers were found to be leaving congested U.S. ports emptyhanded in 2021 and 2022, amid a massive supply chain gridlock. The Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) was established to solder the sea supply chain back together, but more needs to be done inland, according to some legislators.

Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Jim Costa (D-Ca.) on Tuesday introduced the Safer Highways and Increased Performance for Interstate Trucking (SHIP IT) Act to expand the trucking workforce and offer flexibility in times of need.

Read more: New CDL Requirements Could Cost You Up to $8,500 and Weeks of Training

“Disruptions in our trucking supply chain continue to drive up costs and create uncertainty for American consumers and producers,” said Costa. “We need to recruit, train, and retain truck drivers to keep our supply chain moving.”

What’s in it for Ag

According to the Shippers Coalition press release , passage of the SHIP IT Act will “improve the supply chain and keep costs down for consumers” by:
1. Offering authority for certain vehicle waivers during emergencies
2. Allowing truck drivers to apply for workforce grants
3. Streamlining the CDL process
4. Assisting with truck parking difficulties

“The OSRA was needed to ease the backlog at ports and the SHIP IT Act is the natural next step to continue the important work of bolstering the nation’s supply chain,” says Sean Joyce, Shippers Coalition executive director.

Read more: Walmart Will Now Pay Starting Truck Drivers $110,000, Could It Backfire and Make the Nationwide Trucker Shortage Even Worse?

21st Century Supply Chain

Michael Dykes, DVM, president and CEO of International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) , echoed Joyce, saying the SHIP IT Act is a “commonsense” solution to ongoing burdens.

“The legislation would bring the U.S. supply chain into the 21st century to meet the needs of shippers, reduce regulatory burdens that cost shippers millions of dollars a year, create good paying jobs, and support the ambitious sustainability goals of dairy businesses,” says Dykes.

According to the bill, eligible truck drivers would be granted funds to cover CDL cost, including course materials, supplies, fees for graduation, licenses and certification. Established drivers would also be granted a $7,500 tax credit, while new truck drivers would be offered a $10,000 credit.

To read the full SHIP IT Act text, click here .

John Phipps: The COVID Hangover? Why People Are Now Drinking More

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 20:08:15 GMT

This first weekend after New Year’s Day seems an auspicious time to check into one of the overlooked consequences of the pandemic. While it seems like it is sort of over, COVID has tricked us before.

It is still hassling the people of China, who seem to have postponed more than avoided the burden.

With some superb charts by Justin Fox in Bloomberg we can examine one aspect of pandemic experts have noticed, namely consumption of more alcohol during and especially immediately after the isolations and quarantines. Even after adjustment for rampant inflation, it suggests our drink choices changed as well as spending.

So maybe the chart of spending is skewed by relatively greater consumption of more expensive beverages. Another chart shows apparent alcohol consumption measured in gallons of ethanol, which adds another perspective on consumption. Note it only goes to 2020, so post-pandemic trends can only be extrapolated.

It still suggests that the switch to spirits mostly from beer probably continues. In part it is driven by younger drinkers reviving the cocktail, especially premixed products. Also, we are drinking more craft beers in lower quantities, probably due to pricier brews.

The interesting aspect of this for rural America is the sharp decline of dry counties, virtually all of which were rural. These maps show dry counties in red comparing 2011 to 2018. The greatest change occurred in Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas, and Tennessee.

I would guess agriculture’s embrace of microbreweries and small distilleries, many on farms, represented an income source that weighed against the remnants of Prohibition. The local tax revenue from liquor sales almost certainly helped the change as well. Note the change in Kentucky, whose farmers have embraced the Bourbon Trail. Premium liquors from such small distilleries are the fastest growing market segment as American consumers scale up their tastes.

These trends were already in place before the pandemic, but our pandemic binge shows no sign of stopping, and the health impact will be a problem for future generations. In fact, alcohol-related deaths have increased sharply since the pandemic. My guess is we’ll be discovering more side-effects of COVID. It might even be fair to say, that the globe will suffer from a long COVID hangover.

China Halts COVID-19 Data

Tue, 27 Dec 2022 17:59:53 GMT

Chinese officials estimate about 18% of the population were infected with COVID-19 in the first 20 days of December, as Beijing abruptly dismantled restrictions that had contained the disease for almost three years.

The estimates — including 37 million people, or 2.6% of the population, who were infected on Tuesday alone — were revealed by Sun Yang, a deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sun said the rate of COVID-19’s spread in the country was still rising and estimated that more than half of the population in Beijing and Sichuan were already infected, the people briefed on the meeting said.

The figures, which were provided in a closed-door meeting, contrast with data put out by the National Health Commission (NHC), which reported 62,592 symptomatic COVID-19 cases over the same period.

Last week, China stopped publicly trying to tally the total number of infections after authorities curtailed COVID-19 testing. The NHC reported just 4,103 new local cases on Saturday for the day prior, with no COVID-19-related deaths for a second consecutive day. Hong Kong, by contrast, reported 20,460 new local cases on Saturday for the previous 24 hours.

“Most Chinese cities could recover from the first wave of the latest COVID-19 outbreak by January... this would be faster than people have expected,” noted Chaoping Zhu, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

There has been a widening gulf between the official numbers and anecdotal evidence of spiraling infections on the ground.

More on China:

U.S. Relations with China to “Elevate” Following Biden, Jingping’s First Face-to-Face Meeting on Monday
5 Trends Happening In China That Will Affect Your Farm
China Cites U.S. Ag for Why It’s Chosen Not to Invade Taiwan

Senate Clears Annual Defense Policy, Pushing $858 Billion to Military

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 21:20:59 GMT

The Senate passed an $858 billion defense spending bill on Thursday that would end the Defense Department’s mandate for troops to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The bill was linked to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).

The combined measure includes a major increase in the Pentagon’s budget. The military bill totals $858 billion.

The bill will also grant another $800 million in taxpayer funds to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative as part of the U.S. effort to help Ukraine defend itself against an ongoing Russian invasion. The U.S. has already sent around $68 billion in humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine in three major packages.

The defense package, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), previously passed the House on Dec. 8 in a 350–80 vote.

Bottom Line

In it’s passing, the bill will:

Boost next year’s Pentagon budget by $45 billion more than President Biden requested (including $19 billion just to keep up with inflation).
Grant 4.6% pay raises to military personnel
Provide $800 million more in security aid to Ukraine
Give the president authority to give Taiwan up to $1 billion in weapons and munitions
Earmark $1 billion to resupply the nation’s defense stockpile
Amend the Pentagon’s policy for handling sexual assault and harassment cases

New Arguments

The Senate rejected an amendment proposed by Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), which would have reinstated service members removed exclusively for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as compensation for any salary and benefits lost due to the separation.

The amendment failed, with 40 senators supporting it and 54 opposing it. Opponents were concerned about the precedent of rewarding military personnel who defied an order.

Manchin Permitting Overhaul Dies Again

Another effort by sometimes centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to attach fossil fuel permitting reform to the bill also failed.

As part of a private deal to win Manchin’s support for the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act (climate bill), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) promised Manchin that permitting reform would be taken up before the end of the year. The procedural vote Thursday was 47-47, far short of the 60 necessary for consideration on the fiscal 2023 NDAA, which kills the permitting overhaul for now.

It’s the third time since September that Republicans and Democrats in both chambers have nixed the West Virginia Democrat’s proposal to accelerate environmental review timeframes in the permitting of energy projects.

Manchin could try again to insert the language into the omnibus spending measure that lawmakers are preparing now, and intend to pass by next Friday.

Manchin’s proposal also sought completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline running through West Virginia and Virginia.

More on policy :

NCGA Adds to the List of Those Urging Biden to Address Mexico’s GMO Corn Ban
Soil Health a Priority in Latest USDA Climate Funding

China to Hold Economic, COVID-19 Policy Meetings this Week, Following an Ease on Restrictions

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 18:58:19 GMT

China is moving forward with economic/COVID-19 policy meetings this week after previously saying they would be postponed pointing to a potential reopening occurring sooner than later.

The latest shift includes the country will stop counting asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 as high numbers of such patients were no longer taking part in testing. This comes in the wake of China’s decision to cut back on testing requirements and close testing facilities.

However, the country is now pushing more vaccinations as it appears to pivot away from its zero-Covid policies — those with a higher risk of infection due to severe existing conditions, weakened immune system or over the age of 60 will be targeted for a second booster shot six months after the first booster.

The Financial Times reported that more than half of Chinese over 60 received a booster before March this year, “heightening uncertainty over the efficacy of Chinese vaccines compared with messenger RNA jabs used in the West.”

Bottom Line

“There is a problem with people thinking the pullback of Covid-zero measures is equivalent to the economy reopening, which it is not.” says Leland Miller, CEO of research firm China Beige Book, explaining why China’s economy will likely remain weak for a while.

Many people are staying home and canceling travel because they’re worried about outbreaks after Beijing eased its restrictive pandemic policies.

More on China :

John Phipps: Is China in Trouble?
Chinese Delegates Meet with Top U.S. Officials in New York

China Gives Signal it May Adjust its Stringent Zero-COVID Policy, Sparking New Wave of Protests

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 21:12:35 GMT

The top official in charge of China’s COVID-19 response told health officials Wednesday that the country faced a “new stage and mission” in pandemic controls.

“With the decreasing toxicity of the Omicron variant, the increasing vaccination rate and the accumulating experience of outbreak control and prevention, China’s pandemic containment faces a new stage and mission,” Vice Premier Sun Chunlan said Wednesday, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Her comments came a day after a separate body of top health officials pledged to rectify some approaches to COVID-19 control and said local governments should “respond to and resolve the reasonable demands of the masses” in a timely manner.

Case numbers in the past week have hovered around record highs, with more than 34,000 new infections reported Thursday — posing a steep challenge to efforts to return them to a low level.

As of Nov. 11, 40% of China’s over-80 population had received a booster shot, according to state media, while around two-thirds had received two doses. Meanwhile, several cities have made revisions to their policies, largely around testing and quarantine rules, while some have relaxed lockdown measures.

Health Update

Global COVID-19 cases are at 644,118,669, with 6637,952 deaths.

U.S.'s case count is 98,923,209, with 1,081,147 deaths.

Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center says there have been 653,502,647 vaccine doses administered. It says 267,804,921 have received at least one vaccine, or 81.28% of the U.S. population.

More on China:

Chinese Delegates Meet with Top U.S. Officials in New York
U.S. Relations with China to “Elevate” Following Biden, Jingping’s First Face-to-Face Meeting on Monday
China Looks to Move Away from Strict COVID-19 Restrictions as Imports, Exports Slow

Chinese Delegates Meet with Top U.S. Officials in New York

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 20:23:07 GMT

Beijing shut parks, malls and museums on Tuesday while more Chinese cities resumed mass testing for COVID-19. This news follows China’s move to rescind restrictions last week.

China reported 28,127 new domestically transmitted cases for Monday, nearing its daily peak from April, with infections in the southern city of Guangzhou and the southwestern municipality of Chongqing accounting for about half the total. The wave of infections is testing recent adjustments China has made to its zero-COVID-19 policy, aimed at making authorities more targeted in clampdown measures and steering them away from blanket lockdowns and testing that have strangled the economy and frustrated residents.

Some analysts are saying 20% of China’s economy is being negatively impacted by the lockdowns.

China’s Oil Front Amid Lockdowns

Analysts are cutting forecasts for China’s year-end oil demand after cases surged to near record levels, forcing authorities to reinstate mobility curbs, and delaying recovery at the world’s top crude importer.

“We cautiously lower our expectations for China demand by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 4Q ’22,” Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note. “Confidence remains high in a 2Q 23 China reopening.”

Sun Jianan, an analyst with consultancy Energy Aspects, also revised down China’s oil demand forecasts, by 200,000 bpd for November and December, and 190,000 bpd for the fourth quarter to 14.45 million bpd.

Big Trouble in Little China

The Wall Street Journal reports that a few days before Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s summit last week with President Biden, Beijing dispatched a delegation of senior policy advisers and business executives to New York to meet with a U.S. counterpart group set up by insurance executive Maurice “Hank” Greenberg. Such a high-level group hasn’t come to the U.S. since the COVID-19 pandemic started, and in that time, U.S.-China relations plunged.

Distrust between the two countries is still high, but Xi’s approval of the delegation’s visit signals his intention to prevent the relations from going off the rails and to find a way to communicate.

Chinese officials begin meeting with counterparts from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, for the first time in months.

More on China :

China Looks to Move Away from Strict COVID-19 Restrictions as Imports, Exports Slow
U.S. Relations with China to “Elevate” Following Biden, Jingping’s First Face-to-Face Meeting on Monday
China Cites U.S. Ag for Why It’s Chosen Not to Invade Taiwan

Farm Journal Field Days

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:44:12 GMT

August 25-27, 2020.

View the Farm Journal Field Days tentative agenda HERE

Register Now for Farm Journal Field Days

The interactive Farm Journal Field Days includes a three-day Virtual Pavilion that runs concurrent with full-day on-farm demonstrations and programming. The on-farm sessions will be hosted Aug. 25 at Blue Diamond Farming Company in Jesup, Iowa, and Aug. 27 at Newcomer Farm in Bryan, Ohio.

Up to one hundred Top Producers will be voluntarily selected to participate in person on each farm with beyond-recommended social distancing rules, but in a highly personal, interactive experience.

The first annual Farm Journal Field Days will encompass equipment, crops, livestock and technology with a focus on bringing buyers and sellers together in different and unique ways. The format will include one-on-one and group settings to observe innovations in practice, as well as interactive educational and sales methods.

The on-farm programs and Virtual Pavilion will be promoted and shared with tens of thousands of farmers across Farm Journal’s massive digital and broadcast footprints centered around AgWeb.com, AgDay TV, U.S. Farm Report TV and AgriTalk Radio; plus websites and other online offerings including Drovers, Pork, Dairy Herd Management and The Packer. Programming will begin Aug. 24, the day before the Farm Journal Field Days, and continue online all year.

Farm Journal Field Days offers exhibitors multiple tiers of customizable selling experiences designed to provide maximum visibility and brand interaction, highly cost-effective lead generation and robust data collection—a formula that portends to be how farm shows thrive from this point going forward.

View the Farm Journal Field Days tentative agenda HERE

For more information about Farm Journal Field Days programming and exhibitor opportunities, contact your Farm Journal national account representative or Stephanie Gable at sgable@farmjournal.com .

U.S., China Container Shipping Rates Plummet 50%, Backlog of Unfilled Orders Grows

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:05:17 GMT

As backlogs at U.S. ports and climbing shipping rates plague the supply chain, new data shows shipping rates between the U.S and China are dropping by more than 50% in just a month.

Data provided by digital freight forwarding company Shifl shows China/U.S. spot freight rates, for shipping a 40-foot container from China to Los Angeles, dropped by $9,000. That’s a 51-percent drop between September and October.

Experts say China is slowing production due to a power crisis and the off-season coming into view, but issues remain due to a growing backlog of unfulfilled orders.

Earlier this week, AgDay reported that Port officials say strong American consumer demand has continued unabated for more than a year, as the Port of Los Angeles has seen a 30% increase in cargo volume so far this year. That’s as exports from the Port of Los Angeles dropped 23% in August.

It’s impacting agriculture in the U.S. because of record-high shipping rates. That’s coupled with the fact that some shipping lines are working to get empty containers back to factories in Asia as quick as possible.

Veterinarians Authorized To Administer COVID-19 Vaccine In Some States

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:56:13 GMT

Veterinarians routinely administer vaccinations to their animal patients. Now, in some parts of the U.S., practitioners – along with other health-care providers – are being authorized to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to humans.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack told AgDay Host Clinton Griffiths on Monday that President Joe Biden is looking to expand both the number of vaccines available as well as qualified individuals available to administer them.

“Veterinarians are currently working in states that allow them to administer shots to be able to expand the core number of people necessary to get as many of us vaccinated as quickly as possible,” Vilsack said.

“The reality is that unfortunately, and tragically, a lot of people in rural America still have concerns or hesitation about the vaccination or may not be able to access it or a vaccination site,” he added.

In early December, the Connecticut Department of Public Health issued an order authorizing veterinarians along with podiatrists, dentists, dental hygienists, emergency medical technicians and paramedics who have received proper training to administer the COVID-19 vaccine.

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) reports that on January 7, Colorado followed suit when Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order—an amendment to executive order D 2020 038 issued April 15, 2020—approving temporary emergency authorization for veterinarians to administer the vaccine. The authorization was to stay in place only until February 6. On January 14, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued a directive authorizing veterinarians—and dentists, dental hygienists, and podiatrists—to give the vaccine. The complete article by the AAHA is available at https://bit.ly/3ckVA1O

In addition to some U.S. states, veterinarians in parts of Canada, namely in the province of Manitoba, have also been administering the COVID vaccine to residents.

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FAQs on COVID-19 Vaccination with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:55:55 GMT

To answer common questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, U.S. Surgeon General vice admiral Dr. Vivek Murthy joined AgriTalk on May 4. This was the same day President Joe Biden shared the goal for 70% of adults in America to have had at least one shot of the vaccine by July 4.

“The progress report is good,” Murthy says. “We have made tremendous progress in vaccinating the country to date. If you look at people above the age of 65, we’ve gotten at least one dose of the vaccine into more than 80%, which is pretty extraordinary. And we have about 70% of our seniors who are now fully vaccinated.”

But even with those 150 million people who have had at least one shot, Murthy says the country needs to have another 100 million shots administered in the next 60 days to reach the president’s next goal by July 4.

You can listen to the full interview with Murthy here:

On the segment, Murthy answered several commonly asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine:

Do we have enough supply?

“Here in America, we have done a good job of bolstering our supply. So we do have more and more vaccine available for those who want it. And we also, very importantly, have more places where you can get a vaccine.”

What is being done to increase access to the vaccine?

“There are over 40,000 pharmacies in the country that now have vaccine to offer. We have community vaccination sites, we have community health centers where we’ve actually directly delivered vaccine from the federal government and we’ve got more primary care doctors who are getting vaccine direct-ly in their offices so they can give it to patients. The President and the administration will be providing more direct funding and support to rural health clinics to support outreach as well as direct allocation of vaccine to rural health clinics so they can directly vaccinate their own patients.”

How is access being improved specifically to rural America?

“We know rural areas are different from urban areas, people are more spread out, it’s not always as easy to travel to one location that’s close to everyone to get a vaccine. So we’ve got to work through some of those logistical barriers, which is why the funding for the rural health clinics and for these mobile units is so important. But we also know everyone looked gets information from different sources. We’re a big country. Not everyone listens to the same news station, radio station and that means we’ve got to do more work in getting information out, and particularly through people’s doctors, which is the reason behind one of the projects we launched. From my office and other offices in the government it’s something called COVID-19 Community Core, where we bring together doctors, nurses, faith leaders, local business leaders and others to get the accurate information they know they and their communities want and to be able to share that with them.

In addition to people trusting the doctors and nurses who take care of them, we know about 50% of people say they would take the advice of a family member or friend when it comes to making a decision on the vaccine. What that means is even if you don’t have a medical degree or a nursing degree, you can still be a vital force in helping people understand the vaccines we have for COVID-19 are a way to protect them against COVID and a way, ultimately, for us to help turn this pandemic around.”

Why are people hesitant to get the vaccine?

“We’ve seen a lot of news stories about people being hesitant to get the vaccine. But what we’re finding actually is people who haven’t gotten vaccinated yet it’s a combination of a few things. Some people have questions, which are important to answer. We want people to get answers from reliable sources, like their doctors or their nurses who take care of them. But we also know some people are wondering if it’s really that important for them to get vaccinated. Maybe they’re young and healthy, and they think, ‘Hey, I’m not at high risk of a bad outcome, do I really need to get this vaccine?’, or maybe they’re working two or three jobs and don’t have transportation to get to a vaccine center.

We’re trying to work on all three fronts to make sure we’re working closely with doctors and nurses around the country, as well as pastors and other faith leaders, to help get information to their com-munities. But we’re also trying to improve the number of access points so it’s easier and easier hope-fully over the weeks ahead for people to get vaccines in their pharmacy, in their doctor’s office or in their neighborhoods.”

Should people who have had COVID-19 get vaccinated?

“The answer is yes. And here’s why. It turns out the immunity you get from a natural infection is actually not as robust. It’s not as strong as the protection you get from the vaccine. So you’re more likely to be at risk for reinfection. That’s why we’re asking everyone to get vaccinated regardless of their prior infection.”

What if people still have questions?

“I always say our health is personal to us. And if you have questions, you absolutely have a right to get those questions answered because ultimately, it’s your health. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind about the vaccine.

Recognize 90% of doctors in this country have either gotten the vaccine or are planning to get it as soon as possible. That tells you about the faith the medical profession has in the vaccine.
Keep in mind these vaccines, even though it seems like they were developed on a quick timeframe, the technology behind them has been in development for decades.
We are lucky enough to see the culmination of that research, and these vaccines have been studied rigorously in clinical trials and what we’ve seen with nearly 150 million people having received at least one dose of the vaccine is this side effect profile remains really strong in terms of safety. The effectiveness remains extraordinarily strong and high as well. That’s what you want to see — high effectiveness and very low risk in any vaccine you take.
I know many people are worried about the side effects of the vaccine. But first of all, the vast majority of people don’t have side effects from this vaccine. Those who do tend to experience one to two days of flu-like symptoms, meaning fatigue, maybe a low-grade fever and a body ache, but that lasts for about a day or two. Then it goes away, and they feel pretty good. Afterward what you’re left with is protection from the vaccine.

“It’s certainly a blessing to be able to serve the country, especially at a time like this during this pandemic crisis. I’m eager to do everything I can to help,” Murthy says.

Tyson Foods Mandating COVID-19 Vaccinations for U.S. Employees

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:55:28 GMT

Tyson Foods announced Tuesday that it is requiring its team members in the U.S. to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 1, 2021, and all other team members are required to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1, 2021, subject to continued discussions with locations represented by unions, a company release says.

“Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the single most effective thing we can do to protect our team members, their families and their communities,” said Dr. Claudia Coplein, chief medical officer, Tyson Foods, in the release. “With rapidly rising COVID-19 case counts of contagious, dangerous variants leading to increasing rates of severe illness and hospitalization among the U.S. unvaccinated population, this is the right time to take the next step to ensure a fully vaccinated workforce.”

This requirement makes the company the largest U.S. food company to require vaccinations against the coronavirus for its entire workforce. It says that almost 50% of its U.S. workforce has been vaccinated and infection rates among its team members remain low.

The company has hosted more than 100 vaccination events for its workers since February and more than 56,000 U.S. team members have been vaccinated so far, the release says. Additional onsite vaccination events will be scheduled, and the company will continue to collaborate with local health departments and healthcare providers to make the vaccine more accessible.

Tyson Foods also notes in the release that it will provide $200 to its frontline team members, subject to ongoing discussions with locations represented by unions, which it says is an expansion of Tyson Foods’ existing policy to compensate workers for up to four hours of regular pay if they are vaccinated outside of their normal shift or through an external source.

Exceptions to the mandate will be available for workers who seek medical or religious accommodation, it says.

Union Pushback

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), which is the union for 250,000 meatpacking and food processing workers and includes 24,000 Tyson meatpacking workers across the country, says it has “serious concerns” about the vaccination mandate.

“UFCW is proud to say that we have high vaccination rates among our unionized food workers across the country, and as a result, we have helped reduce COVID-19 infection rates in many of our industries, including meatpacking. While we support and encourage workers getting vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, and have actively encouraged our members to do so, it is concerning that Tyson is implementing this mandate before the FDA has fully approved the vaccine,” says UFCW international president Marc Perrone.

“As the union for Tyson meatpacking workers, UFCW has made clear that this vaccine mandate must be negotiated so that these workers have a voice in the new policy. UFCW will be meeting with Tyson in the coming weeks to discuss this vaccine mandate and to ensure that the rights of these workers are protected, and this policy is fairly implemented. We believe the FDA must provide full approval of the vaccines and help address some of the questions and concerns that workers have. Additionally, employers should provide paid time off so that their essential workers can receive the vaccine without having to sacrifice their pay and can rest as needed while their body adjusts to the vaccine and strengthens their immune system to fight off the virus,” Perrone’s statement continues.

A memo from Tyson Foods president and CEO Donnie King to team members can be read here .

To date, Tyson Foods says it has spent more than $700 million related to COVID-19 mitigation, including buying personal protective equipment and temperature scanners, installing protective barriers and providing onsite testing and vaccinations. It also partnered with an independent medical provider to bring medical services onsite, hired an additional 200 nurses and its first chief medical officer, the release says. It has also spent time educating team members, in many languages, about the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccination.

House Subcommittee: Coronavirus Infections at U.S. Meat Plants Far Higher Than Previous Estimates

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:54:57 GMT

By Leah Douglas

Cases and deaths from COVID-19 among workers at the leading U.S. meatpacking plants were three times as high as previously estimated, according to a report by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis seen by Reuters.

The subcommittee surveyed major meatpackers Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Cargill, National Beef, and Smithfield Foods, which together control over 80% of the beef market and 60% of the pork market in the United States.

At those companies’ plants, worker cases of COVID-19 totaled 59,147 and deaths totaled 269, based on counts through January of this year, according to the report, which was expected to be released later on Wednesday.

That is far higher than a previous estimate by the Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN), which had been used by government agencies and media throughout the pandemic, according to the report. FERN had counted 22,694 cases and 88 deaths among workers at the five companies as of Sept. 8, primarily drawing on data from news reports and public health agencies.

The meatpacking industry was especially hard hit by COVID-19 in part because its workers tend to be in close proximity for long hours in often messy conditions.

The new data comes from company calculations of worker cases primarily based on testing done within company facilities, meaning some infections identified through other health providers could have been excluded.

Cases were especially high at certain plants, including JBS’s Hyrum, Utah, beef plant and Tyson’s Amarillo, Texas, beef plant, where around 50% of workers contracted the virus, according to the report.

The report also included new details of lax safety protocols at some of the plants.

In May 2020 at Tyson’s Amarillo plant, for instance, workers wore masks “saturated” with sweat, were not socially distanced and were separated by “plastic bags on frames” instead of CDC-compliant barriers, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) memo obtained by the Subcommittee.

Both Tyson and JBS said in statements on Wednesday they have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on COVID-19 health and safety efforts.

Cargill said in a statement it was “saddened by the tragic impacts of this virus on our colleagues and the communities in which we operate.”

Officials from National Beef and Smithfield were not immediately available for comment.

The subcommittee report also suggested the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had not done enough to protect workers in the meat industry from the virus.

OSHA staff told the subcommittee that under Trump, the agency’s leadership made a political decision not to issue an emergency temporary standard (ETS) that would have required meatpackers to take certain safety precautions, the report said.

“Without being held to any specific standard, meatpacking companies were left with largely unchecked discretion to determine how to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, to the detriment of meatpacking workers,” the report said.

(Additional reporting by Tom Polansek in Chicago; Editing by Howard Goller)

Walmart Will Now Pay Starting Truck Drivers $110,000, Could It Backfire and Make the Nationwide Trucker Shortage Even Worse?

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 20:21:05 GMT

Trucking gained broad interest thanks to the big screen in the late 1970s. As Hollywood produced movies like “Smokey and the Bandit,” the trucking industry was widely talked about. Today, the tune has changed, and it’s a job that doesn’t boast the glamour it once did.

“We don’t have a ton of young people or other people just dying to get into the trucking industry,” says Kelly Krapu, safety director and compliance officer for TrueNorth Compliance Services. “It’s no longer a glamorous gig that people really want to get into anymore. So, we are going to continue to see shortages.”

Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic brought some businesses to a halt, supply chain issues continue to play out. A lack of drivers currently plaguing the trucking industry is one of those factors still impacting the supply chain.

“We’re currently about 80,000 drivers short in the trucking industry,” says Krapu. “In 10 years, they’re thinking it’s closer to 250,000 to 300,000 jobs that we’re going to be short in the trucking industry.”

As safety director and compliance manager, Krapu helps truck drivers and trucking companies navigate the regulations that have a tight grip on truckers today.

“I think we’re losing drivers not only to those short-haul drives or short-haul careers, but other careers that they can be in a more controlled environment and a little bit safer and more conducive to a family life,” she adds.

Walmart recently announced it’s upping starting salaries for the company’s truck drivers to between $95,000 to $110,000 a year, which is up from the current average starting salary of $87,000. The Wall Street Journal reports Walmart will also offer workers in other departments training to become a certified truck driver.

“It’s the latest sign of how big retailers are using their size to take greater control of their own supply chains as bottlenecks, capacity constraints and rising prices roil logistics operations,” reports Farm Journal Washington analyst Jim Wiesemeyer.

Training is another hurdle for attracting new truck drivers into the industry. In February, a new federal CDL requirement hit the trucking industry , which will require anyone obtaining a new CDL to go through weeks of training. The course will cost you up to $10,000.

Krapu says the rule was actually passed in 2018, but the industry kept seeing extensions until it actually went into effect this year. Without either the current Biden administration or the previous Trump administration stepping in to halt the new regulations, it could now cost those looking to get a CDL or upgrade to a Class A license, both time and money. The amount of time and course fee will vary by what type of license an individual is trying to obtain.

“If you need a Class A and all of the endorsements that would go with it, that’s 21 days of training and larger amounts of money at $8,500 to $10,000,” says Krapu.

Krapu says agriculture is exempt, as long as the driver stays within the 150-mile-radius air bubble. However, if you travel outside that zone, even for agricultural purposes, that’s when the new regulations could be stifling.

“If you were to go outside that 150 air miles to take corn to a grain elevator that’s outside the 150 miles, all of the federal regulations would apply to you. And that would include the commercial driver’s license requirement,” she says.

From new CDL requirements to vaccine mandates that impact truckers going across the border to Canada, Krapu says some truck drivers are finding better paying jobs that also allow better work-life balance.

“We’re losing drivers to non-truck driving jobs that are local,” says Krapu. “They can go work in a warehouse pulling packages for the same amount of money and very little risk.”

Shanghai to Extend Lockdown of 26 Million People as it Reviews COVID Test Results

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 15:20:41 GMT

Shanghai will remain under lockdown as it reviews results of an exercise to test all of its 26 million residents for COVID-19, authorities said on Monday.

The city began its two-stage lockdown on March 28, initially in Shanghai’s eastern districts, and later expanded to cover the whole city.

The curbs, which have massively disrupted daily life and business operations in China’s financial hub, were initially scheduled to end at 5 a.m. local time (9 p.m. GMT) on Tuesday.

“The city will continue to implement seal and control management and strictly implement ‘staying at home’, except for medical treatment,” the city government said on its official WeChat account.

It did not give an indication of when the curbs might lift.

The country sent the military and thousands of healthcare workers into Shanghai to help carry out COVID-19 tests for all of its 26 million residents on Monday, in one of the country’s biggest-ever public health responses.

Some residents woke up before dawn to stand in queues for white-suited healthcare workers to swab their throats as part of nucleic acid testing at their housing compounds.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Sunday dispatched more than 2,000 medical personnel from across the army, navy and joint logistics support forces to Shanghai, an armed forces newspaper reported.

About 38,000 healthcare workers from provinces such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang and the capital Beijing have been dispatched to Shanghai, according to state media, which showed them arriving, suitcase-laden and masked up, by high-speed rail and aircraft.

It is China’s largest public health response since it tackled the initial COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus was first discovered in late 2019. The State Council said the PLA dispatched more than 4,000 medical personnel to the province of Hubei, where Wuhan is, at that time.

Shanghai, which began a two-stage lockdown on March 28 that has been expanded to confine practically all residents to their homes, reported 8,581 asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and 425 symptomatic COVID cases for April 3. It also asked residents to self-test on Sunday.

The city has emerged as a test of China’s COVID elimination strategy based on testing, tracing and quarantining all positive cases and their close contacts.

The country has 12,400 institutions capable of processing tests from as many as 900 million people a day, a senior Chinese health official was reported as saying last month.

China’s primarily uses pool testing, a process in which up to 20 swab samples are mixed together for more rapid processing.

The city has also converted multiple hospitals, gymnasiums, apartment blocks and other venues into central quarantine sites, including the Shanghai New International Expo Center which can hold 15,000 patients at full capacity.

Individuals who refuse to be tested for COVID for no justifiable reason will face administrative or criminal punishment, Shanghai police said on Saturday.

PUBLIC FRUSTRATION

The surge in state support for Shanghai comes as the city is straining under the demands of the country’s “dynamic clearance” strategy, with some residents complaining of crowded and unsanitary central quarantine centres, as well as difficulties in securing food and medical help.

Some have begun to question the policies, asking why COVID-positive children are separated from their parents. Western diplomats have also urged China not to do so.

On Monday Shanghai official Wu Qianyu told a news conference that children could be accompanied by their parents if the parents were also infected, but separated if they were not, adding that policies were still being refined.

There has also been increasing public questioning why mild or asymptomatic infections - the majority of Shanghai’s cases - cannot isolate at home.

A Shanghai resident, who declined to be named for privacy reasons, told Reuters he had been transported to a central quarantine facility on Sunday night after reporting a positive result on a self test more than a week ago.

Another antigen test on Saturday showed he was no longer infected, but authorities insisted on sending him to quarantine, where he has been put in a flat where he has to share a toilet with two other patients, both of whom are still testing positive.

“How is this isolation?” he said, adding that he was now afraid of being re-infected. “I’m not in any mood to do anything right now, I can’t sleep.”

On Monday, videos circulating on the WeChat messaging app showed scores of people rushing to grab bedding and supplies from the dirty floor of what the poster said was a quarantine centre whose premises were still littered with construction materials.

Reuters could not independently verify the footage.

WORKERS UNDER STRAIN

The pressure on the city’s healthcare workers and Communist Party members has also been great, as they work around the clock to manage the city’s lockdown and deal with residents’ frustrations.

Photos and videos have gone viral on Chinese social media of exhausted workers and volunteers sleeping in plastic chairs or on the grass outside housing compounds, or being berated by residents.

On Saturday, the city’s Pudong Chinese Center for Disease Control said it was investigating a leaked recording of a call between a staff member and the relative of a patient, who was perplexed by his father’s COVID test results.

The CDC staff member, who local media identified as infectious disease expert Zhu Weiping, could be heard saying exasperatedly that she herself had raised concerns over the current quarantine and testing rules and that the virus had become a “political” one.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the recording which went viral on Chinese social media.

Users of the Weibo social media platform started a hashtag “protect Zhu Weiping,” which by Monday had 2.9 million views, amid concerns that she could face punishment for speaking out against the official line.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the country to curb the momentum of the outbreak as soon as possible while sticking to the “dynamic-clearance” policy.

On Saturday, Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan, who was sent to Shanghai by the central government, urged the city to “make resolute and swift moves” to curb the pandemic.

The eastern city of Suzhou said it had detected a version of the Omicron BA.1.1 subvariant that doesn’t match any others in the domestic database or the international variant tracking database GISAID, state television reported.

The state-backed Science and Technology Daily said it remains unclear whether the virus is a new sub-branch of Omicron and that the emergence of one or two new versions is normal given the spread of Omicron in China, citing an unidentified expert with a national database. (Reporting by Brenda Goh, David Kirton and the Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Stephen Coates, Gerry Doyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Ed Osmond and Chizu Nomiyama)

China Can't Control Latest COVID-19 Outbreak, and It Could Now Constrict Containers at World's Busiest Port

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 18:08:30 GMT

The commodity markets came under pressure to start the week as traders tried to shed risk over shipping concerns in China. The bearish sentiment was driven by fresh COVID-19 concerns in China that caused officials to shut down transportation amid a two-pronged lockdown.

Government officials in Shanghai announced rolling lockdowns in order to conduct coronavirus testing. In the city of 26 million people, residents will be barred from leaving their homes. There’s concern any suspension of commercial activity in Shanghai will have global ripple effects.

The city is one of China’s primary centers for finance, manufacturing and trade. Shanghai has been the world’s busiest port when it comes to container volumes since 2010.

Even though Chinese state media says the port continues to operate, other reports say that trucking services in and out of the city will be severely impacted...and several warehouses are closed.

All this is coming as officials work to contain an outbreak of a highly transmissible Omincron variant. The restrictions are in place until Tuesday, April 3, 2022.

Two-Mile Long 'People's Convoy' Truck Protest Drives Laps Around Washington

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 14:24:59 GMT

Hundreds of trucks, recreational vehicles and cars were circling the outskirts of Washington on Sunday, threatening to cause traffic backups around the capital as part of a protest against pandemic restrictions.

What’s being called the “People’s Convoy,” which originated in California and has drawn participants from around the country, is calling for an end to all pandemic-related restrictions. It was inspired by demonstrations last month that paralyzed Ottawa, Canada’s capital city.

Hundreds of vehicles gathered on Friday and Saturday at the Hagerstown Speedway, a racetrack in Maryland about 80 miles (129 km) northwest of downtown Washington.

On Sunday morning, many left in convoy to drive slow laps on the Beltway, a highway that encircles the city. They honked their horns as they set off, while onlookers waved American flags, according to a Reuters witness.

The convoy, more than 2 miles long, was slowing traffic at points along the Beltway by late Sunday morning, but not bringing it to a standstill.

The convoy’s protest against vaccine requirements and other pandemic restrictions has been undercut in recent weeks as major U.S. cities have rolled back mask mandates and other measures against COVID-19.

President Joe Biden, a Democrat, signaled in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday that the country was entering a new, phase of the pandemic without business lockdowns, school closures or other daily disruptions.

It remained unclear whether the convoy would drive into downtown Washington. Organizers said the plan for Sunday was to stay on the Beltway then head back to Hagerstown.

At the racetrack on Friday night, one participant who described himself as the lead trucker told a cheering crowd he would drive his truck into the heart of the American capital.

“D.C., the government, whomever, can claim that they have all this opposition for us waiting in D.C.,” the man said. “But that flag on the back of my truck will go down to Constitution Avenue between the White House and the Washington Monument.”

U.S. federal law enforcement agencies have been coordinating with state and local authorities for weeks in preparation for the possible arrival of the convoy, according to one U.S. official who requested anonymity to discuss internal operations.

A Feb. 26 U.S. Department of Homeland Security bulletin to law enforcement reviewed by Reuters said trucker convoys could hinder emergency responders depending on the size of the protest.

(Reporting by Julio-Cesar Chavez, Gabriella Borter and Ted Hesson; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Bill Berkrot)

COVID Infections Drop, But 95% of U.S. Still in 'Red Zone'

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 21:50:40 GMT

The ongoing pandemic shows signs of waning—at least for now. In just the past week, rural America has seen the rate of new COVID cases drop more than 40%, falling to its lowest level since early January.

“The numbers are going down, and we’re seeing the removal of some federal and state regulations on what you can or can’t do as a result,” reports Alan Morgan, Chief Executive Officer of the National Rural Health Association.

That doesn’t mean people need to throw caution to the wind, he adds. “If you don’t have COVID circulating within your community, that’s great. And if you do, then continue to take precautions,” Morgan advises. “The responsibly is on each of us to continue paying attention to what’s happening in our respective areas.”

New Infections

The number of new cases of COVID is still significant. Ninety-five percent of U.S. counties, both rural and urban, remain in the so-called red zone, which is defined by the White House as having 100 or more new infections over a one-week period.

In addition, the deaths reported as COVID-related are still high – 2,500 a day. That’s more than at any point of the pandemic except last winter, according to analysis by the New York Times.

Alabama, Kentucky and West Virginia have the country’s highest numbers of recent hospitalizations per capita.

“Data from the Centers for Disease Control show that some small towns are still seeing significant surges,” Morgan says. “In those small towns with a large unvaccinated population, the risk is still there.”

He encourages rural residents to tap into remote medical options that can connect them with physicians.

“Many times you can get help in the privacy of your own home, thanks to telehealth options, and make sure you’re taking care of yourself,” he notes.

Health Professionals Struggle

Morgan says the toll on doctors and nurses and other members of the medical community in rural America is significant. “It’s been a lousy couple of years for our health-care workers,” Morgan says.

The pandemic has put significant stress on rural health-care facility resources, both in people and monetarily.

“It’s really important for state and federal officials to recognize what’s happening in their small-town hospitals right now,” he says. “We’re going to have to see some form of short-term financial assistance just to keep the doors open. I’m really worried we’re going to see a tremendous amount of rural hospitals close in the fourth quarter of this upcoming year.”

To listen to Morgan’s complete health-care discussion with Davis Michaelsen, AgriTalk guest host, click here:

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EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Fauci on COVID Pandemic — "It Will End"

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 21:38:57 GMT

The omicron variant surge of COVID-19 might appear to be cresting in some big cities, but the latest wave is far from over, especially in many rural communities, says Dr. Anthony Fauci. The chief medical adviser to President Biden says smaller towns should expect omicron outbreaks to increase in the coming weeks.

“When you have an outbreak of a new variant, there’s a delay,” says Dr. Fauci regarding rural outbreak trends. “Rather than have the sharp peak and then come down, you sort of gradually go up and then come back down.”

In a one-on-one interview with Farm Journal Editor and AgDay TV host, Clinton Griffiths, Dr. Fauci says as vaccination numbers and unvaccinated COVID survivors increase the pandemic will end.

“It will end. I can guarantee you and your viewers it will end hopefully sooner rather than later,” Dr. Fauci says. “We will reach a point where the virus will be low enough in the community as to not have any impact on what we do, so we can get ourselves back to some form of normality and it doesn’t interrupt the economy or interrupt our way of life. That’s what we’re hoping we’re going to see within a reasonable period of time.”

(Watch Full Interview Above)

The highly transmissible omicron variant has helped to push COVID-19 positive rates higher since late fall. The weekly rolling average of COVID-19 deaths is now at 1,700. That’s about half what it was in January 2021.

“If you look at the devastation in this country thus far, we’ve had 850,000 deaths and about 66 million cases,” Dr. Fauci says.

New models from the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub , created by university and health experts, which now factor in the omicron variant, expect up to 2.38 million hospitalizations and 304,000 deaths, at worst, and 409,000 hospitalizations and 54,000 deaths, at best, from mid-December through mid-March. Those models show the omicron peak sometime between February and March.

“To be sure, there are breakthrough infections, namely, people get vaccinated and even boosted, and they may get infected,” says Dr. Fauci. “For the most part, though, those infections are either without symptoms or minimally symptomatic.”

Dr. Fauci says in many, but not all, rural areas, vaccination rates are lower compared with the rest of the country. While strongly advocating for vaccines and boosters to prevent hospitalization or severe illness, Dr. Fauci recognizes all immunity will ultimately work together against the coronavirus.

“I think when you get a situation of more and more people getting vaccinated and boosted or unfortunately, people getting sick or getting infected, then recovering and having a degree of protection, if you combine those two, there will be enough protection in the country,” says Fauci in reference to an eventual end of the pandemic.

The federal government is now offering free coronavirus test kits to some Americans. Those with a valid residential address can go to COVIDTests.gov to get one set of four free at-home COVID tests starting in late January.

Rural Hospitals Face Staffing Shortages Amid Omicron Outbreak

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 21:06:39 GMT

Bare shelves, absent employees and virtual schooling, are all signs of the latest surge from the Omicron variant of COVID. While health officials say the peak may be passing in some of the nation’s biggest cities in rural America, the wave is just beginning.

“Looking at data this morning from the CDC, we’re seeing a lot of rural towns having a six percent to a 15 percent increase in COVID over the last forty-eight hours,” said Alan Morgan the CEO of the National Rural Health Association .

The highly transmissible, and in many cases the milder, omicron variant has been pushing COVID-19 positive rates higher since late fall. Now the wave is finding its way to rural America.

“The real impact is on these small rural hospitals and their workforce where the workforce has always been a problem for rural facilities,” said Morgan. “Now, after we’ve seen the pandemic really flatten the rural workforce and we’re seeing a lot of rural health care professionals become infected with COVID, they’re struggling, honestly, to have the staffing that they need at this moment.”

(Watch the full interview above)

He says getting help often means hiring traveling nurses and usually it’s at twice the cost.

“They’re not always available,” Morgan says. “In many cases, the urban facilities are utilizing this service as well, too.”

Staff or no staff, small rural hospitals often must transfer seriously ill patients but currently, options are limited. EMS services in rural areas are also short-staffed.

“These three things are combining to make a really unsafe situation in our rural hospitals,” Morgan says. “One thing we’ve been talking to the federal government about is assisting the states in coordinating the workforce when it comes to these surges.”

Morgan is also hoping for improved communication and coordination from state and federal officials to help transfer patients between hospitals if needed.

While money and finances have been a concern in the past, today it’s just about people.

“There are only so many bodies to be had to be able to work in these small hospitals,” said Morgan. “It doesn’t matter how many beds you have; you have to have the people to staff those, and that’s really the crisis we’re in right now.”

Related Links:

Dr. Fauci on COVID Pandemic — “It Will End”

Ag Groups Urge Biden Administration to Grant Travel Exemptions to South African H-2A Farm Workers

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 21:05:59 GMT

More than 60 agricultural organizations are urging the Biden administration to grant exemptions for H-2A farm workers in the recent travel restrictions placed on South Africa.

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and more than 60 other ag groups telling the Biden Administration on Monday the nearly 7,000 South African farm workers should be exempted from restrictions related to the Omicron variant.

Currently, entry is limited to only those that are fully vaccinated. The groups say workers should be able to travel directly to the U.S. and be vaccinated here with a CDC approved vaccine if they desire.

The groups also say that many of these H-2A workers come with a unique skill set and U.S. operations are counting on their timely arrival to make plans for the upcoming season.

White House Says 4.4% of USDA Employees Didn't Comply with Biden Administration's Vaccine Mandate

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 14:00:51 GMT

Just days after the deadline for the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate past, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released vaccination rates within all government agencies under the executive branch. The latest data shows USDA’s vaccination rate is 86.1%, the lowest among the reported agencies.

OMB shows the percentage of agency employees covered by at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, or have filed a vaccination exemption or extension, sits at 95.6%. While 4.4% didn’t comply with the executive order, the data shows there are additional employees who didn’t get the vaccine, but instead filed an exemption.

When you look at the percentage of agency employees who have actually received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, that number falls to 86.1%. The agencies that sit the closest to USDA’s vaccination rate that includes both the vaccine and exemptions, include the Social Security Administration at 87.7% and the Department of Veteran Affairs sits at 87.8% of employees have either been vaccinated or have asked for an exemption to the mandate.

The vaccine mandate has been a point of contention across the country since it was announced by the White House in September. As AgWeb reported in October , the mandate didn’t just impact local Farm Service Agency (FSA) field staff, but all paid positions, including farmers who served on the county committee. That sparked concerns that FSA offices, many of which are already understaffed, would face even greater staffing shortages.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was questioned on the vaccine mandate and the impact it could have on local FSA offices during a hearing in October. Vilsack insisted FSA offices would remain open and would not impact the service farmers and ranchers have grown accustomed to.

“Well, there are provisions in the proposal for religious exemptions and for health exemptions, and so we will certainly respect those,” Vilsack said during the hearing. “I would anticipate and expect we will do what we need to do to keep offices open at the end of the day. We don’t want to necessarily reduce the service to people who need the service. So, I don’t anticipate we’re actually going to see a significant number of closed offices that would significantly reduce our capacity to serve farmers and ranchers in your state and other states.”

While the OMB data shows 4.4% of USDA staff chose not to receive the vaccine or file an exemption, various FSA staff told Farm Journal that it’s unclear the status of their exemption requests. One FSA employee said once employees filed an exemption and filled out a survey with their vaccine status or plans, most have not heard back on whether the exemption was approved or not. And those same employees told Farm Journal there was no clear definition as to what would be accepted as a religious or medical exemption.

As it’s “business as usual,” for most FSA offices, the Nov. 22 deadline for when employees were supposed to be fully immunized has passed. But “fully immunized” was not part of OMB’s numbers released last week.

Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, spoke to AgriTalk’s Chip Flory about the mandate this fall, as well as the strict Nov. 22 deadline.

“Nov. 22, federal employees have to at that point be fully immunized,” Collins told Flory. “Which means they had to get started well before that to get the two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna or the one dose of J&J. I run an organization with 45,000 federal employees and contractors, and we’ve let them know it’s time to get started so by Nov. 22 you can show your evidence of full coverage.”

Data in October showed FSA employs 10,958 people nationwide. In 2018, that number was 11,360, or a 3.5% decrease in the number of FSA employees

According to POLITICO, USDA Communications Director Michael Amato said in an email, “Implementation of the [federal vaccine] requirement will not result in any disruptions to critical services that the American people depend on.” POLTICO reports Amato said that they anticipate more employees will be vaccinated over time.

Farm Journal has been asking USDA and FSA about the vaccine mandate and what it means for local FSA staff since late September, but the agency has yet to respond to that request.

Next Year And Beyond, Challenges For Ag Inputs Realized

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 20:31:56 GMT

Due to the waterfall effect of factors challenging the supply chain, 2022 is shaping up to be the most challenging for row crop producers in recent history.

There are growing concerns over the pricing and availability of crop inputs for the crop year ahead.

Fruit and vegetable producers felt immediate impact from the pandemic, as their demand centers blew up and they had to adjust to major shifts in demand, shares Allan Gray, director of the Center for Food and Agricultural Business at Purdue University.

“But for broadacre growers, we were in the middle of crop production already [when the implications of the pandemic set in],” he said on a recent webinar with Chip Flory and other experts.

Gray was joined by Seth Meyer, USDA; Jeff Tarsi, Nutrien Ag Solutions; and Sam Taylor, RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness for a conversation moderated by AgriTalk host Chip Flory. You can watch a full replay of the webinar, “Supply Chain Chaos” here.

While input supplies in 2020 were relatively unaffected, Gray says ag retailers had inventories built up enough to smooth out any major supply chain wrinkles in 2021, but 2022 is shaping up to be the year it all comes to a head.

“It’s now hitting the farmer, but it took two years for it to get here,” he says.

Why Is 2022 Showing Such Strain on the Ag Supply Chain?

Last fall indications surfaced that input supplies were going to be tight for the 2021 crop season, says Jeff Tarsi, senior vice president of North American Operations at Nutrien Ag Solutions.

“Through 2021 we managed it really well, but this past summer started to show indicators 2022 was going to be a much more challenging year for crop input supplies—particularly crop protection products—than 2021,” Tarsi says. “I could go on for days, but we had multiple things stack on top of each other, including the freeze in Texas, which many people don’t realize its impact.

It was this cascade of influences that are causing supply chain concerns, says Sam Taylor, vice president at Rabobank North America.

“Even beyond the logistics side, it’s the weather, it’s the geopolitics–there’s a lot of exogenous factors, which are very hard to plan for,” Taylor says. “The other thing that is really a concern and probably bears consideration is the stickability of a lot of these situations. You basically need more than one of these issues to resolve itself to get back into a semblance of normality. We’re going to see issues on the supply chain and on the availability for these products for a decent period of time. It wouldn’t surprise me if in a year’s time, we’re still talking about freight issues out of China in particular or logistics issues domestically.”

The Most Stressed Sector of Ag Inputs

The greatest tightness in the ag supply chain is in crop chemistry, Tarsi says. For the crop protection products used in North America, 70% of active ingredients are sourced from China. And 90% of intermediates, which go into the production of active ingredients, are sourced from China.

“I had not really understood well until this summer how short we are on active ingredients and the difficulties of getting active ingredient into these plants,” Gray adds. “Things like crop protection chemicals are a leading indicator not just for the year coming up but for a year after that. Changes take a long time to reset, and we’re going to have to be prepared for this for a period of time to come.”

With global sourcing of materials, comes a complicated supply chain that can be disrupted anywhere along the way.
“This is a confluence of factors that created this situation–it is not one single thing,” Gray adds. “And the reality is it’s a very, very complicated set of factors, from geopolitics to weather conditions to structural issues. For example, we just don’t have enough truck drivers and that’s ultimately what’s going to be a big, big part of his problem.”

There are challenges stacking up against timely delivery of crop production products—which could lead to challenges in timely application.

Tarsi says truck drivers and applicator operators are the hardest jobs for his business to hire today.

Taylor adds looking onto the horizon, there’s no resolution to the trucking shortage as it’s expected in 10 years the U.S. will have a deficit of 150,000 truck drivers.

What Are Ag Retailers Doing About It?

In mid-2021, Tarsi says Nutrien Ag Solutions started to take product into its inventory from any suppliers who were able to produce, ship and deliver it.

“It was in June and July our strategy was to get product and be in the best place we could be,” Tarsi says. “There are definitely ingredients we as an industry will not have enough product for in the next year, but we have alternatives, and I’m comfortable with those alternatives.”

The team at Nutrien Ag Solutions is having a lot of one-on-one conversations with farmers, Tarsi says, because they believe no two farms are alike, and it’s those conversations which are exploring the options best for each farm.

“We have to flexible in our business, and our growers have to be flexible—and they are,” he says.

He notes this past week Nutrien Ag Solutions adjusted its price on glyphosate, and the company is looking to position the timing of those application where they are most valuable to the grower.

“If we know glyphosate is tight in 2022, we are looking at alternatives and where is glyphosate most valuable. If it’s more important in the over the top, may be for burndown we use paraquat ,” he says. “And we are already seeing a lot more pre-emerge products than last year. We’re seeing more fall pre-emergence products with residuals. We have some older post chemistry that works just fine—and we haven’t forgotten how to use those products.”

How Does the Supply Chain Affect Cropping Decisions?

USDA Economist Seth Meyer says the department is closely watching the dynamics of the supply chain and the economics of farm inputs. He sat down with USDA Secretary Vilsack to discuss the crop budgets for the year ahead.

“We walked through a corn and soybean budget for 2022 talking about input and output prices and the margin squeeze we might see on producers,” Meyer says. “We’re trying to deal with the immediacy of some of these problems and what actions government might potentially take and then add the forward-looking potential danger points. In every line of those budgets, you’ve got this confluence of forces–energy, energy into fertilizer, labor, and they’re all pointing the same direction.”
Tarsi is not forecasting farmers pull back on their inputs for the year ahead.

“In 2022, the thing that won’t change is yield is going to be key, and in my opinion, you can’t give up on yield,” Tarsi says, adding farmers are already selecting seed for the best genetics, allotting for the N, P, K their yield goals need, and positioning themselves to protect the crop in season.

He sees farmers applying a keen eye to return on investment, and shares the Nutrien Ag Solutions soil-testing lab, Waypoint Analytical, has seen a surge in soil testing.

Gray agrees that farmers will be in a position to grow strong yields.

“This is not a dire situation where they’re not going to get anything done or not going to be able to produce food,” he says. “We’re going to do it differently. We’re going to choose active ingredients we haven’t used before. We’re going to do different kinds of production activities that we haven’t done before or haven’t thought about before.”

Gray sees that long-term being forced to do things differently has some great opportunities and risks for ag retailers. He cautions retailers when customers try something different, they may find products they like better. Or they may find a better way to do things. So on the agribusiness side, be thinking about the changes in products and services that customers are making this year.

What About High Fertilizer Prices?

“The fertilizer piece of this has less to do with shortages in supply versus the weather hiccups, plant shutdowns and input prices. Natural gas prices are up substantially, and with corn prices being higher, those two variables are the predictors for higher fertilizer prices,” Gray adds.

Taylor adds the global dynamics in the fertilizer markets are being expressed in very large-scale impacts.

“If you look at the geopolitics side going into the fertilizer prices, it is whether and when they turn the gas on is Europe, and when will the Chinese enter the urea and global phosphate markets.” Taylor says, adding he doesn’t see fertilizer prices coming down in time to have an impact on the 2022 season.

“I feel like betting on input pricing is basically betting on the benevolence of Xi Jinping and the benevolence of Vladimir Putin and the weather,” Taylor says.

Tarsi sees the fertility space as another area farmers will do things differently in 2022.

“We use a lot of in-furrow type products today, and that brings economics into the picture. We see more spoon feeding of products than we have done in the past,” he says.

Cotton Prices Crashed, Now They’ve Climbed to Near Record-Highs at Harvest; Could it Become the 2022 Acre King?

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 18:18:27 GMT

Cotton harvest is starting to commence across Oklahoma, with one-third of the crop stripped from the stalks. USDA’s weekly Crop Progress Report shows harvest progress is right in line with average, but for cotton producers in Oklahoma, this year’s crop is a pleasant surprise.

“Many people did not give us much optimism on the ability to raise a crop,” says Matt Muller, a farmer in Jackson County, Okla., told AgDay.

2021 was a year that started off in drought, which painted a dire outlook for the state’s farmers.

“We went into planting season in the drought with almost no irrigation water supply, and skyrocketing input prices,” Muller says.

That all changed the first week of July when rains started to fall and farmers saw a welcome reprieve from what had been extreme heat.

“We started catching some rain and instead of temperatures spiking, they cooled off. We went to readjusting and managing the crop tighter to respond to the positive rainfall,” Muller says.

While cotton yields are proving to be variable, farmers harvesting cotton today are reminded yields are dependent upon which areas saw those sufficient rains.

“Now we’re going to end up with an average crop, which we are thrilled with, because we thought we would be much below average at the beginning of the year,” he says. “Overall I think it’s going to be average to slightly below average. But with prices being up, that’s all right.”

Prices Hit a 10-Year High

Those prices are another bright spot for cotton producers across the U.S. Currently, cotton futures are sitting at a 10-year high. And while prices had improved heading into planting, to many farmers’ surprise, those prices continue to climb and hold strong. That turn of events is what was so unexpected during harvest this year.

“A year and a half ago, I sold some cotton when the pandemic was crashing at 49 cents a pound, and I took it in the shorts,” Muller says. “So, I’m thrilled cotton’s in the $1 per pound range.”

In March 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and the world started to shut down, cotton demand fell nearly overnight. As people started to work from home and schools were shutting down, demand for clothing took a nosedive. As a result, cotton prices followed.

What’s Pushing Prices Higher?

Mississippi State University Agricultural economist O.A. Cleveland watches cotton closely. He will even tell you the price run right now is historic.

“We’ve not been in this territory very often, and we’re in the top 1% of the historical price range. So, it’s a good time to have cotton,” Cleveland says.

The price boost is taking place during harvest, which Cleveland says only happens twice a decade. And in 2021, it’s thanks to low stocks and stellar demand.

“We’re looking at something like a 40% to 35% stocks-to-use ratio around the globe. And we’ve actually had something in the 80% to 90% range, many of the last 10 years,” he explains.

Dynamic Demand

The majority of world stocks are sitting in China today, and those are bales that will go untouched. At the same time, demand for cotton products is also record high.

“That demand is related to cotton scrubs, the old uniforms, medical community wires, most of them have been that acid base polyester. But now they’re switching back to cotton. And we see a lot of also cotton swabs and things that have some synthetic fibers in them, but a huge demand,” says Cleveland.

Even with Muller and other cotton farmers showing the early signs of a bountiful cotton crop in the U.S., Cleveland thinks the high cotton prices could roll into next year.

“And because of the demand that’s out there, the March, May and July 2022 contracts are still seeing strong prices, which will bring in some cotton acres in this coming season,” he says.

Quality Cotton

Cleveland says farmers are also forward contracting cotton at a record pace, which he typically doesn’t see. That’s as farmers like Muller continue to harvest a crop that’s just now ready to pick.

“We’re getting good grades, we didn’t had hardly any rainfall at harvest in October. So, our color grades are good. Our cotton grades are good, and that’s to our surprise, because we thought we might have short staple.”

Attracting Acres for 2022

This year’s quality crop is one that could buy even more acres in 2022.

“There will be a big shift in the cotton next year. Just like grain sorghum was a huge shift 2021 versus 2020 because of prices,” says Muller.

And it’s a shift that could happen in more than just Oklahoma next year.

“I would anticipate somewhere a minimum of 1.3 million acres increase in cotton up to about 1.5 million acres increase,” says Cleveland.

As more farmers are high on cotton right now, 2022 may prove to be the year cotton becomes king.

Ford Motor to Require Most of its 32,000 U.S. Salaried Employees be Vaccinated

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 18:09:55 GMT

Ford Motor will require most of its 32,000-strong U.S. salaried workforce to be vaccinated by Dec. 8.

The second largest U.S. automaker said on Wednesday more than 84% of U.S. salaried employees already are vaccinated. The company deadline for most salaried workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 “aligns to federal contractor guidelines.”

Ford was still evaluating its policy for “manufacturing locations, parts depots and Ford Credit, including analyzing federal and collective bargaining requirements.”

“The health and safety of our workforce remains our top priority and we have been very encouraged by the support of our employees to comply with our protocols, including the more than 84-percent of U.S. salaried employees who are already vaccinated,” Ford said in a statement.

“As we continue to put measures in place to protect our team, Ford will now require most U.S. salaried employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8, which also aligns to federal contractor guidelines.”

Ford said salaried workers who refuse to comply and do not get an approved medical or religious exemption could be placed on up to 30 days unpaid leave.

Detroit’s Big Three automakers - General Motors Co, Ford and Chrysler-parent Stellantis NV - said last month they would mandate vaccines for automakers in Canada.

Stellantis said on Wednesday it was “continuing to monitor the situation and, in partnership with the (United Auto Workers union), evaluating additional actions to take in the best interest of employee health and safety.”

GM did not immediately comment Wednesday.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Howard Goller)