The new year will be accompanied by the risk for severe weather around the state, with severe thunderstorms possible on Monday, January 2nd. An enhanced risk encompasses much of central, southern and western Arkansas. Damaging wind gusts and tornadoes appear to be the main concerns Monday.
National Weather Service in Little Rock, AR
By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Placing newly received, “high-risk” cattle on a limit-fed diet may result in greater performance with no adverse health effects, according to a study by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.
LIMITED DIET — A recent study at the Southwest Research and Extension Center found no negative health effects of placing newly received "high-risk" cattle on a limit-fed diet. (U of A System Division of Ag photo)
Less money spent on grain is an additional benefit to a limit-fed diet, said Daniel Rivera, associate professor of animal science with the experiment station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Rivera is also director of the Division of Agriculture’s Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope where the study was conducted.
Limit feeding restricts the amount of feed an animal receives but provides sufficient energy to achieve a targeted rate of weight gain. The practice has been shown to reduce waste and improve feed efficiency, Rivera said.
“One of the concerns people have with limit-feeding growing animals before they go to a feedlot finishing program is the fear it will lead to digestive upsets because they were restricted and then go into a sort of all-you-can-eat buffet,” Rivera said. “But that was not the case in our study.”
“High-risk” cattle include those with no history of vaccination or that were transported for an extended period and blended with other lots at a sale barn. Cattle could also fall into the “high risk” category if there is a lack of information about their past. Cattle that have undergone a preconditioning period with vaccinations and yearling cattle from a single source with a known health record are often considered “low-risk.”
Rivera said that typical management of "high-risk" cattle has often allowed for high levels of hay or forage. Conventional wisdom is that offering a feed that cattle are accustomed to — hay in this case — makes the transition to a milled diet easier. Rivera said data conflict regarding this topic, however, with some researchers noting that higher energy and less roughage results in better performance but greater health problems. One theory is that the energy is typically in the form of starch, which can result in sub-clinical acidosis, thereby increasing health problems. The current Arkansas study examined limited feeding complete feed pellets made up of high levels of byproducts and lower starch content.
The study compared recently received cattle given 1.75 percent of their body weight in a grain byproduct pelleted feed with those given 2.25 percent of their body weight. Another group (the control group) was assigned 2 percent of their body weight in grain by product pellets and free access to Bermuda grass hay. All diets provided an antibiotic to control parasites. The study began in January 2022.
At about 2.8 pounds a day, the average daily weight gain for cows on a restricted diet of 2.25 percent body weight in grain pellets and no hay, was the same as those given free access to hay, along with 2 percent of their body weight in grain pellets. Newly received cattle on 1.75 percent body weight in grain pellets and no hay put on slightly less than 2 pounds per day.
Rivera noted that more work was needed to confirm the study’s findings. Cattle on restricted diets which were not responding well to treatment would recover faster once isolated from the group to have easier access to their rations. Rivera said animals tend to push out animals that show signs of weakness, which keeps them from accessing their feed and gaining energy to recover from illnesses.
The study was conducted at the Southwest Research and Extension Center in collaboration with Elanco Animal Health and Livestock Nutrition Center to gain information for producers on management practices for “high-risk” cattle. Following the 63-day study of 168 newly received cattle, results showed slightly better feed-conversion rates for the most restricted diet with only marginally lower average daily weight gain.
Rivera put the 168 yearling cows through a two-month preconditioning phase, including vaccination against respiratory and clostridial pathogens, deworming and treatment with long-acting antibiotics. The animals were also administered a growth-promoting implant. The cattle averaged 470 pounds when received from several sale barns in Texas and Arkansas. They came in two shipments one week apart. About half of them were bulls that required castration, and the other half were steers.
Cows were randomly assigned to pens containing seven cattle each. The three diet options were assigned to eight pens each. The animals were checked daily for signs of respiratory disease, and symptomatic animals were treated with antimicrobial therapy. Rivera said the cattle that did not initially respond to the treatment were separated and then able to regain health with easier access to feed. The cattle were fed twice daily and weighed on days 0, 21, 42, and 63 before being shipped to a feedlot.
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.
By Marty Trieschmann
Fen Xia, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
Xia is among 27 distinguished cancer specialists in the United States to be inducted into ASTRO’s 2022 Class of Fellows, which includes physicians from Stanford, Yale, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the National Cancer Institute.
“We are so proud of Dr. Xia and her achievements,” said Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute director and UAMS vice chancellor. “She runs one of the best radiation oncology departments in the United States.”
By Ben Boulden
Two years of battling the pandemic and its effects resulted in a 2022 that was the closest yet to a pre-COVID normal at UAMS.
The university never faltered in its devotion to its missions. UAMS seized the opportunity the year brought to renew its focus on them in a way that earned it praise and recognition.
U.S. News & World Report in April recognized the UAMS colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Public Health on its latest Best Graduate Schools lists.
https://news.uams.edu/2022/12/22/uams-garners-multiple-honors-in-2022-while-fulfilling-missions/
by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
Gov.-elect Sarah Sanders announced Thursday (Dec. 29) she would nominate Jacob Oliva of Florida as Arkansas’ next Secretary of Education. He will replace Johnny Key, the current education secretary.
Oliva is the senior chancellor for the Florida Department of Education and was a former teacher, principal, and superintendent in Flagler County, Fla., where he was hailed as a progressive and innovate educator and helped improve the district’s student achievement rankings.
“Education is the foundation for success, and, with my nominee for Secretary of Education and Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jacob Oliva, we are ready to transform Arkansas education with bold reforms that will empower every kid to succeed,” Sanders said. “Jacob’s proven success increasing student achievement and his experience serving in many educational roles will make him an asset to my administration. Through my Arkansas LEARNS plan, we will expand access to quality education for every kid growing up in our state, empower parents, not government bureaucrats, and prepare students for the workforce, not government dependency, so everyone has a shot at a better life right here in Arkansas.”
https://talkbusiness.net/2022/12/gov-elect-sanders-names-jacob-oliva-of-florida-to-education-post/
Gov.-elect Sarah Sanders announces her Education Secretary pick, Jacob Oliva.
by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)
Gov.-elect Sarah Sanders announced Friday (Dec. 30) her intention to nominate Washington County Judge Joseph Wood as Secretary of the Department of Transformation and Shared Services.
Wood is completing his second term as Washington County Judge after an unsuccessful run for the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor in 2022. He previously served in the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office.
Prior to public service, Wood was head of international recruitment for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and previously served as assistant director of recruitment for the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)
El Dorado-based Murphy USA announced Thursday (Dec. 29) that its board of directors approved a $25 million donation to the Murphy USA Charitable Foundation.
The foundation funds will support community investments and organizations in El Dorado and Southern Arkansas.
The foundation lists three key priorities of funding programs: education and workforce development, infrastructure revitalization, and community health and well-being.
https://talkbusiness.net/2023/01/murphy-usa-donates-25-million-to-its-charitable-foundation/
As we approach a new year, with new goals for the next legislative session, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the progress made in 2022.
In 2022, the Arkansas General Assembly passed a historic tax cut, increased pay for law enforcement officers, and directed millions in surplus funds to improve safety in Arkansas schools.
In an Extraordinary Session held in August of this year, the General Assembly passed Act 1 and Act 2. Those acts are identical pieces of legislation that reduced the income tax to 4.9% and made that rate retroactive to January 1, 2022. The legislation also lowers corporate income taxes from 5.9% to 5.3% on January 1, 2023. In addition, it aligns Arkansas law with the federal depreciation schedule which will provide relief for business owners by accelerating the depreciation of their assets and allowing for an easier calculation of their tax bill.
Act 1 and Act 2 also grant a nonrefundable income tax credit of $150 to taxpayers with income up to $87,000 and $300 to couples filing jointly with income up to $174,000.
In this special session, the General Assembly also passed Act 3. This act set aside $50 million from the revenue surplus for the purpose of funding a school safety grant program.
In March of 2022, the 93rd General Assembly convened for the 2022 Fiscal Session. During this session, the General Assembly passed a $6.02 billion budget. The budget outlined a $70 million increase for elementary and secondary education.
The budget also included increases for the DHS Division of Children and Family Services, county jail reimbursements, and state police.
The General Assembly also directed one-time surplus funds to be used for prison expansion and one-time stipends for law enforcement officers.
The majority of House members will return for the 94th General Assembly. There will be 26 new members. The 94th General Assembly will include 82 Republicans and 18 Democrats. There will be 26 women and 74 men.
The 94th General Assembly will convene at noon on January 9. On the first day of the session, all members will be sworn into office. House members will then formally elect the Speaker of the House. The Speaker will then make remarks and announce the chairs for House committees. On the second day of the session, the House and Senate will convene for a Joint Session. On this day, all constitutional officers will be sworn into office and the newly elected Governor will make her first address as Governor.
The House streams all committee meetings and House floor proceedings at www.arkansashouse.org.
Submitted by: Kim Frachiseur, 4-H Program Assistant
While the year was winding down, your Sevier County 4-Her’s were still just as busy. During the month of December 4-Her’s were busy doing multiple activities. One successful project was the Hospital Fundraiser. The Goin’ Showin’ Club received a grant of $200 from the Arkansas 4-H Foundation and 4-H Alumni to use to better their community. They chose to team up with the Sevier County Medical Board Foundation and set a goal to double their money to donate to the new hospital. By holding a chicken lunch fundraiser, they surpassed their goal and donated $1,585.
The Sevier County 4-Her’s also helped the Brothers Keepers Motorcycle Club, or the BKMC, with a few of their Christmas projects. Not only did they deliver to 58 youth for the Sevier County Toys-4-Tots, but they also helped out with the BKMC’s shopping day. The BKMC took 120 youth shopping to help multiple families. Three 4-Her’s stepped up and went the extra mile. Hunter Frachiseur, Aubrey Seymour, and Ethan Wolcott helped families by providing food boxes (big thanks to the De Queen Church of Christ), take-home crafts, multiple county resources, and even monthly hygiene products. Not only did 4-H assist BKMC, but they also provided the same help at Christmas 911, formerly known as Shop w/a Cop.
Other projects that happened in Sevier County 4-H in the month of December were homemade ornaments with the Froglevel Hoppers, Christmas parade float with the Goin’ Showin’ club, blessing boxes with Infinity Club, and so many more. If you are interested in joining 4-H, please call the Sevier County Extension Office at 870-584-3013.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact the Sevier County Extension Office as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
Earlier this month, many of us gathered in the Old Supreme Court Chamber at our Capitol to celebrate Christmas with some of the children currently in our state’s foster care system. This is an annual event that distributes thousands of gifts and brings countless smiles.
Our goal as a state is to make sure these children have the best care available year-round. At the end of the State Fiscal Year 2022, there were 4,524 Arkansas children in foster care. That is a decrease of 7% from the previous year.
In 2021, the General Assembly passed Act 574 which directed the House Committee on Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs and the Senate Committee on Children and Youth to conduct a study of the best practices for reducing the number of children in foster care. That study was conducted and the final report was submitted to the Arkansas Legislative Council this month.
The study included an assessment of the number of children in foster care, an examination of the state’s current practices and policies aimed at reducing the number of children in foster care, an examination of the methods other states use, and the formulation of a plan for the state to implement to reduce or eliminate the number of children in foster care.
The reports details staffing challenges in the most recent years presented by the health emergency. But despite those challenges, the DHS Division of Children and Family Services has continued to implement a variety of strategies to reduce the number of children in foster care. Those strategies include incentive programs to recruit and retain quality staff and prevention programs focused on in-home services.
The reports also note that DCFS staff have worked hard over the last several years to ensure children are placed with relatives and fictive kin when safe and appropriate. Close to 41% of children were placed with relatives statewide as of September 30, 2021, as compared to the 28.1% of children who were placed with relatives statewide as of March 30, 2019. Children whose first placement was with a relative or fictive kin have consistently shown to have more placement stability, fewer instances of maltreatment while in foster care, and have achieved permanency more quickly than their counterparts.
This report will help guide members when considering legislation in the 2023 Regular Session. We’ve posted the study on our website arkansashouse.org.
LITTLE ROCK – Today, Govs. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, John Bel Edwards of Louisiana and J. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma announced that the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has encouraged the HALO Hydrogen Hub to submit a Full Application for the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program, allocated through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The three governors announced the creation of the HALO Hub, a bipartisan, three-state partnership between Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, in March of 2022 to compete for funding outlined in IIJA.
The program will appropriate up to $7 billion to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop six to 10 regional clean hydrogen hubs demonstrating the production, processing, delivery, storage, and end-use of clean hydrogen. DOE’s ultimate goal is to create a network of clean hydrogen producers, potential consumers and connective infrastructure located in close proximity that ultimately intersects and remains sustainable after DOE’s grant expires.
The DOE application process includes two phases – the first of which was an initial broad concept pitch, due to DOE in early November. Following an independent assessment of the various broad proposals, DOE encouraged the HALO Hub to enter the second phase by submitting a Full Application to receive up to $1.25 billion in federal funding.
“We are excited to partner with our neighbors in Louisiana and Oklahoma to put forward a winning application. Arkansas has a growing and diverse energy portfolio and natural resources that are vital to any successful regional hub. We are proud of our partners and companies in Arkansas that are leading the way to develop demand for low-carbon hydrogen and showing that hydrogen can be commercially viable,” explained Governor Hutchinson.
“Expansion of hydrogen production and use is tailor-made for the HALO states because there has already been investment and work in the component parts of potential hydrogen hubs, but we can now have a focal point that unifies the efforts of the three states,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “HALO states already have a healthy infrastructure in place that is actively delivering the raw materials to our industrial base, which is in turn making use of that hydrogen feedstock – next steps will be making sure all that hydrogen becomes low-carbon and making it more available and accepted as a major energy source.”
"Oklahoma is honored to be included in the DOE invitation to submit a bid for the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program. We share with Arkansas and Louisiana the same goal for production, use, and economic impact that can result from creating a hydrogen economy. The opportunities and abundant resources in Oklahoma complement our partners, and I am confident that our three state coalition can land this hub and become the nation’s heartland for hydrogen. Oklahoma believes in a “More of Everything” energy approach and by leaning into the hydrogen future with our partners, we can further diversify our nation’s energy portfolio and start meeting American demand with American energy,” said Oklahoma Governor J. Kevin Stitt.
The HALO Hub is currently preparing a Full Application that demonstrates the three-state coalition’s assets across all parts of the value chain, from feedstock to production, transportation and delivery, storage, and end-use. The submission deadline for Full Applications is April 7, 2023. DOE is expected to announce funding recipients in the fall of 2023.
KUAR | By Michael Hibblen
A Native American research facility in Arkansas is assisting in a project to determine if some U.S. military veterans who served during World War I did not receive honors they were due.
The Sequoyah National Research Center, based at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, is partnering with the George S. Robb Center for the Study of the Great War, which is part of Park University. As part of the Valor Medals Review Project, a determination could be made about whether soldiers should be posthumously recognized.
Erin Fehr is assistant director and a researcher at the Arkansas center, which houses the world's most comprehensive collection of American Indian publications. She says the extensive project aims to clarify if there was discrimination.
Lonnie Timmons III/UA Little Rock
Erin Fehr, assistant director of the Sequoyah National Research Center in Little Rock, is involved in a project to determine if some World War I veterans were intentionally overlooked for honors they should have received.
KUAR | By Antoinette Grajeda / Arkansas Advocate
Philanthropic giving remains fairly steady for many Arkansas nonprofits despite continuing inflation and the possibility of a recession.
While several organizations are on track to meet their fundraising goals, some have experienced slight dips in support. But they’re not yet concerned because December is traditionally a busy time for charitable donations.
“Whether we step into a recession or not, I don’t worry about the generosity of Arkansans or what giving rates will be because historically they’ve been very good to the nonprofits in their communities,” said Jessica Ford, Arkansas Community Foundation’s chief communications officer.
Food Bank Of Northeast Arkansas
Volunteers collected items for the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas’ annual food drive in November.
by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)
Gov.-elect Sarah Sanders announced Wednesday (Dec. 28) her intent to reappoint Larry Walther as the secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration. Walther also held a cabinet position with Sanders’ father, former Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Walther has held the post since January 2015 when appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson. He was first appointed to a government job in 2003 when appointed by then Gov. Huckabee as director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
In 2008, Walther was tapped by the administration of President George W. Bush to work as director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. In 2011, Walther received a second presidential nomination when President Barack Obama nominated him to serve on the board of directors for the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed a lawsuit against Paron residents Stephen Rast, and his wife, Taylor Wells, who are doing business as J&R Restoration and Landscaping as well as R&B Design and Landscaping. The lawsuit alleges Rast and Wells required down payments for home improvement projects, remodeling or landscaping, yet they failed to complete the promised work and rarely even began the work. The office received 22 consumer complaints against Rast totaling losses of more than $88,000.
“Rast is an unlicensed contractor scamming hard-working Arkansans out of money that they were planning to invest in their homes,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Essentially, these cons promised to do work, took large down payments and then disappeared with the money.”
In the consumer complaints with the Attorney General’s Office, consumers state they paid deposits to Rast and Wells ranging from $275 to more than $10,000, often being half of the quoted price to complete the project. To date, Arkansas consumers have lost a cumulative $88,542.38. Upon investigation, Attorney General Rutledge found that oftentimes consumers would attempt to contact Rast and Wells regarding the contracted-for services, yet they would rarely receive a response. In the rare cases that the couple would respond, they would offer excuses to the consumer as to why they are unable to start work or complete work– including car accidents, sickness, and hospital stays. Neither business that the couple alleges to own are registered with the Arkansas Secretary of State. Stephen Rast is not a licensed contractor by the Arkansas Contractor Licensing Board.
Attorney General Rutledge is requesting those who believe they have been harmed by the couple, J&R Restoration and Landscaping or R&B Design and Landscaping to file a consumer complaint with the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office online at ArkansasAG.gov or by emailing consumer@arkansasag.gov.
By Tamara Robinson
The College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) honored Stacie M. Jones, M.D., as the 2022 Distinguished Faculty Scholar for her groundbreaking research into food allergies, her leading role in the development of the first FDA-approved oral immunotherapy drug for life-threatening peanut allergy in children, and her dedication to mentorship.
Susan Smyth, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice chancellor of UAMS and dean of the College of Medicine, presents the college’s 2022 Distinguished Faculty Scholar award to Stacie M. Jones, M.D.
Jones, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics, delivered the annual Faculty Scholar Lecture Dec. 8 in an auditorium filled with research team members, other faculty from the Department of Pediatrics and Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, and colleagues from throughout the college and Arkansas Children’s. Jones has served in the division since 1994 and was division director in 2003-2019.
“I want to recognize you for all of the things you have done in your field and for UAMS and Arkansas Children’s, and for mentoring so many people here in the audience and across the college,” said Susan Smyth, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice chancellor of UAMS and dean of the college. “You truly have had a distinguished career, and we are so pleased that you are part of our college and cannot wait to see where you and your team are going next in your work.”
By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Jada Thompson, assistant professor in the department of agricultural economics and agribusiness in the University of Arkansas System, was recently recognized with the Southern Agricultural Economics Association’s 2023 Emerging Scholar Award for research.
EMERGING SCHOLAR — Jada Thompson is a 2023 Emerging Scholar Award recipient from the Southern Agricultural Economics Association. The agricultural economist has focused much of her work on HPAI bird flu. (U of A System Division of Ag photo by Fred Miller)
Thompson, an economist with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, has spent much of her academic career researching bird flu’s economic impact.
She said the new strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 poses a longer-running risk on the supply chain and may lead to structural changes in poultry production. The 2022 bird flu epidemic has raised questions about how the poultry industry proceeds.
The agricultural economics and agribusiness department now has three SAEA Emerging Scholar Award-winning faculty. Brandon McFadden, professor and the Tyson Endowed Chair in Food Policy Economics, and Trey Malone, assistant professor, were recognized with the award in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
“Dr. Thompson has established an outstanding record of research, with nearly 40 peer-reviewed publications including not only high-impact journal articles but also Extension publications summarizing stakeholder-relevant work,” John Anderson, head of the agricultural economics and agribusiness department, stated in his nomination letter for the award.
Anderson, who is also director of the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence, stated that Thompson’s record shows that she is a versatile researcher who is able to apply her skill set to a variety of relevant problems. A common thread that is evident in her work is the link between farm-level production issues and market impacts, he said.
“This is an increasingly important line of inquiry, as her work on both domestic and international market impacts of animal disease outbreaks demonstrates,” Anderson wrote. “This kind of integrated research requires not only a solid economics toolkit but also a thorough understanding of both production systems and agricultural markets. Any one of these facets of the work is difficult to master. Dr. Thompson ably integrates her mastery of all three.”
Anderson noted Thompson’s work is highly collaborative with economists from a wide range of institutions and experts from other relevant disciplines. Her proficiency extends to the extension and teaching mission areas, where she engaged directly with stakeholders, Anderson added.
“She is an excellent instructor, having already taught a variety of courses at three different land-grant institutions,” Anderson said. “Dr. Thompson has also actively engaged in service activities, both in our department and within the profession. Across all aspects of her faculty work, Dr. Thompson is productive, hard-working, and unfailingly collegial. She is rapidly emerging as a leader within our profession.”
Malone said the SAEA Emerging Scholar award is national in scope and a “premier designation” for early career faculty members in agricultural economics.
“Jada’s applied research program as a poultry economist is top-notch, so it’s fantastic to see such a hypercompetitive award acknowledge her hard work,” Malone said.
Thompson, a northwest Arkansas native, is among a small group of agricultural economists who specialize in poultry, Anderson said. She has a long history with the University of Arkansas, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics there. For her bachelor’s degree, Thompson double-majored in poultry science and agricultural economics. In June, she returned as an assistant professor following five years as an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
She earned her doctorate in 2016 at Colorado State University.
“When you come into agriculture as a woman, there is a smaller subset of us, and to get this award is validating and exciting,” Thompson said. “To be nominated was humbling and to win was very nice.”
As part of the award, Thompson will give a presentation on her investigations into the economic ramifications of this highly pathogenic avian influenza — HPAI — at the SAEA annual symposium in February in Oklahoma City. Her talk will provide a comprehensive overview of HPAI, the differences between the 2015 and 2022 outbreaks, market impacts and her analysis of how the event may change the poultry sector.
“In animal health economics it is important to push the boundaries of information gathering, analysis and multidisciplinary work because of this concept of ‘One Health,’ that plants, animals and humans are interconnected on local, regional, national and global levels,” Thompson said.
Some of the discussion around HPAI include continued research on a cost-beneficial aerosol vaccine that would be the most practical option for inoculating tens of thousands of birds at once. H5N1 has had a bigger impact on turkeys and laying hens, however, because older birds are more susceptible to the virus, Thompson noted. Broilers, the largest sector of Arkansas’ poultry industry, are harvested after about two months of growth.
Questions remain on what the producer response should be if the H5N1 strain continues into 2023, Thompson said. How much to increase production to compensate for potential losses and changes in placements are at the top of the list because of issues with increased food prices and potential fear in the marketplace of continued disruptions.
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.
By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture
HUMPHREY, Ark. — Researchers and administrators with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture hosted a visiting official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture last Friday, highlighting projects that have garnered special federal funding in support of climate-smart initiatives.
BOTTOMLANDS — USDA Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment Homer Wilkes, center, visits with Division of Agriculture faculty at a research site in Humphrey, Arkansas. Wilkes visited the site on Dec. 16 to announce a $3.7 million grant for research in the Southern Bottomland Region. (Division of Agriculture photo.)
Homer Wilkes, USDA Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment, visited Five Oaks Ag Education and Research Center in Humphrey, located in central Arkansas. During the visit, Wilkes announced funding for Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities projects, which includes about $3.7 million for an Arkansas-based project aimed at benefitting underserved landowners in the Southern Bottomland Region.
Wilkes noted that competition for the grants had been fierce, with more than 1,000 applications.
Nana Tian, an assistant professor of natural resources economics and policy with the University of Arkansas at Monticello, developed the winning grant proposal and is primary investigator on the project. She was on hand to discuss aspects of the project, which incorporates hardwood restoration in the Arkansas Delta.
“Restoring bottomland hardwood forests is considered a viable climate-smart agricultural/forestry practice,” Tian said. “Small and underserved family landowners play a critical role in implementing this practice, but they face more barriers to adopting them than other landowners.
“This project aims to plant 500 to 600 acres of oak forests in the agriculturally dominant floodplain of the Red River Valley of southwestern Arkansas, the Ouachita River Valley of south-central Arkansas and the Bayou Meto Watershed in eastern Arkansas,” she said. “The project will also quantify and demonstrate the ecological and economic benefits of bottomland hardwood forest restoration on working lands and help landowners manage the plantations and market climate-smart commodities.”
Tian is also a researcher for the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, a partnership between UAM and the Division of Agriculture, through the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.
Michael Blazier, director of the Arkansas Forestry Center and dean of UAM’s College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources, said that the grant, which will fund five years of research and outreach efforts, will allow UAM and other cooperating institutions to work synergistically to bring ideas “from research to practice.”
“Long story short, it ties together so many great resources in terms of expertise and long-standing research and outreach efforts, and ties it all together to integrate economics, ecology and outreach,” Blazier said. He said Tian’s project will draw from efforts of the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Texas A&M University.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
KUAR | By Jeff Della Rosa/ Talk Business & Politics
According to the AAA, 112.7 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home in the U.S. between Friday and Jan. 2. It comes as Arkansas is experiencing some of the lowest gasoline prices since May 2021, while cold weather and snow might affect holiday travel across the state.
According to the AAA, about 102 million people are expected to drive to their holiday destinations this year, up about 2 million motorists from the 2021 holiday season. The number of 2022 motorists is in line with 2018 levels but down from 2019, when a record 108 million motorists drove to their holiday destinations.
Statewide, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $2.69, down from $3.16 in November and $2.92 at the same time last year. Nationwide, the price is $3.14, down from $3.68 in November and $3.30 at the same time last year.
Idrivearkansas.Com/Arkansas Department Of Transportation
Traffic flows on Interstate 630 in Little Rock on Tuesday ahead of extreme cold weather forecast later in the week.
KUAR | By Josie Lenora
An effort by the Arkansas Department of Transportation to move unhoused people away from the sides of highways and interstates is getting a backlash. The American Civil Liberties Union argues the action is a violation of people's rights and is threatening to take legal action.
The department has given one week's notice to people on the state-owned property to clear out. Spokesperson Dave Parker says the decision was made after seeing homeless camps grow, which are inhibiting the ability of crews to mow grass and maintain the areas.
One area in southwest Little Rock, near the interchange of interstates 30 and 430, has become especially problematic, he said, because there are several homeless camps in the vicinity.
Michael Hibblen/KUAR News
The Arkansas Department of Transportation wants unhoused people who are camping along highways and interstates to get off of the property.
