Officials with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) confirmed a diagnosis of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on a turkey farm in Sanpete County on Friday, October 6, 2023.

“It is unfortunate to see new cases of Avian Flu in Utah again this year and affecting Utah’s turkey farmers,” said UDAF State Veterinarian, Daniel Christensen. “Our department is working hard to help this farm handle this situation as quickly and safely as possible.”

UDAF officials have worked closely with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) on their incident response. The area in which the birds were located has been quarantined and the infected birds have been depopulated to prevent further spread of the disease.

As part of existing avian influenza response plans, UDAF and its federal partners are working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in areas around the affected flock.

Anyone with birds located in Sanpete County please vigilantly watch your flock for symptoms of HPAI, which include high death loss among flocks, nasal discharge, decreased appetite or water consumption, and lack of coordination in birds. If birds are experiencing any of these symptoms, please contact the state veterinarian’s office immediately at statevet@utah.gov.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of this strain of HPAI have been detected in the United States. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.

Anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds. APHIS has materials about biosecurity, including videos, checklists, and a toolkit available at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/defend-the-flock-program/dtf-resources/dtf-resources.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is hosting its third annual African Swine Fever (ASF) Action Week from October 2 – 6, 2023. They are encouraging U.S. swine producers, small farms and pig owners to join us and learn about ASF and what they can do to help protect the U.S. swine herd.

ASF has never been detected in the U.S., but since its detection in the Dominican Republic and Haiti in 2021, USDA has partnered with industry and states to enhance already strong safeguards to protect U.S. swine from this costly disease.

”The longer ASF continues to circulate around the globe, the greater the threat to the U.S. swine industry,”said Dr. Rosemary Sifford, APHIS Veterinary Services Deputy Administrator, and Chief Veterinary Officer. “Prevention is our best investment. If introduced here, ASF would devastate the pig herds that Americans and our trading partners rely on for food. And, if it were to become endemic, it could take us more than 10 years and about $75 billion to eradicate,” she added.

APHIS is asking producers and pig owners to join in efforts to stand vigilant against this disease.

Through the Protect Our Pigs campaign, USDA is raising awareness of ASF to help producers and veterinarians quickly find and share actionable information to defend their herds and livelihoods. Free resources, such as custom videos, downloadable materials, and interactive training guides are available at the Protect Our Pigs website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/asf.

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The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is pleased to announce the implementation of our new Agriculture Information Management System (AIMS).  In the near future, AIMS will go live for the Medical Cannabis, Industrial Hemp, and Organics programs.  The system will allow customers to manage all licenses, permits, and/or product registrations in one place.

AIMS will also provide customers the ability to apply and securely pay online, receive notifications electronically, and print certificates. Customers will be able to create a login to securely access the AIMS system and review your account information, verify your licenses, update contacts if necessary, and much more.

If you have any questions or issues as we go live with this new system, please reach out to your program’s support staff.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) has awarded $386,242 across five projects in Specialty Crop Block Grants (SCBGP) in an effort to support Utah’s specialty crop industry.

SCBGP is a competitive grant program operated by UDAF in which funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarded to eligible applicants. Funded programs support Utah’s specialty crop industry, which includes fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture, among others.

“The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is grateful for the ongoing support of the USDA AMS Specialty Crop Block Grant Program,” said UDAF Commissioner Craig Buttars “Through this funding, our department is proud to provide opportunities for farmers, food processors and distributors, agricultural researchers, and other organizations dedicated to strengthening Utah’s specialty crop industry. Utah has a vested interest in ensuring the continued success of these operations, and funding from programs like this is one way we can provide meaningful financial support to the producers we depend upon.”

UDAF is pleased to support projects that will increase specialty crop education for the public and beginning farmers. In addition, funded projects will maximize sustainable production using alternative water sources, promote increased awareness of Utah-grown tree fruits, and learn more about irrigation needs in the state. The link to the USDA press release can be found here.

UDAF will be offering more SCBGP grants in the future. The next round of applications is expected to open in February 2024, with applications due in mid-March. For more info visit https://ag.utah.gov/specialty-crop-block-grant-program or email Allison Ross at aross@utah.gov

Officials at the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food are warning livestock purchasers of potential scams with online livestock purchases as has been seen in surrounding states.

“Our department has been made aware of scammers taking advantage of livestock buyers, purchasing livestock from online classified listing sources in surrounding states such as Colorado,” said UDAF Animal Division Director, Leann Hunting. “We want buyers in Utah to be aware of these potential scams and know how to identify them.”

Buyers should be cautious when purchasing animals online when not purchasing from a reputable auction house or face to face with the seller. Scammers often ask for payment or partial payment before allowing you to see the animals. Never send payment without in-person verification that the listing is real and accurate. If the seller is not open to an in-person viewing, know that this could be a scammer.

Scams could potentially be higher this year, especially for cattle, due to the higher market prices for these animals. Cattle prices rose to the highest since 2014-15 in July of 2023 and are continuing to rise according to data provided by local auction houses in Utah and Idaho.

Buyers should also be aware that all livestock sales require an official brand inspection by UDAF. If the seller does not arrange a brand inspection, this could also be a sign of a scam or the selling of stolen livestock. If you have experienced this type of scam, contact your local law enforcement office to report the offense. For more information about brand inspections or to find your local brand inspector, visit ag.utah.gov/farmers/animal-industry.