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What do we know about the future? The “easy” and only certain
answer is simply that the future will be both dramatically different and
yet strikingly similar. That isn’t an attempt to be clever, nor is it
meant to restate the obvious.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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Most managers of cattle operations are well aware of the importance
of having a strategic plan. This is a plan that identifies key result
areas (KRAs), enumerates critical objectives (COs), and identifies the
actual action steps to achieve them.
But understanding the importance of doing something and actually taking
the time to do it are often two different things. After all, planning is
always one of the first things to be set aside because it rarely falls
into the urgent category. But it doesn’t have to be a complicated
process.
While, theoretically, every operation can have very definitive KRAs, a
good start to the process can be to start with a “canned” set of
KRAs, things such as nutrition, health, management, genetics, marketing
and family. Then it just takes a few minutes to write down the COs under
those KRAs; this might include: improve heifer breedup, instituting a
total herd health and vaccination program, bull selection and mating
systems, capturing value, etc.
Once you’ve identified your top 15-20 objectives, put together a
concise action plan a day for one or two COs. In just a couple of weeks,
you’ll have a very actionable strategic plan.
-- Troy Marshall
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USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service this week
announced it will provide National Animal Identification System
(NAIS)-compliant radio frequency ear tags to animal health officials for
use in the bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis control programs.
The “840” tags allow animal health officials to electronically ID an
animal, which increases the efficiency of animal disease investigations
that involve tracking animals. USDA has purchased 1.5 million RFID
tags.
"Using NAIS-compliant tags with radio-frequency technology establishes a
consistent data format across our animal disease programs. It will also
increase the efficiency and accuracy of the on-ground animal health task
force conducting bovine TB testing and response," says Bruce Knight,
USDA undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs. "This effort
supports a key strategy outlined in our business plan and is another
step toward reaching NAIS' ultimate goal of 48-hour traceability."
-- USDA release
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Exports of beef muscle cuts increased 36% to 168.5 million lbs.
(76,445 metric tons) the first two months of 2008 when compared to the
same two-month period in 2007. Meanwhile, beef variety meat exports
increased 17% to 118 million lbs. (53,529 metric tons) for a combined
total of 286.5 million lbs. (129,974 metric tons) valued at $442
million, an increase of 40%, according to the U.S. Meat Export
Federation (USMEF).
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
USMEF release
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Despite being locked out of 56% of the world’s beef-importing
countries because of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), including the
lucrative markets of Korea and Japan, Brazil still accounts for 32% of
the world’s beef exports.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Muriel Elizabeth Hayes, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Signup for USDA’s Conservation Security Program (CSP) begins
today. Approximately 64,000 eligible farms and ranches in 51 watersheds
can take part.
CSP offers payments for enhancing natural resources, rewards landowners
who are conservationists, and provides incentives for others to achieve
high standards of conservation in ag. Sign up is open until May 16.
Potential participants must first complete a self-assessment workbook,
available on the web or from your local Natural Resource Conservation
Service (NRCS) office. The producer submits the workbook to the local
NRCS office during the sign-up period and meets with NRCS personnel.
NRCS then determines if eligibility requirements are met and provide
options for the producer’s decision on enrollment category placement.
For more info, contact your local NRCS office or visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp/index.html.
-- USDA release
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Households may be thinking twice about jumping in the family car as
a slowing economy and rising prices stress pocketbooks, the Energy
Information Administration (EIA) reports.
EIA says gasoline consumption has been declining for at least six
months. During the first half of 2007, consumption increased 0.9%
compared with the same period the previous year. But consumption fell by
0.1% in the second half. In fact, fourth-quarter consumption fell 0.4%.
The consumption drop was the first since the recession of 2000.
The first-quarter 2008 declined even more sharply – 0.6% compared to
the same period in 2007. Real personal disposable income rose only an
estimated 0.9% in the first quarter and regular grade gasoline retail
prices rose 32% to $3.11/gal. this year compared to an average of $2.36
a year ago.
In EIA’s April Short-Term
Energy Outlook, motor gasoline consumption April through
September is projected to average 9.40 million barrels per day (bbl/d),
down 0.4% from the previous summer. Adjusting for the reduced Btu
content of the growing ethanol share of the motor gasoline pool, the
year-to-year decline would be closer to 0.9%, EIA says.
Regular retail prices are projected to average $3.54/gal., up from $2.93
last summer. The weakness in gasoline consumption is expected to
continue. For 2008 as a whole, motor gasoline consumption is projected
to decline 0.3%. For 2009, gasoline consumption is projected to rise by
only 0.9%.
For more info, click here to read EIA’s report, “Motor Gasoline
Gasoline Consumption 2008: A Historical Perspective and Short-Term
Projections.”
-- Energy Information Administration
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The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline set an all-time
high for the third consecutive week (week ending April 14), hitting
$3.389/gal., 5.7¢ over last week and 51.3¢ over last year. Meanwhile,
the U.S. average price for diesel surged 10.4¢ to $4.059/gal.,
surpassing $4 for the first time, and $1.182 over last year.
Gasoline hit record highs in all regions. The East Coast was up 5.1¢ to
$3.335, the Midwest added 5.9¢ to $3.358, the Gulf Coast hit $3.285,
and the Rocky Mountains jumped to $3.324. The West Coast moved up 8.4¢
to $3.662, and California added 8.9¢ to $3.774.
Diesel was up sharply in all regions, jumping 11.2¢ on the East Coast
to $4.117; 9.6¢ in the Midwest to $4.013; 10.6¢ in the Gulf Coast to
$4; and 6.5¢ in the Rocky Mountain region to $4.039. The West Coast
surged 12.4¢ to $4.176, and California added 11.6¢ to $4.234.
-- Energy Information Administration
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The House of Representatives passed a seven-day extension of the
farm bill – until April 25. The Senate plans to pass the bill before
the April 18 deadline.
Leaders of the House and Senate Ag Committees believe they’re close to
completing the farm bill but need a few more days to complete the bill.
The main sticking point is the tax package contained in the
Senate-passed farm bill (see article, “Tax Provisions Are A Farm-Bill
Sticking Point”). The House Democratic leadership insists on dealing
with the tax package in another manner, and frantic negotiations are
ongoing.
The conference committee continues to meet and work through many of the
titles of the bill. The conference committee has completed most of the
items in the credit, trade, forestry and research titles.
Meanwhile, the White House and USDA officials have indicated the
President needs to see “significant” progress on the farm bill
before he’ll sign the one-week extension.
In a statement, USDA said, “The President has stated that he doesn’t
intend on signing another short-term extension if Congress hasn’t
shown significant progress toward crafting a good farm bill that he can
sign. It’s up to the farm-bill negotiators to demonstrate that
progress is being made on legislation that provides real reform while
using acceptable offsets to pay for any additional spending."
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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As part of the International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare set
for May 28-30 at Kansas State University, a full-day presentation on
cattle handling that includes video and live-cattle interaction in an
arena complete with processing facilities is set for May 28. The 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. program in Weber Arena, entitled “Cattle Welfare Through
Proper Cattle Handling,” includes lunch.
Among the topics to be discussed are:- Understanding prey animal
instincts;
- The use of position, distance, angles and speed to communicate with
cattle;
- Teaching cattle to respond in a positive manner;
- Enhancing the maternal bond;
- Acclimation of newly arrived cattle to reduce the stress of address
changes;
- Expecting cattle to express their true state of health;
- Pulling single cattle;
- Exercise therapy;
- Removing cattle from pens or pastures;
- Early disease detection and prudent antibiotic use;
- Processing techniques and facility design;
- Appreciation on normal behavior and modulation of anxiety;
- Relationship of horsemanship and stockmanship.
Early-bird
registration ends May 1. A live webcast option is also available for
five or more viewers. For more info, visit: www.isbcw.beefcattleinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=12&Itemid=133
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Nominations for the $10,000 National Stocker Award (NSA) are due May
1. NSA is sponsored by BEEF and Elanco Animal Health and is open
to any stocker or backgrounding operation that derives the majority of
its cattle-based income from the stocker and backgrounding businesses.
You can nominate yourself, or someone else.
The overall winner wins $10,000 in cash, and two other divisional
winners receive $2,500 in cash, sponsored by Elanco. For more info, and
a copy of the application, visit www.nationalstockeraward.com.
For a hard-copy application, contact Marilyn Anderson at BEEF,
800-722-5334.
-- Joe Roybal
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Last week, Nebraska’s state legislature gave first-round approval
to a bill intended to lure food-animal vets to deficient areas of the
state by providing them with $80,000 each over four years, the
Associated Press reports. State Sen. Cap Dierks, the Ewing vet who
introduced the measure, says 13 counties in the state are without
food-animal vets. As a leader in meat production, he says vets are
needed to safeguard the food supply.
Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Raikes of Lincoln argued against the measure saying
it’s unnecessary because farmers and ranchers now perform many
services that traditionally were provided by vets.
-- Associated Press
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Calf management before transport influences later performance of
those animals under stress, Canadian researchers say.
Behavioral and physiological indicators of stress, as well as growth
performance and morbidity rates, were assessed in 174 steer calves (480
lbs. ± 81.5 lbs.) for 30 days after transport from ranch to feedlot.
The calves were conditioned (C) or not (NC), and subjected to either
short (2.7 hours, SH) or long hauls (15 hours, LH). Calves in the study
were weaned and vaccinated 13 and 29 days, respectively, prior to
transport, and therefore defined as conditioned. All calves in the study
were dehorned and castrated 10-14 days after birth.
Upon arrival at the feedlot, calves were randomly assigned to 16 pens,
four pens/treatment, one of which was equipped with a radio-frequency ID
system for continual monitoring of individual bunk attendance. As part
of the NC treatment, calves were also exposed to a short (2-hour)
transport 24 hours after their initial arrival to the feedlot. All
calves were fed a barley silage/barley grain-based starter ration and
weighed every seven days.
Cortisol concentrations were higher in NC compared to C calves
regardless of transport distance. NC calves also had higher pre- and
post-loading cortisol concentrations than C calves. In transit, CSH
steers had the lowest heart rate (67.8 beats/minute). Heart rate was
highest during the first 15 minutes of the journey for all calves and
gradually declined until 121-161 minutes into the trip. NC calves spent
more time at the feed bunk than C calves (222.9 minutes/day vs. 128.6
minutes/day) in the first two days in the feedlot. CLH calves were
observed more frequently at the water than NCLH calves.
An interaction was observed for shrinkage and average daily gain (ADG).
Shrinkage was greater in CLH than in NCLH steers (52 lbs. vs. 32.2
lbs.), and in NCLH than in either CSH (17.2 lbs.) or NCSH (20.3 lbs.)
steers. The lowest ADG was recorded for CLH and NCSH calves (1.76 lbs.
and 1.98 lbs., respectively), although their dry matter intake (13.2
lbs./day vs. 15 lbs./day) was similar to calves in the other treatment
groups. Morbidity rate was 5.17% with no treatment effect.
The study shows conditioning calves prior to transport allowed them to
better tolerate the stressors of transport and handling. This was
observed in lower cortisol concentrations pre- and post-loading, as well
as higher percentages of time feeding and less time standing and milling
in their pens immediately after transport compared to NC calves. In
addition, the combined effect of conditioning and short-haul transport
was least stressful as witnessed by the low shrink, high dry matter
intake and ADG in the first month after transport.
Source: Schwartzkopf-Genswein, et al, 2007, Applied Animal Behavior
Science, 108.
-- Alaina Burt
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A pair of enterprising producers utilizing a methane digester on
their East Canaan, CT dairy have found a way to add a new profit wrinkle
into their manure management – CowPots™.
Freund Farms mixes composting bovine waste with other materials and
molds it into biodegradable planting containers. The product can survive
for weeks in a greenhouse, and then dissolves when planted into the
ground, an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic containers.
Brothers Ben and Matt Freund, who run a 250-cow dairy and have operated
a methane digester since 1997, hatched the idea nine years ago. CowPots
were their brainchild to deal with the solids after they’re separated
from the liquids. Utilizing Small Business Innovation Research Awards
through USDA, they developed the idea, hired some help and conducted
more research to refine the manufacturing of the products. The solids
are composted, which leaves them weed-free and used to mold CowPots.
Their website – cowpots.com
– tells how Matt experimented with the manure fibers, drying the pots
in his wife’s toaster oven.
“This didn’t do much for his marriage, but it allowed him the
ability to share his vision with other people. After many trials and
tribulations, the brothers found a process in which they can
mass-produce pots of limitless sizes and shapes at an economical cost.
“These pots can withstand months in the greenhouse, but within four
weeks of being planted in the ground they dissolve and continue to feed
the plant,” the web site says.
-- cowpots.com/
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South Korea is willing to give on bone-in-beef from the U.S. but
only from cattle less than 30 months of age, Yonhap News reports sources
in Korea’s Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as
saying. Currently only boneless U.S. beef from cattle less than 30
months, and no Specified Risk Materials and offal, are allowed for
import.
Ribs made up roughly 60% of all U.S. beef imports into Korea before the
market was closed in 2003 due to the discovery of BSE in a Washington
dairy cow.
Korean and U.S. negotiators are currently in the second round of
negotiations that could lead to the rewriting of South Korea's sanitary
and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations. The U.S. is calling for a full
reopening for U.S. beef products in accordance with World Organization
for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines. The first round of negotiations,
which were held in mid October made little headway, the article
says.
-- Yonhap News
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Pfizer’s SelectVAC® preconditioning program recently enrolled its
3 millionth calf – a calf from John Putnam’s, Dewey, SD ranch.
Putnam, a fourth-generation, cow-calf producer who works with his father
Lloyd and has enrolled his calves in the program for the past five
years, won a year’s supply of SelectVAC products and a custom silver
trophy buckle.
Meanwhile, his SelectVAC specialist, Erica Koller, DVM, and the Cheyenne
River Animal Hospital received a plaque recognizing them as the
SelectVAC specialists who helped enroll the winning calf. The clinic
enrolled more than 1,350 calves last year in their 60-mile-radius
practice area.
Pfizer says research shows preconditioned calves can earn up to $29/head
more on sale day, with additional benefits demonstrated in improved
health and productivity.
For more info, visit: www.selectvac.com.
– Pfizer release-- USDA release
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The nation’s key reference book on foreign animal disease (FAD),
commonly referred to as “The Gray Book,” has been revised into its
seventh edition and is now available from the U.S. Animal Health
Association (USAHA). “Foreign Animal Diseases” is a product of
USAHA’s Committee on Foreign and Emerging Diseases, with support of a
number of individual, government and academic partners.
“The new edition of ‘Foreign Animal Diseases’ brings together the
historical knowledge of diseases, with the latest research of new and
emerging diseases,” says co-editor Corrie Brown, DVM, PhD, DACVP and
professor at the University of Georgia.
First published in 1953, the reference includes 48 FADs, as well as 34
color pages of diseases in various species. Also included are general
considerations when dealing with potential FADs, from sampling and
diagnostic procedures to disinfection and disposal management.
The book sells for $25, including shipping and handling. Order at www.usaha.org, or contact the USAHA
office at 816-671-1144 or usaha@usaha.org.
-- U.S. Animal Health Association
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"Spring time is thunderstorm season across the Plains,” says Glenn
Selk, Oklahoma State University Extension beef cow specialist. “Spring
storms occasionally bring severe winds or even tornadoes. Cleaning up
after a severe storm is difficult enough, but losing valuable cattle
brings additional financial hardship to the situation.”
Cattle loss can occur in several scenarios, Selk says. They can be
killed, lost or stolen during a stormy situation. An accurate accounting
of livestock and property is essential to a cattle operation's storm
preparedness.
“Keep a current inventory of all animals and the pastures where they
are located. Individual animal ID tags on all animals have several other
purposes, but can become extremely valuable if cattle become scattered
or even stolen. If these records are computer based, consider having a
back-up copy stored at a neighbor's or a relative's house," he says.
Citing a fact sheet by David Smith of Texas A&M University on dealing
with your cattle herd after a severe round of weather, Selk offers five
considerations that top the list after the storm:- Gather and
dispose of trash, limbs, wire and damaged equipment that could harm
livestock. Clear and repair damaged fences.
- Make sure livestock have plenty of water and food that haven’t
been contaminated by pollutants. In some cases, it’s necessary to
truck in water and food, or to remove livestock from contaminated areas.
- Properly and immediately dispose of dead carcasses. If rendering
plants are still available in your area, they may process some dead
animals. Those not processed should be buried away from water bodies at
least 3-4 ft. deep and covered with quick lime to accelerate
decomposition.
- Observe livestock for signs of infectious disease, such as pneumonia
or foot rot. All animals that die immediately following a disaster
should be necropsied by a veterinarian.
- Spray livestock with insect repellent in case of floods to protect
against mosquitoes that may carry disease.
For more info, go to
texashelp.tamu.edu/005-agriculture/farmstead-preparedness-recovery.php.
-- Ron Hays, Radio Oklahoma Network
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Rory Lewandowski, Ohio State University Extension educator in Athens
County, asks in the latest Ohio Beef Cattle Letter if the high
input prices of today are an aberration, a temporary fluctuation or
permanent? He then offers these perspectives, gleaned from the
discussions among speakers and producers attending a recent two-night
Extension short course, on the “new economic reality” facing cattle
producers:
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Rory Lewandowski, from the OSU Beef Cattle Letter
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A key sticking point in farm-bill negotiations has been the
Senate’s insistence that tax provisions in the Senate-passed farm bill
be included in the final bill. The conferees from the House of
Representatives on a bipartisan basis have strongly indicated the farm
bill isn’t where the tax issues should be resolved but in a separate
tax bill. Some of the key tax provisions in the Senate farm bill tax
package include:- Tax relief for retired and disabled
farmers. This provides that Conservation Reserve Program payments to
retired or disabled individuals are to be treated as rental payments for
tax purposes and are therefore excluded from self-employment taxes from
a trade or business.
- Extend tax benefits for conservation contributions. Extends
for two years the enhanced tax incentive for contributions of
conservation easements included in the Pension Protection Act.
- Ag equipment depreciation. Makes important farm equipment
more affordable by shortening the recovery period for certain farm
equipment and machinery to five years.
- Residential wind credit. Creates 30% investment tax credit
(capped at $4,000/year) for qualified residential and commercial
applications of small wind energy projects, not to exceed 100 kilowatts.
(Credit allowed for 2009).
- Cellulosic biofuels credit. Creates a new production tax
credit for cellulosic biofuels, per the December 2007 Clean Renewable
Energy and Conservation Tax Act. Amount of credit is equal to the
difference between $1.01/gal. and the per-gallon ethanol blender tax
credit (currently 51¢/gal.). For example, this credit would be
$1.01/gal. if the ethanol blender credit were to expire; credit would be
55¢/gal. if the ethanol blender credit were reduced to 46¢ per the
“ethanol credit modification” below. The credit could be claimed on
up to 60 million gals./taxpayer, and would be available through 2013.
- Biodiesel/renewable diesel credits. Extends through 2009 the
$1/gal. and 50¢/gal. biodiesel credits, as well as the 10¢/gal. credit
for the first 15 million gals. of biodiesel from “small producers.”
Adds camelina to the list of agri-biodiesel ($1/gal. credit) sources.
Also extends the $1 renewable diesel credit through 2009, while adding
jet fuel as a qualifying use of renewable diesel. Caps, on a
per-facility basis, the renewable diesel credit at 60 million gals./year
of co-produced fuel, effective for fuel sold or used after the date of
enactment.
- Ethanol credit modification. The Energy Policy Act of 2005
mandated that gasoline contain 7.5 billion gals. of renewable fuel
annually by 2012. This proposal reduces the 51¢/gal. credit for ethanol
by 5¢ in the year after which the 7.5 billion-gal. threshold is
reached. This proposal is the same as the December 2007 Clean Renewable
Energy and Conservation Tax Act.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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“Manage. Monitor. Market.” That's the best advice Dan Hale gives
producers eager to enhance the quality and value of culled cows and
bulls they send to market. And results of the “2007 National Market
Cow and Bull Beef Quality Audit” show that producers have roped many
quality issues that have cost them money in the past.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Larry Stalcup
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Two deaths earlier this year are the first fatalities linked to
variant Creutzfeldt Jakobs Disease in Spain since 2005. The victims were
40 and 51 years old. The earlier victim was a 26-year-old woman in 2005.
Spain has reported more than 700 cases of BSE in cattle since it was
first detected in this country in 2000, according to health ministry
figures.
-- Associated Press
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A federal audit of 18 unidentified beef processors that supply beef
to the National School Lunch Program and other federal food-assistance
programs found humane handling violations in four of them, including one
whose operations were temporarily suspended.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service audit concluded that the latter
plant was insufficiently stunning animals. After the plant took
corrective action, the suspension was lifted, says USDA Secretary Ed
Schafer.
Requested by Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), Senate Appropriations ag
subcommittee chairman, the audit didn't uncover problems with downer
cattle, as was the case recently with the Hallmark/Westland facility in
Chino, CA. But it did issue "non-compliance" records to three plants for
excessive use of electric prods, pen overcrowding, and bunching up of
cattle entering the stunning area.
-- USDA
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