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Perhaps more than any other scientific issue, global warming has
been difficult to assess, primarily because it so quickly became
politicized in academia and public discourse. And it quickly evolved
into a movement, attracting anti-capitalists, environmentalists and
seemingly unrelated activist groups like the anti-trade crowd en route.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) has never had
either the support, or the detractors, that a lot of issues in our
industry seem to attract. But in some circles, NAIS is seen as a rampant
intrusion of government into private lives, and a slippery slope to
losing every freedom and right we now enjoy.
There’s been a litany of problems with NAIS and its implementation;
perhaps none is more pronounced than having 29 different specie groups
trying to devise their own means of implementing a program that remains
voluntary. While there are a lot of legitimate concerns about NAIS,
ranging from cost to the right technology, farm-to-fork traceability is
quickly becoming the standard in the global marketplace. It’s also
increasingly being demanded by consumers.
What’s most striking, and problematic for the industry, is that
consumers already assume the industry has such a traceback capability.
As they become more aware of our lack of traceability, we can expect
them to become increasingly vocal.
-- Troy Marshall
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The table of adjustment factors to be used to estimate across-breed
expected progeny differences (AB-EPDs) for 16 breeds was presented at
the Beef Improvement Federation Annual Meeting in Calgary, Alberta last
week (see attached table).
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Larry Kuehn, USMARC research geneticist
Click to view table.
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Adding sizzle to grilling
This summer, new checkoff-funded promotions encourage consumers to
choose beef for grilling. From co-marketing partnerships with Kraft
A.1.® Steak Sauce and Sutter Home, to grocery-store promotions and
radio advertising, your checkoff reminds people to add sizzle to
grilling with beef. Get to know your checkoff: www.MyBeefCheckoff.com or
(303) 220-9890. 
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Cattle owners in Alabama will vote July 29 to continue a voluntary,
statewide beef checkoff program. Voting will take place from 8:30 a.m.-4
p.m. at county Extension offices in the state.
The Alabama beef checkoff is a voluntary 50¢/head assessment made in
addition to the $1 national beef checkoff. Alabama cattlemen vote every
five years whether to continue the program. The money is used in the
state for various programs and funds have been sent to the U.S. Meat
Export Federation to increase international sales of U.S. beef,
according to the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association (ACA).
For more on the state checkoff, including the marketing plan, go to
www.bamabeef.org or call
ACA at 334-265-1867.
-- Burt Rutherford
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Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Beef Improvement Federation
(BIF) honored a number of industry contributors during its annual
meeting in Calgary, Alberta last week. - Kniebel Farms & Cattle
Co., a 130-year-old diversified family operation in White City, KS, was
presented the Commercial Producer of the Year Award.
- TC Ranch, a 58-year-old, family-oriented purebred Angus operation
located in the Republican Valley of south-central Nebraska, was
presented the Seedstock Producer of the Year Award.
- Robert Church, internationally known expert in the transfer of
genetics, biotechnology and molecular biology to the food and fiber
industries, was presented the Pioneer Award. The award recognizes
individuals who have made lasting contributions to the improvement of
beef cattle and who have had a major role in the acceptance performance
reporting and documentation as the primary means to make genetic change
in beef cattle populations.
- Don Vaniman, the first executive secretary of the American Simmental
Association, was presented a Pioneer Award.
- Harry Haney, considered instrumental in the development of the
artificial-insemination industry in Canada, was presented a Pioneer
Award.
- Louis Taylor Latimer, former Shorthorn and current Hereford and
Angus breeder, was presented a Pioneer Award.
- Dale Kelly, vice-president of the Ag, Biotechnology and Food
Division of Saskatchewan Research Council, was presented a Continuing
Service Award. It recognizes individuals who have made a major
contribution to BIF.
- Doug Fee, CEO of the Canadian Aberdeen Angus Association, was
presented a Continuing Service Award.
- Duncan J. Porteous, longtime Canadian Hereford Association
contributor, was presented with a Continuing Service Award.
- Canadian Cattlemen magazine, and principals Gren Winslow and
Larry Thomas, were presented the Ambassador Award. It’s given annually
to media representatives who have made a major contribution to beef
improvement and/or BIF.
For more coverage on these award winners and
BIF presentations, visit: www.bifconference.com.
-- BIF news releases
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Bill Bowman has been named the American Angus Association (AAA)
chief operating officer, effective immediately. Bowman is a 16-year AAA
veteran, and also serves in other leadership roles such as vice
president of information and data programs, director of performance
programs and president of Angus Genetics Inc., a subsidiary of the
association. As COO, Bowman will oversee the daily operations of the
association. He is a graduate of the University of
Missouri-Columbia.
-- AAA News
Release
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It doesn't take Bill Mies long to roll out his best-case scenario
for the next 18 months. That's because the beef management consultant,
and former feedyard manager and Texas A&M University academic, has
always been a realist – and the reality is that change is in the
offing.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Burt Rutherford
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USDA’s May announcement that it would allow for the haying and
grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres after nesting season
is now on hold. The National Wildlife Federation was able to obtain a
temporary restraining order from U.S. District Court in Seattle for
USDA’s failure to do an environmental impact statement prior to the
May announcement. A hearing on this issue is scheduled for next week.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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J. Burton Eller has been named head of the National Cattlemen’s
Beef Association’s (NCBA) Washington, D.C. office, replacing Jay
Truitt, who left in a major staff shakeup earlier this year. Eller
currently serves as USDA under secretary of ag for marketing and
regulatory affairs. Earlier in his career, he was senior vice president
of government affairs for the former National Cattlemen’s Association
(NCA) and also served as executive vice president of NCA.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) marked an ominous
anniversary last week when it expanded, once again, the preventive fever
tick quarantine area in South Texas.
“In July 2007, the first preventive quarantine was established –
39,325 acres in Starr county – to enable USDA’s Tick Force and the
TAHC to inspect and treat livestock moved from the area, get ahead of
the fever tick and push it back across the quarantine line,” says Bob
Hillman, Texas state veterinarian. Now, just a year later, he says Texas
has more than a million acres under preventive quarantines, in addition
to the half-million acres in the permanent quarantine zone that runs
along the Rio Grande.
As USDA and state animal health officials find more and more tick
incursions outside the permanent quarantine zone, already scarce
resources are stretched even farther, Hillman says. “This is no longer
a ‘border war’ against the fever tick,” he says. “The fever tick
has gained a substantial foothold on Texas soil, and without adequate
resources to fight this pest, it will spread.”
For more on the federal-state effort, go to www.tahc.state.tx.us and
beefmagazine.com/health/long_thin_line/index.html.
-- TAHC release
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Rely on the power of Angus data, industry leading technology,
continuing research and unmatched value-added marketing opportunities.
Angus, the power of people and progress.
www.angus.org
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To help put the change in feed costs the last couple of years into
perspective, James Mintert, Kansas State University economist, says
it’s useful to look back at the prices over time to see how much
things have changed.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by James Mintert, Livestock Marketing Info Service
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The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline once again
climbed into record territory, increasing 1.9¢ to $4.114/gal., for the
week ending July 7. Meanwhile, diesel reversed its drops of recent
weeks, shooting up by 8.2¢ to an all-time high of $4.727/gal.
Gasoline hit record highs in all regions but the West Coast. The East
Coast was up 2.2¢ to $4.079, the Midwest 2.8¢ to $4.059, the Gulf
Coast 3¢ to $3.958, and the Rocky Mountains 3.1¢ to $4.065. The West
Coast shaved 1.6¢ ($4.44), and California was down 2.3¢ to $4.55.
Diesel was up in all regions. The East Coast jumped 8.5¢ to $4.789, the
Midwest increased 8.3¢ to $4.654, and the Gulf Coast rose 9.3¢ to
$4.697. The Rocky Mountains gained 3.4¢ to $4.672, the West Coast added
6.9¢ ($4.886), and California moved up by 7.3¢ to $5.001/gal.
-- Energy Information Administration
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A coalition of livestock organizations is urging Congress to pass a
“clean” reauthorization of the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) this
year. In a letter to Congress, the coalition said, ADUFA authorizes the
Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to collect fees to be “used to review
certain animal drug applications. These fees allow FDA to supplement its
rigorous and robust review of animal drugs by providing additional
resources for timely reviews of new animal drug applications. More
timely reviews ensure that livestock, dairy and poultry producers and
their veterinarians have expedited access to new and innovative products
for livestock and poultry without compromising the quality and integrity
of the federal review process, thus ensuring public and animal
health.”
The coalition also informed Congress it opposes legislative proposals to
ban the use of certain antibiotics for livestock. Some proposals would
only allow the use of antibiotics when an animal is sick.
The coalition said, “Eliminating a producer’s and veterinarian’s
ability to prevent disease with antibiotics actually would result in
sick and suffering animals and would not improve public health or
address the real concern of antimicrobial resistance in humans.
Compliance with producer and veterinarian responsible-use programs will
accomplish the goal of protecting public health and animal health and
well-being.”
Organizations signing the letter include: American Farm Bureau
Federation, American Sheep Industry Association, National Cattlemen’s
Beef Association, National Chicken Council, National Milk Producers
Federation, National Pork Producers Council, National Turkey Federation,
and United Egg Producers.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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Hot, dry summer weather brings about heat and drought stress on
summer forage crops. Stressed plants such as the forage sorghums can
occasionally accumulate dangerous concentrations of nitrates, says Glenn
Selk, Oklahoma State University Extension animal scientist. These
high-nitrate plants, either standing in the field or fed as hay, can
cause abortion in cattle or death if consumed in great enough
quantities.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Ron Hays, Radio Oklahoma Network
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“The New Era of High Input Costs” is the theme for the Texas A&M
Beef Cattle Short Course, Aug. 4-6, at Texas A&M University in College
Station.
Coordinated by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, the general session
will focus on the future of the beef industry and what producers can do
to maintain profitability. Other topics include discussions on the
domestic and global factors that are causing sharp increases in
production costs; advanced production practices that cattle producers
can implement to improve operation efficiency; and future global demand
for beef and commodities, and the future of the beef export market. Also
featured are 20 other specialized workshops that are part of the
cattleman’s college sessions.
Registration is $140 before July 28, and includes admission to the
2½-day conference, the cattleman’s college, a 300-page proceedings,
trade show, prime-rib dinner, breakfasts and noon meals, and morning and
afternoon refreshment breaks. Go to beef.tamu.edu to register, or call
979-845-6931 for more info.
-- Texas A&M University release
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Korean importers of U.S beef are conducting large-scale sales
promotions aiming at selling thousands of tons of U.S. beef stored in
cold warehouses across the country, the Korea Times reports.
The article says 85 tons of beef out of 5,300 tons in frozen storage
already in Korea will be available on the market once it’s passed
through quarantine check-up processes, according to the Ministry of Ag,
Forestry and Fisheries and the National Vet Research Quarantine Service.
On June 30, the Korean Import Beef Association said it wanted to have
about 200 affiliated members join a massive discount sale until the end
of July. Importers have explained that their biggest concern is to
dispose of the stock while it’s still good. About 1,000 tons of the
whole storage was imported as chilled meat but kept frozen because of
the import suspension, according to the New Queensland Register.
Meanwhile, tens of thousand of Koreans protested against the beef over
the weekend. The protests drew the attention of UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon, who told the Wall Street Journal: “It’s important
for the government to be responsible for protecting public welfare and
health. At the same time, it is also very important for the people to
trust the government, to support the government policies and to support
the government’s desire to keep international standards and
agreements.”
U.S. senators have also written to the Korean and U.S. presidents to ask
for a resolution to the beef issue.
-- National Meat Association “Lean Trimmings”
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The content of the July issue of BEEF magazine is now
available at beefmagazine.com. Read articles
on fenceline weaning (“The Nose Knows”), a discussion on the pros
and cons of rotational grazing (“Is Rotational Better”), a roundup
of the changing supply and demand factors on the global beef market
(“Global Beef Wrap”), and practical advice on disposal of needles
(“A Sticking Point”). In addition, you’ll find the latest advice
from “Market Advisor” Harlan Hughes on designing the “Optimal
production/marketing system,” and much more. It’s all at beefmagazine.com.
-- Joe Roybal
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A total of 35 companies and organizations are urging President
George W. Bush to suspend the duties and quotas on imported ethanol used
for motor fuel.
The letter to the President said, “The suspension of the 54¢/gal.
duty on ethanol will benefit Americans by introducing market competition
for a product that is mandated and by fostering downward pressure for
ethanol and its feedstock.” It also said, “The introduction of
market competition will alleviate a portion of the unnecessary feed and
food price inflationary pressures that are adversely affecting our
economic well-being and American consumers.”
Those signing the letter included: American Bakers Association, American
Beverage Association, American Meat Institute, Dean Foods Company,
Grocery Manufacturers Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef
Association, National Chicken Council, National Milk Producers
Federation, National Pork Producers Council, National Turkey Federation,
and The Snack Food Association.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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There are some new elements in the story of “story” beef, says
Gary Smith with Colorado State University, and all cattlemen will
ultimately be affected with how the tale ends.
Smith described the narrative used in selling “story” beef as,
“I’m going to tell you a story about my beef. My story consists of a
number of ‘value propositions’ (i.e., elements I think are important
to you). Because I do some special things, I must recover special costs
of production.”
Story beef can be successful, he says, because consumers who purchase
and eat natural, grass-fed or organic beef want to feel connected to the
source of that beef and want to believe that someone – some specific
farmer or rancher – personally, watched over and provided oversight of
the raising system.
However, there are some new elements of “story” beef, he says. These
new elements are embodied in the questions, “Did the people who grew
the cattle live nearby? Properly care for the animals? Treat farm/ranch
workers fairly? Practice environmental stewardship? Operate sustainably?
Receive a fair price?
“Of the new elements of ‘story’ beef, proper care and handling of
animals that produced the food is of greatest importance to the future
of the beef industry.” Smith says. “Consumers care about animal
care, and there’s an activist agenda designed to make people feel
guilty about eating meat.” He says the beef industry’s strongest
arguments in favor of its efforts in animal welfare are the Beef Quality
Assurance program’s “Code of Ethics” regarding animal welfare and
the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s “Guidelines for the
Care & Handling of Cattle.”
-- Burt Rutherford
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USDA has begun distributing Direct and Counter-cyclical Program
(DCP) payments to producers who elected to receive a 22% advance payment
when they enrolled in DCP. The direct payment for covered commodities
for 2008 equals 85% of the farm's base acreage for the crop, times the
direct payment yield for that crop, times the direct payment rate for
that crop.
According to USDA, commodities with base acres eligible for direct
payments and their 2008 rates are: barley, 24¢/bu.; corn, 28¢/bu.;
grain sorghum, 35¢/bu.; oats, .024¢/bu.; soybeans, .44¢/bu.; other
oilseeds (canola, crambe, flaxseed, mustard seed, rapeseed, safflower,
sesame seed, sunflower seed), 80¢/cwt.; peanuts, $36/ton; long grain
and medium grain rice, $2.35/cwt.; upland cotton, .0667¢/lb.; and
wheat, 52¢/bu. Final direct payments will be issued after Oct. 1.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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USDA has released Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for
livestock grazing in counties recently designated as Presidential
Disaster Areas because of flooding. The release permits grazing only in
counties designated as primary and contiguous disaster areas and only
because of flooding.
The states with counties that will permit livestock grazing include:
Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota,
Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. For a county listing, go to:
www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/07/0179.xml.
To be approved, CRP participants must write their county FSA office,
obtain a modified conservation plan and receive county office approval
before beginning to graze. Participants will experience a 25% reduction
in their CRP rental payments.
-- USDA news release
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Managers and owners of animal-feeding operations can get an update
on federal air quality regulations during a July 18 webcast. The
webcast, scheduled to begin at 1:30 CDT, features an update on reporting
requirements, application of the Clean Air Act for animal operations and
recent developments in national ambient air quality standards, among
other topics.
The virtual meeting room opens 15 minutes before the start time. Go to
www.extension.org/pages/Live_Webcast_Information
-- University of Nebraska release
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