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One has to keep in mind that the $300-billion farm bill is largely
about nutrition programs and conservation; only marginally is it about
grain production. Nor is the livestock industry very directly involved,
though it is indirectly influenced by a lot of it.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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The banning of horse slaughter in the U.S. was one of those
emotional ideas everyone agreed with initially and that rather handily
passed into law. Unfortunately, the experts were right. Since the
nation’s three horse-slaughter plants were closed by the pulling of
federal inspection services last year, horse prices have fallen
throughout the system, and neglect has skyrocketed as people have no way
of disposing of unwanted animals.
This week, the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA), as part of its
legislative efforts, called on members of Congress to change the law.
LMA President Jim Santomaso said the industry is seeing “more and more
reports of abandoned horses, and of horses turned out and left to
starve, because owners can’t afford their upkeep, or have the means to
properly dispose of them.” Santomaso, the operator of a Sterling, CO
market, said LMA members report that horses are being left at their
facilities when they don’t sell, “because their owners don’t want
them back.”
Of course, the Humane Society of the U.S. looks to take the suffering
even further, seeking legislation that would also ban the transport of
horses to outside countries for slaughter. I suppose a bright side to
all this is that the “wild” horse population stands to get a big new
infusion of genetics, as people increasingly turn horses they can’t
care for out onto public lands.
-- Troy Marshall
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It’s been said thousands of times that “nothing great is ever
accomplished without enthusiasm,” something that’s especially true
in ag. When one is dealing with Mother Nature and cyclical commodity
markets, there are going to be a fair share of obstacles and challenges.
Without enthusiasm for the future, it’s difficult to harness the
energy required to take advantage of the opportunities created via
difficulties.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has extended
the signup period for the 2008 Conservation Security Program (CSP) until
May 30. Landowners in 51 eligible watersheds across the country have two
additional weeks to apply. Originally, signup was scheduled to end May
16.
CSP, a voluntary program, encourages and rewards producers who practice
outstanding stewardship on working ag land by offering financial
incentives that increase with the level of conservation effort. Soil and
water quality are the primary focus of this program; however, program
goals also include improved wildlife habitat, air quality, and
environmentally responsible energy production.
NRCS began CSP in 2004. Currently, there are 331 enrolled watersheds
covering nearly 248 million acres in CSP nationwide, including the 51
watersheds in this year’s sign-up. For more info about CSP and
eligibility requirements, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/
-- Texas AgrLife Extension news release
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Bryce Schumann, Lecompton, KS, is the new CEO of the American Angus
Association (AAA), effective June 13. He has served as the AAA’s
director of member services for the past seven years, and replaces John
Crouch, who announced in February his intention to retire.
As CEO, Schumann will serve as chief administrative officer and vice
chairman of the board of directors of each of the association’s
subsidiaries: Angus Productions Inc., Certified Angus Beef LLC, Angus
Genetics Inc. and the Angus Foundation. To learn more, visit www.angus.org/newsroom/releases/Schumann_Association_CEO.html.
-- AAA news release
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Lovers may croon that the object of their affection is the “wind
beneath their wings.” For farmers, it’s been ethanol.
According to the Kansas Farm Management Association (KFMA), the average
net farm income for its members last year was $115,035, more than double
the 2006 figure of $46,593 and $56,982 in 2005. Ten years ago, the
average net farm income was $59,352, according to KFMA.
Livestock producers, hit with high grain and hay prices in addition to
high fuel costs, didn’t fare quite as well. Operations classified as
cash crop-backgrounding farms showed an average net farm income of
$74,803. Cow-calf operations came in at $34,948.
In contrast, net farm income for dryland crop farms averaged $120,594;
producers with irrigated crops averaged $280,585.
And it appears that grain prices will continue to be fueled by ethanol,
according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. That’s good news for
farmers battling high input costs, bad news for cattlemen battling the
same high inputs plus high feed costs.
Commenting on USDA’s “World Agricultural Supply and Demand
Estimates” report for May, Farm Bureau senior economist Terry Francl
said, “With the exception of wheat, supply and demand balances
particularly for corn and beans will remain tight and prices high.
Moreover, despite the high crop prices of the past year or so, it is not
clear that demand rationing has truly begun.”
Consequently, he says, it’s unclear just how high prices will go.
“Perhaps $7/bu. for corn and $15/bu. for beans before the rationing
process truly sets in. I sense we’re getting close to that point, but
we aren’t there quite yet.”
-- Burt Rutherford
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In very strong bipartisan votes, the House of Representatives and
the Senate passed the “Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.”
The House vote was 318-106 and the Senate vote was 81-15; a majority of
both Democrats and Republicans supported the bill in both chambers.
Some of the highlights of the $289-billion, five-year bill are:
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C. correspondent
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The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline jumped 10.9¢ for
the week ending May 12 to an all-time high of $3.722/gal. Meanwhile,
diesel registered its third-largest one-week increase – 18.2¢ – to
set a new mark of $4.331/gal.
Gasoline increased for the seventh straight week, a time period
that’s seen a total jump of 46.3¢/gal. Regional prices increased
across the U.S., with the East Coast adding 10.3¢ to $3.713, the
Midwest surging 15.7¢ to $3.736, and the Gulf Coast up by 10.9¢ to
$3.616. The Rocky Mountain region increased 11.5¢ to $3.609, the West
Coast moved up by 3.3¢ to $3.833, and California added 1.6¢ to reach
$3.919.
Diesel’s new record is $1.558/gal. higher than a year ago. The East
Coast increased by 18.3¢ to $4.377, the Midwest surged 19.7¢ to
$4.298, the Gulf Coast added 18.4¢ to $4.268, and the Rocky Mountain
region rose 12¢ to $4.276. The West Coast jumped 15.1¢ to hit $4.454,
and California ballooned by 16.5¢ to $4.547.
-- Energy Information Administration
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If you’re not yet playing MarketMaxx – the corn and soybean
marketing game that can win you one year’s use of a new Gleaner
combine or an AGCO tractor – then sign up at www.MarketMaxx.net.
The aim of MarketMaxx is to help improve your marketing skills. Signup
deadline is May 31.
Each player has a simulated 100,000 bu. of corn and 50,000 bu. of
soybeans to trade using futures, options or cash forward contracts.
Each player has a password-secured individual account, and trades can be
made at any time until the game ends on Oct. 31.
Eligible farmers who sell their entire allotment of corn or soybeans at
the highest average price by when the contest ends will be grand-prize
winners. Runners-up will also take home big prizes.
Grand prize for the corn contest is a Gleaner R5 or A5 series combine
(up to 100 combine separator hours). The soybean winner receives a
year's use (not to exceed 250 hours) of any PowerMaxx CVT-equipped AGCO
RT or DT series tractor.
Second prize for each contest is a complete computer system plus
software from Syngenta Crop Protection. Third prize in the corn contest
is a complete Leica mojoRTK auto-steer system from Leica Geosystems.
Third prize in the soybean contest and fourth prize in the corn contest
is a DICKEY-john mini GAC Plus handheld moisture tester.
Participants receive the MarketMaxx e-newsletter for updates on the
game. It features a contest leaderboard, market commentary from leading
university and private grain-marketing specialists, and news. The
newsletter arrives in your email box every other week throughout the
year.
“MarketMaxx can show growers how to write a marketing plan, then allow
them to use futures, options or forward contracts to make periodic sales
when prices are high,” says Corn & Soybean Digest editor Greg
Lamp. Best of all, there’s no cost to playing MarketMaxx, and no
margin calls.
Go to www.marketmaxx.net for more
info and to register.
-- Corn & Soybean Digest magazine
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The Kansas Animal Health Department unveiled a program in Great Bend
this week aimed at halting the spread of animal disease and identifying
the source within 48 hours. The "Locate 48" campaign aims to increase
the number of livestock premises registered through a national disease
trace-back program. Just shy of 15% of such premises in Kansas are
currently registered.
The need for animal trace-back came to a head in December 2003 after the
first U.S. case of mad cow disease was discovered in Washington state.
Bryan Rickard, Kansas Animal ID System manager, says the program is
aimed at protecting Kansas' annual $12 billion livestock industry. The
program includes sending brochures to all unregistered premises, a
billboard and advertising.
As of May 5, a total of 461,846 livestock premises in the U.S., or
32.1%, have been registered. To learn more about the National Animal
Identification System, visit: animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/naislibrary/documents/plans_reports/NAIS_Prem_Stat_Report.pdf
-- BEEF staff
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South Korean lawmakers opposed to the fuller reopening of beef trade
with the U.S. are threatening a lawsuit to stop the plan. The
JoongAng Daily reports three opposition parties – United
Democratic, Liberty Forward and Democratic Labor – planned to file a
constitutional suit this week to stop the government from implementing
the terms of a Korea-U.S. agreement on imported beef.
“We want to protect the people from harm to their lives, health and
safety. This cannot be done if the Minister of Agriculture legally
implements the agreement,” the lawmakers said in a draft of the
lawsuit. The lawmakers also want the government to go back to the
bargaining table with the U.S. to hammer out key changes to the
agreement before the beef imports are approved, among them is tougher
feed regulations, the article says.
“Without a renegotiation on the beef deal, there is no point in
discussing the ratification of the free-trade agreement," said Kim
Hyo-seuk, the United Democratic Party floor leader.
-- Joe Roybal
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Attorneys for the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund today sent a
Notice of Intent to Sue letter to USDA and the Michigan Department of Ag
(MDA) over implementation of the National Animal Identification System
(NAIS). It asks USDA and MDA to "immediately suspend the funding and
implementation of NAIS," and "fully and fairly examine" the need for
such a program.
MDA has implemented the first two stages of NAIS – property
registration and animal ID – for all cattle and farmers across
Michigan as part of a mandatory bovine tuberculosis disease control
program.
The Notice (www.farmtoconsumer.org)
charges USDA has never published rules regarding NAIS, in violation of
the Federal Administrative Procedures Act; has never performed an
environmental impact statement or an environmental assessment as
required by the National Environmental Policy Act; is in violation of
the Regulatory Flexibility Act that requires analysis of proposed rules
for their impact on small entities and local governments; and violates
religious freedoms guaranteed by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
-- Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund release
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The Meat and Poultry Promotion Coalition sent a letter to the
leadership of the Senate and House Ag Committees stating its support of
the Livestock Title of the 2008 farm bill and urged House and Senate
members to support the bill.
The letter said the coalition was pleased that the farm bill “does not
include burdensome provisions, such as the ban on packer ownership and
more regulation of poultry processors. We’re also pleased that the
country of origin labeling (COOL) provisions provide producers, packers
and retailers with greater clarity and reduce many of the burdensome
requirements contained in the COOL provisions included in the 2002 farm
bill.”
The letter was signed by the American Meat Institute, National
Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Chicken Council, National Meat
Association, National Pork Producers Council and the National Turkey
Federation.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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A broad coalition of 557 organizations representing general farm
organizations, commodity groups, specialty crops, conservation,
nutrition, consumer and religious organizations sent a letter to all
members of the House of Representatives asking them to strongly support
the 2008 farm bill conference report.
The letter said, the farm bill makes “significant farm policy reforms,
protects the safety net for all of America’s food producers, addresses
important infrastructure needs for specialty crops, increases funding to
feed our nation’s poor, and enhances support for important
conservation initiatives.”
Some of the signing groups included: the American Farm Bureau
Federation, National Farmers Union, America’s Second Harvest, American
Farmland Trust, American Soybean Association, CropLife America, Farm
Credit Council, National Association of Conservation Districts, National
Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association,
National Cotton Council, National Grange, National Head Start
Association, National Milk Producers Federation, U.S. Beet Sugar
Association, and USA Rice Federation.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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www.RuralClassifieds.com
is a new portal website that directs visitors to five internet sites
serving America's farmers, ranchers, businesses and residents with free
classified ads. A single log-in allowing users to place an ad on any of
the sites, is easy to use and time efficient.
The websites include: www.BullShop.com, serving the
cow-calf industry; www.GoatBreeders.biz, serving
the goat industry; www.SheepBreeders.biz,
serving the sheep industry; and www.RuralAds.com, serving the
general rural market.
-- Web Biz, Inc. release
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Ranching amid skyrocketing grain and fuel prices will be the focus
of this year’s Ranchers' Roundup set for May 20 in Sonora’s Sutton
County Civic Center. The program begins at 8:30 a.m., and topics
include: feed and fuel price outlook, ranch management to minimize cost,
brush control cost comparisons, current issues facing the livestock
industry, livestock assistance programs and resources, and alternative
income from rangeland. Registration, which covers a noon meal and
educational materials, is $15 by May 16, and $25 thereafter. To
pre-register or for more info, call Texas AgriLife Extension at
325-387-3101.
-- Joe Roybal
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The House of Representatives Small Business Committee held a hearing
on rising food prices and their effects on the food chain. Witnesses
noted that forces such as changing weather patterns, increased global
demand for food items in the emerging markets, and record oil prices
have created a “perfect storm” and that “no single variable could
have caused the current situation on its own.” Witnesses included
representatives of the National Farmers Union, National Restaurant
Association, American Bakers Association, Grocery Manufacturers
Association and the Renewable Fuels Association.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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Cattle will eat just about anything that looks interesting in the
pasture, says Dave Sparks, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension veterinarian
and area food animal quality and health specialist. With spring storms
popping up around the country, insulation and building debris can blow
into pastures and be a problem.
Insulation can cause bloat, impaction and gastro-intestinal problems
when consumed, including possible hemorrhaging of the rumen. Hardware
disease from nails and other small pieces of metal is another
concern.
“Producers are going to have to pick up as much debris from their
pastures as possible,” Sparks says. “This can be a painstaking,
labor-intensive process given the potential amount of small
debris.”
Consider rumen magnets if there appears to be a lot of metal debris in
your pastures after a storm, he says. “Insulation debris are more
problematic because of the small size. Producers are unlikely to rid
their pastures of every bit of insulation. If animals exhibit symptoms
of insulation-related problems, producers should contact their local
veterinarian immediately.”
-- Oklahoma State University release
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A long-held industry perception is that cattle from the South are
worth less than their Midwestern counterparts. Not true, says Darrell
Busby, Iowa Extension beef specialist.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Miranda Reiman, CAB release
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Not only has frequent rain slowed spring planting, but many pastures
are getting muddy and damaged by hoof traffic, says Bruce Anderson,
University of Nebraska (UNL) Extension forage specialist, in his latest
“Hay & Forage Minutes.”
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension forage specialist
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The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recently approved
a new policy on the humane transport of equines which reaffirms the
organization’s opposition to double-deck trailers to transport horses
and other equines.
The new policy also provides some guidelines on assessing trailers for
equine transport. Considerations include: sufficient headroom so horses
can stand with their heads at normal height; appropriate ventilation; no
protrusions that can cause injury; doors and ramps big enough to provide
safe loading and unloading; appropriate footing and enough space to
redistribute weight should the trailer shift; and segregating stallions
and other aggressive horses.
To see the complete policy, go to www.avma.org/issues/policy/animal_welfare/equine_transport.asp.
-- AVMA release
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