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The New York Times article on E. coli focusing almost
exclusively on ground beef was another demand-damaging blow. The most
troubling thing was not the overt sensationalism of the issue, but
rather that a good portion of the article was justifiable and accurate.
Sure, as an industry we have made tremendous progress relative to
food-borne illness, and it certainly can be argued that the standard of
0% contamination is impossible to achieve. But another inescapable
conclusion is that we must do a better job.
The article also took USDA to task for its competing goals of promoting
agriculture and protecting consumers. I would argue that those two
goals are rarely antagonistic and usually are congruent, but in today's
age where profits and capitalism in general are deemed problematic, that
is not an argument that is going to be well received. The USDA
Secretary's tepid response that cited working groups and appointments,
while largely deflecting any blame backwards to previous
administrations, was received in the light it was given.
The cover-their-behinds attitude so prevalent throughout the article by
retailers, processors, and government entities was the most damning
aspect of the article. This attitude may be an understandable part of
any government bureaucracy with political overtones, and a necessity in
today's litigious society, but nevertheless it portrays the image that
other concerns take priority over consumer safety.
It doesn't matter if the issue is food safety or animal welfare—as an
industry we must demonstrate that we have declared an all-out war to
eliminate any problems regardless of how rare they are. Facts and
figures showing continual incremental improvement do little in the face
of a story about a young lady whose life was devastated by E.
coli or contrasted to a Hallmark video showing actual abuse.
-- Troy Marshall
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The new normal is the “in vogue” thing to talk about. In a
nutshell, it refers to a macroeconomic environment that has
fundamentally changed for the next five to 10 years, where equilibrium
levels will be well below what we have experienced in the past.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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I want to thank everyone for their suggestions and comments
regarding a previous article that talked about a friend who felt he was
at the end of his rope - with his marriage and financial life seemingly
crumbling around him. Most of your comments centered on faith, prayer,
hard work, hope and counseling. I'm happy to report that I shared much
of the advice you provided with him, and that he was greatly
appreciative. It appears that he may have found a little slack in his
rope and while he would be the first to admit that there is still much
work to be done, he now has hope.
-- Troy Marshall
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There was a lot of controversy created when it was discovered that
many legislators hadn't even read the health care bill, but were being
asked to vote on it. Well, I tried reading the Baucus bill and my wife
will tell anyone that I can spend more time on the arcane than most, but
I couldn't make myself do it.
Then this week, Sens. Boxer and Kerry debuted the long-awaited "cap and
trade bill." I couldn't bring myself to read all 800 pages of this bill
either, even though the implications for agriculture are far more direct
than the health care bill.
Relying on those good souls who have taken the time to actually read the
bill, it has been widely praised by environmentalists and condemned by
business and agriculture. Both sides agree that it would result in
significantly higher energy costs and would call for more aggressive
cuts in greenhouse gasses than the House version.
Perhaps it is not time to read the bills; the House bill was considered
to be dead on arrival and the Senate doesn't appear overly excited about
picking up this battle, with health care and an overhaul of the
financial regulatory system on the front burner.
It is interesting to see the attitude toward climate change. The
impetus behind acting quickly on a climate change bill seems to be more
about appearance than substance. We want to appear as taking a
leadership role globally, and there are perceived political benefits to
enacting something prior to the 2010 elections.
-- Troy Marshall
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There’s still time for folks who want to learn about beef cattle
production systems in Argentina and Brazil to sign up for the 2010 Beef
Study Tour to South America. The Feb. 2-15 tour is sponsored by the
Montana Beef Quality Assurance (MBQA) program and BEEF magazine.
"In today's global marketplace, cattlemen need to know what the
competition is up to and how they're doing it," says Clint Peck of
Billings, MT, MBQA director. "We've developed an itinerary that will
give beef producers around the U.S. the best possible look at beef
systems in these two ag powerhouses."
Peck and Burt Rutherford, BEEF Senior Editor from Amarillo, TX,
will lead the tour along with travel coordinator Renata Stephens of
Brazilian Liaison. Stephens is a Brazil native with extensive experience
in South American ag excursions.
Tour participants will visit a variety of cattle ranching and feeding
operations in Brazil's west-central subtropical cattle farming regions
and in Argentina's temperate climate. Highlights will include an
Argentine cattle-feeding operation and a Brazilian meatpacking plant.
Among the other stops will be a federal beef cattle research center and
a high-tech cattle seedstock operation.
"The purpose is to learn about the challenges and opportunities facing
South American ranchers as competitors in international markets," Peck
says. "Participants will have a firsthand look at their strengths and
weaknesses – as well as their lives and lifestyles."
Tour participants will visit world-class tourist sites in Buenos Aires,
Argentina and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Tour cost is estimated at $5,500/person (double occupancy and based on
25 participants), which includes all international airfare, in-country
air and motor coach transportation, 12 nights of business-class lodging
and most meals – along with local guides and translators.
For more info, contact Renata Stephens at renata@brazilianliaison.com
or call (763) 972-8080. A tour itinerary can be viewed at www.brazilianliaison.com.
-- Clint Peck, Montana Beef Quality Assurance
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CRYSTALYX® is the original low-moisture block supplement program
designed to get results AND save you time and money. For better
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and other forages, the choice is clear. CRYSTALYX.
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Following last week’s announcement by the Baltimore school
district that it will institute “Meatless Mondays,” American Meat
Institute President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle sent a letter this week
that “schooled” the district’s superintendent on the role of meat
in the diet.
In the letter to Andres A. Alonso, Boyle pointed out that the
district’s web site says three of four students in the Baltimore
school district are eligible for free and reduced meals. “Did you
also know that according to food banks nationwide, meat is the most
requested and least available food?” Boyle asked. “The population
of children you serve in particular needs the protein and essential
vitamins that meat and poultry products offer and school meals may be
the only significant source of meat and poultry in their diets.”
To read the letter, go to www.meatami.com/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/53823.
-- Burt Rutherford
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The overwhelming majority of American farmers and ranchers adhere to
nationally accepted animal care guidelines and demonstrate their
commitment to their animals and their land on a daily basis.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
release by Animal Ag Alliance
|
 The Alliance Yellow Pages is the industry's
most complete listing of marketing options for your calf
crop.
The annual listing of industry alliances is categorized by consumer
based programs, where the focus is on finding, feeding and marketing
cattle according to predefined consumer product specifications, or
calf-based programs, where calves are procured to fit specific value
requirements. The listings provide the contact information and
specifications for the industry's top value-based marketing programs.
The Alliance Yellow Pages are sponsored by Elanco Animal Health.
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American Humane® Certified (AHC) has officially launched its
new humane training program that fully answers the food industry’s
call for better trained animal handlers. The program’s curriculum
focuses on best practices and the science-based standards originated by
AHC and its Scientific Advisory Committee.
The new training is available online and on-site. An important aspect
of the curriculum is the early recognition of behavior or health
problems that could be detrimental to the individual animal or the
entire flock or herd. It addresses animal-welfare issues and poor
animal husbandry that are created by a lack of worker/handler knowledge.
The program instructors are animal science professionals who will
provide onsite demonstrations and guidance in appropriate handling and
treatment, whether in the barn or in the field.
For more on AHC please go to www.thehumanetouch.org.
For more on American Humane visit www.americanhumane.org.
-- American Humane release
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As the third quarter comes to a close, the market’s attention
turns to the beef supply picture going into the holiday season. One
factor that will have some impact in the short term is the availability
of imported beef and how that will affect overall beef consumption in
the fourth quarter.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
report by CME Group Daily Livestock
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 Social Networking For Beef Industry
Professionals
BEEF content is available on Facebook, a social networking tool
increasingly used by beef industry professionals. Interact with readers
and editors, participate in discussions and keep up-to-date with
industry happenings. Become a
fan of BEEF!
BEEF is also on Twitter, a micro-blogging site that provides
brief status updates on people, groups or organizations. Users can
"follow" people or groups, including news organizations that they want
to keep up-to-date with. Follow BEEF on
Twitter!!
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As tuberculosis (TB) has become less prevalent in recent years, the
current national program may not provide the best mitigation for
individual states to manage and eliminate the disease. To help provide
future direction for TB eradication, the U.S. Animal Health Association
(USAHA) has released a report of a symposium held this summer on the
future of the U.S. national tuberculosis program.
Breakout sessions during the symposium generated discussion on priority
program areas and participants helped develop action steps as
recommendations to USDA. The intent, USAHA says, was not necessarily to
reach consensus, but to provide a menu of options for USDA to consider.
The “Report of the Future of the National Tuberculosis Program”
contains detailed background information on each of the six topics
identified—importation of infected cattle; wildlife-associated
disease transmission; diagnostic testing limitations and needs;
surveillance, traceability and investigation deficiencies; modernizing
regulations; and disease control approach. To read the report, go to
www.usaha.org.
-- United States Animal Health Association
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Before the fall breeding season begins, a few simple management
procedures involving the bulls can increase the likelihood of a high
pregnancy percentage among the cows:
- In multi-sire breeding pastures, ensure that bulls to be
pastured together have been in a common trap or pasture prior to the
breeding season. Bulls WILL establish a social hierarchy. They will
fight to find out who is “king of the mountain.” It is better to
get this done before the breeding season begins, rather than wait until
they are first placed with the cows.
- Put young bulls with young bulls, and mature bulls with mature
bulls. Mixing the ages will result in the mature bull dominating the
younger bull completely, and in some instances causing a serious injury.
If the plan is to rotate bulls during the breeding season, then use
the mature bulls first, and follow with the yearling bulls in the last
third of the breeding season. In this way, the young bulls will have
fewer cows to breed, and will be 1-2 months older when they start
breeding.
- Breeding soundness exams will be a cost-effective way to help weed
out those bulls that may be dominant in the bull pasture, but due to
poor semen quality, could cause a lowered pregnancy rate or elongated
calving season next fall. Visit with your local veterinarian about
testing the bulls soon, so that if replacements are necessary, there is
enough time and opportunity before the fall breeding season is to
begin.
-- Glenn Selk, “Oklahoma State University
Cow/Calf Corner”
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A coalition of activist groups led by the Humane Society of the
U.S., The Waterkeepers Alliance, and Friends of the Earth filed a
petition Sept. 21 to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. The petition asks
Jackson to add Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to the
list of stationary sources that produce air pollution.
The EPA Administrator is required to keep such a list under Section 111
of the Clean Air Act. The petition can be viewed online at www.foe.org/sites/default/files/HSUS_et_al_v_EPA_CAFO_CAA_Petition.pdf.
The petition charges that CAFOs emit air pollutants, specifically:
- Greenhouse gases that cause or contribute to climate change;
- Hydrogen sulfide that causes or contributes to hydrogen sulfide
exposure localized odors, acid rain and haze;
- Ammonia that causes or contributes to odors, ecosystem
acidification and eutrophication and haze;
- Particulate matter and small particulates that cause or contribute
to particle pollution, acid rain and haze, and
- Certain volatile organic compounds that cause or contribute to
localized odors, ground-level ozone and haze.
-- National Meat Association “Lean Trimmings”
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The government of Canada on Wednesday officially asked the World
Trade Organization (WTO) to convene a panel to investigate the U.S.
mandatory country of origin (COOL) labeling law for imported meat.
Canada’s request for a panel comes after two rounds of WTO
consultations with the U.S. failed to resolve the issue, according to a
news release from the Canadian government. Panels are the next step in
the WTO’s dispute settlement process.
In a joint statement, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade
Representative Ron Kirk said, "We regret that formal consultations have
not been successful in resolving Canada's concerns over country of
origin labeling (COOL) required by the 2008 Farm Bill for certain
agricultural products.
"We believe that our implementation of COOL provides information to
consumers in a manner consistent with our World Trade Organization
commitments.
"Countries have agreed since long before the existence of the WTO that
country of origin labeling is a legitimate policy. It is common for
other countries to require that goods be labeled as to their origin.
"We hope to continue to work with Canada to resolve this issue
amicably."
According to NCBA, Canada’s decision to move forward with their
complaint against U.S. COOL regulations is unfortunate, due to the
potential retaliatory action that could be taken against U.S. beef.
“Since COOL was first proposed, we’ve continued to have concerns
about its potential implications on our relationship with our top two
trading partners—not to mention its impact on domestic feeder cattle
markets at our borders to the North and South,” NCBA said in a
statement.
“The U.S. imports and adds value to Mexican and Canadian livestock
through our feedlots, processing and infrastructure; and we export this
value-added finished product back to Mexican and Canadian consumers. Any
disruptions to either of these markets will have a significant economic
impact on our industry. Unfortunately, it’s becoming clear that COOL
has damaged these critically important trading relationships, and is not
putting any additional money into the pockets of cattlemen.
“Canada and Mexico are our top two trading partners, together
accounting for 59% of total U.S. beef, beef variety meat and processed
beef product export revenues last year. It is likely that Mexico will
join Canada in proceeding with a formal WTO dispute settlement
process,” NCBA said.
-- Canadian government, USDA and NCBA releases
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Last week, the Congressional Agriculture Appropriations Conference
Committee voted to reduce funding for the National Animal Identification
System (NAIS) from $14.67 million to $5.3 million. The committee is
working to reconcile House and Senate versions of the Agriculture
Appropriations bill. The House version would eliminate all funding for
NAIS, while the Senate version would fund it.
-- Southwest Meat Association
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As consumers place more emphasis on price and value while they fill
their grocery carts, America’s conventional beef producers are helping
ease the financial burden of rising food costs.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
release by GET IT
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The early fall run of yearlings off grass is in full swing at
Northern Plains auction markets. The later fall calf run is just
starting with heavy runs only weeks away. Two weeks ago, 85% of cattle
sold at North and South Dakota auctions weighed over 600 lbs., but a
month from now only 30% will weigh over 600 lbs., according to Tim
Petry, North Dakota State University Extension livestock economist.
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) reports feeder-cattle
prices and numbers sold at markets throughout the country in its
"National Feeder and Stocker Summary" report. The report is issued every
Friday afternoon and is available on the AMS web site at: www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/sj_ls850.txt.
Grass conditions were near ideal this year in much of the Northern
Plains and many feeder steers are weighing over 800 lbs. Demand has been
moderate to good for the many truckload lots being offered. A near
record, if not record, corn crop in the western Corn Belt has stimulated
buyer interest. But prices have weakened over the last month as
marketings have increased, fed-cattle prices have stalled at $82-84, and
corn futures prices have inched back up, Petry says. For example, the
CME Feeder Cattle Index, which is an average price for 650-850 lb steers
sold in the U.S., declined from $98.68 on Sept. 1 to $95.36 on Oct. 1.
Calf prices among Northern Plains markets have been very uneven. At many
markets, too few calves are selling yet to generate buyer interest
because truckload lots cannot be put together. Last year, there was a
wide range in prices for the same weight and grade of calves sold at the
same market, due to the many factors that affect calf value. Early
indications are that the range will continue to be wide and could even
be wider this year as buyers sort for value.
Unweaned calves without vaccinations are likely to receive discounts,
while weaned calves with appropriate vaccinations and that qualify for
value-added programs such as source and age verified and/or natural may
receive premiums.
Further weakness in calf prices is likely to occur as seasonal
marketings increase. So producers should strive to market calves near
the top of the range instead of near the bottom. Calf sellers are
encouraged to contact their market soon for tips on marketing and
management practices that can help bring the highest price possible for
calves.
-- Tim Petry, LMIC “In The Cattle Markets”
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The U.S. average price for regular gasoline dropped for the eighth
consecutive week (week ending Oct. 5), dipping 3¢ to $2.47/gal. for a
cumulative reduction of 18¢ over the eight weeks, and $1.02 below a
year ago. Diesel was also down in all regions, shedding 2¢ to $2.58 for
the week, or $1.29 less than last year.
Gasoline on the East Coast slipped 4¢ to $2.41, and 2¢ to $2.36 in the
Midwest. The Gulf Coast shed 2¢ to $2.29, the Rocky Mountains fell by
nearly 5¢ to $2.50, and the West Coast slipped 4¢ to $2.95. California
was down 3¢ to $3.07.
Meanwhile, diesel slipped 2¢ on both the East Coast and Midwest ($2.59
and $2.56, respectively). The Gulf Coast shed about 1¢ to $2.52, as did
the Rocky Mountains ($2.65), and the West Coast was down 2¢ to $2.72
per gallon. California lost 2¢ to settle at $2.79.
-- U.S. Energy Information Administration
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A 14-year study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in
Oregon found that rangelands that have been grazed by cattle recover
from fires more effectively than rangelands that have been protected
from livestock.
Much of the rangeland in the western U.S. is threatened by the spread of
cheatgrass and medusahead, invasive non-native annual grasses that fuel
wildfires and readily infest landscapes, especially after fires. These
rangelands historically were burned by wildfires every 50 to 100 years,
but over the past century these fires have been suppressed by humans.
This suppression allowed some dead plant litter to accumulate, but when
cattle were introduced to the region, their grazing helped keep litter
accumulation in check.
Scientists at the ARS Range and Meadow Forage Management Research Unit
at the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center in Burns, carried out
studies comparing how native plants on grazed and ungrazed sagebrush
rangelands recovered from fires. All the sites had similar vegetation
profiles and were virtually free of cheatgrass.
In the grazed areas, cattle consumed around 40% of the available forage,
which removed much of the potential litter. The ungrazed sites, where
livestock had been excluded since 1936, had almost twice as much litter
as the grazed sites.
The scientists conducted a controlled burn on all the sites in 1993, and
then measured vegetation cover, vegetation density and biomass
production in 2005, 2006 and 2007. They found cheatgrass had infested a
large portion of the ungrazed sites, leaving these areas even more
vulnerable to future fires.
However, cheatgrass did not become problematic on the sites that had
been grazed. On these sites, native bunchgrass cover was almost twice as
dense as bunchgrass cover on the ungrazed sites. The team concluded that
the litter in the ungrazed sites fueled hotter fires that killed off
much of the perennial vegetation, which allowed quick-growing invasive
annuals to become established.
-- ARS release
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The Michigan state legislature has passed proactive legislation,
negotiated between the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) and the state's
egg, pork and veal production industries, to address certain production
practices in their businesses. The legislation will ban the use of
so-called battery cages in egg production and gestation stalls in the
pork industry in a little more than 10 years, and the use of crates for
veal production in three years.
Jim Byrum, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association, was
involved in negotiations. Byrum says no one likes change and no one
likes to spend money to make those changes. The fact of the matter is,
he says, agriculture recognizes we must be more responsive to consumer
demand and perceptions. This legislation is a manifestation of that
realization.
HSUS had threatened to collect signatures for a ballot initiative in
Michigan that, according to Byrum, would have caused essentially these
same outcomes, but in a much shorter time-frame and with much more
onerous penalties against Michigan farmers. Byrum believes this is the
best resolution to a difficult situation, and producers now have
certainty and can spend their resources to comply with the new
guidelines.
Meanwhile, livestock interests in Ohio are promoting their own
"Proposition 2"
It's actually called Issue 2 in Ohio. And in a little over a month,
Ohioans will vote on whether to amend the state constitution to create
an Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board.
If passed, the measure would establish the Ohio Livestock Standards
Board, which would set standards on animal care and "take into account
issues of food safety, local availability and affordability of food and
the best farm management practices for animal well-being.”
According to the Ohio Farm Bureau, the resolution for Issue 2 had
"overwhelming support" in the Ohio General Assembly, and passed 83 to 16
in the House and 31 to 1 in the Senate. However, Issue 2 is not without
opposition. Critics include the HSUS, the Ohio Farmers Union, the Ohio
Environmental Stewardship Alliance and the Ohio Sierra Club.
-- Ron Hays, Radio Oklahoma Network
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The Oklahoma State University (OSU) Extension animal science folks
have compiled a suite of free software that cattlemen can download and
use. The software includes spreadsheets to calculate nutrients and
balance diets; calculate feedyard breakeven; a “Cowgame” to practice
breeding and selection decisions; a stocker planner and more. The list
of programs is available at www.ansi.okstate.edu/software.
-- Burt Rutherford
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Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) has asked the GAO to conduct a new
study on the federal government’s tracking and monitoring of
antibiotic use in animals and its efforts to assess and mitigate
“human health risk related to antibiotic use in animals.”
In a Sept. 21 letter to GAO, Slaughter asked for a study to address the
following areas:
- Which data exist on the types and quantities of antibiotics
used in food animals and on the purposes for which they are used?
- Which further data do USDA, FDA and CDC believe are needed to
assess and mitigate the risks to people from antibiotic use in animals,
and what efforts are underway or are needed to collect these data?
- To what extent is USDA monitoring food animals and meat for the
emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogens like
Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella and Listeria?
- How effectively is FDA overseeing industry compliance with
currently approved animal antibiotics and uses for these antibiotics?
- What is FDA’s plan and time frame for reevaluating the
antibiotics (and antibiotic uses) it has approved for animals?
- What efforts have USDA, FDA, and CDC taken to assess the human
health risks related to antibiotic use in animals, and what have the
assessments shown?
The letter can be viewed at www.louise.house.gov/.
” -- National Meat Association “Lean
Trimmings
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Fewer than 5% of farms saw an improvement in income this year, a
drastic downturn compared with the same time last year when one in four
farms saw better year over year income, according to Rabobank’s Farm &
Ranch Survey. The survey showed:
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
release by Rabobank
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The USDA could get better results from its research spending if it
focused on a narrower list of priorities, the USDA's top research
official said.
Rajiv Shah, USDA undersecretary for research, education and economics,
told a Congressional hearing that "the next six months will be a time of
great organizational evolution" as he reviews research conducted by USDA
scientists as well as grants it gives to external research bodies.
"To do agricultural research really well, and to do it in a way that
generates real benefits for people, we really believe that you have to
focus for a long time on a specific, narrow set of scientific problems,"
Shah told Reuters after the hearing of a U.S. House agriculture
subcommittee.
Shah told the hearing he sees the chance "to bring about transformative
change in the way we do science at USDA." USDA spent $1.19 billion on
its Agricultural Research Service in 2009, and $1.22 billion on grants
to outside research facilities and projects, both of which included a
long list of Congressionally directed spending "earmarks" for specific
projects.
Shah, who led research at the Gates Foundation before the Obama
administration named him to his USDA post, said he will use his role as
"chief scientist" to focus resources around priority areas, seeking
breakthroughs in food safety, food security, climate change, biofuels
and human nutrition.
Stakeholders will help the USDA hone its research priorities, Shah said,
noting the department wants to "broaden the tent" to include consumer
groups in its consultations.
The USDA also will formally establish the National Institute of Food and
Agriculture, replacing the Cooperative State Research, Education and
Extension Service, which helps fund external research projects. "There
are some great opportunities to change, and we believe (the new
institute) will allow us to do that," Shah said.
-- Reuters www.reuters.com
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USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) released the latest report on
foreign holdings of U.S. land. The publication contains statistics
through Feb. 28, 2008, regarding the 20.9 million acres of U.S. land in
which foreign persons hold an interest.
The report, titled "Foreign Holdings of U.S. Agricultural Land," is
available at www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=ecpa&topic=afa.
The publication reports that foreigners have an interest (partial or
total ownership) in 1.6% of all privately held U.S. land and 0.92% of
all land in the U.S. This is a 1.4 million acre increase from 2007.
The report includes a wide variety of figures and statistics, including:
- A breakdown of land held by foreigners by the type of acreage:
Forest land – 58% of foreign-owned land
Cropland – 13%
Pasture and other land – 26%
- Canadians hold the largest amount of land: almost 7.3 million
acres, or 34% of the foreign-owned land.
- People from these three countries collectively hold more than 6.7
million acres, or 31% of the foreign held acres in the U.S.:
Netherlands, almost 3.9 million acres (18%); United Kingdom, over 1.5
million acres (7%); and Germany, almost 1.4 million acres (6%).
- Maine has the largest amount of foreign held U.S. land at 3.35
million acres, or 18.7% of the privately held land in the state. In
Hawaii, 8.8% of private land is foreign held. Washington (7.2%), Nevada
(5.2%), and Alabama (5.1%) have the next largest proportions of
foreign-held land.
-- USDA release
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