BEEF_STOCKER TRENDS_ A Penton Media Property July 21, 2009 If you want to view this on the web go to: http://enews.penton.com/enews/beef/v/823 --Moving To Eliminate Ethanol Subsidy Go figure. Given the whole red state, blue state thing, plenty of cattle producers would have lost money betting that sensible legislation aimed at curtailing government ethanol subsidies would come from the East or Left Coasts. But it has, from both sides of the country. Last Monday, Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Rep. Mary Mack (R-CA) introduced the Affordable Food and Fuel for America Act in the House of Representatives. It aims to phase out both the blender's tax credit and tariffs for corn-based ethanol within five years. "For too long billions of taxpayer dollars have been used to incentivize (her word) corn ethanol, without getting needed results and causing numerous unintended consequences, like rising food prices, that don't benefit our economy or our environment," said Mack. Of course, she's also one of eight Republicans who voted in favor of cap and trade, but no need to square the logic of one with the other. "After 30 years of support, corn-based ethanol is still reliant on government support to be commercially viable. It is time to allow it to compete on a level playing field, and to stop propping up one industry at the expense of another," Gary Voogt, president of the National Cattlemen's Association (NCBA), said Wednesday. "Soaring feed costs and government payments to the ethanol industry are hurting small businesses and family ranches. Cattle producers don't ask for subsidies, just equal footing... The legislation introduced by Representatives Crowley and Mack allows for a market-based approach to our nation's competing demands for corn, and helps us meet both our food and fuel needs." STOCKER MANAGEMENT --Load Position May Impact Health And Performance Add this to the potential criteria for sorting incoming stocker calves based on performance potential and health risk: calf location in the loaded trailer. "Our current project reveals that the environment within a commercial transport carrier is not likely homogeneous. And, cattle position within the transport vehicle may result in differing health and performance outcomes," say researchers at Kansas State University (KSU). In this unique study spanning two years (May 2006 to May 2008), KSU researchers looked at how location within the trailers impacted the health and performance of 21 loads of calves assembled in the Southeast, commingled in Tennessee and shipped to the KSU Beef Stocker Research Unit west of Manhattan. Specifically, KSU researchers -- Dale Blasi, Mark Epp and Brad White, DVM -- looked at health and performance differences during 45-60 days of backgrounding ahead of pasture turn-out. To view the full article go to: http://beefmagazine.com/beefstockertrends/0721-load-position-impact-health STOCKER ECONOMICS --Seasonal Trend Should Support Prices Though typical as an adjective to describe anything remotely connected to commodity markets this past 18 months seems oxymoronic, price trends heading into fall should reflect the seasonality most folks are used to. Mississippi State University agricultural economists John Anderson and John Riley pointed out last week that wholesale beef prices have followed a more typical season pattern since the beginning of the second quarter. Those prices peaked the last week of April and then declined by about 10% through the first week of July. "This year's fed cattle prices are also basically consistent with typical seasonal behavior, at least so far," say Anderson and Riley. Though the spring peak was later than seasonal norms, the subsequent decline is on par. Anderson and Riley indexed beef and fed cattle prices for 2008 against averages for 2003 to 2007, which accounted for last year's counter-seasonal juggernaut. "A strict reading of the seasonal index would argue that fed cattle prices may have another dollar or two yet to fall in the next two weeks or so," say Anderson and Riley. "Of course, if the seasonal behavior of prices was that accurate and reliable, we could all get rich trading on it. "It is fair to say, consistent with normal seasonal price behavior and consistent with this year's supply situation, that prices will likely remain under pressure for another three or four weeks as adequate supplies of cattle meet tepid buying interest. Beyond that, tightening supplies set the stage for some price improvement; how much improvement will depend on how we fare on the demand side of things." For more of the analysis, see www.lmic.info/memberspublic/ (http://www.lmic.info/memberspublic/InTheCattleMarket/cattlemarkets.pdf) EVENTS --Calendar Of Events July 21-22 -- Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition and South Dakota Grasslands Coalition Joint Bus Tour, Yankton, SD;jljessop@kennebectelephone.com (mailto:SD;jljessop@kennebectelephone.com) July 27-31 -- Grazing Management Lectureship, King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management, Kingsville, TX; 361-593-5401 or krirm.tamuk.edu (http://krirm.tamuk.edu). Aug. 3-5 -- Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX; contact Jason Cleere, 979-845-6931 or at beef.tamu.edu (http://beef.tamu.edu) Aug. 10-14 -- John Armstrong Lectureship on Systems Thinking, King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management, Kingsville, TX; 361-593-5401 or krirm.tamuk.edu (http://krirm.tamuk.edu). Aug. 13 -- Beef Conference, Making Money on Hard Times, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, www.asi.ksu.edu/beefconference (http://www.asi.ksu.edu/beefconference). Aug. 21 -- 23rd Annual Wheatland Stocker Conference, Cherokee Strip Conference Center, Enid, OK. Aug. 25-27 -- ID Info-Expo, Westin Crown Center, Kansas City, MO; 270-782-9798 or www.animalagriculture.org (http://www.animalagriculture.org). Aug. 29 -- Missouri Beef Tour, south central Missouri; 573-882-4553 or 573-882-8154. Sept. 24 -- Beef Stocker Conference, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS. Oct. 23-24 -- Mid-Atlantic Grass-Finished Livestock Conference, Holiday Inn Conference Center, Staunton, VA; 434-292-5331 or makenny@vt.edu (mailto:makenny@vt.edu) CONTACT --Send Questions & Comments To... Wes Ishmael, Contributing Editor, BEEF Stocker Trends, at wesleysink@aol.com (mailto:wesleysink@aol.com) Joe Roybal, Editor, BEEF magazine, at jroybal@beef-mag.com (mailto:jroybal@beef-mag.com) MORE ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER You are subscribed to this newsletter as #email# To subscribe to this newsletter go to: http://http://subscribe.beefmagazine.com/?tc=NLSUB To unsubscribe from this newsletter go to: http://http://subscribe.beefmagazine.com/?tc=NLSUB&cid=#message_id#&lid=#list_id#&email=#email# For questions concerning delivery of this newsletter, please contact our Customer Service Department at: US Toll Free: (866) 505-7173 International: (402) 505-7173 or mailto:beefmagazine@pbinews.com To get this newsletter in a different format (Text or HTML), or to change your e-mail address, please go to your profile page here: http://subscribe.beefmagazine.com/?tc=NLSUB&email=#email# Penton Media | 249 W. 17th Street | New York, NY 10011 Copyright 2009, Penton Media. All rights reserved. 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