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Herefords - The Efficiency Experts
Adding Hereford genetics to your herd makes perfect business sense in a
cost-driven economy. Excellent conversion, hardiness, fertility,
longevity and even disposition can help reduce input costs. These
Hereford efficiencies are ideal for your herd, your business and your
plans for the future. Low-maintenance cattle, long-term profit. Now
that's power.
www.hereford.org
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The Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports urged Congress to
renew and increase the support for the Market Access Program (MAP) and
the Foreign Market Development (FMD). The Coalition testified before the
Senate Agriculture Committee saying a recent independent study of the
MAP and FMD programs showed the benefit of these programs to U.S.
agriculture.
Conducted by Global Insight, the USDA study found these programs
increased the U.S. share of world trade since 2001 by more then one
market share point to 19%, or $3.8 billion in additional U.S.
agricultural exports. According to the study, the programs improve farm
income by increasing farm cash receipts by $2.2 billion and increased
annual farm net cash income by $460 million.
The coalition is asking Congress to increase MAP funding from the
current $200 million to $325 million, and FMD funding from $34.5 million
to $50 million. Coalition members include: American Feed Industry
Association, American Meat Institute, American Sheep Industry
Association, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat
Growers, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Chicken
Council, National Cotton Council, National Pork Producers Council,
National Turkey Federation, The Catfish Institute, USA Rice Federation,
U.S. Apple Export Council, and U.S. Meat Export Federation.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.,
correspondent
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The American Meat Institute (AMI) testified at the House Ways and
Means Committee's hearing on the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
negotiations this week. AMI told the committee that full restoration of
beef trade with Korea should be a prerequisite for a U.S.-Korea
FTA.
"The current Korean import requirements for U.S. beef do not come close
to a first stage of reopening trade. The beef industry is united and has
informed the U.S. Trade Representative and USDA that they will not
support an FTA with Korea if U.S. beef exports are not normalized."
Other key issues that must be resolved in the negotiations are rice and
automobiles.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.,
correspondent
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Many U.S. cattle producers have serious concerns over expanding
allowable beef imports from Canada. They believe a recent proposal by
USDA to open the U.S. border to cattle, and products from cattle, more
than 30 months of age will trigger a deluge of additional low-price beef
imports, driving down domestic cattle prices.
Click here to read more of this story by Clint
Peck
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With no progress made this week in four days of negotiations
regarding agricultural sticking points to a U.S.-South Korea free-trade
agreement (FTA), show time is next week. Among the sticking points are
beef, which the U.S. wants fully reopened; and rice, which Korea wants
excluded from any deal.
The two countries will hold talks next week in Seoul to try to break the
deadlock on contentious issues in order to reach an FTA deal by an
end-of-month deadline.
"There have been some gains made in the four days of talks, but key
issues have yet to be fully resolved," South Korea's assistant
agriculture trade minister told Yonhap News. "Those that have not
been resolved will be referred to a ministerial-level meeting that will
kick off next week in Seoul," says Min Dong-seok.
Min doesn't believe that agriculture will become a obstacle for sealing
an FTA by the end of next week, despite the lack of progress on the
beef-import question. In fact, if anything, South Korea seemed even more
intractable in its positions. The Koreans regard even any mention of
rice in FTA negotiations as a dealbreaker, while contending that a
resolution to the beef issue doesn't have to be negotiated ahead of an
FTA, Yonhap News reports. Meanwhile, the U.S. maintains the beef
issue must be resolved before signing off on an FTA.
The U.S. was hopeful that the widely expected May announcement by the
World Health Organization (OIE) of its classification of the U.S. as
being a "controlled risk" for BSE would grease the skids on reopening of
full beef trade. But Min says: "Washington's position that South Korea
should give concrete assurances to adhere to the revised verdict of the
World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) cannot be accepted," Min
says.
-- Joe Roybal
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The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida
recently approved the sales of CattleLog and VerifEYE, two business
units of the now defunct eMerge Interactive, Inc. Micro Beef
Technologies was the successful bidder for CattleLog, as reported last
week, for around $1.6 million. Chad Inc. will purchase the VerifEYE
assets for approximately $370,000.
-- Burt Rutherford
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Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) debuted a consumer Web site, www.herefordbeef.net, this week. It provides
recipes and the latest nutritional and healthy living information, smart
shopping techniques for families, and info on the CHB community. A list
of CHB retail outlets and links to their Web sites are also included.
"The site contains great consumer-based information that both our retail
outlets and foodservice outlets can use to help answer questions,
provide cutting-edge material and guide consumers on where they can buy
CHB in their own communities," says Craig Huffines, American Hereford
Association executive vice president.
-- Certified Hereford Beef release
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DTN reports land values in Iowa and Nebraska increased as much as
14% across the states, based on separate surveys by the Iowa Farm and
Land Chapter No. 2 Realtors Land Institute and University of
Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).
Iowa land values rose 13.6% in the last six months across the state,
with a 20% increase for land in the northeast and north-central Iowa.
Average price for farmland across Iowa is $4,313/acre. Realtors have
reported land sales higher than $6,000/acre, DTN says.
Nebraska farm values rose 14% statewide, with land in the northeast just
under a 20% jump in values. UNL reports that land values in Nebraska
increased more than 50% since 2003. Average prices vary across the state
with a high of $2,784/acre in eastern Nebraska to $395/acre in the
northwest.
Both reports cite the rise in commodity prices since 2006 and national
policies pushing ethanol production for land value increases.
-- Alaina Burt
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The price of beef in South Korea is the highest among 29 countries,
with South Korean consumers paying the U.S. equivalent of $59/kilo
(55,800 won) for imported beef and 54,500 won ($58) for domestic
product. One kilo is 2.2046 lbs.
An international survey conducted by Consumers Korea and consumer
organizations in 28 other countries found Australian beef is nearly
twice as expensive in South Korea as in Japan, says group chairman Kim
Jae-ok.
Russia came in second, with imported beef being equivalent to 50,318
won/kilo, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 24,646 won, and
Vietnam with 22,823 won. Japan's average beef import price was 21,023
won.
In January, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said that, as of
October 2005, the average price of a kilogram of beef in South Korea was
$56.44, six times more expensive than in the United States ($8.94) and
five times more expensive than in Britain and Italy. The ILO survey of
13 countries also showed the price of Korean beef was roughly $15 more
expensive than that of Japan.
-- Consumers Korea news release
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Special Rangers with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers
Association (TSCRA) recovered or accounted for about $5 million in
stolen livestock and ranch equipment in 2006, TSCRA reports.
The cadre of 27 TSCRA law enforcement officers are commissioned as
Special Rangers by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. In 2006, these "cow cops"
investigated 1,045 cases in Texas and Oklahoma. Working with federal,
state and local law-enforcement agencies, they recovered or accounted
for 3,716 cattle, 144 horses, 10 trailers, 18 saddles and 414
miscellaneous items with a total market value of $4,878,722.39.
-- Burt Rutherford
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Upgrade your lepto protection
Click
to hear why new Vira Shield® 6+VL5 HB and its protection against
Lepto hardjo-bovis is being added to vaccination programs. In addition
to BVD and vibrio coverage, the L. hardjo-bovis fraction included in Vira
Shield 6+VL5 HB is based on an isolate from a U.S. herd experiencing
reproductive problems. Click on the photos to hear from experts who get
it done with one.
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The Bush Administration stated its strong objections to the House of
Representatives' FY '07 supplemental appropriations bill because of the
language concerning the pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq, as well as the
additional spending for non-defense items. The bill contains $4 billion
in agricultural disaster assistance. The administration's statement
said, "Because of the excessive and extraneous non-emergency spending"
that President Bush "would veto the bill." The House of Representatives
is to vote on the bill this week.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.,
correspondent
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Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) introduced an
amendment that would place a limit of $250,000 on the amount of farm
payments an individual can receive.
Grassley said, "It's good policy and a nice way to help the Agriculture
Committee dig into the $15 billion on offsets it needs for the farm
bill. This proposal has always been popular and the reality is that with
72% of the payments going to 10% of farmers, we've got a serious problem
on our hands."
The amendment is estimated to save $486 million over five years and
$1.07 billion over 10 years. Grassley and Dorgan said the savings would
be used for renewable energy/rural development, conservation and
nutrition. The Senators plan to offer the amendment during Senate
consideration of the budget resolution. They also plan to introduce
legislation for consideration during the farm bill debate.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.,
correspondent
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The House Budget Committee began work this week on the FY 2008
budget resolution. Rep. John Spratt (D-SC), chairman of the committee,
proposes $20 billion in new agricultural spending over five years, if
offset. The Senate Budget Committee's resolution proposes a $15-billion
reserve fund for agriculture with offsets.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.,
correspondent
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The POWER of one BRAND can change your future in the beef
business.
Certified Angus Beef ®, the oldest, most successful branded
beef program in the industry returned more than $50 million in grid
premiums in 2003. The demand for CAB® brand products translates into
fed cattle premiums of $2-$5/cwt. Source-verified, high-percentage Angus
replacement females often top auctions by selling for $50-$100 per head
above cash market. Sale barn surveys conducted at nine auction markets
indicated premiums are paid, not for black-hided cattle, but for
high-percentage-Angus cattle.
One brand, one breed--the power of one can change your future in the
beef business.
www.angus.org
Certified Angus Beef® and CAB® are registered trademarks of
Certified Angus Beef, LLC
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Michigan's mandatory electronic-ID program for cattle went into
effect March 1, and the nation's first statewide, comprehensive,
electronic, animal-health tracking system for cattle appears to be off
to a good start. Officials say early results showed about 95% of cattle
arriving at livestock markets with radio-frequency ID (RFID) tags in
their left ears.
Click here to read more of this story by Joe
Roybal
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