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Take the Producer Poll!
Results from last week's poll:
Do you plan to vaccinate your cows and calves at turnout this
summer?
- Yes -- 79.41%
- No, but I'm considering it -- 14.71%
- No and I don't plan to do so -- 5.88%
Vote now to answer
this week's question:
What are pasture conditions like in your area?
- Excellent
- Average
- Dry
- Very dry
Stay tuned next week for the poll results and a new question.
Sponsored by Vira
Shield 6+Somnus.
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When I wrap a gift, my wife usually rewraps it. When she informed me
that the wrapping is sometimes just as important as the gift, it wasn't
something I easily comprehended. But when it comes to marketing cattle,
the principle is a good one to remember.
Click here to read more of this story by Troy
Marshall
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Japanese politics were roiled this week by the suicide of the
nation's farm minister on Monday. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka was embroiled in various political funds
scandals and was facing growing pressure for his resignation.
The 62-year-old Matsuoka had served in the cabinet post since September,
when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe assumed office. Chief Cabinet Secretary
Yasuhisa Shiozaki told a press conference that Environment Minister
Masatoshi Wakabayashi has replaced Matsuoka as acting agriculture
minister on a temporary basis.
Lynn Heinze of the U.S. Meat Export Federation tells BEEF Cow-Calf
Weekly that the leadership change shouldn't affect ongoing U.S.
efforts to liberalize the Japanese market for U.S. beef.
"From what we're seeing so far, things remain on track... the first step
toward access is the end of the 100% box testing, which we understand is
on course to end mid-June (the audit teams here for the last two weeks
are ready to provide their final report)," Heinze says. "As for moving
from the 20-month rule, there are domestic rule changes that would be
required and we didn't expect much action on this front until after July
elections."
-- Joe Roybal
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BullShop.com. is a useful site to
anyone buying or selling breeding stock. Over the past five years, it
has grown into the largest, all breeds, breeding stock site serving the
cow-calf industry. The site is presented in a state-by-state format
making it easy for buyers and sellers to use.
Breeders can choose national or state ads in their marketing efforts.
The various free and paid ad categories include breeder ads, semen ads,
embryo ads, state ads, featured ads and sale ads. Click to visit www.BullShop.com. Click to checkout
the free ads you can post on BullShop at www.bullshop.com/show_page.php?id=38
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Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) have
introduced S. 1486, the "Rural America Preservation Act," which would
limit farm program payments to $250,000. The bill caps direct payments
at $20,000; counter-cyclical payments at $30,000; and marketing loan
gains (including forfeitures), loan deficiency payments, and commodity
certificates at $75,000. This legislation has passed the Senate in the
past and will be considered this year during the farm bill debate.
Grassley said, "It is unfair to family farmers and to American taxpayers
that the government has been awarding seven-figure payments to corporate
mega-farms. When 10% of the nation's farmers receive 72% of the
payments, it erodes public confidence in federal farm programs. And it
only gets worse every year."
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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The fallout from the historic U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kelo
vs. City of New London continues. In that decision, the court ruled
that it's OK for a city to condemn private property in the name of
economic development.
The Texas legislature recently passed a bill that cattlemen and other
private property advocates are applauding as protective of landowners in
the Lone Star State. "H.B. 2006 helps level the playing field for
landowners who are condemned and ensures they are justly compensated for
damage done to their property," said Jon Means, president of the Texas
and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. The bill defines "public
use" in a way that is intended to prevent condemnation for economic
development purposes and also requires a condemning authority to make a
bona fide offer to the landowner.
-- Burt Rutherford
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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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Ranching families in Southwest Kansas affected by recent tornadoes
have benefited from nearly $60,000 in wire and posts. Last Friday, about
25 ranch families came to Pratt Livestock, an auction market in Pratt,
KS, to pick up wire and posts in the third such distribution since the
tornadoes struck.
The relief effort initiated by the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA)
has benefited from many individual cattlemen, as well as the Kansas
Livestock Association (KLA), Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Pratt
Livestock, Cactus Feeders and High Plains Farm Credit.
Emergency management officials are organizing volunteer labor to help
build fence. If interested, call 620-659-2188 and ask for Karen.
Individuals or businesses can send cash donations to KLA at 6031 S.W.
37th, Topeka, KS 66117. To be tax-deductible, make checks to the Kansas
Livestock Foundation and note "Greensburg relief effort" in the memo
line.
-- KLA release
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What they don't teach you in AniSci 101.
The Charolais-influence in your crossbreeding program adds an
exceptional boost of heterosis, economic value and cowherd
predictability. Charolais-influence adds value in virtually every
segment in the U.S. beef industry.
You choose your end-use target. Use Charolais genetics to get
there!
Click here for more
information.
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National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) members will congregate
at Mississippi State University Aug. 2-5 for the 2007 NJHA Program for
Reaching Individuals Determined to Excel (PRIDE) convention. The event
offers educational tours, a judging contest and leadership/team building
workshops. Visit www.jrhereford.org for more
info.
-- NJHA Release
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The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA)
is urging Congress to pass legislation to allow for the interstate
shipment of state-inspected meat and poultry products. NASDA said,
"allowing interstate meat sales is just plain common sense -- no other
food commodities inspected by state authorities are prohibited from
being shipped across state lines. Why aren't the same market options
available for meat and poultry?"
Two bills (H.R. 1760 and H.R. 2315) have been introduced in Congress to
allow for the interstate shipment of state-inspected meat.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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Web: www.aginfolink.com
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Get an in-depth look at what's shaping the beef industry with
BEEF magazine's annual State Of The Industry Report. This year's
report details how the industry is challenged with trade, ethanol,
profitability, politics and consumer demand issues. Grazing guru Jim
Gerrish writes about the importance of managing your pasture's nitrogen
cycle.
In addition, how producers and researchers are measuring "doability" in
cattle rounds out the second in a two-part series by Bill Zimmerman. And
don't miss the special, 16-page tribute to the Beef Improvement
Federation, which commemorates that organization's 40th anniversary.
Find all of this and more at www.beef-mag.com.
-- Alaina Burt
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South Korean inspectors found two boxes of beef ribs in a 15.2-ton
shipment of U.S. beef this week. "The two boxes were packed full of
chuck short ribs so they were easily noticed by our inspectors," said
Kang Mun-il, head of the state-run service under the Agriculture
Ministry. Seoul immediately ordered a suspension of all imports from the
meat processing company that shipped the rib-filled boxes.
Meanwhile, the Hanwoo Association, South Korea's umbrella beef cattle
association, called for a year's delay in further market opening for
U.S. beef. Yonhap News reports Nam Ho-kyung, chairman of the
Hanwoo Association, which represents 200,000 South Korean cattle
ranchers, called on policymakers to diligently follow through on all
aspects of the eight-point risk assessment analysis to check the safety
of U.S. beef, a process that could take more than a year. It includes
on-site inspection of cattle ranches, meat processing facilities and
government oversight procedures, the report says.
The Hanwoo chairman said the recent World Organization for Animal Health
(OIE) designation of the U.S. as "controlled risk for BSE" was
immaterial, due to the lack of an animal-tracking system in the U.S.,
and lingering concerns over its feed ban. He said every available means
will be employed to delay the signing of new import guidelines.
-- Joe Roybal
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Six farms and ranches are on the itinerary of a two-day, field tour
of intensive rotational grazing operations in northeast Nebraska. The
July 2-3 tour is sponsored by University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)
Extension and the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
program and is geared toward ag educators who will use the information
to tell others about intensive rotational grazing.
"This is ideal for educators, Natural Resources Conservation Service
employees, high school vo-ag instructors, or anyone else in a position
to be educating people about intensive rotational grazing," says Chuck
Francis, UNL sustainable agriculture specialist and a tour coordinator.
The tours will cover the importance of cattle rotation frequency, costs,
fencing, water and other management decisions. Overnight lodging, two
meals, bus transportation and materials are provided by a SARE grant.
For more info, contact Karen Spath at 402-472-8616.
-- Joe Roybal
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President George Bush signed the Iraq supplemental appropriations
bill that included a $3-billion, ag-disaster assistance program. It
would provide assistance to farmers and ranchers nationwide who
experienced serious losses in 2005-2007.
According to the House Ag Committee, the quantity loss threshold for
eligibility is 35% and the payment rate is set at 42% of the established
crop insurance price. Only producers with crop insurance coverage or who
signed up for the Non-Insured Assistance Program would be eligible for
assistance. The 95% crop value cap and deduction for crop insurance
indemnities would be in place.
The bill includes a Livestock Compensation Program (LCP) that provides
benefits for producers in designated disaster counties for their added
costs of procuring livestock feed in 2005, 2006 or 2007 (up to Feb. 28,
2007). The payment rate is 61% of the payment made under the LCP
announced in the Federal Register notice dated Feb. 12, 2007.
Eligible livestock under that announcement are: adult or non-adult dairy
cattle, beef cattle, buffalo, beefalo, equine, poultry, elk, reindeer,
sheep, goats, swine, deer, catfish and other livestock the USDA
Secretary may designate.
In addition, a Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) would be available to
cover livestock deaths caused by a natural disaster or related condition
that occurred in 2005, 2006 or 2007 (up to Feb. 28, 2007), including
losses due to hurricanes, floods, wildfires, blizzards and anthrax. The
payment rate is to be not less than 26% of market value of the livestock
on the day before the date of death, as determined by the USDA
Secretary.
Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), chairman of the House Ag Committee, said,
"This Congress has delivered a fiscally responsible package that meets
the most pressing needs for assistance in agriculture and rural
communities."
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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John Walker, Texas Ag Experiment Station resident director of
research at San Angelo, has co-authored "Targeted Grazing: A Natural
Approach to Vegetation Management and Landscape Enhancement."
"Using livestock to manage vegetation is an ancient practice," Walker
says. "But grazing animals to manage vegetation as a paid service is a
fairly new idea, especially in the U.S. The practice known as prescribed
or targeted grazing, is growing steadily in environmentally sensitive
areas where herbicides and other more intrusive noxious plant control
measures are banned or held in ill favor."
The first six chapters outline basic principles of animal and plant
interactions in targeted grazing. The second section examines management
applications used to control broadleaf weeds, invasive grasses and
noxious brush. The last three chapters look at targeted grazing from
different perspectives and offer additional resources, a glossary and
photos.
The 199-page softbound book and an accompanying compact disc are
available for $25 through the American Sheep Industry Association, Call
303-771-350, e-mail info@sheepusa.org, or visit
www.sheepusa.org/targetedgrazing.
-- Southwest Farm Press
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Cattle management and hay production and storage are on the agenda
of the University of Tennessee (UT) Beef and Forage Field Day set for
June 14 at the Blount Unit of the East Tennessee Research and Education
Center. Activities will begin with a trade show at 7:30 a.m.
Morning sessions begin with tips on selecting a commercial squeeze chute
for cattle management, hay barn plans and planning, and profitable hay
production. A two-session youth program will feature a beef cattle
judging clinic as well as presentations on career opportunities in ag
and natural resources.
Following lunch, an afternoon session looks at the impact of health and
temperament on feedlot performance and carcass quality. The Tennessee
Beef Evaluation Program also will be discussed.
Preregister by June 8 by contacting your local county UT Extension
office or call 865-974-7201. For more info, visit knoxville.tennessee.edu/events/.
-- Joe Roybal
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USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), along with the
Department of Homeland Security and GenVec, Inc., a biopharmaceutical
company, have developed the first foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine
produced in the U.S. While FMD vaccines already exist, they're produced
elsewhere because they require infectious FMD material in the
manufacturing process. The new vaccine, still under development, is a
molecular-based product that does not require expensive,
high-containment production facilities. The new vaccine also makes it
possible to determine whether an animal with FMD antibodies acquired
them through vaccination or the disease.
Additional testing is underway to determine the product's commercial
viability and effectiveness against various FMD serotypes. Should the
vaccine ultimately be proven effective, the U.S. government can plan
adequate supplies for the veterinary strategic stockpile, USDA says.
-- ARS release
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The largest South American meat packer just gobbled up another
struggling competitor. J&F Participações S.A. of Sao Paulo,
Brazil, parent company of JBS-Friboi, announced Tuesday the purchase of
Greeley, CO-based Swift & Co. J&F will reportedly pay $225 million in
cash and assume about $1.16 billion of Swift debt to the international
rival currently owned by HM Capital Partners LLC, Dallas, TX.
Click here to read more of this story by Clint
Peck
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